Modern Arnis
Presas was born in the town of Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, Philippines, the son of Jose B. Presas, a businessman, and the former Lucia Amador. He began studying arnis with his father then with his grandfather, Leon Presas, and uncle at the age of six. By the age of fourteen he had his first stick fighting match with a Sinawali master that Presas knocked out with one stick hit. He continued to travel across the Philippine Islands to learn from other masters and to compete in stick-fighting competitions and many street fights. Presas eventually focused on Balintawak Eskrima, but earned a 6th degree black belt in Shotokan Karate and a black belt in judo. In 1966 Presas began developing his own system which he called "Modern Arnis" by identifying the basic concepts of the numerous systems he had learned and merging them. By 1969 Modern Arnis had been approved by the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation as a regular subject to be taught at the National College of Physical education.