Arnis is the national martial art of the Philippines that focuses on weapon-based fighting using knives, sticks, and other weapons. It originated from native fighting techniques used in conflicts between Pre-Hispanic Filipino tribes. Over time, it incorporated elements of Spanish fencing and other Asian martial arts. There are two main styles - Classic Arnis focuses on blades while Modern Arnis emphasizes sticks and self-defense. The sport is played between two fighters who aim to score points by attacking the opponent with a stick within the boundaries of the marked playing area, while wearing protective gear.

1. PHYSICAL EDUCATION3
SELFDEFENSEANDTACTICS
ARNIS

2. Introduction
 Arnis is the official national sport and the martial art of
the Philippines. It is also known as "Kali" or "Eskrima". These two
terms are used for the traditional martial art of the Philippines (“Filipino
Martial Arts”, or “FMA”) that focuses on weapon-based fighting with
knives, sticks, bladed weapons and some improvised weapons. Arnis is
a combat sport to defend oneself from attacks using hand to hand
combat, grappling and weapon disarming in weapon-based fights.
Origin of the Name
 The word Arnis got originated from the old Spanish term, arnés,
meant “armor”and Eskrima is a Filipinization of the Spanish
word, esgrima for fencing. Whereas the name ‘Kali’ was derived from
the pre-Hispanic Filipano term ‘Kalis’ which
meant Blades and Fencing.
Practitioners of the sport are
called “arnisador” for male and “arnisadora” for female in Arnis
and “eskrimador” for male and “eskrimadora” for female in
the Eskrima and Kali Art.
Moreover, all the three, Arnis, Eskrima and Kali belong to the same
family of Filipino weapon-based martial arts and fighting systems.

3. History
 Philippine is an island nation that is not only rich in culture, heritage, and
history but also in sports. The Filipino martial art widely known as Arnis / Kali
/ Eskrima has contributed to both the history and diversity of Philippines.
 Some common questions that arise in every reader’s mind are (a) “Where did
this Sport Originate From?” (b) “Why is it played?” Therefore, to get a
better understanding about the sport we need to dig into the past.
 Initially, the sport was practiced by peasants or by commoner class people. But
these practitioners lacked the scholarly knowledge due to which this sport has
no written records. 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.
 It is also believed by some people of Philippines that the Filipino art of Arnis
has some roots connected to India as the people who traveled
through Indonesia and Malaysia to the Philippine islands had brought this art
with them. Silambam, a stick based ancient martial art of Tamil Nadu,
India, has influenced many martial art forms in Asia like Silat among which it is
also believed that the Filipino Martial art sport, Arnis, also shares ancestry with
India’s Martial art, Silambam, as it has some similar moves with the short stick
(kali or kaji) and other weapon based styles of Silambam.

4.  Arnis originally belonged to the people of Philippines, but as time
passed by, the art spread over to other countries and by the time
of World War II; many continents adopted it. Arnis also played a
significant role during the Philippine revolutionaries against
the Spaniards.
 Eventually, it was the Filipinos who provided the art with a
systematic structure. It was brought to Hawaii and California in
the 1920s. The teaching was kept within the Filipino communities
until the 1960s after which Master Angel Cabales and others
began teaching it to others. It took almost two decades to make the
art known to all around the world and in January 2010; it was
officially recognized as the National Martial Art and Sport of
the Philippines.
 Depending upon the use of weapons and sticks; Arnis is
differentiated into two styles: the Classic Arnis that is all about the
use of blades and weapons whereas the Modern Arnis deals with
the art of sticks and everyday objects. The Modern Arnis is the
system of the Filipino fighting arts founded by Remy Presas as a
self-defense system. His goal was to create an injury-free training
method as well as an effective self-defense system to carry
forward the older Arnis systems.

5. Variants
 Arnis was declared as the Philippines’ National
sport and martial art on 11 December 2009. 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 two major types of Arnis
practiced as sports are the system followed by WEKAF
(World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation) which was
established in 1989, and is recognized internationally;
and the other system followed by Arnis Philippines
(ARPI), established in 1986, which was used
prominently during the 2005 Southeast Asian Games.

