Escrima Synopsis

Escrima is a Pilipino martial art using one or two sticks made from rattan cane or tiger cane. It was made famous by Bruce Lee and Dan Insanto in the 1970's through the martial arts films. Bruce Lee regarded Dan Insanto as a wizard with sticks.

Escrima History

The Philippines is an island nation in the West Pacific of almost 70 million people where more than 70 dialects are spoken. Over the centuries, the Philippines have a crossroad for various cultures, trading, and fighting.

Kali is the mother art of the modern Filipino Martial Arts. Records from the Malay Sri-Vishaya empire dating to the 8th century A.D., refer to Kali as the art of the Philippines. According to historians, the Ten Datus of Borneo brought their fighting methods to the island of Panay. Here, basic reading, writing, and Kali were taught in the schools.

On April 27, 1521, Magellan died on Mactan Island at the hands of Chief Lapu-Lapu, a Kali practitioner. Due to the loss of written records, the exact techniques of Kali remain a mystery today. Although, elements of Kali remain alive in the foundation of today's Filipino Martial Arts.

The Spanish began a 400 year occupation of the islands late in the 16th century. To suppress opposition to their rule, the Spanish banned the teaching of Kali. Elements of the art were hidden in folk plays and native dances. However, over time, Spanish fencing methods were blended into the indigenous fighting framework. Under Spanish influence, the native art became known as Escrima, Estocada, Arnis De-Mano, or Arnis.

The Filipino Martial Arts assume different names in different regions. In Manila, the art is known as Arnis or Pananandata. In Pangasinan as Kalirongan. In the Ilocos region of Luzon as Kabaro-an, and in the Visayas as Escrima.

Arnis historian have cited as many as 200 systems or styles of Arnis-Escrima-Kali. Names describing the range of fighting include Largo (long-distance), Medio (medium-range), and Corto or Serrada (close-range). Names based on movement such as Abaniko (fanning), Palis-Palis (go with force), Sungkiti (flicking), Ocho-Ocho (figure eight), doble baston (double sticks), espada y daga (swordn and dagger), mano-mano (or de kadina (empty hands).

Some of the most well-known styles of Arnis-Escrima-Kali are Illustrismo Kali, Pekiti Tirsia, Doce Pares, Escrima, Marinas Pananandata, Balintawak, Cabales Serrada, Villabrille Escrima, and Presas Modern Arnis.

Modern Arnis was developed by both Grand Master Remy Presas and his brother Grandmaster Ernesto Presas of Negros Occidental Province in the Visayas. Remy was a well known Balintawak champion in the 1950's. Remy imigratedto the US in the early 1970's, and was one of the first Arnistadors to introduce the art outside of the Philippines. Ernesto, founder of Filipino Mano-Mano, resides in Manila and teaches at the University of Santo Tomas and the Lyceum as well as Condu.
 

Modern Arnis is a culmication of various classical and modern fighting systems used in the Philippines. The student of Modern Arnis is introduced to various systems described above in the full range of fighting. An emphasis is placed on drills to train the student to react instinctively. Students are encouraged to develop the own "style" of techniques within the Modern Arnis framework.

In contrast to may other oriental martial arts, the Arnis student learns how to handle and defend against weapons. This philosophy is to a large degree culturally bound, but also has a practical application. The women use swords and knives in their daily work. Self-defense using a blade is the preferred method. In a practical sense, the rational of training a student with weapons first and then later both hands and feet, is (1) Training stick to stick is safer then taking punches and kicks to the body, and (2) if you can defend against a weapon, then fighting against punches and kicks will come easily, due to the fact that training with sticks conditions one to avoid errors in judgment.