The History of Kali

The history of almost any martial arts style is difficult to pin down because written records
usually fail to accompany their beginnings. Kali's history is no different. However, it is generally
believed that the native Filipino styles associated with it were started by various tribes to defend
themselves. It is also quite possible that these styles originally emanated from or were strongly
influenced by martial arts from other areas, such as India.

Regardless, the documentation indicates that Filipino Martial Arts styles were used when the
Spanish Conquistadores arrived in the 1500s and generally differed based on the tribe or area of
origin. As was the case with many martial arts styles, the native practice of Kali or Eskrima was
later hidden from the occupying Spaniards by disguising the practice in dances.

The presence of conflict in the Philippines has no doubt helped practitioners of Kali to find what
truly worked in their art and discard much of what did not. In recent years, the practice has
become more systemized, making it easier to learn.

During World War II, several American special operations groups stationed in the Philippines
were introduced to the Filipino Martial Arts, leading to this style reaching America despite the
fact that natives were reluctant to allow outsiders in on their fighting secrets.

Most recently, Kali practitioners in the Philippines have become somewhat focused on fighting
without protection. Many died in the early phases of this movement, but more recently
practitioners have begun to use hardwood sticks instead of knives to lessen fatalities. Further, the
practice is now illegal in Filipino society, even if it is not unusual to find matches in parks and
rural areas.

Characteristics of Kali

Kali focuses on the ability to transition from fighting with weapons to empty hands fluidly, as
there is always the possibility of losing or being without a weapon. Though there are several
systems of Eskrima/Kali in use today, most teach elements of weapons fighting, striking,
grappling and throwing/ takedowns. More aggressive maneuvers like biting are also taught.

Kali practitioners believe that hand-to-hand combat moves are similar to those with weapons;
thus, these skills are developed concurrently. Some of the popular combinations of weapons used
are the single stick (solo baston), double stick (double baston), and sword/stick and dagger
(espada). Along with this, the most frequently used training weapon is the rattan, a stick about
the length of its wielder's arm.

In the end, Kali practitioners are known for their lightning-fast movements and efficient
footwork in wielding weapons.

Basic Goals of Kali Martial Arts

Kali is primarily a weapons-based style of fighting. Thus, it involves inflicting bad, often fatal
damage to opponents with the use of weapons and empty hand techniques as quickly as possible.

Sub-Styles of Kali

 Balintawak
 Cabales Serrada Eskrima
 Doce Pares Escrima
 Garimot Arnis
 Inayan Eskrima
 Kali Sikaran
 Kalis Ilustrisimo
 Lacoste-Inosanto Kali
 Lameco Eskrima
 Latigo y Daga
 Lightning Scientific Arnis (LSAI)
 Modern Arnis
 Pekiti Tirsia
 Rapid arnis
 Sayoc Kali
 San Miguel Eskrima

Three Famous Kali Practitioners

1. Angel Cabales: Cabales is widely considered the Father of Eskrima in the United States.
Along with this, he was the first to open a school in Stockton, Calif., that taught the art to
both Filipinos and non-Filipinos.
2. Leo T. Gaje: Gaje is the present keeper of the Pekiti-Tirsia Kali System. He is also an
awardee of the Karate Hall of Fame (the only non-Karate Awardee) and Martial Arts Hall
of Fame.
3. Dan Inosanto: Inosanto is perhaps best known for learning Jeet Kune Dounder Bruce
Lee and for being the only person granted Instructorship under him. However, he's also
very accomplished in the Filipino Martial Arts, as well as a plethora of others. In fact, he
has helped to save some of the Filipino styles from extinction. Inosanto currently teaches
at the Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts in Marina del Ray, Calif.

