The Concept of

‘ARNIS ’

Submitted by: Florianne Khaye B. Gonzales

BSN II-2
Submitted to: Mr. Dionell Kristann A. De Leon
 Considered as the national sport of the Philippines, Arnis, also known as Kali or Eskrima
is a weapon-based fighting which opts to use sticks, knives, bladed weapons, and various
improvised ones. In some cases, an open hand technique which refuses to utilize any weapon is
used. Culture Trip (culturetrip.com) has defined the said sport as “a martial art characterized by
the use of “swinging and twirling movements, accompanied by striking, thrusting and parrying
techniques for defense and offense.” It further develops a player’s skill, speed, accuracy and
agility. Moreover, campaigns are made to include Arnis in the pool of nomination for the
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists as it is regarded as one of the most notable martial
arts in the country.

I. HISTORY

The history of Arnis has been briefly stated by the arnisphilippines.com through the
following:

 The onset of the twentieth century brought about the demise of Arnis in the country.
With the coming of the Americans, the Filipinos were in awe with the new culture,
that most indigenous cultures were relegated almost to oblivion. Our very own Arnis,
the Filipino martial art, almost suffered the same fate. Once a prevalent martial art of
the pre-Spanish natives and the illustrados of the Spanish era, Arnis all but
disappeared in the urban areas and was mostly preserved in the provinces. Credit
should be given to our traditional guro / maestro or grandmasters, illustrious men who
painstakingly preserved Arnis for us.
 The rise to popularity of various foreign martial arts also placed our local martial art
in the limelight. Suddenly, interest in Arnis began to surge. Popular practice of the art
however, also had its share of problems. For one, there was a dire need to consolidate
the various forms, styles and strains of Arnis. Arnis is not just one technique nor just
one school, it is as varied as the islands of the country, with its more than eighty (80)
languages and about one hundred forty-two (142) dialects in an archipelago of seven
thousand and one hundred (7,100) islands. Furthermore, there was also a need for a
strong leadership to hold such schools or groups together, to steer it towards a
direction, so as to prevent Arnis from slipping into oblivion.
 In 1975, the National Arnis Association of the Philippines (NARAPHIL) was formed
by Gen. Fabian C. Ver. This organization acted as the first national organization for
Arnis in the Philippines. Its existence however, faded after the radical change and
total revamp in the Philippine government caused by the Philippine Revolution of
1986.
 In the meantime, in many parts of the world, popular names and groups have been
busy propagating the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) and sports, pushing their teachings
and techniques. Some people successfully made their way into martial arts schools,
 police academies, military schools, educational institutions, government agencies, and
even in the entertainment world.

II. SKILLS

a. Striking Techniques
i. Left side of the head attack- From the fighting stance, the warrior will hold
the stick with one hand at 1 o’clock. He will then move the stick in a
slashing action while keeping the free hand on the chest.

ii. Right side of the head attack - Like the left temple strike the warrior
assumes fighting stance, this time with the stick held at 11 o’clock and the
free hand kept on the chest. The strike to the right temple is then done in a
diagonal downward backhand swing.

iii. Left side of the body or torso - In this strike, the practitioner will extend
the weapon hand. Then he will proceed to strike any part of the trunk
located between the shoulder and the hips. The stick will be held in a
diagonal forehand slashing swing. This is the way to deliver the maximum
amount of damage.

iv. Right side of the body or torso - Again the practitioner will extend the
weapon hand to strike any part of the body located on the right side
between the shoulder and the hips. The weapon of choice will be moved in
a backhand slashing swing.

v. Thrust To The Stomach - This is a strong thrust to the solar plexus or the
stomach and can cause fatal damage to the vital organs in the abdomen. In
this strike, the practitioner will thrust the weapon hand to the target point,
which is the solar plexus. It is then followed by an upward motion that
will cut through the opponent’s body

vi. Left Chest Stab - In this strike, the practitioner will assume the fighting
stance with the weapon of choice in his hands. The weapon hand is then
extended to the front with the palm facing outward and the elbow kept up.
This strike can cause real damage to the rib cage

vii. Right Chest Stab - After assuming fighting stance, the practitioner will
practice the scooping action. The weapon hand is then extended forward
with the palm facing outward. The elbow should be kept up in order to
deliver an efficient strike to the right lung that will puncture it and end
your opponent’s life immediately.
viii. Left Lower Leg - A practitioner here will try to deliver a powerful strike to
the lower leg, targeting the knee, the shin or the ankle. The aim of the
strike is to throw your opponent off balance and immobilize him. Using
the right weapon, you might be able to break a bone or even cut a limb.
The warrior is supposed to lower his body while extending the weapon
arm. He should hold the palm upward and hit any part of the lower leg.

