A brief history of the Filipino Martial Arts and WEKAF

Arnis, Eskrima or Kali is a weaponry based martial art that utilizes the sword, knife or dagger and incorporates many drills and striking patterns that will develop coordination, focus, timing and technique. It also has an empty hands fighting system, which translates directly from the weaponry teachings. Boxing with limb immobilisation and destruction.

Filipino stick-fighting developed over a period of many centuries in the Philippines as her people fought for independence from foreign invaders. Each skirmish with a new culture added to the Filipino martial art as the warriors developed techniques to combat foreign styles.

Arnis has its roots deep in the culture and history of the Filipino people. The exact date of its origin, however, remains unclear. Traces of historical evidence date to before the Maja Paihit Empire which dominated South East Asia during the 5th and 6th centuries, long before the arrival of the first Spanish colonisers in the country.

The Spanish expedition under the leadership of the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, reached the island of Cebu in the central Philippines on Sunday 7 April 1521. King Humabon and Queen Juana of Cebu welcomed and recognised Magellan as the sole representative of the King of Spain. However Raja Lapulapu of nearby Mactan Island refused to pay tribute which in turn caused Magellan to personally lead a striking force that invaded Mactan Island on Saturday 27 April 1521.

Magellan and his men were not met with a hail of bullets but with traditional fire-hardened sticks, spears, poisoned arrows, Kampilans (cutlasses) and other crude implements. When the smoke of that epic battle cleared, the Spanish conquistadors more “modern” weapons were no match for the crude wooden arms of Lapulapu and his warriors. Magellan lost his life in that battle where the native martial art was put to test.

Eventually, however, despite resistance of Lapulapu and his men, the Spaniards returned years later in increased numbers until they finally prevailed. The Philippines remained under Spanish domination for almost four hundred years.

Arnis was the favourite sport of the royalties and people came in droves to watch a demonstration or competition. However when the Spaniards gained substantial control of the country it discouraged the practice of Arnis. Fearful of the Filipinos exceptional skill, they imposed a total ban in the practice of the art. The authorities were fearful of the threat to their lives at the hands of very skilful and trained people.

Arnis began to resurface in the 19th century and became popular among the natives due to the introduction of Moro Moro plays and dance rituals. This gave the Filipinos the opportunity to circumvent the rule which prohibited the display and carrying of bladed weapons. It was these folk plays and dances that allowed the Filipinos to resume the practice and training of Arnis with the use of a bladed weapon known as “kali”. “Kali” is a type of broad sword popular in the southern part of the Philippines.

Due to the Spanish influence this Filipino Martial Art came to be known as “Arnis de Mano” derived from the Spanish word “arnes” meaning trappings or defensive armour. Other names were also used such as estokada, estoque, fraile, arnes de mano, arnis, pananandata, kalirongon, didya, kabaraon, pagkalikali, sinawali, kaliradman, pagaradman, later on esgrima or eskrima. Esgrima is a Spanish word and means “a game between two combatants with the use of blunt instruments”. The stick would either be rattan or a piece of hardwood called either “olisi”, “baston” or “garote”.

The word eskrima became popular in the early years of the American regime, when the first Arnis club organised in Cebu City in 1920, the Labangon Fencing Club used the term in their practice of the art. In 1932, Doce Pares Association, with all the well known grandmasters based in Cebu as nucleus came into being. This organisation in years to come became very popular that its name was almost synonymous with martial art or Arnis and to its credit that Arnis was widely practiced as a competitive sport. In fact present tournament rules adopted by the World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation (WEKAF) and the National Arnis Association of the Philippines (NARAPHIL) had been substantially lifted from the old rules of Doce Pares.

The revival of Arnis to its present level of popularity is credited to the NARAPHIL which was organised in 1975 mainly to promote and propagate the Filipino art. NARAPHIL staged the First Asian Martial Arts Festival in 1976, First National Arnis Festival also in 1976, First national Arnis Open Championships in March 1979 in Cebu City, the First National Invitational Tournament in Manila in August 1979 and the First World Eskrima Kali Arnis Championship in Cebu City on August 11-13 1989. It was during this first world championships that NARAPHIL organised a congress which led to the formation of the World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation (WEKAF). Some 78 representatives from 10 countries including the Philippines became charter members of the federation.

The development of the stickfighting art has grown to a spectacular proportion making it today one of the most popular martial arts in the world. Major events are held in the Philippines as well as in the USA, Great Britain, Australia, Germany, Italy and other countries in the world have more than confirmed the universal acceptance of this Filipino martial art as a popular sporting event.