Unarmed[

 Mano Mano: (lit. hand to hand) Incorporates punches, kicks, elbows, knees, headbutts,
finger-strikes, locks, blocks, grappling and disarming techniques
 Suntukan (also known as Pangamot in the Visayas and "Panantukan" in the USA): General
term for hand-based & punching techniques
 Sikaran: Kicking techniques, also a kick-based separate art practiced in Rizal province
 Dumog: Filipino style of grappling. Practiced in Antique in Panay.
 Buno: Filipino style of wrestling.
 Bultong/Boltong: Native fighting arts with wrestling and slapping from the Igorot people of
Northern Luzon
 Yaw-Yan or Sayaw ng Kamatayan: (Dance of Death) Yaw-Yan closely resembles Muay
Thai, but differs in the hip-torquing motion as well as the downward-cutting nature of its
kicks, and the emphasis on delivering attacks from long range (while Muay Thai focuses
more on clinching). The forearm strikes, elbows, punches, dominating palms, and hand
movements are empty-hand translations of the bladed weapons. There are 12 "bolo punches"
which were patterned from Arnis

History of Martial Arts

Ancient peoples of all types engaged in fighting, war, and hunting. Thus, each and
every civilization subscribed to a version of martial arts or combat all their own.
Still, most people think of Asia when they hear the term martial arts. Along with
this, around the year 600 BC trade between India and China flourished. It is
believed that during this time information regarding the Indian martial arts was
passed onto the Chinese and vica versa.

According to legend, an Indian monk named Bodhidharma facilitated the

transmission of Chan (China) or Zen (Japan) to China when he moved to
southern China. His teachings lent a lot to martial arts philosophies like humility
and restraint that continue even today. In fact, some have credited Bodhidharma
with the initiation of Shaolin martial arts, though this assertion has been
discredited by many.

Types of Martial Arts: Generally, martial arts can be broken down into five
distinct categories: Stand-up or striking styles, grappling styles, low impact
styles, weaponsbased styles, and MMA (A Hybrid Sports Style). Along with this,
the emergence of MMA has caused quite a bit of mixing of styles in recent years
to the point that a lot of dojos don't look quite the same as they used to.
Regardless, below are some of the more well-known styles.

Striking or Stand-Up Styles

 Boxing
 Karate
 Krav Maga
 Kung Fu
 Kickboxing
 Tae Kwon Do

Grappling or Ground Fighting Styles

 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

  Russian Sambo
 Shootfighting
 Wrestling

Throwing or Takedown Styles

 Aikido
 Judo
 Hapkido
 Shuai Jiao

Weapons Based Styles

 Iaido
 Kali
 Kendo

Low Impact or Meditative Styles

 Baguazhang
 Tai Chi
 Chi Gong based styles

MMA- A Hybrid Sports Style

 MMA

Famous Figures in Martial Arts

There are many people that have contributed to the martial arts in significant
ways. Here are just a sampling of them.

 Itosu Anko: Anko (1831-1915) is widely considered to be "the Grandfather

of Karate," for his work with creating simplified katas and forms for less
advanced students. In this way and more, he is credited for helping the art
to gain more mainstream acceptance.
 Helio Gracie: Gracie died in January of 2009 at the age of 95. He is
considered the inventor of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, having taken the teachings of
judo and made them less about strength and more about leverage.
 Royce Gracie: Helio's son, Royce Gracie, won three of the first
four UFCtournaments. This served to show the world just how effective the
art that his father had invented, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, was. He did this, by the
way, while only weighing approximately 170-180 pounds in tournaments
 where there were no weight limits. His performance in these
early UFC tournaments changed martial arts forever.
 Dr. Jigoro Kano: During a time when all individualized activities in
Japan were on a decline (Japanese jujutsu included), Kano invented
Kodokan Judo with the idea that it might someday be mainstream enough
to become a sport and hence, less individualized. Thus, he eliminated many
of the techniques he deemed dangerous in jujutsu and eventually, his
dream came true. In 1910, judo became a recognized sport.

 Bruce Lee: Bruce Lee was important for more than just his ability to act
in popular movies and the television series, The Green Hornet. He was also
an innovator in the arts, realizing that the things that did not work should
be discarded for techniques that were effective. He was the founder of the
art Jeet Kune Do, a style designed to live outside the boundaries of other
traditional martial arts styles. On July 20, 1973, Lee died in Hong Kong at
the age of 32. The official cause of his death was a brain edema, which had
been caused by a reaction to a prescription painkiller.

Origins

Very few activities have as many legends and myths surrounding

them as do martial arts. Hundreds of practices are included under
the title of martial arts, and some of these were passed down in
secrecy for many generations. Furthermore, martial arts developed
in countries that have been historically isolated from the Western
world. Thus, there are many conflicting theories and opinions
concerning the origins of martial arts. What is known is that martial
arts began in the ancient cultures of Asia, including China, India,
and Japan. In both China and India, artifacts from 2,000 to 4,000
years old have been found with paintings of people striking possible
martial arts poses. Qigong , one of the oldest systems that may be
considered a martial art, is believed by some historians to be 5,000
years old or older, originating in ancient China. Some scholars trace
the development of martial arts much later to the sixth century a.d.
According to legend, that is when a Buddhist monk from India
named Bodhidharma brought Buddhism, yoga exercises,
and meditation techniques to the Shaolin Monastery in China.

