Arnis

History of Arnis

It is a traditional martial arts that involves cane or baton as well as dagger, rattan, sword and spear. It involves hand-to-hand combat, weapon disarming, self-defence and grappling. It was develop and originated by the indigenous population of the Philippines. Also known as eskrima, kali and garote.

• In 1521, Filipino islanders used arnis skills to defeat Spanish conquistadors led by Ferdinand Magellan.

• Despite Spanish colonization, arnis traditions persisted through dance and mock battles.

• Arnis evolved with influences from the US and Japan after the Philippines gained independence in 1898.

• In 2009, arnis was declared the national sport of the Philippines.

• The Philippine Arnis team showcased its prowess by winning 14 gold medals at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

• Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri led the effort to declare arnis the national sport.

• The PEKAF Philippine Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation governs arnis in the Philippines, with Zubiri as Chairman.

Equipments

• Wooden stick - 60 cm 90 cm in length and 1.3 to 3.8 diameter

• Foam - 3.8 cm maximum grip diameter

• Head protector

• Body protector

• Facilities - 8.0 m² with 2 meters of free zone around

Terminologies in Arnis

• Arnisador - practitioners of arnis

• Butt- punyo of the stick

• Daga - dagger

• Largio - long distance

• Medio - medium distance

• Carto - short distance

• Paalam - goodbye

• Dumog - grapple or wrestle

• Grip - the way on holding the stick

Benefits

• Self dense

• Physical fitness

• Mental qualities such as alertness and precision