ARNIS

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The History of Arnis dates back before the cooni!ation of the S"aniards# d$rin% those
"eriods it &as caed Kai and the techni'$es of the art is foc$sed on baded &ea"ons fi%htin%(
Kai &as &idey "racticed thro$%ho$t the archi"ea%o) both nobe*an and co**oners &ere
enth$siast and "ractitioners of the said art( Aso d$rin% those days Kai is bein% ta$%ht in a
schoo ike trainin% %ro$nds# &hich &as caed Bothoan aon% &ith *iitary tactics# Aibata +Nati,e
A"habet-# and herba *edicines(
On the da&n of A"ri ./# 01.0 the 2ort$%$ese na,i%ator and &arrior na*ed 3erdinand
4a%ean &as defeated by a nati,e &arrior chief na*ed La"$5a"$ this &as the recorded
incident &hich Kai &as $sed a%ainst forei%n in,aders( 3orty years after that e,ent# on A"ri of
0167 another &arrior na,i%ator fro* S"ain na*ed 4i%$e De Le%as"i anded in Ab$yo% Leyte
2hii""ines( He &as a&are of the $nfort$nate fate of 4a%ean so took a non5hostie a""roach to
a,oid batte &ith the nati,e( He befriend the &arrior chief 4aitik# it is at this "oint he &itnessed
the deady fi%htin% skis of the nati,es thro$%h a de*o to entertain the*( After&ards he tra,eed
to the nearby isand of S$%bo and *et another &arrior chief na*ed T$"as# he took a non5hostie
a""roach to a%ain a,oid confrontation( 3or the second ti*e he &itnessed the for*idabe fi%htin%
techni'$es of the nati,es thro$%h a de*o(
8ears ha,e "assed by S"ain &as abe to cooni!e the Archi"ea%o thr$ the $se of rei%ion
and &hat &as then re%arded as *odern &ea"ons s$ch as 4$skets and cannons( The
S"aniards cai*ed the Archi"ea%o and na*ed it 92hii""ines: in honor of the Kin% 2hii" of
S"ain( This &as the start of the dark a%e of Kai# in the year 0/67 the S"anish o,erords banned
the "ractice of Kai to the nati,es( Usin% the aibi that the nati,es &ere &astin% ti*e "racticin% it
instead of tiin% the fieds( Ho&e,er the nati,es kne& too &e that their cooni!ers &ere ;$st
afraid that s$ch skis &o$d be $sed in a re,o$tion a%ainst the* beca$se d$e to o""ression the
re,o$tionaries &ere %ainin% s$""ort fro* the nati,es(
The nati,es# hidden fro* the &atchf$ eyes of their cooni!ers# "racticed Kai secrety(
D$e to so*e c$t$ra inf$ence of the S"aniards the ter* <scri*a# <sto'$e# 3raie# and
Kairad*an &ere $sed to re%ard the nati,e fi%htin% syste*( It &as aso d$rin% these "eriod
&hen the nati,es &ere abe to de,eo" the stick fi%htin% techni'$es of the art# &hich &as "ro,en
to be as ,ersatie as the baded &ea"ons techni'$e( <,en the 4oro54oro sta%e "ay to entertain
the cooni!ers &as $tii!ed as an e=c$se to "ractice the fi%htin% syste*(
In 0>/? the fi%htin% syste* &as rena*ed 9Arnis: deri,ed fro* the &ord Arnes &hich
*eans coorf$ tra""in% on defensi,e ar*ors $sed on the 4oro54oro "ays( So*e of the heroes
of the 2hii""ine re,o$tion &ere aso "ractitioners of Arnis na*ey Andres Bonifacio# the