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Martial arts involve intellectual concepts as well as physical

techniques, and have been influenced by many of the religious and
philosophical systems of the East. The Taoist philosophy holds that
the universe operates within laws of balance and harmony, and that
people must live within the rhythms of nature. Martial arts cultivate
these concepts of balance and adaptation to the natural flow of
events. Buddhism is believed to have introduced breathing
methods, meditation, and techniques of mental and spiritual
awareness to the early founders of martial arts. Chinese
Confucianism was concerned with ethical behavior in daily life, and
martial arts often address these concerns. Some martial arts, such
as t'ai chi and various kung fu methods, developed from qigong.
Qigong, which means "energy cultivation," is a system designed to
increase the flow of the body's qi, the universal life energy
responsible for health and strength according to Chinese
philosophy. Traditional Chinese medicine also incorporates
concepts derived from martial arts to better the understanding of the
body and health. Because therapeutic exercise is one of the major
modalities of treatment in traditional Chinese medicine, some
martial arts masters are also expert healers. There is, in fact, a
subtype of qigong known as medical qigong in China, used to treat
a wide range of diseases and disorders. Although most of the
research in medical qigong has been conducted in China, some of
this work has been translated into English. A video is now available
that presents the basic concepts of medical qigong.

From China, martial arts spread to other Asian countries, and

eventually arrived in Japan, where many new variations developed.
Karate is the generic term for Japanese martial arts. Martial arts in
Japan have been influenced by Zen Buddhism and by the samurai
warrior tradition, which refined many weapons as well as methods
of fighting. Some Japanese schools of instruction adopted the
values of bushido, Japanese for "way of the warrior." This system
insists on extreme physical and mental discipline, using martial arts
as a means to spiritual enlightenment. Martial arts also flourished
in Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand.

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Martial arts were largely unknown to the Western world until after
1945, when a few American and British veterans of World War
II brought back Japanese martial arts from occupied Japan. During
the 1970s, there was a surge of interest in martial arts in America,
due to several popular television shows and the charismatic
actor Bruce Lee. With better communication and less secrecy
among teachers, Chinese martial arts, including t'ai chi and qigong,
have made their way to America. Today, there are martial arts
schools all across America, and martial arts are a multi-billion dollar
industry. Martial arts are a popular activity for self-defense, sport,
exercise, spirituality, and health around the world. Present-day
forms of martial arts include kalarippayattu in southern
India, escrima in the Philippines, pentjak silatin Malaysia, karate in
Okinawa, aikido in Japan, and capoeira in Brazil.

Benefits
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Martial arts teach self-defense, and can improve confidence and

self-esteem. When used as exercise, martial arts can improve
balance, strength, stamina, flexibility, and posture. They also
enhance weight loss and improve muscle tone. On the mental level,
martial arts can teach stress management, improve concentration,
and increase willpower. Some martial arts, such as qigong and t'ai
chi, are used for longevity, disease prevention, and healing
purposes, making them effective exercises for those with health
conditions and for the elderly. Some teachers claim that martial arts
can be used as spiritual practices, bringing balance, peace, and
wisdom to dedicated practitioners.

Description

Basic concepts of martial arts

Many martial arts utilize basic concepts of traditional Chinese

philosophy. Qi is the fundamental life energy of the universe. In the
body, qi is the invisible vital force that sustains life. Qi is present in
food, air, water, and sunlight. The breath is believed to account for
the largest quantity of human qi, because the body uses air more
than any other substance. All martial arts emphasize breathing
techniques. Many movements and mental exercises are designed to
improve the flow of qi in the body, which improves overall strength.
There are many legends concerning martial arts masters who had
such control of their qi that they could throw opponents across
rooms merely by looking at them. Martial arts that focus on the
development and use of qi are termed internal martial arts. In
contrast, external martial arts focus on physical exercises, fighting
methods, and the use of weapons. Many martial arts combine
internal and external methods.

