National Martial Art of the Philippines

Arnis was developed by

By 1853 the word kali was completely
the indigenous populations
replaced by the new term, Arnis (or
of the Philippines, who
Eskrima), a modification of the term
used an assorted range of
arnes.
weaponry for combat and
self-defense. Arnis
traditionally involved
rattan, swords, daggers
Arnis “death-matches” were
and spears.
outlawed as late as 1945 yet,
as Mark V. Wiley explains in
Filipino Martial Culture, they
In 1521, equipped with still take place in private
nothing more than bladed today.
weapons and their fearsome
arnis abilities, Filipino
islanders defeated Ferdinand
Magellan. In 1969. Remy Amador
Presas established
Arnis within the
The Philippine physical education
government’s declaration system of the
of arnis as the national Philippines as a viable
sport has codified a clear means for military
martial culture. practice and
maintaining cultural
identity

As time progressed, the Spanish

became overly concerned with the The traditions of arnis
potential for revolt by the Filipino were preserved, despite
people; resulting in the ban of all its prohibition, in the
practice and performance of kali forms of ritual dance,
with bladed weapons in 1764. performance and mock
battles.
 ARNIS

BASIC STANCES
Ready/ attention Stance
This is the most common used stance when you are
standing at ease. You can use this stance in tournaments
and fights before you start engaging with the opponent.

In this stance you need to stand with your toes

pointing forward and your feet parallel to your
shoulders. Standing with your feet apart gives you
balance so that you can move to the next position and
attack your opponent.

You need to keep your knees straight and your

whole body facing forward.

Your hands should be on the waist level either you

are holding two batons or one with another weapon.

F o r w a r d s t a n c e

Starting with the ready stance, move one foot

forward until the knee and the toe are in line to each
other. Both toes are pointing in front, the waist and the
body is facing forward.

The body should not be too low or the lead foot too
extended otherwise it will be hard to maneuver.
Distribute the weight or center of gravity to both legs.
Forward stances can be right foot lead, which is the
Right Foot Forward Stance or it can be left foot lead
which is Left Foot Forward Stance. Forward Stance are
commonly used with frontal striking or blocking
techniques.
 O b l i q u e s t a n c e
Starting with the ready stance, move one foot forward
45 degrees away from the body until the knee and the toe
are in line to each other. Move on the same direction as
the lead foot (e.g. for right foot lead, move 45 degrees
forward to the right). Both toes are pointing in front, the
waist and the body is facing forward. The body should not
be too low or the lead foot too extended otherwise it will be
hard to maneuver. Distribute the weight or center of
gravity to both legs.

Oblique stances can be right foot lead, which is the

Right Foot Oblique Stance or it can be left foot lead which
is Left Foot Oblique Stance. Oblique Stances are
commonly used for forward blocking and evasion
techniques.

S t r a d d l e s t a n c e

Starting with the ready stance, move one foot about

two feet (2’) to the left or the right direction until both
lower legs are almost perpendicular to the ground.
Both toes are pointing in front, the waist and the body is
facing forward.

The body should not be too low or extended

otherwise it will be hard to maneuver. Distribute the
weight or center of gravity to both legs. Straddle stance
are also called Horseback Riding Stance since it mimics
position when riding on a horse back. Straddle stances
are commonly used for blocking the strikes to the side of
the body.
 s i d e s t a n c e

Starting with the ready stance, move one foot about

two feet (2’) to the left or right direction. Moving foot
will be perpendicular to the ground while the other leg is
extended thereby creating a position like that of a side
kick. Both toes are pointing in front, the waist and the
body is facing forward.

The body should not be too low or extended

otherwise it will be hard to maneuver. Distribute the
weight or center of gravity to both legs. If the left foot
moves to the side it becomes Left Foot Side Stance, if the
right foot moves to the side it becomes Right Foot Side
Stance.

Side Stances are commonly used for strike deflection

and evasion techniques.

B a c k s t a n c e

Starting with the ready stance, move one foot

backward 45 degrees away from the body. The heels of
the foot should form an imaginary “L” shape while the
legs are in a straddle position. The body should not be
too low or extended otherwise it will be hard to
maneuver. Distribute the weight or center of gravity to
both legs.

Back stances can be right foot lead, which is the

Right Foot Back Stance or it can be left foot lead which is
Left Foot Back Stance. Back stances are used for
blocking and backward evasion techniques.
 ARNIS

MATERIALS NEEDED