6. World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation (“WEKAF”)
 WEKAF is the most common system of Arnis art which
is used internationally. It was established in 1989. The
system works on the 10-point ‘must’ system that
is quite similar to boxing. Here, the participants spar
with live sticks wearing a long padded vest, skirts
and sleeves. In this system, hitting below the thigh is
strictly prohibited. This system emphasizes heavy
offence at the expense of defensive techniques, and
the combatants are seen hitting each other in a
disorganized manner. Hence, the "four-second
rule" according to which the participants were forbidden
to use the same strike for more than twice in succession.
This system is preferred by participants who want to test
themselves.

7. Arnis Philippines System (“ARPI”)
 The Arnis Philippines system was established before
the WEKAF system (in 1986) and adapted the scoring
system similar to fencing. The matches are observed by
multiple judges to mark fouls and the loudness of the
impact judges the strike strength. The participants score
points by disarming their opponent or by forcing them to
step out of the ring. In the ‘ARPI’ system, participants
use padded sticks with light rattan cores (wooden
stem) in place of live sticks as they are tenderer and flex
while attacking.

8. Objective
 The sport Arnis is played between two fighters with
a main objective of earning more points by
legally attacking the opponent with the help of stick. It
is said that Arnis develops self-
discipline and control because this sport is a simple
martial art and it is all about defending oneself by using
sticks.
Participants
 For individual category event in Arnis, one player is
selected per team and for team category, three
players are selected per team.

9. Equipment
 Arnis / Kali / Eskrima are all part of the same art depending on the location,
dialect and type of training. The one interpretation common to all of them is
that Kali is the mother art of Arnis and Eskrima. Moreover, Arnis focuses on
the knife, including the dagger, sword, and any other form of bladed weapon
whereas Eskrima is based on the ‘baston’ or stick. Therefore, the equipment
used in Arnis is:
1) Impact Weapon:
 Baston: This is the most basic and common weapon in Arnis. Traditional
common materials used for wooden bastons are usually rattan, kamagong, and
bahi wood. It is also available in modern materials such
as fiberglass and plastics and in metals like aluminum.
 Rattan: This is usually constructed from a stem of Southeast Asian vine. This
stem is hard and durable yet lightweight that makes the weapon useful for
defense against blades. At present, fighters use padded Bastons. The Baston
(Baton) is about 28 inches (71 cm) in length.
Kamagong (also known as Mabolo): This is a dark, dense, expensive
type of wood known for its hardness and weight. Kamagong is also an
endangered species of ebony wood.
Bahi: Bahi is a type of wood made from the heart of a palm tree. It is similar to
kamagong but is made of a porous material in weight and density.

10. 2) Edged Weapons: Knife, dagger, spear, etc. are edged
weapons used throughout the history for combat,
hunting and ceremonies.

11. 3) Head Gear: It is a necessity in Arnis combat. It is
covered with high-grade leatherette and vinyl that is
printed with ethnic art. Its materials provide
vital protection from head strikes and a multi-thickness
metal frame is developed for impact protection.
4) Body Armor: It is designed specially to provide
complete upper body protection while
allowing mobility and protection. The armor is usually
made of hard plastic and vinyl for lightness and
the lower panels are extended downwards to provide
extra coverage.
5) Leg Guard: These guards can be used
to protect both thigh and the shin area and are not only
designed for protection but also
for comfort and practicality.

12. 6) Groin: It is a special padding for the lower abdomen.
It has a groin cup to provide complete protection to the
groin area.
7) Hand Gloves: It is a thick rubber protection which
serves as a protection from strikes as the stick is held in
hand. Its open palm design ensures a stable
grip and finger flexibility for impact absorption.
8) Arnis Clothing: The basic Arnis Uniform is made
from twill fabric, which maintains durability and comfort. It
is specially designed after the classic Arnis
uniform with Velcro straps to close the flaps easily.

