Nieva Marie A.

Estenzo PE103 Wednesday 3:30 – 5:31 PM

BSA 2A Dr. Hazel Socorro B. Coronel July 03, 2019

❖ History of Arnis

Arnis, as a martial art, was spawned in Philippine soil. It was known in ancient
Philippines as kali, an ancient Malayan word that implies a large bladed weapon longer
than a knife. This art was practiced primarily for self-defense by the pre-Spanish Filipinos
who were noted for their friendly nature and legendary hospitality.
Arnis de mano is the best known and the most systematic fighting art in the
Philippines. It is a perfected art after a long historical development from the kali systems
designed to train the student to defend himself against armed or unarmed attacks. Arnis,
as it is commonly called, has also been known in other dialects as estacada among the
Tagalog provinces and estoque or fraile in other regions.
As a fighting art, Arnis has three forms of play. They are the espada y daga
("sword and dagger") in which a long wooden sword and a short wooden dagger is used;
the solo baston (single stick) in a single long muton or baston (wooden stick or rattan
cane hardened by drying or heating) is used; and the sinawali, a native term applied
because the intricate movements of the two muton resemble the weave of a sawali
(criss-cross fashion), the bamboo splits weave pattern used in walling and matting.
The lives of Filipino heroes are linked with the awesome power of the martial
art of Arnis. They triumphantly waged their heroic battles for freedom and liberty as a
testimony of the power and effectiveness of Arnis. Their successful stand against their
superiorly armed adversaries in mortal combat in the arena of battle is now held in
immortal inviolability by history of the 16th century. Kali (Arnis) became so popular during
the early days that it was known as the sport of kings and of the members of the royal
blood. The first and foremost experts of the art were the rajah and maharlika of the
Visayas and Tagalog regions, Amandakwa in Pangasinan, and Baruwang of the
Cagayan Valley region.
Ordinary Filipinos also practiced kali not only for self-defense but also for
entertainment. Kali was a standard fighting technique in hand-to-hand combat of the
Filipinos when they revolted against Spain. Using the itak or bolo the Katipuneros
engaged the Spanish soldiers in savage skirmishes. History states that Bonifacio
brandished a bolo, a standard weapon in kali in his famous "Cry of Balintawak." However,
kali declined in popularity as early as 1596 when the Spanish authorities discouraged the
practice of the art (it was eventually banned in 1764). The Spaniards must have
considered the art lethal or dangerous since they decreed that natives found practicing
kali would be considered Tulisanes or outlaws.
In 1637, the friars introduced the moro-moro, a socio-religious play dramatizing
the triumph of the Christian Spaniards over the Muslim Moors of Granada, Spain. The play
called for the use of fighting techniques using a sword or similar bladed weapon. With
the introduction of the moro-moro, the Filipinos again had a chance to practice their art,
thus interest in kali was revived. In the play, Spanish soldiers fighting for Christianity were
supposed to wear arnes, a Spanish word for the English harness, the colorful trappings
worn by medieval soldiers. From the word arnes came the present Arnis. In 1853, the word
kali was completely replaced by Arnis.
Arnis today has experienced changes in the weapons used. Although the art
still makes use of the itak or bolo now and then, it has relied considerably on the use of
the cane as a self-defense weapon. This is not because the cane is less deadly than
bladed weapons but mainly because in later years, Arnis is engaged in more as a sport.
Much of the antiquated techniques of the old Arnis have been modernized to avoid
injury to students. More importantly, discipline and other moral values are impressed upon
the students to strengthen not only the body but the spirit as well.

❖ Twelve Striking Points of Single Stick

1. Diagonal downward strike to the 3. Horizontal strike to the left shoulder

left temple

2. Diagonal downward strike to the

4. Horizontal strike to the right
right temple
shoulder
5. Thrust to the abdomen
8. Diagonal Strike to the right knee

6. Thrust to the left chest

9. Diagonal strike to the left knee

7. Thrust to the right chest

10. Thrust to the left eye
11. Thrust to the right eye 12. Vertical downward strike to the
crown of the head

❖ Twelve Blocks (based from above striking points)

BLOCK 3 BLOCK 4
BLOCK 5 BLOCK 6

BLOCK 8

BLOCK 9 BLOCK 10

BLOCK 12
 ❖ How to do the saludo of single sticks
1. Grip: Proper Hold of the Stick - Hold the stick one fist
away from the punyo (butt) of the stick. Close the grip
with the thumb.

2. Basic Stance and Salutation

a. Handa - Feet are positioned shoulder width apart.

- Stick is held in front of the body.

b. Pugay - Place the weapon hand across the chest.

- Bow by bending at the waist.

c. Handa sa Paglaban/Fighting Stance - One foot in the front

(foot the same as the weapon hand), the other foot on the rear.

- Keep feet apart, distance of one foot.

- Both knees slightly bent. - Toes facing forward. - Weight evenly

distributed on both feet.

❖ Mechanics of Double Stick

1. Natural Stance
2. Pagpupugay/Salutation
-extend left arm sideward and right hand on chest holding stick vertically, close
left foot to right then now head while saying “po!”

3. Natural Stance

4. Fighting Stance
-move left foot backward with right stick on the right shoulder and left stick under
the right armpit
❖ How to perform Sinawali

1) Strike right stick to the right temple

2) Strike left stick to the left knee
3) Strike right stick to the right temple
4) Strike left stick to the right temple
5) Strike right stick to the right knee
6) Strike left stick to the left temple

❖ Target Areas (Fatal Points of the human body)