Dhemna Grace P. Baquilod August 5, 2014
GPE0211

History of Arnis

The term arnis is believed to be a Tagalog corruption of the Spanish term arnes, or harness, a reference to the decorations worn by the early Filipinos. Kali is another term used to refer to the same kind of martial arts. Different provinces may have different names for arnis, such as baston and kaliradman (Ilonggo, Bisaya), pagkalikali (Ibanag) and kalirongan (Pangasinan). These are only a few examples of the terms already recorded in different sources.One suggestion is that it originally came from another martial art system, called tjakalele. This is actually the name of a branch of the Indonesian martial art system known as pentjak silat. Another suggestion is that it was brought here from the Southeast Asian mainland, particularly during the Madjapahit and Shri-Visayan empires. Yet another suggestion is that it was propagated by the so-called ten Bornean datus fleeing persecution from their homeland.The glorious 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.It would not be far-fetched to surmise that one of the earliest Filipino heroes, Lapu-lapu, was a kali (Arnis) expert. Pigafetta, Magellan's chronicler and historian, recorded that on April 27, 1521, Lapu-lapu felled the great Spanish warrior with a bladed weapon thus marking a Filipino's first victorious stand against a foreign invader. Pigafetta also recorded that many of the natives carried a pointed a short hardwood stick which had been further hardened by fire treatment and used in fighting. This stick may have been the forerunner of the present muton or baston in Arnis.During Spanish 400 year of occupation of the Philippines, Spanish fencing also had a direct effect on the fighting arts of the Philippines, with the introduction of angles of attack, and the use of Espada y daga (sword and dagger). When the Spanish imposed a ban on the practice of all native fighting arts and the carrying of bladed weapons during their occupation of the islands, the Filipinos were forced to substitute the use of the sword with that of the rattan. In the beginning the rattan was used to deliver strikes in the same manner as the blade i.e. slashing and thrusting, and the knife (or short stick) was still held in reserve as a back up weapon in case the opponent closed the distance, typical of it's use by the Spanish. Hardly ever was it used to block or parry an oncoming strike. However through time the Filipinos began to realise that because the stick had different handling qualities, certain lines of attack were open to them that were not available with the sword e.g. curved and snapping strikes. Once they began to appreciate the combat effectiveness of the stick the use of the knife also changed and began to be used more aggressively in terms of blocking, parrying, checking, scooping, thrusting and slashing. This in turn led to the creation of Olisi y baraw (stick and dagger).During the war with Spain, the Philippine Fighters employ some techniques from the Spanish Weapon Fighting (Espada y Daga), which refer to a "Sword with a Knife". Later on, the art "Kali" evolved to some other names like Arnis de Mano, Kalis de Mano, and Dos Manos. | | | | Key People

▪ Floro Villabrille is the greatest practitioner of arnis. He is said to have fought hundreds of matches and never lost. The matches in his days were “to the death.” In his physical prime, he reportedly can punch nails through solid wood with his bare fists… pull the nails out using the same bare fists.

Floro Villabrille claims to have been taught martial arts by a blind princess in Samar, an island in the northeast part of the Visayas region of the Philippines.

▪ Ben Largusa separates himself from the title of Escrima master. He is a man of Kali, the older Filipino art. Kali is the source from which all Escrima styles developed. Largusa gets his movement from his instructor, Floro Villabrille, the most commonly repeated name among the Escrimadors in Stockton. Villabrille lives in Hawaii and Largusa, who was born on Kauai, studied under him for six unbroken years in the fifties. He has maintained contact with him to become his foremost protégé.
Largusa now has a school in South San Francisco with a system of ranking and a curriculum that is geared to span three years. If the student is active and learns what he is taught, he may then qualify to teach. According to Largusa, it is the first time Kali has been organized commercially and the school has Villabrille’s blessing.
▪ Ciriaco "Cacoy" Cañete is a Filipino martial artist of the Doce Pares Eskrima Club. He is the last surviving member of the club, which was founded in January 1932. He is a 12th degree black belt. His version of the Doce Pares Eskrima system is known as Cacoy Doce Pares. In 1951 he developed a personal system of his named Eskrido. Ciriaco "Cacoy" Canete is famous for fighting over 100 no-rules eskrima matches. He was the preeminent Doces Pares warrior.
▪ Dan Inosanto is a Filipino martial arts (FMA) instructor from California who is best-known as a student of the late Bruce Lee and the world's foremost authority on Jeet Kune Do. Inosanto is one of three people allowed by Bruce Lee to teach his Martial Arts style, and the only one to be given Instructorship in Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do.

