Arnis

Is the official national sport

and the martial art of
Philippines. It is also known
as Kali or Eskrima and is a
form of martial arts that
focuses on weapon-based
fighting with knives, sticks,
bladed weapons and some
improvised weapons.
HISTORY OF
ARNIS

ArnisDe
Mano- is considered to
be one of the famous martial
arts known in the Philippines.
This type of martial art most
probably uses stick or bladed
weapon during the training
and fighting.
2 types of Arnis

1.ANYO OR FORM- Athletes would perform

sequences of movements using 2 batons.

2. LABAN OR FULL COMBAT

COMPETETIONS- Players are required to
strike their opponent’s different body
parts with one baton.
 Origin of the name
ARNIS ESKRIMA KALI
The word “Arnis” This is a Was derived from
got originated Filipinization of the pre Hispanic
from the old the Spanish word Filipino Term
Spanish term “ESGRIMA” that “KALIS” which
“ARNES” that meant “FENCING” meant “Blades”
meant “ARMOR” and “FENCING”
When the Spaniards came in the 116 th
Century, they found the art flourishing
in many parts of the Philippine
archipelago.
 It was then called “Kali”, a system of fighting with
bladed weapons among the Maharlikas or nobility.
The pioneers and experts of this art were the Rajahs
and royalties of the Visayan and Tagalog regions, the
Amandakwa of Pangasinan, and the Banuwang in
the Cagayan area.

 During the pre-spanish period, the Filipinos called the

art by many different names, depending on the
geographic region.
 In the Central and Southern part of Luzon it was called GILAS; in the
Visayas or Central Philippines, it was called KALI, BASTON,
ESKRIMA, GAROTE and in the Central and Southern Philippines (or
Mindanao), it was called KUNTAO; and was even known as the
MORO-MORO DANCE, DANCE and SINULOG BINABAYNI. In the
Central Luzon (Pampanga) it was called SINAWALI.

 Historians theorize that KALI may have been derived from

TJAKALELE, which is a native Indonesian fencing art with
techniques closely resembling KALI.
Historical records reveal that in about 200 BC, Indonesia was
a part of the Kingdom of Sri Visayan and Majapahit which also
ruled the Philippines. It is possible that the 10 Datus (masters)
from Borneo who came to the Island of Panay in the Central
Philippines during the 13th Century were part of this Kingdom.
History says that during the rites of the Datus in Panay, KALI
was taught to the children in a school called BOTHOAN as
part of their school curriculum.
 When the Malays reached
the Philippine Islands, they
brought their long blade
weapons with them.
 The art was then perfected
and became rooted into the
Filipino culture. Thus, when
the Spaniards came to
colonize the islands, KALI
was already the standard
fighting art of the early
Filipinos.
Lapu-Lapu
-the ruler of Mactan was a KALI expert,
according to Magellan’s chronicler and
historian, Pigafetta. Legend has it that
Lapu-Lapu killed Magellan with a bladed
weapon which KALI players used in Pre-
Spanish Philippines. Aside from the
bladed weapon, the early Filipinos also
carried a pointed hardwood stick
hardened by fire. These sticks may have
been the forerunner of the MUTON or
BASTON, the standard fighting weapon
of present day ARNIS.
 In 1564, more than 43 years after Ferdinand Magellan came to
the Philippines, Spanish Conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legaspi
and 380 armed Spanish soldiers were amazed that the Filipinos
practiced stick fighting similar to English form of Sword and
Dagger (Espada y Daga).

 When Legaspi landed at Abuyog, Leyte in February 1564, he

and his troops were hounoured with a feast by Maltik, the
popular ruler of Leyte. They were treated to exhibitions of
different types of native dances, fights, and KALI stick fighting.
 KALI was a major fighting method of the Filipinos when they finally
revolted against Spain. The Katipuneros used itak or Gulok (bolos) in
their bloody battle against the Spanish soldiers. History says the General
Bonifacio waved a Gulok in his famous “Cry of Balintawak”. The few who
survived the revolt attested to the masterful art of cane fighting they had
seen.

 When the Philippines was eventually conquered by Spain, the Spanish

language was forced upon the people and KALI was thereafter known as
ESGRIMA (“skirmish”). However, unable to pronounce certain Spanish
sounds, the Filipinos changed the name of ESKRIMA.
How KALI became ARNIS was an after math of an episode
in Philippine history when KALI was outlawed by Spanish
rule as one of the precautionary measures taken to
discourage an enslaved people from rising in revolt against
the Spanish oppressors.
Thereafter, KALI was practiced in
secrecy, or disguised as ceremonial
dances and plays. These plays featured
Filipinos, sometimes dressed as Spanish
soldiers, wear blade fighting forms and
footwork were identical to those sued in
ESKRIMA. The word “Arnes” soon
became ARNIS, the term being used to
the present day.
ARNIS nowadays is popularly played with the use of
canes which are less dangerous than bladed weapons.
The cane is assumed to be an extension of the hand,
hence the name “ARNIS DE MANO”. And contrary to
the belief that an ARNIS practitioner is defenseless
without the stick, ARNIS could be applied to any
weapon, be it a ballpen, an umbrella or even bare
hands, simply because the weapon is only an extension
of the hand which executes the methods of the art.
12 STRIKING TECHNIQUES
FIVE MAIN FORMS OF ARNIS

Solo Baston
Double Baston
Espada Y Daga (Sword
and Dagger)
Dos Pontas
Bare hands
Solo Baston- single stick in
which only one wooden or rattan
cane is used.
Double Baston

Double sticks or double rattan sticks are

used.
Espada Y Daga
(Sword and Dagger)

-Long wooden sword and short

wooden dagger are used.
Dos Pontas

One or two sticks

approximately eight
inches long, (Dolo-dolo)
both ends of the stick(s)
are used.
Bare hands- Arnis De
Mano