Modern Arnis is a type of Filipino martial art that was founded by late Remy Presas as a self-defense system. He wanted to create an injury free training method as well as a sound self- defense system and preserve the old Arnis method.

The name modern Arnis was first coined by Remy Presas’ younger brother Ernesto Presas for describing his style of Filipino Martial arts. Since 1999, Ernesto Presas has called his system as Kombatan. It is heavily derived from the traditional Presas family style of the Bolo (machete) and the stick-dueling art of Balintawak and has influences from other Filipino and Japanese martial arts.

One unique characteristic of Filipino martial arts is the use of weapons from the very elementary stage of learning. Modern Arnis follows the tradition. The main weapon used is a rattan stick, called a cane or baston (baton), which comes in various sizes but is usually about 28inches ( 71cm) in length.

Both single and double stick techniques are used with an emphasis on the former. Unarmed defense techniques against stick and bladed instruments (which the stick sometimes represents) are also taught.

In the earlier days, the cane was considered sacred. Thus, the Arnis practitioner always tried to hit the opponents hand and arm and not hit the other partner’s cane.

This also had its advantages and was a preferred method for combat. It was referred to as “defanging the snake”, which is making the opponent drop his weapon and turn him to a weaker threat. However a lot of would be practitioners disliked the method because of immense pain and injuries involved. The result was a wipe out of this art form.

In many places in Philippines, Japanese martial arts like Judo and Karate took over the indigenous systems. Remy Presas’ initiative of modernization of the traditional art form was to make it popular and preserve the tradition. He introduced the method of cane-on-cane during practice. This motivated more people to take up the art form and allowed it to be taught in various schools. “Defanging the snake” still remains one of the principal moves of modern Arnis and while practical sessions one would typically target the other person’s hand or arm.

This is also used as an empty-handed technique, known as “limb destruction”.

Arnis which is also known as Kali differs mainly from the other martial arts systems so as it teaches empty handed techniques in the advance stage of training instead of the basic levels. The logic for this is that weapons are only a larger extension of the body and the same footwork and movements are used for armed and unarmed combat. Thus if one starts out with weapon combat the body automatically gets trained and conditioned for unarmed combat as well.

In the mid 1940s after the Second World War, the Kali masters from Philippines migrated to the states. It was only after a few years after that the Kali and Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) were taught on an international scale.