▪ Crispulo Atillo is famous as a fighter, and his style reflects this. It emphasizes simple techniques and footwork, Heclaims that his fights are what really make him a master of arnis. He has fought in four full-contact challenge matches with no protective gear and banged sticks with some of the biggest names in the Filipino martial arts. In fact, he fought doce pares grandmaster Ciriaco “Cacoy” Cañete in the last officially sanctioned “death match” in the Philippines in 1983. While the fight ended in controversy — both sides claimed victory after less than a minute of fighting — it was the kind of encounter that most arnis practitioners never even come close to experiencing.

Stances

Ready Stance Stand with your feet apart parallel to the shoulder with both toes pointing forward. The knees should be straight, the waist and the body facing forward. Hands are on waist level and the hands should hold the sticks on both sides. The ready stance is commonly used when standing at ease during training or tournaments.

Attention Stance Stand with your feet forming a 45 degrees angle. Heels should be close to each other, knees should be straight, the waist and body facing forward. Shoulders are dropped to the side and both hands are at waist level. The Attention Stance is commonly used in preparation for courtesy or “bowing” at commencement of sparring.

Forward Stance

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.

Oblique Stance

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.

Straddle Stance

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.

Side Stance
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.

Back Stance 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.

Styles

▪ Kali-Eskrima-Arnis - single / double baton applications.
▪ Espada y Daga - Short sword & knife.
▪ Daga sa Daga - Knife v's Knife.
▪ Balisong - Butterfly or Fan knife.
▪ Bangkaw - Pole
▪ Dulo-Dulo - Small impact weapon.
▪ Sipaan - Kicking.
▪ Dumog - Grappling.
▪ Mano-Mano - Hand to hand combat.
▪ Unified Combat - Mixed Martial Arts competition.
▪ Dos Puntas - Stick.
▪ Tres Puntas - Knife and Stick.

Pia M. Bitoin 8/5/14
GPE0211

History of Arnis
The History of Arnis dates back before the colonization of the Spaniards, during those periods it was called Kali and the techniques of the art is focused on bladed weapons fighting. Kali was widely practiced throughout the archipelago; both nobleman and commoners were enthusiast and practitioners of the said art. Also during those days Kali is being taught in a school like training grounds, which was called Bothoan along with military tactics, Alibata (Native Alphabet), and herbal medicines.
On the dawn of April 27, 1521 the Portuguese navigator and warrior named Ferdinand Magellan was defeated by a native warrior chief named Lapu-lapu this was the recorded incident which Kali was used against foreign invaders. Forty years after that event, on April of 1564 another warrior navigator from Spain named Miguel De Legaspi landed in Abuyog Leyte Philippines. He was aware of the unfortunate fate of Magellan so took a non-hostile approach to avoid battle with the native. He befriend the warrior chief Malitik, it is at this point he witnessed the deadly fighting skills of the natives through a demo to entertain them. Afterwards he traveled to the nearby island of Sugbo and met another warrior chief named Tupas, he took a non-hostile approach to again avoid confrontation. For the second time he witnessed the formidable fighting techniques of the natives through a demo.
Years have passed by Spain was able to colonize the Archipelago thru the use of religion and what was then regarded as modern weapons such as Muskets and cannons. The Spaniards claimed the Archipelago and named it “Philippines” in honor of the King Philip of Spain. This was the start of the dark age of Kali, in the year 1764 the Spanish overlords banned the practice of Kali to the natives. Using the alibi that the natives were wasting time practicing it instead of tilling the fields. However the natives knew too well that their colonizers were just afraid that such skills would be used in a revolution against them because due to oppression the revolutionaries were gaining support from the natives.
The natives, hidden from the watchful eyes of their colonizers, practiced Kali secretly. Due to some cultural influence of the Spaniards the term Escrima, Estoque, Fraile, and Kaliradman were used to regard the native fighting system. It was also during these period when the natives were able to develop the stick fighting techniques of the art, which was proven to be as versatile as the bladed weapons technique. Even the Moro-Moro stage play to entertain the colonizers was utilized as an excuse to practice the fighting system.
In 1873 the fighting system was renamed “Arnis” derived from the word Arnes which means colorful trapping on defensive armors used on the Moro-Moro plays. Some of the heroes of the Philippine revolution were also practitioners of Arnis namely Andres Bonifacio, the spouses Diego and Gabriela Silang, and the young General 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 recorded as a practitioner of the art.
After hundreds of years with Spanish colonization the Japanese invaders took their place to invade the Philippines during the World War II, again experts of the native fighting arts were called upon to fight for the country’s freedom. Kali, Escrima or Arnis whichever term the individual prefer to use was once again employed on the battlefield.

