Hello TDCIans! Welcome to this course.

This course deals with PE 2 Self-Defence

Course overview: This course will equip you with knowledge and skills
needed to be able to:

1. Decipher the historical development of Arnis as sport

2. Demonstrate the proper usage of Arnis as self-defense and sport
3. Apply fundamental skills in Arnis
4. Show different fighting positions and striking technique.
5. Appraise the importance of Arnis in modern time applications.

LET’S BEGIN!

UNIT 1 Historical Development of Arnis

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of the unit, you are expected to:

1. trace the development of Arnis from past to present;
2. differentiate Arnis striking techniques from ancient to modern time;
3. discuss the importance of the influences of the past contributors
to the innovations of Arnis.

Introduction

As time pass by cultures, languages, inventions, and as well as sport change.

Philippines has its own unique martial arts that is being use to protect oneself
before and as time pass by this martial art is now consider not only as form of
self-defence but as sport as well and this is called as Arnis.
Having been handed down from generation to generation for centuries, the
discipline hones the skill, speed, accuracy and agility of its practitioners.

This unit will focus on the development of Arnis throughout the history.

Please proceed immediately to the “Unlocking of Difficulties” part since the

first lesson is also definition of essential terms.

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Unlocking of Difficulties

To attend the following intended learning outcomes for the first lesson of
the course, you need to fully understand the following essential knowledge
that will be laid down in the succeeding pages. Please note that you are not
limited to exclusively refer to these resources. Thus, you are expected to
utilize other books, research articles and other resources that are available
in the library in the internet
Key Terms

▪ Arnis – also known as Kali or Eskrima/Escrima, is the national martial art

of the Philippines.

▪ Martial Arts - codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a

number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement
applications
▪ Chad-a-oles – Palau word that they use to describe Filipino that means

“people of the knife” due to their reputation for carrying blades and
utilizing them in fights.

Lecture Notes

1. Historical Development of Arnis

Image Source: 3
https://bigstickcombat.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/moro.jpg

Pre-Colonial Era and Influence of other Martial Arts

● Arnis was developed by the indigenous populations of the Philippines,

who used an assorted range of weaponry for combat and self-defense.

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Encompassing both simple impact and edged weapons, arnis traditionally
involved rattan, swords, daggers and spears.

Stickingsport.com contributors (2020) summarized that Arnis is originally an

art that was practiced by the commoner or peasant class. Because of this,
most practitioners of the system lacked the necessary education to create any
form of written record or documentation. While the same can be stated of
numerous martial arts, this is particularly true for Arnis martial arts since
nearly all of its Arnis history is merely anecdotal, promotional, or oral.

● It also has other influences, as traders and settlers travelling through the
Malay Region brought the silat as well as Arab, Indian, and Chinese martial
arts. A few of the people still localized Chinese combat methods called the
kuntaw.

● Moreover, it has been theorized that Arnis, Kali, Eskrima may have Indian
roots and came to the Philippines through the people who traveled through
Malaysia and Indonesia to the Philippines. Silambam, a stick-staff-based,
ancient, Indian martial art influenced numerous martial arts in Asia such as
silat. Arnis may share ancestry with the said systems – several Arnis
movements resemble the short stick (kaji or kali) and other weapon-based
combat styles techniques of silambam.

● When the Spanish colonizers first came to

the Philippines, they observed weapons-
based combat arts practiced by the Filipino
natives, which are likely not related to the
modern-day Arnis. The earliest written
records of the Philippines and the Filipino life
and culture were documented by the first
Spanish explorers.
Image Source:https://stickfightingsport.com/wp-
content/uploads/2018/01/tmp522859760630890497.jpg

● A few early expeditions fought tribesmen armed with knives and sticks. In
1521, the Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, was slain in Cebu at
the legendary “Battle of Mactan” by the Datu Lapu-Lapu’s forces. Several
Arnisadors claim that these natives killed the explorer in a sword fight, but
historical evidence does not prove so.

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● Antonio Pigafetta, a historian at Magellan's side, mentioned in his records
that Lapu-Lapu's troops were equipped with fire-hardened sticks. In this
encounter, Magellan was slaughtered by the leader Raja Lapu-Lapu and his
Kampilan (a single bladed sword) with a thrust the leg then a slashing strike
to the neck.

Colonial Era and Spanish Influence on Arnis History

 One prominent feature of Arnis that may point to Spanish influence

is Espada y Daga (sword and dagger) method, which is a term utilized
in fencing. The Filipino version of the Espada y daga is quite different
from the European rapier and dagger styles; the stances are not the
same as weapons utilized in are normally shorter that European-
made swords.