14. Playing Area
 The playing area is a square measuring 26.24 feet (8 meters) on
one side with 6.56 feet (2 meters) of minimum free zone drawn
outside it. All the lines of the playing surface are 1.97 inch (5.08
cm) in width and four lines mark the boundary of the playing area.
The two lines of 3.28 feet (1 meter) long and 6.56 feet (2 meters)
aside mark the horizontal match line. When the horizontal match
line runs perpendicular to the official’s table it is drawn 9.84 feet (3
meters) from the boundary lines whereas 11.48 feet (3.5 meters)
from the boundary line if drawn parallel to the official’s table.
Gameplay
 While playing this sport, the two fighters need to be fully
equipped with the protective gears and are allowed
to hit their opponents only above their thighs in two round
matches at one minute per round with thirty seconds of
rest between rounds. Arnis has a four second rule that restricts
the participants from making the same strike more than twice in
succession. Moreover, if a rule is broken then the officials give
a warning sign before disqualification. At the end of the game
the fighter with highest points wins.

17.  Scoring
 All matches are scored by 3 judges on the “10 Point
must” system. Scoring is based on Quantity of
strikes, Effectiveness of Strikes and Ring
Generalship (time spent staying within the ring).
In single stick competition, disarms shall be scored as
part of the match as a mandatory point deduction and if
3 disarms take place this would result in a Technical
Knockout (“TKO”) whereas in double
stick competition, a fighter point will not be deducted if
disarmed and will continue to fight with one weapon until
the end of the round. If a fighter loses both the weapons,
then he / she will automatically lose the match.

18. 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.
Born: 19 December 1936, Hinigaran
Died: 28 August 2001, Victoria, Canada
Martial art: Modern Arnis
Siblings: Ernesto Presas

20. Safety tips in playing arnis
a) Character- a ruffian has no place in Arnis let alone in
sports. Refinement in character is important. A student
must be taught the moral (and religious) values of
everything. It is an obligation of the teacher of Arnis to
mold the character of the student in such a way that his
behavioural structure would be motivated by righteous
desire. It is what a man is that counts not the number of
trophies he won. In spite of the abetted fallacies of values
of the present world, it is who you are that will matter in the
end.

21. b) Sincerity- sincerity for victory's sake is not the all--
consuming end of an Arnis player. It is the sincerity in him
to his fellowman and to his art that makes him shine in the
array of men. The will to win maybe inculcated, but such
tutelage should never end after the tick of the ultimate
second in the game but beyond the canvass and the arena
of competition. The martial art of Arnis, it should be
remembered, is a good medium of development man's
sense of dedication in all his everyday endeavour and
involvement. Sincerity is the mother of trust and trust
makes an institution of what has been shattered by doubts.
A man who is not sincere will never have a true friend.

22. c) Discipline- Arnis is a molder of discipline. Proper behaviour in
the sport and in life itself will be the gauge of success. Personal
discipline is important. The kaleidoscopic invitations and
temptations of life should never undermine man in his obligation
to his art, to himself and his fellowman. A student should learn
to control himself in the pursuance of his goal, not only to his art
but also to life in general.
d) Self-control- losing one's head means defeat. One should
learn to control his temper if he hopes to achieve success in
every endeavour. In Arnis, self-control is important for without it,
life and the good health of another may be lost. The possession
of an ability to kill or main a person should be handled with
extreme caution and prudence. Man's clear perception of things
is anchored on his ability to control the outbursts of his inner
self. Provocation is dishonourable but hasty reaction to it is just
as dishonourable if not despicable.

23. e) Etiquette- etiquette is allied to the main cardinal rules in
Arnis. One's norm and standard should never be imposed
upon others. One should learn how to respect others.
Giving credence to the standard and ability of another
person should or will best prepare anybody in any
endeavour. The pacific waters of human understanding will
stay unruffled if exercise of proper etiquette and respect
whether it be in sporty competition or in life itself is
observed.