ARNIS
ARNIS
ARNIS
What is Arnis?
Arnis is the national martial art of the Philippines also known as Kali or Eskrima/Escrima.
Derived from the armor costumes used in Moro-moro stage plays where actors fought mock
battles using wooden swords.
This sport actually emphasizes weapon based fighting which is done using knives, bladed
weapons, sticks and various improvised weapons. It also includes hand to hand combat,
grappling and weapon disarming methods.
What can you get for playing with arnis?
Learning to use what's around you for self-defense.
Improved strength and cardio.
Quicker reflexes.
Increased confidence in tense situations. What
is the Arnis stick?
The baston (Spanish and Filipino for "cane") is one of the primary weapons of Arnis and Filipino
martial arts. It is also known as yantok, olisi, palo, pamalo, garrote, caña, cane, arnis stick,
eskrima stick or simply, stick.
What is the impact of arnis in the Filipino culture and society?
As the national sport of the Philippines, it is no surprise that Arnis reflects the Filipino people's
history, philosophy, and culture. It is a fighting art that is better understood by looking back at its
history, and how rooted it is to the diversified society of the Philippines.
Who is the founder of Arnis?
Remy Amador Presas was the founder of Modern Arnis, a popular Filipino martial art. Born in
the Philippines, he moved to the United States in 1974, where he taught his art via seminars
and camps.
The origin of Arnis can be traced back to native "Pintados" or then "Tintadus" fighting
techniques during conflicts among the various Prehispanic Filipino tribes or kingdoms, though
the current form has Spanish influence from old fencing which originated in Spain in the 15th
century.
The first national organization for Arnis is the National Arnis Association of the Philippines
(NARAPHIL) which was founded in 1975 by Gen. Fabian C. Ver. However, its existence faded
post the Philippine Revolution in 1986.
The origin of Arnis can be traced back to native fighting techniques during the conflicts among
the various Pre-Hispanic Filipino tribes or kingdoms. Whereas, another form of Spanish fencing
dating back to the 15th Century, also influenced the current form of Arnis, moreover it also has
the impact of Chinese, Arab and Indian martial arts.(sportsmatik.com)
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.
Although in general, emphasis is put on weapons for these arts, some systems put empty hands
as the primary focus and some old school systems do not teach weapons at all.