Arnis enjoys the status of the de jure national sport of the Philippines.

It is a martial art characterized by

the use of “swinging and twirling movements, accompanied by striking, thrusting and parrying
techniques for defense and offense.” Having been handed down from generation to generation for
centuries, the discipline hones the skill, speed, accuracy and agility of its practitioners.

History

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.

Culture and traditions

Arnis is otherwise known as eskrima, kali and garrote, and by even more names in different Filipino
regional languages. Although Spanish influence had a pacifying effect on Filipino martial culture, the
original warrior ethos has persisted and remains on the fringes of the art. Arnis “death-matches” were
outlawed as late as 1945 yet, as Mark V. Wiley explains in Filipino Martial Culture, they still take place in
private today.

How it works

Like all martial arts, arnis is primarily defensive, encompassing hand-to-hand combat, grappling and
disarming techniques. However, the fighting style also includes the use of bladed weapons and sticks, in
addition to improvised weapons. A baton-like cane is the primary melee tool employed and the weapon
used in officiated arnis competitions.

Competitive Arnis generally takes one of two forms: the performance-based anyo model or the
combative leban. Anyo competitions are judged on the basis of the overall choreography of the
performances, including the gracefulness, strength and force employed. Meanwhile, the leban form
tests participants’ agility and reactions, as competitions are judged based on the number of strikes
inflicted. Although most leban competitions exclude body contact, such as grappling, blocks and
disarming an opponent using the hands or feet, there are some exceptions where full contact is
permitted.
Remy Amador Presas (December 19, 1936 – August 28, 2001) was the founder of Modern Arnis, a
popular Filipino martial art.

Arnis combines various martial arts that have been practiced for so many years by experienced and
respectable warriors.

They were considered to be a part of the culture and the history as they marked the initiation of young
people into the world of glory.

WEAPONS USED IN THE ARNIS

1. Baston

Batons, or Arnis sticks, is the most basic weapon used in the Arnis. It is made from rattan that
doesn’t shred like wood and is by far more durable.

The baston is a lightweight safe tool that can be used in training or in combat. A warrior can also
choose to fight using two bastons.

2. Espada y Daga

Daga is knife or dagger. It is mainly used in close range combat as you need to get too close to
hurt your enemy.This is a rather difficult weapon to use, since you will have to dodge your
opponent’s attacks from a close distance.

You can easily use two knives at the same time to inflict more harm and to drive more than one
opponent away.

3. Balisong

This is a butterfly knife.This knife has two pieces of handles that attach together in the middle and
fold to close the blade.It is a serious weapon that requires a lot of practice.

4. Karambit

This is an Indo-Malay claw shaped knife that is held by warriors by inserting the finger into a hole
at the top of the handle.

5. Sibat

This is a spear that is held to defend against close range attacks. It can also be used to attack
enemies at a distance if it is thrown at the right speed and angle.