Philippine martial arts

Among the most popular and influential martial arts practiced today are fighting styles that emerge from the Philippines, including Kali and Escrima (or Eskrima, all of which are different names for a very similar group of overlapping martial disciplines). Philippine martial arts are unique in their emphasis on practicality, with little ceremony other than being effective. This was necessary because of the violent history of the Philippines, marred both by conflicts between local tribes and with great international powers, such as Spain and the United States. Philippine martial arts incorporate training with weapons, particularly clubs and swords, as well as empty-handed training under the philosophy that weapons are simply an extension of the body. Another unique concept in Philippine martial arts is that anything can be used as a weapon, from a dagger or knife to a rolled up newspaper or an umbrella. This has given Filipino martial arts significant cultural traction and impact everywhere from Hollywood to the American Special Forces, which I will talk about a bit later. But first, the weapons and techniques behind the Philippine martial arts.

Philippine martial arts weapons

Unarmed (because hey, your body is a weapon too):

In unarmed Kali or Escrima, any part of the body can be used as a weapon. Combat involves a large number of punches, kicks, elbows, knees, head butts, finger strikes, blocks, blocks, grappling techniques, disarming, forearm strikes, palm strikes, and even biting. It’s all fair game, because well, your body is also a weapon.

Blunt weapons

Kali Sticks / Escrima Sticks:

In Kali and Escrima, sticks are weapons in common use. Among these are:

Walking stick: a short Kali stick, usually made of flexible rattan

and the Bangkaw: a longer stick or cane, often made of bamboo

Improvised weapons like pens, umbrellas, staves, or even rolled up newspapers and magazines can be used as Kali and Escrima staves. There is basically little difference between using a newspaper to fight or a cane, so similar techniques apply to both.

Sharpened Kali Weapons

In Kali and Escrima, bladed weapons are of fundamental importance, as a substantial part of the Philippine martial culture is a culture of swords. Knives of all shapes and sizes are common and normal factors of life, used for everything from cutting overgrown vegetation, slicing open fruit or meat, or cutting an adversary. This brings up one of the key differences between Philippine martial arts and other weapon-based fighting systems, such as Japanese kendo, Okinawan kobuto, or European fencing: while no one walks with katanas and sabers anymore, people still carry pocket knives. and machetes and other types of knives, against all of which you learn to defend yourself and handle by studying Philippine martial arts. This makes Kali or Escrima particularly practical and useful martial arts to know.

Dagger – A common blade weapon in Philippine martial arts. Traditional varieties include gunong, punyal, and barong.

Folding butterfly knife: called Balisong

Espadas: Espada in Spanish, and traditional varieties include the kampilan and pinuti

Machete: traditionally called Golok

Spear: called the sibat

History and influence of Kali and Escrima / Eskrima

Kali martial arts began informally long before the arrival of the Spanish in the Philippines, as the tribes needed a means to defend themselves from other tribes, whether on their island or another. It is said that there are as many styles of Kali as there are islands in the Philippines. Kali may well have been originally influenced by similar styles of stick and sword fighting from India, such as Silambam, which also involves stick fighting.

Once the Spanish invaded and colonized the Philippines, Kali was outlawed and repressed. In return, Filipinos began incorporating it into their dance rituals, allowing them to pass on cultural knowledge and fighting techniques without encountering the wrath or even warning of the settlers.

Kali’s martial arts developed during the colonial period through bloody trial and error as successive Filipino rebellions rocked Spanish rule. As each rebellion was put down, the Filipino people reevaluated their martial art, eliminating what didn’t work and improving what did work.

Today, various Kali / Eskrima systems are taught, with most teaching weapon training, striking, grappling, throwing, and taking down. Kali is geared toward teaching ultra-fast movements, efficient footwork, and practical self-defense.

In popular and military culture, the Kali martial arts have also been influential. It is used by the US Special Forces, by the Russian Spetznaz and also by the Indian Special Forces. Hollywood movies have also portrayed Kali, from brief glimpses in Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon to fuller appearances in The Bourne Series with Matt Damon, Mission Impossible 4 with Tom Cruise, and the Star Wars prequel trilogy.