Sir Stephen Dietrich

Junior Instructor

Sir Stephen Dietrich has been involved in the martial arts since he was 14. At that age he began training in Tae Kwon Do and Okinawan Kempo under Master Scott Rohr. After about a year of training under Master Rohr, Stephen began cross training in other styles and quickly felt a void in his training. “When you have 270 lb BJJ black belt sitting on your chest dropping bombs, you quickly realize something has gone terribly wrong.” It wouldn't be until years later that that void was filled. In 2005, Stephen enrolled in the Philippine Martial Art called Kombatan (Presas Style) taught by Grandmaster Michael Bowers, and has been there ever since.

Stephen feels that the sheer depth of the art of Kombatan is astounding. All ranges of combat are addressed; from projectiles to ground fighting. The flow vehicles of the art give the practitioner such an awareness to the intricacies of combat. These vehicles develop coordination, footwork, positioning, speed, timing, awareness, and so much more. What's more is that Kombatan blends seamlessly into other styles; whether it be boxing, Tai Chi, BJJ or Kendo every style is enhanced with a different perspective.

Personal Statement

One of the beautiful things that Great Grandmaster Presas has done with the formulation of his art of Kombatan, is developing a curriculum that lays a solid foundation for every range of combat. The practitioner develops proficiency in weapons, empty hand and grappling. Principles are more emphasized than techniques. Like with most things, once you understand the principles, learning techniques is easy and straightforward, and when you really understand the principles then you're able to create your own solutions. Once you reach that point, techniques don't matter. You don't need a thousand different planned defenses or counters. You just need to understand principles and let your training flow from you.

Sir Stephen Dietrich

Sir Stephen Dietrich honors include

  • 2011 - Accompanied Grandmaster Bowers to the Gathering 2 in Veracruz, Mexico
  • 2011 - Earned the rank of Lakan Dalawa under Grandmaster Bowers
  • 2010 - Competed in the 2nd Annual Kombatan Classical Tournament
  • 2009 - Earned the rank of Lakan Isa under Grandmaster Bowers
  • 2009 - Competed in the 1st Annual Kombatan Classical Tournament
  • 2008 - Accompanied Grandmaster Bowers to the 6th annual World Filipino Martial Arts Association gathering
  • 2007 - Attended Great Grandmaster Presas' training camp in the Philippines
  • 2005 - Began training under Grandmaster Michael Bowers in Kombatan
  • 2002 - Earned 1st Dan in Tae Kwon Do under Master Scott Rohr