Berdugo Martial Arts Center

Welcome to the North American Headquarters for KOMBATAN Martial Arts (Presas Style). We are a direct school from the Philippines and are under the direction of Great Grandmaster Ernesto A. Presas Sr. (founder and president of this system). This school is sanctioned by the International Philippine Martial Arts Federation (IPMAF).

Berdugo Martial Art Center (BMAC) is dedicated to the growth of Philippine Martial Arts. This school is not about its instructors. It is about being a vehicle for Filipino Martial Arts (FMA). We Specialize in the Martial Art of Kombatan (Presas Style), but support and promote all FMA, regardless of style. This Art in the past has been called Arjuken and Modern Arnis. Today it is know as Kombatan (Presas Style)

What does that mean to you as a student of this school? It means you will be taught the system of Kombatan (Presas Style) exactly how Great Grandmaster Presas would teach it to you. You will not be taught the instructors version of the art. All of our Black Belt (Lakan) Rankings come from Great Grandmaster Presas himself. This school and the students are accountable in this art to the founding father of this system. That means you get to learn the complete system of Kombatan, just as if you were in the Philippines. The systems you will learn in this art:

  • Doble Baston (double stick)
  • Solo Baston (single stick)
  • Espada y Daga (sword and knife)
  • Bolo Classical
  • Sipa-An (Kicking)
  • Mano – Mano (Hand to hand)
  • Dumog (Ground fighting)
  • Bankaw (6 foot staff)
  • Dulo – Dulo (double tipped short stick)
  • Locking, Trapping, Takedowns, & Throwing
  • Paliton (Give n Take)
  • Sparring (weapons)
  • Police Techniques
  • Sinawali’s
  • Daga sa Daga (Knife to Knife)
  • Anyo’s (weapons form)
  • Classical Applications (Ocho-Ocho, Abaniko, Doblata, Doblete, Banda-Banda, Sungkiti - Tutsada, & Rompida)
  • “Street Defense” (Modern applications for today’s society)
  • Arnis De Mano

All systems are complete. It is the ABCs of Filipino Martial Arts. All ranges of fighting are covered: 1) Projectiles, 2) Weapons - Kicking, 3) Hand - Knife, 4) Takedowns - Trapping, and 5) Ground. For weapons, it is also known as Largo, Medio, Corto (Long, Medium, Short) ranges.

We travel to the Philippines as a group every odd year (for those who wish to go) to participate in the IPMAF Training Camp and Tournament. Grandmaster Michael Bowers (Chief Instructor of North America and Senior Instructor for BMAC) travels to the Philippines frequently as most of his family live there. He has been training in this art for 19 plus years and has been teaching the art of Kombatan since 1996. He still considers himself as a student of the art.

ANNOUNCING NEW, EXCITING PERSONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS AND PRODUCTS

Rapid Journal Vol.14, Number 1

We now carry Rapid Journal! Not only do we have the current issue, but we also have all past issues in stock. The price for each issue is $8.25 when ordering from the website (includes shipping & handling/ U.S. and Canadian orders only please). Click here to purchase Rapid Journal

Kombatan Grandmaster Mike Bowers, based out of Oregon, is now a distributor for the only publication coming from the birthplace of the Filipino Martial Arts. RAPID features profiles, interviews, how-to articles, forms instruction, historical pieces, editorials, and much more. The magazine highlights all martial arts in the Philippines (yes, many arts besides Arnis and Eskrima are practiced there!) including Chinese, Japanese, Malaysian, Indonesian and Korean disciplines. Of course, there is a wealth of information on your favorite Filipino fighting system as well, be it Balintawak, Doce Pares, Kombatan, or the other, more obscure methods.


For a limited time, get Arnis, Kali, Eskrima: The Movie at the discounted price of $14.75 (includes shipping & handling). Click here for more information and to purchase!

Knife Course: Develop amazingly accurate knife defense and blade awareness skills using the world-famous SHOCKNIFE®

“To find out how to get started, contact us or Call Now!” at
(503) 657-3408

Upcoming Events

Kaiser Permanente Self-Defense Seminar!
March 27, 2010 (Saturday) from 1:30pm to 4:00pm. For more details, click here. To register and pay for the event, click the button below.

Eskabo Daan Seminar with Professor Mike Morell!
April 17, 2010 (Saturday) from 9:00am to 12:00pm. For more details, click here.

Here's what people are saying!

“I've been training at Berdugo Martial Arts Training Center for the past 15 months and have been amazed at the variety of training and depth of experience your staff provides. As a Navy petty officer, I have more than eight years of military experience which included coastal and undersea warfare in classified areas operation. After working alongside the SEALS and Australian Rangers, I have a deep appreciation for training that can keep a person alive. Your school is intense and combat-oriented. You cover the entire range of conflicts from low to high intensity. Your instructors are professional, friendly and eager to train individuals of all experiences – beginner to expert. Berdugo Martial Arts Training is a one-stop shop for martial arts. Thanks for the experience.”
— Dylan McComiskey, Submarine Warfare Service

"Having worked in Naval Intelligence and the opportunity to walk the streets of largest cities and the back alleys of some 3rd and 4th world countries, I came to realize my 15 years in martial arts left me unprepared for what can happen in the real world. An encounter in the streets does not have a referee, there is no tapping out, and your only recourse is to survive or hope your opponent has compassion. With this mindset I started looking for a truly effective martial art, 7 years later I found it with Kombatan. After only 1 short year in Kombatan I feel more capable of handling a situation than ever before. The art is fluid and dynamic, teaching the student to flow through multiple ranges of fighting, be it with a weapon or hand to hand and most importantly, the need to “finish” the fight if necessary. Kombatan also changes the student’s mindset. Humbleness, respect and accountability are paramount in the school. There is no bravado or machismo. In fact the atmosphere of the school is more like family. Grandmaster Bowers runs a first rate school that challenges you mentally and physically, but if you put in the effort, the rewards are unlimited."
— Roger Myers