DEVELOPMENT OF ARNIS IN THE PHILIPPINES

History

Arnis

 Born in the Philippines known as Kali ( an ancient Malayan word implying to a bladed
weapon longer than a knife. Practiced primarily for self-defense
 Filipinos were forced to become experts in fighting with the use of bare hands or with
bow and arrow out of necessity and self-preservation. The primitive negritos from
Central Asia were found to be experts on these weapons.
 In 200 B.C. the Malays migrated to the Philippines and brought with them the skill
using a long knife- bladed weapon thus enriching the Filipinos arsenal in fighting arts.

Most artistic knives in Mindanao as testimony of their love for the bladed weapon, they even have a
variety of names

 kris, bolo, kalis, laring, barong, gunong, kampilan, gayang, pira, punal, itak, banjal,
bangkon, lahot and the panabas.

Fighting art Arnis has three forms:

 Espada y Daga (sword and dagger) using a long sword and a dagger.
 Solo Baston (single stick) using a single long muton or baston
 Sinawali a native term applied because of the intricate movements of the two mutons
resembling the weave of a sawali (criss-cross fashion).

Arnis today also has three traditional training methods:

 Muestrasion or pandalag which taches the artistic execution of the swinging

movements and striking for offense and defense.
 Sanga at patama or sombra tabak wherein striking, thrusting and parrying in a
prearranged manner.
 larga muton or labanang totohanan, which two trainees engage in a free practice trying
to outmaneuver each other using all their skills.

Arnis the pre-Hispanic martial art which was the brawny and bloody power of the Filipinos in the
protection and preservation of dignity and power.

Filipino heroes are linked with Arnis:

 Lapulapu was a kali expert. Pigafetta, Magellan’s chronicler and historian, recorded that
on April 27, 1521 Lapulapu felled the great Spanish warrior with a bladed weapon.
 In 1564 another conquistador, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi was noted to have been shown
the Filipino combat skill with kali as a show of hospitality.
 In Abuyog Leyte by the chief of the Island Malitik and his son Kamutunan, and in
Limasaw and Kamiging in March 11, 1564
 Cebu on April 27, 1564 by Chief Tupas and his warriors.
Kali was a standard fighting technique in hand to hand combat of the Filipinos when the revolted against
Spain using itak and bolo.

 Bonifacio used a bolo as a weapon in the famous “Cry of Balintawak.

 Dr. Jose Rizal studies Kali or Arnis before leaving for Europe.
 Generals Gregorio del Pilar and Antonio Luna also studied Arnis before the revolution.

Arnis has many in the different parts of the region:

 pagkalikali to the Ibanags

 kalirongan to the Pangasinense
 kaliradman to the Visayans
 escrima or garrote to the Cebuanos
 baston to the people of Panay and Negros Occidental
 sinawali to the Pampangeños.