ARNIS

HISTORY OF ARNIS

Arnis, as a martial art, originated and developed in the Philippine soil. This was practiced and mastered by early Filipinos for defense and self preservation. It was known in ancient Philippines as kali believed to have derived from the Indonesian word tjakalele which means fencing. Later on during the Spanish regime in the Philippines Filipinos called it arnis.

Historically, It was a derivation from the word Arnes, a colorful trappings on defensive armors used in moro-moro plays which were then a socioreligious plays depicting the victory of Christian Spaniards over the muslims. The shows were used primarily as propaganda and also for entertainment. During that time, The Filipinos were prohibited by the Spanish regime to practice their martial arts so the staging of moro-moro gave the players a good excuse to practice their fighting art.

The Arnis system of fighting includes empty hands techniques which employ the flowing method of training like the tapitapi(Tapping) sytem to develop reflexes, sensitivity, timing, and good coordination. It also utilized kicking techniques but usually applied to the lower part of the body. Traditional arnis is usually practiced in three forms of play.

They are solo baston or single-stick in which a long stick or baston is used; the espada y daga or sword and dagger in which a long stick or sword and a wooden dagger are used; and the sinawali, a native term applied because of its intricate movements of the two sticks resemble the weave of sawali(crisscross fashion), the bamboo split weave pattern used in walling and matting which was very common in Visayas Islands.

As stated in the draft Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), Arnis shall be adopted as the Philippine national martial art and sport, as a such, the following platforms and measures shall be instituted to promote and develop the sport. a) The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) shall inscribe the symbol of Arnis in its official seal and logo; b) Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) shall promote Arnis as a competitive sport that will enable the creation of champion Filipino athletes;

c) The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) shall embrace Arnis as one of the priority communitybased sporting activities, and a tool to equip the community authorities in the performance of their function of ensuring peace and public safety;

d) The Department of Education (DepEd) shall conduct a regular Arnis competition on the annual Palarong Pambansa;

e) The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Polices (PNP) shall include in the training of their military and uniformed personnel;
f) The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) shall promote Arnis as part of the physical education curriculum and include it as an event in tertiary level competition; g) The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) shall institute programs to protect and promote Arnis as part of the cultural heritage of the country; h) The National Youth Commission (NYC) shall propagate Arnis as a key to the development of the youths physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social well-being.