Maha Guro Nate Defensor,  founder of the Defensor Method of Filipino and Indonesian Martial Arts was born in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental Philippines. Since his youth till now Guro Nate has been a student of the indigenous fighting arts of the Philippines. Countless hours of training and learning from the masters of Filipino Martial Arts and other various fighting forms have culminated into what is now known as the Defensor Method of Filipino Martial Arts.

Defensor Method is a combination of Inayan System, Pekiti-Tirsia, Inosanto Blend, Tobosa/Villabrille System, Pusaka Dwipantara Silat, Jalur Putih Pencak Silat, Doce Pares Eskrima, Derobio, Balintawak, Ilongo Style, Muay-Thai, and Kuntao. Guro Nate, through his years learning and training with different masters of Filipino Martial Arts, has systemized the whole of his experiences and the core principals of various styles into a curriculum for the purposes of learning, teaching and promoting Filipino Martial Arts. Guro Nate Defensor has been teaching the Defensor Method of Filipino Martial Arts for over 30 years in the Chicagoland area and is continually striving to promote the effectiveness and simplicity of Filipino Martial Arts to his students around the world.

List of credentials and accomplishments:    

• Studied Okinawan Karate privately from Black Belts of Club 45. Shotokan Karate under Mike Vasquez, 1971-72 Philippine Karate Heavyweight Champion and Head Instructor of All Philippine Karate Federation. Including instructions from Japan Karate Association under Sensei Sugiyama and Sensei Mahmoud Bamboyani.


• Karate, Kung Fu, & Shorin-Goju from Nate Morgan.


• Korean Karate, Tae Kwon Do from Master Shin, Military Arts Institute, Master Han Cha Kyo, Clayton Cortes. Wing Chun, JKD, & Modern Arnis from Jerry Cervantes


• Goju-Shorei from the University of Illinois Chicago.


• Inayan System of Eskrima under Alan McLuckie, Rob McDonald, Benjiie Berry & Mike Inay.


• Pekit-Tirsia under Tuhon William McGrath and Tom Bisio.


• Certified Instructor of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali under Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje Jr. (1982-Present). Chicago Representative of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali.


• Certified Instructor of Pusaka Dwipantara Pencak-Silat under Pandekar Suryadi Jafri and Chicago Representative of Pusaka Dwipantara (1982-Present).


• Certified Instructor and Representative of Jalur-Putih Pentjak-Silat under John DeJong.


• Instructor at the Degerberg Blend of Martial Arts Academy under Fred Degerberg (1981-1984).


• Apprentice Instructor under Guro Dan Inosanto (1982-Present).


• Certified Instructor under the Tobosa/Villabrille System of Kali-Eskrima under Batikan Raymund Tobosa and holds the title Sergeant at Arms of the Filipino Martial Arts Association of Hawaii.


• Seminar Certificates in Muay Thai under Ajarn Surachai Sirisute.


• Seminar Certificates in Wing Chun-Do under Sifu James DeMile and featured in Sifu DeMile's book of Chi-Sao.


• Seminar Certificates in Serrada Escrima under Angel Cabales, Jimmy Tacosa, and Michael Amistosa.


• Seminar Certificates in Doce Pares Escrima under Dionisio Canete and Cacoy Canete.


• Seminar Certificates in Garimot System of Arnis/Escrima under Gat Puno Abon Baet.


• Studied Balintawak under Gabriel Go and Eugene Nepangue.


• Studied Kodokan Judo from Larry Witkowski.


• Studied under Vincent Black in the Internal Chinese Martial Arts.


• Katipunan 2009 Instructor/Katipunero.

TESTIMONIALS:

I’ve known of Guro Nate Defensor for many years. But, never had the pleasure of meeting him until the 2009 Katipunan event in Miami, Florida.

I am glad I finally had the opportunity to meet him. I found him to be a true gentleman and a very knowledgeable teacher of the martial arts. He is an expert in both Filipino and Indonesian martial arts yet still maintains his quest for knowledge and has not stopped being the student and improving his knowledge base.

Guro Nate is a true master technician of FMA/IMA in my opinion and any individual would benefit greatly from studying with him and learning what he has to share. 

He is my friend and brother in the arts and I would highly recommend him as a true source of the Filipino and Indonesian martial arts.

Roberto Torres
Talio – The Art Of Triangular Fighting
http://www.facebook.com/l/509b9;www.TalioInternational.com

I first met Kapatid, Maha Guro Nate in 2000, while competing in an ice carving competition in Chicago Crystal Magnificent Mile. I was invited to do a short seminar in my family system, called Garimot Arnis Training. I found Guro Nate a very easy going person, extra friendly with a sense of humor and a very big heart. He shared his students with me ever since that year. He invited me to do a few seminars with his group and teamed up with him for a few seminars in Wisconsin. I found him very knowledgeable not only in Filipino Martial Arts and history, but also in Indonesian Martial Arts. He supported me at my First KATIPUNAN, a brotherhood of FMA for free. He is not only my friend. I consider him one of my brothers not only in Filipino arts, but also as Filipino blood. I recommend him to all interested practitioners to seek knowledge with him, and I guarantee your satisfaction that you'll get the right training.

I met Guro Defensor at Katipunan 2009 last summer. I found him to be very humble and a knowledgable instructor, full of humor and with a wealth of information and solid martial arts skills. I was not able to train with him since there were so many things going on at one time. But I did have my students take his class. I would recommend that if your in the area to check him out. I also noted that he was very adaptable. I saw him pick up enough information in a couple of hours to be able to assist in anothers martial arts demo, who did not have a partner or students available. And they put on a fine presentation. There was no ego and I like his ways. He is a person I would like to call a friend. 

Dan Medina
GrandMaster Majapai, High Chief Inst. Derobio Escrima, VP BlackMaster Sphinx Karate Clan of the Philippines, International Karate & Kickboxing Hall of Fame, International Black belt Hall of Fame and Action Martial Arts Hall of Honors. 

Very talented martial artist...

Sifu/Guru Ben Fajardo

Guru Nate's knowledge base on Filipino-Indonesian is amazing. He not only can teach you the technique, but then show you how to utilize it in a real world setting. I recommend him to ANYONE as an instructor. In addition, he is also a very funny and down to earth gentleman.

Dennis Moreland
Kenpo and Judo Instructor

Guro Nate provides a training evolution that transcends it's component parts. In a world where many treat this stuff scholarly and forget the real, Nate provides the knowledge and the skill. If you haven't seen him lately, you need to see what he has accomplished.

Joe Judt
(Guro under Bapak Willem DeThouars)

I met Guro Nate Defensor at the First Katipunan gathering in Florida. He was an easy going warm individual devoid of to often times seen ego posturing seen in the martial art world. He had an excellent understanding of the martial arts that he was teaching and was a good instructor as well. While spending some quiet down time with him signing certificates, he had a very funny contagiuos distinctive laugh which I can still hear today! Guro Nate was a joy to be round...for these reasons and many others I recommend that if anyone gets a chance to spend some time with him that they should....

John Kovacs
M.A. Shihan/Guro