s"o$ses Die%o and Gabriea Sian%# and the yo$n% Genera Gre%orio De 2iar( The Nationa
Hero @ose Ri!a &as aso re"orted to "ractice the fi%htin% syste*( As &e as the fo$nder of
A%i"ayan Ch$rch Re,( Gre%orio A%i"ay &as aso recorded as a "ractitioner of the art(
After h$ndreds of years &ith S"anish cooni!ation the @a"anese in,aders took their
"ace to in,ade the 2hii""ines d$rin% the Aord Aar II# a%ain e="erts of the nati,e fi%htin% arts
&ere caed $"on to fi%ht for the co$ntryBs freedo*( Kai# <scri*a or Arnis &hiche,er ter* the
indi,id$a "refer to $se &as once a%ain e*"oyed on the battefied( ItBs efficiency &as "$t to a
test a%ain b$t this ti*e a%ainst the @a"anese in,aders(
The 3ii"inos fo$%ht side by side &ith the A*ericans( Nati,es &ith skis in the fi%htin% art
si%ned $" to be freedo* fi%hters kno&n as 9G$erias:( It is aso these 9G$erias: &ho &ere
$s$ay front iners d$rin% the enco$nter and they &ere $s$ay sent on a co**ando *ission for
reconnaissance a%ainst the @a"anese(
After the &ar ended and "eace took itBs "ath in 0C/1 then 4a;or 3a,ian Der aso noted
enth$siast and "ractitioners of Arnis for*ed the Nationa Arnis Association of the 2hii""ines
+NARA2HIL- &ith the ob;ecti,e to $nite a Arnis %ro$" in the 2hii""ines# b$t $nfort$natey
accordin% to records the Generas effort &as f$tie# so*e cai*ed that the association that the
Genera ed tends to fa,or ony one %ro$" and i%nored the re'$est for reco%nition of the *a;ority
of the e=istin% Arnis c$bs(
After the Historica <DSA re,o$tion Genera 3a,ian Der &as e=ied and NARA2HIL as a
do*inant Arnis %ro$"ed ceased# e,ent$ay another brotherhood of Arnis &as for*ed by a %ro$"
of %reat 4asters on Arnis( @$y of 0C>6 Arnis 2hii""ines +AR2HI- &as estabished &ith the sa*e
ob;ecti,e as NARA2HIL# at "resent ti*e the %o,ern*ent sanctioned %ro$"s NARA2HIL and
AR2HI e=ist to%ether &ith a non5%o,ern*enta or%ani!ation 2IGSAI# these or%ani!ations share
a co**on %oa &hich is to "ro*ote# "reser,e# "ro"a%ate# and re%ain the "o"$arity of Arnis
thro$%ho$t the co$ntry beca$se econo*icay e,en tho$%h the 3ii"ino 4artia Arts be it Arnis#
<scri*a# or Kai earned its "o"$arity in the different "arts of the &ord( It is ess "o"$ar in the
2hii""ines( Its birth"ace# "robaby d$e to stron% coonia *entaity inf$ence or ;$st "ain
ne%i%ence of the 3ii"inos to their C$t$ra Herita%e# b$t these nobe %ro$"s are stri,in% to
ens$re that the ne=t %enerations of 3ii"inos &i be abe to cai* their c$t$ra herita%e and once
a%ain ha,e these 3ii"ino 4artia Arts as the nationa syste* of fi%htin% art(
T<R4INOLOGI<S
AbanicoE it( 9fan#: atera +side to side- *otions "erfor*ed &ith a strai%htened ar* as a bockin%
*ane$,er
ArnisE it( 9harnass#: ter*s $sed in the Northern 2hii""ines for 34A# synony*o$s &ith the
*idde 2hii""ines ter*# 9escri*a#: or the so$thern ter*# 9kai:
AtiasE 9back&ards#: the ter* $sed for retreatin%
Baba taaasE 9$": and 9do&n:# denotin% ,ertica sashes or strikes dei,ered aon% the center5ine