Qi travels through the body along channels of energy called

meridians. On the meridians there are certain points (acupoints)
where qi accumulates. Some martial arts teach defensive
techniques that utilize the knowledge of these points on the body,
which, if pressed in the correct manner, can be used to immobilize
attackers. Martial arts also teach massage and exercise techniques
that are designed to stimulate the energy flow along the meridians
to improve health.
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The concepts of yin and yang are also central to the martial arts. Yin
and yang are the two separate but complimentary principles of the
universe, which are always interacting, opposing, and influencing
each other. Yin is associated with such qualities as cold, passivity,
darkness, yielding, and inward movement. Yang is associated with
heat, activity, light, assertiveness, outward movement, and so on. In
martial arts, yin and yang movements are used to balance each
other. For instance, a strong (yang) attack is taught to be met by a
yin, or yielding, response. Martial arts cultivate an awareness and
use of yin or passive qualities, which are ignored by many sports
and fighting techniques. Another major yin/yang concept used in
martial arts is that the more one becomes familiar with violence, the
more one learns to avoid and resist it. Some martial arts, such as
aikido, teach peace as their ultimate lesson.

Types of martial arts

Although there are hundreds of different martial arts, many of them

have more similarities than differences. Within the major categories,
there are often many sub-schools and systems developed by
different teachers. Martial arts are generally classified as soft or
hard, internal or external, yin or yang, but they all need to embrace
these complementary aspects. Internal arts such as qigong focus on
yielding and inner strength. Hard arts such as karate focus on
developing muscular power and speed, and the mastery of breaking
and throwing techniques delivered with devastating impact.

Karate means "empty handed." This form of fighting originated on

the Japanese island of Okinawa. Karate is now the general term for
an entire group of Japanese martial arts. Karate emphasizes
offensive and defensive moves, and avoids grappling and wrestling.
Students are taught how to deliver quick, powerful blows with nearly
every part of the body, including dangerous kicks with the legs.
Karate also consists of hard styles and soft styles. Some schools
teach "full contact" karate, for which students wear protective
equipment to absorb the blows of actual fighting.
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Kung fu means "skill" in Chinese, and is the generic term for a

whole spectrum of martial arts methods that developed in China. In
China, kung fu is called wushu. Kung fu consists of thousands of
hard and soft techniques, taught for both offensive and defensive
positions. Kung fu uses punching, kicking, grappling, and blocking
moves in addition to the use of certain weapons. Kung fu may also
emphasize internal methods to increase and improve qi energy.

Aikido is a relatively new martial art, developed in the 1930s by a

Japanese teacher named Morihei Ueshiba (1883–1969). Ueshiba
was a religious man who wanted to invent a martial art that
emphasized non-aggression. In Japanese, aikido means
"connecting with life energy." Aikido teaches students a variety of
techniques to disarm an attacker, including such defense moves as
blocks, escapes, grabs, and falling safely to the ground. Aikido also
teaches internal methods of cultivating qi energy. Aikido has been
called the "way of peace," because it teaches the philosophical
ideals of love and harmony as ways of reducing conflict.

Judo means "gentle way" in Japanese and was developed as an

educational tool by a teacher named Jigoro Kano in the 1800s. Judo
emphasizes such defensive moves as holds and grappling, and
teaches students how to disarm attackers by applying pressure to
specific sensitive points on the body. Judo is performed
competitively in matches.

T'ai chi chuan, also called t'ai chi, consists of a sequence of flowing
movements performed very slowly. These movements emphasize
posture and the flow of the body's energy (qi). Although considered
a martial art and consisting of fighting postures, tai chi is used more
as a meditation and health technique. In China, millions of people,
particularly the elderly, use tai chi daily to improve their health and
flexibility. T'ai chi developed from qigong and shares many of the
same concepts of energy cultivation, making it effective for healing
and prevention of illness.
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Jujitsu is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes flexibility,

quickness, and fluidity of motion. It consists of kicking, punching,
holding, and striking moves as well as the use of weapons. Tae
kwon do is a Korean martial art that means "kick-punch-art." Tae
kwon do consists of a variety of powerful kicking and punching
techniques. Kendo is traditional Japanese sword fighting, teaching
students how to use various weapons with agility, speed, and
effectiveness. Kendo also emphasizes discipline and ethics.