MEMORIES WITH LATE GGM ERNESTO A. PRESAS SR.

Grandmaster Tomi Harell, Finland
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​I met Great Grand Master Ernesto for the first time in Switzerland in 2001. At that time, I was a student of Grand Master Rami Vainiopää in Sin Moo Hapkido, and we were interested in Filipino martial arts. The late Grand Master Juerg Ziegler invited Rami and me to Switzerland to practice at Great Grand Master Ernesto's Kombatan camp. From the first meeting with him, I have remembered his kindness and how he welcomed us with open arms and consideration. We trained hard every day, and I remember that after a few hours of daily training at the camp, Grand Master Rami and I thought we could relax. However, Great Grand Master Ernesto gave us an extra few hours of private training every day. The week was physically very hard, but it opened the door to Kombatan for us.

Next, I met GGM Ernesto in 2003 and 2008 when he came to teach in Finland. Also, in 2008, I attended his camp in Sweden. The camps were great, with many participants, and there are many great memories of those weeks.

The next event with him, which had a big impact on me, was the IPMAF World Camp in the Philippines in 2009. There were a few people from Finland at the two-week Kombatan camp while his film was being shot. I was one of the actors in the film, and my role name was Master Leopard 😊. I then met my lovely wife, Ruby, for the first time while making the film. After the camp, I stayed with Jouko Kivelä to practice in the Philippines for a couple of weeks. We practiced daily with Great Grand Master Ernesto and many other masters, but our trip also included much more. We went to many places and experienced Philippine culture and lifestyle.
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I have one nice memory when we went to the City of Tagaytay with Great Grand Master Ernesto to see the world's smallest active volcano. GGM Ernesto was driving a white Japanese car, and the traffic seemed crazy. We had a great dinner at the foot of the volcano, and I remember that he wanted us to taste all kinds of local fish delicacies.

I have great personal memories of GGM Ernesto. We talked a lot, and I remember many of his instructions to me. One was to remember that we have no secrets. Share all the knowledge and skills you have forward. This is how we secure the future.

My time with him is one of the reasons why I still practice and teach Kombatan. He will remain forever in my memories, and for my part, I will cherish his legacy here in Finland and Europe.
Grandmaster Peter Konschak, Germany​
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My first encounter with GGM Presas I had in 1984, on his first visit to Germany. At that time, I also met  Master Pepe Yap, who accompanied him on this trip In ‘the years there followed regularly further visits with us in Germany, always with GM Wolfgang Schnur in Königslutter. I participated in all these lectures. On the occasion, I also got to know other masters, Michael Ermac,  Julius Melegrito, Jan Jan (Presas Jr.), Johan Skalberg. In 2005, I flew with several sports  friends from Germany to the Philippines to get to know the sport in the country of origin. Through my language barrier, the training was not always easy for me,  but GGM Presas always tried to pass on his knowledge to me with patience and dedication. He has always been a role model for me. 

​Grandmaster Thorbjørn Hartelius , Denmark
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I started training Filipino Martial Arts in Ft. McMurray, Alberta, Canada in 1983 under the guidance of Guro Fidel Bonifacio. Here I was introduced to a whole new World of Martial Arts. For the first time in my life I saw a style that was beautiful, graceful and extremely effective. I practiced the art for one year and learned the basics of Filipino Martial Arts in Canada.

When I returned to Denmark I immediately tried to make contact with other practitioners of Filipino Martila Arts in my home country.

In 1984 the Danish Arnis Federation started with Jorgen Gydesen as the Chief Instructor. He has build Modern Arnis ( now Kombatan Arnis ),  in Denmark and was the key for the development of the art in Denmark.

In 1986 I travelled to the Philippines for the first time to meet GGM Ernesto Presas and explore the Country where this great Martial Art originated. During my stay with GGM Ernesto Presas I realized how little of the Kombatan Arnis system I really understood and knew before.
Now I met a true Grandmaster of the Arts.
GGM Ernesto Presas taught me the way of the flowing motion, a whole new meaning of practice for me. I was surprised of how effective Kombatan Arnis would be in any kind of situation.
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I am very sure that we are many students of GGM Presas that can tell the same story. While training in the Philippines GGM Ernesto Presas became like a father to us. I stayed at the dormitory opposite University of Santo Thomas and everyday GGM would check up on me to see if I was okay. He came regularly with a tv, some water etc. Always taking care and providing for us arnis students. In the old gym everyone was very open and interested in passing on knowledge and GGM Presas would supervise every trainingsession. When I returned to Denmark, I had a different look at Filipino Martial Arts. I knew that I was on the right track. And when GGM Ernesto Presas came to Denmark in 1988, I was once again surprised. He took us all by surprise by teaching and showing us new and advanced techniques and methods that we had never seen before. In 1991 I became the Chairman of the Danish Arnis Federation and had the opportunity to invite GGM Ernesto Presas back to Denmark. I have been back to the Philippines to train with GGM Presas and everytime he and his family opened their house and I always felt welcome. Thank you GGM Presas and Presas Family for always being open and willing to share your great knowledge of Kombatan Arnis and guide me on my way.

Grandmaster andy elliott, australia

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​After training in Kali for several years, I first went to the Philippines in 1999 for the 1st Official Kombatan Camp in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental – the birthplace of Great Grandmaster Ernesto A. Presas.
 
It was always his dream to build a training resort for the world to come train & experience Kombatan, no matter what style of previous training they had. He actually wanted to build a museum in Manila, but instead he included a small museum of history at his beach resort.

GGM’s training camps were for 2 weeks back then & all camp attendees helped build the camp site, including sand bagging a creek so you could enter the resort. 
It was a fantastic achievement to have his own resort which nowadays is well established (even on Google maps) & provides for tourists.

He also had his own gym in Quiapo, Manila for over 40 years which also was laden with memorabilia (photo with me & GGM is at his gym) from his decades of teaching around the world. GGM was very charismatic & to witness Kombatan demonstrated by him & his lakans was fascinating to see how they flowed compared to all other styles of martial arts. GGM use to quote “we are the ones that can connect all styles”. 
​I continued on to attend his Kombatan biannual camps including hosting the 1st World Abroad Kombatan Training Camp in Australia in 2006 with GGM Presas, his son Ernesto Jr (Jan Jan) & son in law, Michael Ermac. Over the years I got to know GGM very well & was included into their family, with GGM often discussing many personal issues with me, including his own health issues.

I was honoured to be bestowed with the titles of Chief Instructor of Kombatan for Australia & New Zealand, receive an International Hall of Fame Award by GGM in 2007 & also to be ranked as a Grandmaster the same day as his son Ernesto Jr at the 2009 International Kombatan Camp, sadly that was to be his last camp.
I loved GGM Presas like my own father, he was a very generous man, as mentioned, very charismatic, very entertaining, very skilful & always very supportive to me & my club. I always respected how he would make the time to talk to everyone & remembered people’s names no matter what rank they were. His legacy will always live on within my style of Kali 3D, an evolved system of Kombatan that I have propagated around the world, in which he always encouraged me to do. “Mahal kita GGM Ernesto A. Presas.”