of an o""onent
Banda y bandaE side to side sashes or strikes
BastonE stick or baton $sed in 34A
BooE a ty"e of *achete +$s$ay &ith a eaf sha"ed bade- $sed thro$%ho$t the 2hii""ines
CardenaE it( 9chainin%:# inkin% one techni'$e &ith another in ra"id s$ccession
CortoE cose ran%e
CrossadaE 9crossin%:# *ane$,er $sed to bock an inco*in% attack by for*in% an =5"attern &ith
ones baton# ar*s# or baded &ea"on
Da%aE knife or da%%er
DobeE 9do$be:# t&o strikes dei,ered in ra"id s$ccession
D$o5d$oE "a* stick +d$o-# s"oken t&ice to indicate stye of fi%htin% &ith said &ea"on
D$*o%E 9%ra""in%:# either in a cinch or on the %ro$nd
<scri*aE +at( eskri*a- F synony*o$s &ith arnis
<s"ada y da%aE s&ord +es"ada- and da%%er +da%a- $sed to%ether( So*eti*es aso connotes
the $se of baton and knife in tande*(
G$nti%E 9scissors:# a techni'$e aso referred to as 9de5fan%in% the snake:# &hich *eans
&o$ndin% an o""onents i*b thro$%h a sa""in% *otion as one atte*"ts to bock an inco*in%
strike
H$b$dE 9$ntie or $ndress:# &hen co$"ed &ith $b$d +bend-# a ter* that connotes a for* of
9fo&: dri
H$b$d5$b$dE 9to tie and $ntie:# to en%a%e and disen%a%e# contin$o$sy as a dri in hand5to5
hand co*bat
ItakE a on% s&ord or boo
K$nta& +at( K$ntao-E +Chinese- 9fist &ay:# a syste* of K$n% 3$ ado"ted by 3ii"inos an% shared
in co**on &ith Indonesia
LakanE a bet5rank in 4odern Arnis e'$i,aent to back bet or instr$ctor +%$ro-
Lan%kaE 9foot&ork:
Lar%oE on% distance
LikasE o&er ranks +beo& back bet- in 4odern Arnis
4ano y *anoE 9hand5to5hand: co*bat
4edioE 9*edi$*: ran%e fi%htin%
2akaE 9ice "ick: %ri" $sed in knife fi%htin%
2ais5"aisE fro* "ais +9s&ee"in%:-) for* of "arryin% and strikin% dei,ered &ith the ebo& bent at
a 71 de%ree an%e
2$nyoE 9"o**e: of a s&ord# knife# or baton
RedondoE a circ$ar "o&er5strike
RedondaE contin$o$s dri e*"oyin% t&o batons contin$o$sy
Ro*"idaE $"&ard and do&n&ard sash or strike dei,ered in an =5"attern
Saa*atE a %reetin% deri,ed fro* the 4$si* 9saaa*: +or "eace- and connotin% %ratit$de
Sero5seroE 9!ero5!ero: circ$ar strikes dei,ered one after another in a &ide5ran%in%# circ$ar
fashion &hie ad,ancin% on an o""onent
SerradaE code '$arters co*bat e=ec$ted at corto +cose- ran%e( Aso a stye of escri*a#
"o"$ari!ed in the U(S( by An%e Cabaes
SikaranE %eneray 9stickin% &ith the e%s:
Sina&aiE it( 9to &ea,e:# connotin% the contin$o$s &ea,in% *otion that one $ses &ith t&o
batons# kni,es or hands to co$"e si*$taneo$s strikes and bocks( Aso# ike redonda or h$b$d5
$b$d# a dri "attern(
S$nkiteE an $"&ard ;abbin% thr$st# so*eti*es foo&ed by a atera c$t
S$*bradaE an $"&ard# obi'$e 9$*brea: bock
Ta"i5ta"iE a series of checkin% and co$nter5checkin% $sin% "arryin% bocks and strikes) a %enera
ter* for fo& dris $sed in 4odern Arnis $sed by Grand*aster Rey 2reses Sr(
DisidarioE a ter* *eanin% 9transfor*ati,e fo&:# a contin$o$s# %racef$ fo&in% fro* one
techni'$e to another# e*"hasi!ed in 4odern Arnis