Origin and History of

Arnis
Arnis, also known as Kali or Eskrima/Escrima,
is the national martial art of the Philippines.The
three are roughly interchangeable umbrella terms
for the traditional martial arts of
the Philippines ("Filipino Martial Arts", or FMA),
which emphasize weapon-based
fighting with sticks, knives, bladed weapons, and
various improvised weapons, as well as "open
hand" techniques without weapons.
ORIGIN
The word Arnis got originated from the old Spanish
term, arnés, meant “armor”and Eskrima is
a Filipinization of the Spanish word, esgrima for fencing.
Whereas the name ‘Kali’ was derived from the pre-Hispanic
Filipano term ‘Kalis’ which meant Blades and Fencing.
Practitioners of the sport are
called “arnisador” for male and “arnisadora” for female in
Arnis
and “eskrimador” for male and “eskrimadora” for female
in the Eskrima and Kali Art.
 Martial Art and Sport (Republic Act 9850)
LEGAL BASIS

RA 9850- AN ACT DECLARING ARNIS AS THE

NATIONAL MARTIAL ART AND SPORT OF
THE PHILIPPINES

(Authored by: Hon.Juan Miguel Zubirri)

SECTION 1. It is the policy of the State to inculcate
patriotism, nationalism and appreciation of the role
of national heroes and symbols in the historical
development of the country. Furthermore, the State
must give priority to education, science and
technology, arts and culture, and sports to foster
patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social
progress, and promote total human liberation
and development.
SECTION 3. Arnis is hereby declared as the Philippine
National Martial Art and Sport. The official
adoption of arnis as the national martial art and sport
shall be promulgated by inscribing the symbol
of arnis in the official seal of the Philippine Sports
Commission and by making it as the first sport
competition to be played by participating teams on the
first day in the annual Palarong Pambansa.
The Philippine Sports Commission shall be the lead
agency to implement the provisions of this Act.
SECTION 4. The Department of Education, the
National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and
the Philippine Sports Commission shall promulgate
the necessary rules and regulations to carry out the
provisions of this Act.
BRIEF HISTORY
 The Philippines has a great history of Arnis which
stretches back to 900 A.D. Filipino Stick
Fighting made an immense difference in the Filipino
culture.

During World War II, the Philippine Bolo Battalion. It's a

tale full of splendour; one that can
inspire everyone, whether he's a martial artist or not. The
Filipino Martial Arts have been influenced
by waves of migration and cultures and the art as we know
today is the culmination of more than a
thousand years of evolution.
300 BC - The Malays settled in the Philippines They brought
with them the long knife which was among the first Filipino
Martial Arts bladed weapons.

1518 - King Charles I of Spain was convinced by Ferdinand

Magellan to sail west into the Moluccas (Spice Islands) to
search for spices which were a very precious commodity
at the time.

April 28, 1521 - Magellan and his troops paddled towards the
shore of Mactan, over knee-high water. Raja Lapu-Lapu met
them, and his men who treated Magellan and his crew as an
enemy and the battle of Mactan Island was set on shore.
April 1564 - Another navigator from Spain named Miguel De Legaspi
landed in Abuyog Leyte Philippines. He was aware of the unfortunate fate
of Magellan so took a non-hostile approach to avoid battle with the native.
He befriends the warrior chief Malitik, it is at this point he witnessed the
deadly fighting skills of the natives through a demo to entertain them.

1764 - This was the start of the dark age of Kali. The Spanish overlords
banned the practice of Kali to the natives. Using the alibi that the natives
were wasting time practicing it instead of tilling the fields. However, the
natives knew too well that their colonizers were just afraid that such skills
would be used in a revolution against them because due to oppression
the revolutionaries were gaining support from the natives.
1873 - the fighting system was renamed “Arnis” derived from
the word Arnes which means colorful trapping on defensive
armors used on the Moro-Moro plays.

1975 - Major Favian Ver noted enthusiast and practitioners

of Arnis formed the National Arnis Association of the
Philippines (NARAPHIL) with the objective to unite all Arnis
group in the Philippines.

July 1986 - Arnis Philippines (ARPHI) was established with the

same objective as NARAPHIL.
December 11, 2009 – Former President Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo signed and approved RA 9850 or
“AN ACT DECLARING ARNIS AS THE NATIONAL
MARTIAL ART AND SPORT OF THE
PHILIPPINES”. Wherein the author of this act is
Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri and also a practitioner
of Arnis.
 Objective
The sport Arnis is played between two fighters with
a main objective of earning more points by
legally attacking the opponent with the help of stick. It
is said that Arnis develops self-
discipline and control because this sport is a simple
martial art and it is all about defending oneself by using
sticks.
 Participants
For individual category event in
Arnis, one player is selected per team
and for team category, three
players are selected per team.
 FACILITIES AND
EQUIPMENT OF ARNIS
 IMPACT WEAPON
Baston: This is the most basic and common weapon in Arnis.
Traditional common materials used for wooden bastons are usually rattan,
kamagong, and bahi wood. It is also available in modern materials such
as fiberglass and plastics and in metals like aluminum.

Rattan: This is usually constructed from a stem of Southeast Asian

vine. This stem is hard and durable yet lightweight that makes the
weapon useful for defense against blades. At present, fighters
use padded Bastons. The Baston (Baton) is about 28 inches (71 cm) in
length.
Kamagong (also known as Mabolo): This is
a dark, dense, expensive type of wood known for
its hardness and weight. Kamagong is also an
endangered species of ebony wood.

Bahi: Bahi is a type of wood made from the heart

of a palm tree. It is similar to kamagong but is made
of a porous material in weight and density.
 EDGE WEAPON
Edged Weapons: Knife, dagger, spear,
etc. are edged weapons used
throughout the history for combat,
hunting and ceremonies.
 Head Gear

It is a necessity in Arnis combat. It

is covered with high-grade
leatherette and vinyl that is printed
with ethnic art. Its materials
provide vital protection from head
strikes and a multi-thickness metal
frame is developed for impact
protection.
 Body Armor

It is designed specially to provide

complete upper body
protection while
allowing mobility and protection.
The armor is usually made of hard
plastic and vinyl for lightness and
the lower panels are extended
downwards to provide extra
coverage.
 Leg Guard

These guards can be used

to protect both thigh and
the shin area and are not only
designed for protection but also
for comfort and practicality.
 Groin

It is a special padding for

the lower abdomen. It
has a groin cup to provide
complete protection to the
groin area.
 Hand Gloves

It is a thick rubber
protection which serves as a
protection from strikes as the
stick is held in hand. Its open
palm design ensures a stable
grip and finger flexibility for
impact absorption.
 Arnis Clothing

The basic Arnis Uniform is

made from twill fabric, which
maintains durability and
comfort. It is specially designed
after the classic Arnis
uniform with Velcro straps to
close the flaps easily.
PLAYING AREA
The playing area is a square measuring 26.24 feet (8
meters) on one side with 6.56 feet (2 meters) of
minimum free zone drawn outside it. All the lines of the
playing surface are 1.97 inch (5.08
cm) in width and four lines mark the boundary of the
playing area. The two lines of 3.28 feet (1 meter)
long and 6.56 feet (2 meters) aside mark
the horizontal match line. When the horizontal match
line runs perpendicular to the official’s table it is drawn
9.84 feet (3 meters) from the boundary lines whereas
11.48 feet (3.5 meters) from the boundary line if drawn
parallel to the official’s table.