MODERN ARNIS

History

The Philippines are a group of islands in the South China Sea. For hundreds of years these islands have experienced foreign invasion. As a result the islanders absorbed many martial arts techniques into their own indigenous art of stick fighting. Filipino stick fighting is known by many names such as Arnis , Escrima and Kali , essentially they are variations of similar principles. As each island or region developed their own particular methods and techniques, they all had one common denominator, regardless of the weapon or style they are based upon a pattern of angles and footwork in a triangular pattern.

During the 300 years of Spanish colonisation the art was forced underground and was practiced in secret. The Spanish banned all weapons and the practice of the martial arts. The Filipinos disguised their art in a dance form that was a particular favourite of the Spanish occupation forces. This dance form was known as the Arnis De Mano.

Spanish rule was followed by American domination of the islands in the early part of the century. The American marines experienced great difficulty in overcoming guerrilla fighters armed with twin sticks or double blades. These fighters would walk in US occupied towns and cut down everyone in their path. This led to an issue of a special leatherneck covering, to guard against throats being cut. This is why the American Marines are now known as “leathernecks. Other steps taken include the issue of a .45 calibre handgun, which had more stopping power than the firearm currently on issue. One incident relates how an islander was shot with a entire magazine of .38 calibre bullets, this failed to stop him and he decapitated the marine captain before dying himself.

With the advent of World War II and the Japanese invasion of the Philippines many islanders enlisted in the US forces to resist this new invasion. Filipino enlistees had great difficulty in conforming to army regulation unarmed combat and modern armaments. Filipino leaders convinced army chiefs to allow a demonstration of their own indigenous art. The demonstration involved disarming several of the marines’ top combat instructors, which they did with ease. As a result the Filipinos were issued with machetes and were very effective in engaging the Japanese in a particularly vicious guerrilla warfare campaign. After the war many Filipinos settled in America and it was from there that stick fighting was introduced into western society.

Modern Arnis

The Arnis which is practised today is a combination of the many different classical styles. These have been modified to create a style of martial arts which is more modern in its application. Arnis, like other systems of fighting, can be practised empty handed, or with the use of weapons. What makes Arnis unique is that it begins its training with the use of weapons, the student then proceeds to empty handed techniques. Unlike many martial arts, which rely on strength, Arnis places more emphasis on skill. The use of a weapon equalises students, making it ideal for people that would not normally be attracted to martial arts.

Arnis differs from most other martial arts in that it prefers the student to adapt the system to suit themselves, rather than the student having to suit the system. A person cannot enter a fight with pre-set ideas of how they are going to respond with attack and defence. The action is always very fast and the combat ranges are altering all the time, you must be able to flow from one technique into another and become effective at a range that you may have not chosen. To do this it is not necessary to understand thousands of technique or several different styles, but simply to understand the principles of motion.

Arnis teaches the principles of motion and body physics through repetitive drills with the stick, which exaggerate striking actions. Arnis, as a workable martial arts and self defence system, has survived for hundreds of years because of the fact that it is one hundred percent effective.

Class Format

The Modern Arnis curriculum taught at Total Martial Arts Centre provides students with the understanding and progressive development in the following areas:

• Single Stick techniques
• Double Stick techniques
• Knife fighting techniques
• Stick and Knife fighting techniques
• Machete fighting techniques
• Unarmed fighting techniques
• Classical Arnis

Students are graded through various belts levels in accordance with specific grading requirements. Training is in a relaxed atmosphere and caters for people of all ages. Arnis is ideal as single martial art form to study or as an excellent addition to any style.