Key People of Arnis

Ben Largusa
He is a man of Kali, the older Filipino art. Kali is the source from which all Escrima styles developed. Largusa gets his movement from his instructor, Floro Villabrille, the most commonly repeated name among the Escrimadors in Stockton. Villabrille lives in Hawaii and Largusa, who was born on Kauai, studied under him for six unbroken years in the fifties. He has maintained contact with him to become his foremost protégé.
Largusa now has a school in South San Francisco with a system of ranking and a curriculum that is geared to span three years. If the student is active and learns what he is taught, he may then qualify to teach. According to Largusa, it is the first time Kali has been organized commercially and the school has Villabrille’s blessing.
Dan Inosanto
He is a Filipino martial arts (FMA) instructor from California who is best-known as a student of the late Bruce Lee and the world's foremost authority on Jeet Kune Do. Inosanto is one of three people allowed by Bruce Lee to teach his Martial Arts style, and the only one to be given Instructorship in Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do.

Crispulo Atillo
He is famous as a fighter, and his style reflects this. It emphasizes simple techniques and footwork, Heclaims that his fights are what really make him a master of arnis. He has fought in four full-contact challenge matches with no protective gear and banged sticks with some of the biggest names in the Filipino martial arts. In fact, he fought doce pares grandmaster Ciriaco “Cacoy” Cañete in the last officially sanctioned “death match” in the Philippines in 1983. While the fight ended in controversy — both sides claimed victory after less than a minute of fighting — it was the kind of encounter that most arnis practitioners never even come close to experiencing.

Ciriaco "Cacoy" Cañete
He is a Filipino martial artist of the Doce Pares Eskrima Club. He is the last surviving member of the club, which was founded in January 1932. He is a 12th degree black belt. His version of the Doce Pares Eskrima system is known as Cacoy Doce Pares. In 1951 he developed a personal system of his named Eskrido. Ciriaco "Cacoy" Canete is famous for fighting over 100 no-rules eskrima matches. He was the preeminent Doces Pares warrior.
Floro Villabrille
He is the greatest practitioner of arnis. He is said to have fought hundreds of matches and never lost. The matches in his days were “to the death.” In his physical prime, he reportedly can punch nails through solid wood with his bare fists… pull the nails out using the same bare fists.

Floro Villabrille claims to have been taught martial arts by a blind princess in Samar, an island in the northeast part of the Visayas region of the Philippines.

Kinds of Stances

Ready Stance Stand with your feet apart parallel to the shoulder with both toes pointing forward. The knees should be straight, the waist and the body facing forward. Hands are on waist level and the hands should hold the sticks on both sides. The ready stance is commonly used when standing at ease during training or tournaments.

Attention Stance Stand with your feet forming a 45 degrees angle. Heels should be close to each other, knees should be straight, the waist and body facing forward. Shoulders are dropped to the side and both hands are at waist level. The Attention Stance is commonly used in preparation for courtesy or “bowing” at commencement of sparring.

Forward Stance 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.

Oblique Stance 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.

Straddle Stance
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.

Side Stance
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.

Back Stance 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.

Styles

Kali-Eskrima-Arnis - single / double baton applications.
Espada y Daga - Short sword & knife.
Daga sa Daga - Knife v's Knife.
Balisong - Butterfly or Fan knife.
Bangkaw - Pole
Dulo-Dulo - Small impact weapon.
Sipaan - Kicking.
Dumog - Grappling.
Mano-Mano - Hand to hand combat.
Unified Combat - Mixed Martial Arts competition.
Dos Puntas - Stick.
Tres Puntas - Knife and Stick.