Remy Presas studied his family’s system from an early age.  He went on to study the Japanese systems of Shotokan Karate and Judo, achieving high rank in each; but he simultaneously studied a variety of other Filipino systems, most notably Venancio Bacon’s Balintawak .  Beginning with a small gymnasium in Bacolod in the 1950s, he attempted to spread the art to the local youth as both a cultural legacy and a form of physical development or sport.  He taught the art at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos.  His desire to reinvigorate interest in his country’s traditional martial art grew over time, and he began making modifications and improvements to what he had learned.  In 1969 he moved to Manila at the request of a government official, and formed the Modern Arnis Federation of the Philippines.  He continued to develop and spread his art, including via books, until political considerations forced him to relocate to North America.