ix. Right Lower Leg - This strike is just like the previous one. The
practitioner will extend the weapon hand and lower his body to hit the
knee, the shin or the ankle. This time the palm should face downward.

x. Left Eye Poke - A targeted thrust to the eye socket will not just blind your
opponent, but will also deliver real damage to the brain. Using a sharp
weapon like a sibat or the right baston can end your opponent’s life right
there. The practitioner should assume fighting stance then extend the
weapon hand forward with the palm facing outward and the elbow kept
down.

xi. Right Eye Poke - This thrust is similar to the previous one except that the
practitioner will have to hold his elbow down. This will allow him to hit
the eye precisely with the right weapon penetrating all the way through to
the brain.

xii. Strike to the crown/top of head - This is a straight downward overhead

swing directed towards the crown of the head. Hitting the top of the head
can immobilize your opponent, deliver damage to the brain and throw him
off balance. Using a real sharp or powerful weapon can even shatter the
skull bones ending the fight to your favor in a matter of seconds.

\
b. Defense Techniques

i. Blocking an attack to the left side - Practitioners use this block to stop
strikes number 1, 3 and 6. This is where Arnis fighters aim to attack the
left side of the body. We can’t really list down all the vital and important
organs and spots on your left side. Your temple, your heart, and your left
arm….need we say more? The damage can be real, even if your opponent
is using a peaceful innocent looking stick.

ii. Blocking an attack to the right side - In this block, the body is turned
outward while the right foot is pulled back to protect against strikes
number 2, 4 and 7. Again, it is very important to keep the elbow close to
the body while keeping your left hand behind the cane. Although, there are
very low chances that anybody could develop fatal injury during modern
Arnis, there would still be some pain. Also, it makes sense that you will
not just stand there waiting for your opponent to shower you with strikes.

iii. Blocking an attack to the solar plexus or chest - Strike number 5 is a

serious one that can cause serious damage to the fatal organs. Historically
speaking, fighters used strike 5 to kill their opponents in a glimpse of an
eye. By powerfully thrusting the weapon hand towards the chest, the
sword would puncture the abdomen and any vital organs located in the
area. This movement was usually followed by an upward motion that
would cut through the body all the way to the head…sounds scary, right?
Today things are so much less violent, but this strike would still cause a
lot of pain. In best case scenario, using the stick to practice strike number
5, can use to internal damage. So the practitioner should use his stick to
stop the motion of the other weapon to stop it before it hits where it hurts.
The stick is held vertically to stop the upward motion of the weapon.

iv. Blocking an attack to the stomach - This block is mainly used to protect
the body against a lower hit or strike directed towards the stomach. Even
using the practicing baton, a very strong strike can lead to internal
bleeding. Since you are mainly practicing modern Arnis to stay in shape or
simple for the love of the ancient Filipino arts, protecting your body
becomes a necessity. By blocking your opponent’s movement, you are
simply stopping the stick from hitting the lower part of your abdomen,
saving you a lot of pain and time spent thinking about quitting Arnis
altogether.

v. Blocking an attack to the Lower Body - A strong strike to your legs or

knees can throw you off balance. Strikes number 8 and 9 are seriously
annoying, simply because you will immediately fall under your
opponent’s mercy. Literally speaking, once you fall to the ground what
would stop your ruthless opponent from decapitating you, cutting off a
 limb or standing on your chest? Don’t worry, it never gets that gruesome
on the training arena, but if we are talking ancient Arnis then you
definitely know that this could happen on any given day. Don’t worry, it
never gets that gruesome on the training arena, but if we are talking
ancient Arnis then you definitely know that this could happen on any
given day. In this block, you should use your stick to stop the opponent’s
weapon from reaching your leg or knee. The downward block is either
practiced outward or inward depending on the direction of the hit and
which side of the body your opponent aims to target.

vi. Blocking to the attack at the center of the head - In the good old days, the
overhead shield block would protect your skull from being shattered into a
thousand pieces. A strong strike from your opponent’s sword can set the
line between life and death. Don’t start celebrating just yet. Although no
sharp weapons are used in the training arena, this block is still essential to
save your life. Strike number 12 is a serious one. Your opponent would do
it to throw you off balance and turn the fight to their favor. Using your
stick and the right technique you can stop this from happening.

REFERENCES:

http://www.arnisphilippines.com/about/history-of-arnis

https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/arnis-the-philippines-national-sport-and-
martial-art/

https://martialartskills.com/12-striking-techniques-in-arnis/#1_-_Left_side_of_the_head_attack

https://martialartskills.com/blocking-techniques-in-arnis/#1_-
_Blocking_an_attack_to_the_left_side