ARNIS

CHAPTER 1: HISTORY OF ARNIS

Arnis is a Martial art spawned in the Philippines. It was known in ancient Philippines as kali, an ancient
Malayan word which implies a large bladed weapon longer than a knife. The art was practiced primarily for
self-defense by the free Spanish Filipinos who were noted for their friendly nature in the 13th century.

When Spain colonized the Philippines, kali was already a standard fighting art of the early Filipinos like
Lapu-lapu of Mactan was a Kali expert. Lapu-lapu killed Magellan with a bladed weapon which kali
prctitioners used in Pre-Spanish Philippines. The first known fighting weapon of Filipino revolt leaders like
Andres Bonifacio was Itak which he used probably with Kali fighting techniques. In 1637, Kali became Arnes
immortalized as arnis in Balagtas Tagalog.

Arnis de mano is the best known and the most systematic fighting art in the Philippines. It is the perfect
art after a long historical development from the Kali systems and designed to train the student to defend himself
armed or unarmed attacks. Arnis, as it commonly called, has been also known in other dialects as estocada.

Before it was introduced in Manila, modern Arnis had its humble beginnings in Bacolod City in the
Visayas where the author first learned the techniques of the art. Mr. Remy A. Presas is the man behind modern
Arnis and give new life and meaning to the true Filipino martial arts called Arnis. On March 19. 1974, Mr.
Presas recognized as the person responsible for reviving the ancient Filipino martial arts called “Arnis” and
now, he is the father of modern Arnis in the Philippines.

Eskrima or Arnis today is popularly played with the use of cane, being less lethal than the bladed
weapon like itak or broadsword. The cane is assumed to be the extension of the hand so that Arnis is also called
in Spanish Arnis de Mano or Eskrima. Among the Tagalog Provinces, Arnis is known as estocada or Arnis de
Mano; Ibanag’s is to pagkali-kali; kalirongan to Pangasinense; kinaadman to the Visayans; Eskrima or Garote
to the Cebuanos; baston to the people of Panay and Negros Occidental; sinawali to the Pampangenos

THREE FORMS OF PLAY

1. Espada y daga – sword and dagger or the long wooden sword and the short wooden dagger.
2. Solo baston – single stick in which a single long mutton or baston (wooden stick or rattan cane) hardened by
drying or heating is used.
3. Sinawali – the intricate movements of the two muton used in variably resemble the sawali, a native material
for house wailing made of bamboo splits, woven in criss-cross fasion.

THREE TRADITIONAL METHODS

1. Muestrasion or pandalag – an artistic execution of the swinging, movements and strokes for offensive or
defensive purpose in repetitive drills.
2. Sangga at patama or sombra tabak – technique in striking, thrusting and parrying in a pre-arranged
manner.
3. Larga muton or labanang totohanan – where two trainees engage in a free practice trying to outmaneuver
each other with all their skills.

BELTS
a. White (Likas)
b. Brown (Likha) rimmed with blue
c. Black (Lakan) rimmed with red