Berdugo Martial Arts Center

Welcome to the North American Headquarters for KOMBATAN Martial Arts (Presas Style). Located in Clackamas, Oregon, 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 Arts 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 known 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 21 plus years and has been teaching the art of Kombatan since 1996. He still considers himself as a student of the art.

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Upcoming Events

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For more information, please contact Grandmaster Michael Bowers at (503)657-3408.

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MDW Fighting in and around vehicles (handgun)


Here's what people are saying!

"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

"As a lead police defensive tactics instructor I was given the opportunity to pursue martial arts training to develop myself and the program I teach. After researching several different styles of martial arts I chose to study at the Berdugo Martial Arts center. The Presas Arnis system is broad and complete, which made the Berdugo Martial Arts center stand out from others. From kicks and strikes to weapons and ground fighting, this art covers it all. I joined Berdugo at age 35 with no prior formal martial arts training. Although I have always been involved with athletics and had been exposed to various martial arts systems through my work, I discovered that this art challenged me, mentally and physically, in ways I had never experienced. This is not your typical strip mall martial arts school. Grandmaster Bowers' is committed to the tradition and honor of the art and he is very selective about the students he allows into the school. This results in a group of students with high character values and an environment of support and respect. I was so impressed with the school, the philosophy, and Grandmaster Bowers, that I chose to enroll my eight year old son in the school as well. "
— Ryan Coffey