Amante P. Marinas Sr. teaches, Pananandata, his family’s fighting system. Marinas is a chemical engineer and is a former professor at Adamson University in Manila, Philippines.

Marinas holds black belts in shorin-ryu karate from the Commando Karate Club under Sensei Latino Gonzalez and Sensei Anselmo “Pop” Santos and in aikido from the Philippine Aikido Club under Sensei Ambrosio Gavileno. Marinas was introduced to Pananandata by his granduncle Ingkong Leon Marcelo when he was eight years old.

He has authored 9 other books: Arnis de Mano, Arnis Lanada, Pananandata Knife Fighting, Pananandata Yantok at Daga, Pananandata Dalawang Yantok, Pananandata Rope Fighting, Pananandata Guide to Knife Throwing, Pananandata Guide to Sport Blowguns and Pananandata: History and Techniques.

He has six videotapes on stick and knife fighting. He has written over 100 magazine articles and is the world’s most published practitioner of the Filipino martial arts.

Marinas introduced the Philippine latiko (horsewhip), the lubid (rope), thebagakay (wooden throwing dart) and the dikin (ring) in the United States and in Europe.

An avid knife and bagakay thrower, Marinas has thrown about 800,000 times at targets with his knives and 500,000 with his blowgun. He teaches 167 openings of the Philippine balisong.

Marinas has other manuscripts either completed or in progress. He expects to have several more books published.

Marinas is originally from Pambuan, a small village in Gapan, Nueva Ecija, in Central Luzon in the Philippines. His province is named after Ecija, a town in Spain. His province, one of the first eight provinces which revolted against Spain, is one of the eight rays of the sun in the Filipino flag.

Marinas lives in historic Fredericksburg, Virginia with his wife Cherry. Marinas has a son Guro Amante P. Marinas Jr. who currently resides in New York City and is a Police Officer.