What is Filipino Martial Arts?
Arnis, Eskrima and Kali are broad terms that describe the indigenous fighting arts of the Filipino people, today it is common to use the more general term Filipino Martial Arts. The art covers such things as the use of impact tools (sticks), edged tools, as well as empty hand and improvised weapons usage and much more. The phrase “one mind any weapon “is very applicable to Filipino Martial Arts.
In Filipino Martial Arts, students commence their learning with a rattan stick also known as a baston. What warrior ever went to war without a weapon, however in essence it is a safe training tool. The skills learned by the practioner are directly transferable to the real world. So, it doesn’t matter if you have nothing with you or you are lawfully allowed to use a tool in your self-defence or the defence of another, the skills are the same. By necessity the Filipino Martial Arts are both practical and pragmatic.
Filipino martial arts have been practiced for many hundreds of years, it is an ancient warrior art that has constantly been adapted to be relevant and effective for its time. It has been used to protect the people from invaders both foreign and internal.
Filipino Martial Arts is a tribal based art passed down through families and communities, to keep families, property, crops, animals and livestock safe
The following is a quote from Guro Dan Inosanto
Love is the highest art
In ancient times you trained so hard, not for the sake of killing people
but for the love of your family. For the love of your mother, your father, your children, your tribe and your body. That is why we train so hard, so you can preserve life
Such is the effectiveness of Filipino Martial Arts it has been used by security, law enforcement and military personnel around the world.
It has also been used in many movie fight scenes such as Enter the Dragon, The Book of Eli, The Bourne series, James Bond Quantum of Solace and The Hunted just to name a few.
Filipino Martial Arts are suitable for just about everybody
