LAMOSAO,DAISYLIE B.

G11-ABM(GOKONGWEI)

History of Arnis
Arnis was developed by the indigenous populations of the
Philippines, who used an assorted range of weaponry for
combat and self-defense. Encompassing both simple
impact and edged weapons, arnis traditionally involved
rattan, swords, daggers and spears.In 1521, equipped
with nothing more than bladed weapons and their
fearsome arnis abilities, Filipino islanders defeated
Ferdinand Magellan’s armored, musket-bearing Spanish
conquistador forces when they tried to invade.When the
Spanish eventually returned and successfully conquered
parts of the Philippines, the traditions of arnis were
preserved, despite its prohibition, in the forms of ritual
dance, performance and mock battles. While earlier
Filipino martial arts were influenced by Spanish
colonization, the modern forms have been affected by the
country’s contact with both the United States and Japan
after gaining independence in 1898. Just over a century
later, in 2009, the government of the Philippines declared
arnis to be the martial art and national sport of the
Philippines.