PEKAF

Arnis, also known as Eskrima, Kali, Garrote and other names in various regional languages, such as
Pananandata in Tagalog; Pagkalikali, Ibanag; Kabaraon and Kalirongan, Pangasinan; Kaliradman,
Bisaya; and Didja, Ilokano, is an indigenous Filipino martial art and sport characterized by the use of
swinging and twirling movements, accompanied by striking, thrusting and parrying techniques for
defense and offense. This is usually done with the use of one or two sticks or any similar implements
or with bare hands and feet also used for striking, blocking, locking and grappling, with the use of the
same principle as that with the canes.

Arnis was declared as the Philippine National Martial Art and Sport on December 11, 2009 through
Republic Act No. 9850 authored by Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri and signed into law by Pres.
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
As per R.A. 9850, 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 competition to be played by participating teams on the first day in the
annual Palarong Pambansa.
The Philippine Sports Commission will be the lead agency to implement the provisions of this Act.

Arnis, as a martial art, was spawned in Philippine soil. It was known in ancient Philippines
as kali, an ancient Malayan word that implies a large bladed weapon longer than a knife. This art
was practiced primarily for self-defense by the pre-Spanish Filipinos who were noted for their
friendly nature and legendary hospitality.

The art of hand-to-hand combat has always been an integral part of the Filipino in his long,
turbulent, and bloody history. By force of necessity and self-preservation he became an expert in
fighting with his hands, either bare or with a stick and a bladed weapon. Even before the
introduction of the bladed weapon, the early Filipinos were already a fighting people using the
bow and arrow or the longbow. The primitive Negritos, coming from Central Asia during
prehistoric times, were experts in these weapons.

Arnis de mano is the best known and the most systematic fighting art in the Philippines. It is a
perfected art after a long historical development from the kali systems designed to train the
student to defend himself against armed or unarmed attacks. Arnis, as it is commonly called, has
also been known in other dialects as estacada among the Tagalog provinces
and estoque or fraile in other regions.
As a fighting art, Arnis has three forms of play. They are the espada y daga ("sword and
dagger") in which a long wooden sword and a short wooden dagger is used; the solo
baston (single stick) in a single long muton or baston (wooden stick or rattan cane hardened by
drying or heating) is used; and the sinawali, a native term applied because the intricate
movements of the two muton resemble the weave of a sawali (criss-cross fashion), the bamboo
splits weave pattern used in walling and matting.

The lives of Filipino heroes are linked with the awesome power of the martial art of Arnis. They
triumphantly waged their heroic battles for freedom and liberty as a testimony of the power and
effectiveness of Arnis. Their successful stand against their superiorly armed adversaries in mortal
combat in the arena of battle is now held in immortal inviolability by history of the 16th
century. Kali (Arnis) became so popular during the early days that it was known as the sport of
kings and of the members of the royal blood. The first and foremost experts of the art were
the rajah and maharlika of the Visayas and Tagalog regions, Amandakwa in Pangasinan,
and Baruwang of the Cagayan Valley region.

The art was not confined to the elite alone. Ordinary Filipinos practiced kali not only for self-defense but
also for entertainment. It was the most awaited entertainment feature in fiestas and other
gatherings. Kali was a standard fighting technique in hand-to-hand combat of the Filipinos when they
revolted against Spain. Using the itak or bolo the Katipuneros engaged the Spanish soldiers in savage
skirmishes. History states that Bonifacio brandished a bolo, a standard weapon in kali in his famous "Cry
of Balintawak." However, kali declined in popularity as early as 1596 when the Spanish authorities
discouraged the practice of the art (it was eventually banned in 1764). The Spaniards must have
considered the art lethal or dangerous since they decreed that natives found practicing kali would be
considered Tulisanes or outlaws.
In 1637, the friars introduced the moro-moro, a socio-religious play dramatizing the triumph of the
Christian Spaniards over the Muslim Moors of Granada, Spain. The play called for the use of fighting
techniques using a sword or similar bladed weapon. With the introduction of the moro-moro, the Filipinos
again had a chance to practice their art, thus interest in kali was revived. In the play, Spanish soldiers
fighting for Christianity were supposed to wear arnes, a Spanish word for the English harness, the
colorful trappings worn by medieval soldiers. From the word arnes came the present Arnis. In 1853, the
word kali was completely replaced by Arnis.
Arnis today has experienced changes in the weapons used. Although the art still makes use of
the itak or bolo now and then, it has relied considerably on the use of the cane as a self-defense weapon.
This is not because the cane is less deadly than bladed weapons but mainly because in later years, Arnis is
engaged in more as a sport. Much of the antiquated techniques of the old Arnis have been modernized to
avoid injury to students. More importantly, discipline and other moral values are impressed upon the
students to strengthen not only the body but the spirit as well.