Reflection 1

Arnis
Sports play an important role in our lives since they keep us active and healthy. It
makes a person more active and alert, as well as improves one’s mental, physical, and
social skills. Since then, Filipinos have admired sports from other nations such as
basketball, volleyball, baseball, and many more. There are times when a large number of
Filipinos are unaware of the sports that originated in our own country. Arnis is our national
sport in the Philippines, and it is one of those sports that many Filipinos are unaware of.
Arnis is a Philippine martial art. It has existed in the Philippines even before the
Spaniards discovered us in the year 1521, and also it was heavily influenced by the
Spaniards, with its name derived from the Old Spanish word ‘armor’. Also, Arnis has been
given several names, including kali and eskrima. Furthermore, in Arnis, we mostly utilize
a wooden stick as a 'weapon' and other body protectors as protective gears. Moreover,
we should properly use our weapon which is the wooden stick because it symbolizes the
Arnis sport and without this stick, it will not be easily recognized as Arnis.
Filipino martial arts teaches us not only how to defend ourselves, but also how to
protect what is most important to us. We should preserve our own martial arts because
they are a source of pride for our country, and by doing so, we are also protecting our
culture, since I feel that learning this kind of art entails knowing its language and
discovering its culture. Additionally, Arnis help us to learn basic self-defense and it help
us to stay physically active by improving our strength, cardio, and reflexes. Lastly, Arnis
is not just a sport, it is also our culture.