Image Source: https://www.traditionalfilipinoweapons.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/EspadayDaga.jpg

● Following the Spanish colonization in the Philippines, a decree was

established that banned the common people from carrying weapons such
as the Kampilan and Kris.
● Regardless, the practitioners constantly found ways to keep and maintain
the system alive, using rattan-made sticks rather than actual swords.
Several arts were passed down from generation to generation.

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  Occasionally, the arts took the form of rituals or choreographed
dances like the Sakuting stick dance. Furthermore, as a result, an
intricate and unique stick-based style evolved in the Luzon
 and Visayas regions. Mindanao, on the other hand, retained exclusive
blade-oriented methods because the Spaniards and even Americans
never entirely conquered the southern regions of the Philippines.

 Though Arnis history integrates native combat styles with old Spanish
fencing, a systematization degree was ultimately achieved, resulting
in the unique, distinguishable, and exceptional Filipino martial art.
With time, the system for training and teaching the essentials
evolved as well.

 But except a few older, more established systems, it was a common

practice to pass down the art from one generation to the next in an
informal way, making the attempts to trace its lineage difficult.

Post-Colonial Period and Modern Arnis History

The Philippines has a blade culture. Unlike in Europe where Renaissance and
Medieval fighting and self-defence blade or weapon arts have gone nearly
extinct, Filipino blade fighting is still a living art. The local persons in the
Philippines are considered more likely to carry bolos or knives than guns.

Filipino Martial Arts Weapons Can Be Found at Home

● These weapons are usually carried as tools by farmers to cut vegetation,
street vendors to cut open pineapples, watermelons, coconuts, other fruits
and animal meats. Also, balisongs are very easy to procure and are easily
hidden. In fact, in a few rural areas, carrying a knife such as the itak was a
sign that that person is making a living due to the area’s nature of work.

● In Palau, they call Filipinos as “chad a oles” meaning “people of the knife”
due to their reputation for carrying blades and utilizing them in fights.

Philippine Revolution
● Contrary to the statements of some historians today that it was just guns
that helped the Philippines achieved victory against the Spanish colonizers,
blades played a huge part as well.

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● Some of the heroes of the Philippine revolution were also practitioners of
Arnis namely Andres Bonifacio, Diego and Gabriela Silang, and the young
Gen. Gregorio Del Pilar. The National Hero Jose Rizal was also reported to
practice the fighting system. As well as the founder of Aglipayan Church
Rev. Gregorio Aglipay was also

● During the Battle of Manila in 1898, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that:
The Philippine native, like all the kindred Malay races, cannot do any
fighting as a rule except at close quarters, slashing with his heavy knife. The
weapon is called machete, or bolo, or kampilan, or parang, or kris. The plan
of action is the same – to rush in unexpectedly and hack about swiftly,
without the slightest attempt at self-preservation.

● Furthermore, the Mauser rifle in hard work is discovered to be an error. It

has a five-cartridge case, which needs to be all used prior to inserting
others. Now if a soldier fires three cartridges, then he ought to go one and
waste the remaining two.

The Filipino Blade Culture

● It may likely be the men’s fault, or they are just unlucky in being
undrilled, but they’re frequently knifed as they reload their rifles. Whatever
the explanation may be, there is certainly something wrong in soldiers with
bayonets and rifles being attacked by knife-wielding natives. The insurgents
have guns, but many Spanish are injured with knife wounds.

The Philippine–American War

● The Americans first witnessed Arnis in the Philippine–American War in
such events as the “Balangiga massacre” where the majority of a US
company was cut to death or severely injured by knife-wielding guerillas in
Eastern Samar, as well as in Mindanao battles, where an American soldier
was beheaded by a Moro warrior.

World War II
● During World War II, many Filipinos fought the Japanese hand to hand
with their blades as guerilla fighters or as military units under the USAFFE
like the Bolo Battalion (now known as the Tabak Division).

● Some of the grandmasters in arnis history who are known to have used
their skills in World War II are Antonio Ilustrisimo, Leo Giron, Teodoro

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“Doring” Saavedra, brothers Eulogio and Cacoy Cañete, Timoteo “Timor”
Maranga, Sr, Jesus Bayas and Balbino Tortal Bonganciso.

