Arnis · Eskrima · Kali

Histoire

Eskrima, arnis and kali are names for the Filipino martial arts, which train with sticks, knives and swords first and with empty hands later. The word eskrima comes from the Spanish "esgrima" (fencing), from the centuries of Spanish rule; the arts themselves are older, and Filipinos honour Lapu-Lapu, the chief who defeated Magellan's men at Mactan in 1521.

In 2009 a Philippine law (Republic Act 9850) made arnis the national martial art and sport. Teachers such as Remy Presas and Dan Inosanto spread it worldwide, and its fast knife and stick work is often seen in action films.

Le saviez-vous ?

• Unlike most arts, Filipino martial arts usually start with weapons and then apply the same movements empty-handed.
• Training sticks are traditionally made of rattan, light and hard to break.
• The fight scenes of "The Bourne Identity" used Filipino kali.
• Many systems are family arts passed down for generations.

Glossaire des techniques

Abecedario

the basic strikes, "the alphabet"

Sinawali

weaving drills with two sticks

Hubud-lubud

flowing "tie and untie" drill

Redonda

continuous circular strikes

Disarma

disarms

Armes et équipement

Baston

rattan stick

Daga

knife or dagger

Bolo

machete

⚔ In the Arsenal

BalisongBoloBaston (pau de rattan)

Figures clés

• Lapu-Lapu (16th century) — chief of Mactan, national hero
• Angel Cabales (1917–1991) — master of Serrada eskrima in the USA
• Remy Presas (1936–2001) — founder of Modern Arnis
• Dan Inosanto (1936–) — spread kali in the USA

Sources: Republic Act 9850 (Philippines) · Encyclopaedia Britannica