● During the Second World War, numerous Filipinos fought the Japanese
troops hand-to-hand using their blades as freedom fighters or as military
men under the USAFFE such as the Bolo Battalion or the Tabak Division. A
few of the GMS who are known today to have utilized their skills and
expertise in WW2 are Leo Giron, Antonio Ilustrisimo, brothers Cacoy and
Eulogio Cañete, Teodoro “Doring” Saavedra, Timoteo “Timor” Maranga, Sr,
Balbino Tortal Bonganciso, and Jesus Bayas.

Arnis Development through Modern Times

Remy Presas one of the Founder of Modern Arnis

Image Source: https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7c7u-W-
EXBs/SswGVnTRxXI/AAAAAAAAAqU/V2woVHsv3S8/s280/presas.jpg

Major Favian Ver also 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 of 1986 Arnis Philippines (ARPHI) was established with the same
objective as NARAPHIL
● Arnis Is the system of Filipino martial arts founded by the late Rem Presas
as a self-defense system. His goal was to create an injury-free training
method as well as an effective self-defense system in order to preserve the
older Arnis systems.

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It is a Filipino martial art that can be performed individually or with a
partner using a single stick or a pair of sticks for striking and blocking; can
also be used for self-defense

●The Arnis is a Philippines’ national martial art or sport. After President

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed the Republic Act. No. 9850 in 2009 The act
mandates the Department of Education to include the sport as a Physical
Education course . Arnis will be included among the priority sports in
Palarong Pambansa (National Games) beginning 2010

Focus Questions

Guide questions for Unit 1 discussions

Instructions:
Answer the following. Guide questions for Unit 1 discussions

(a) Answer the following questions.

(b) Write your answer in Microsoft Word and save it as document

c) You will submit your answer on Google Classroom during the class
discussion and class intended time.

(d) Please be guided of the rubrics. Points for your answers will be based on
rubrics below

POINTS CRITERIA
5 Answers are right and well-explained
Answers have NO grammatical error.
Submit on established deadline.
4 Answers are right and well-explained
Answers have 1 to 2 incorrect
reasoning. Submit 5-15 minutes after
established deadline.
3 Answers are right and well-explained
Answers have 3 to 4 incorrect
mathematical solution/reasoning.
Submit later than 15 minutes of
established deadline.

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Questions:
1. What is Arnis?

2.The earliest written record about Arnis is described and written

by_____________.

3. Differentiate Espada y daga of the Philippines from Espada y daga of

Europe. Explain the influence of Espada y daga to the development of Arnis.

Related Readings

Hey there!! Want to catch up to this Lesson. Link below can help:

Internet Link: Learn more about Historical Development of Arnis by visiting

these sites:
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/arnis-the-philippines-
national-sport-and-martial-art/

Watch this :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTeQ0WmHkJI

Learning Assessment

Activity 1. Do as indicated

Instructions:

TASK: create an timeline/info graphic poster about the historical

development of arnis.

Instructions: poster must be on pdf and created originally pls be guided

with rubric below.

CATEGORY 10 8 6 4
Details on the Details on the Details on the Details on the
poster capture poster include poster relate to poster have
the important important the topic but little or nothing
information information but are too general to do with main
Coverage of the about the topic the audience or
Topic and may need more incomplete. The topic.
increase the information to audience needs
audience’s understand more
understanding fully. information to
understand

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Use of Graphics All graphics are All graphics are All graphics Graphics do not
related to the related to the relate to the relate to the
topic and make topic and most topic. topic.
it easier to make it easier
understand. to understand
Information is Information is Information is The information
Organization very organized organized with organized, but appears to be
with clear titles titles and titles and disorganized
and subheadings. subheadings
subheadings are missing or
do not help the
reader
understand
Layout and All information Most of the Most of the Much of the
Design on the poster is information on information on information on
in focus and can the poster is in the poster is in the poster is
be easily viewed focus and the focus and the unclear or too
and identified content easily content is easily small.
from 6 ft. away. viewed and viewed and
identified from identified from
6 ft. away. 4 ft. away.
Sources All sources All sources All sources Some sources
(information (information (information are not
and graphics) and graphics) and graphics) accurately
are are are documented.
accurately accurately documented,
documented. documented, but information
but there are a is
few errors in incomplete or
the many are not in
format. the desired
format.
Mechanics No Almost no A few Many
grammatical, grammatical, grammatical, grammatical,
spelling or spelling or spelling, or spelling, or
punctuation punctuation punctuation punctuation
errors. errors errors. errors.