Eskrima
Officially Eskrima / Arnis / Kali
FILIPINO MARTIAL ART centered on WEAPONS TRAINING (single + double sticks, knives, swords) then unarmed. Designated NATIONAL SPORT + MARTIAL ART OF THE PHILIPPINES (2009). Notable for teaching WEAPONS FIRST — reversing the typical martial arts progression. Systems include Doce Pares, Balintawak, Modern Arnis, Pekiti-Tirsia. Influenced by 400-year Spanish rule + pre-colonial Malay traditions. Featured in Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do (via Dan Inosanto), Bourne films, Jason Bourne combat sequences. Global following of 1M+.
Quick facts
Category
Combat Sports
Type
Individual
Players
1–2
Duration
~60 min
Where played
both
Country of origin
🇵🇭 Philippines
Estimated origin
Pre-Spanish (pre-1521) indigenous traditions; codified through Spanish era; national sport declaration 2009
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Weapon + empty-hand combat proficiency via 5-phase progression: sticks → knives → swords → empty hand → close combat.
Rules
Basic rules
WEAPONS FIRST training progression (reverse of most martial arts)
Signature philosophy.
Single stick + double stick fighting foundational
Signature primary weapon system.
12 basic angles of attack
Universal targeting system.
Empty-hand (mano y mano) uses same principles as weapons
Skill transfer principle.
Systems: Doce Pares, Balintawak, Modern Arnis, Pekiti-Tirsia + 50+ regional styles
Rich variety.
Scoring
Competitive sparring uses padded sticks; clean strikes score points; disarms + control moves score higher.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Clean stick strike | 1 point |
| Disarm opponent | 2-3 points |
| Control + submission | 3-5 points |
Win condition · Points at end of rounds; tournaments have single/double-elimination brackets.
Equipment
Rattan sticks (Yantok, ~65cm)
Signature primary weapon
Bolo / kris / balisong knives
Traditional bladed weapons
Padded sparring gear (helmet, gloves)
Modern competition safety
Loose training uniform or T-shirt
No formal gi typically
Terminology
- Yantok
- Rattan stick, ~65cm, primary training weapon.
- Bolo
- Large machete-like sword traditional to Philippines.
- Balisong
- Butterfly knife (Filipino origin).
- Angles of Attack
- 12 traditional target angles used in FMA training.
- Sinawali
- Double-stick weaving drill (choreographed sequences).
- Sombrada
- Trapping + counter-trapping drill.
- Mano y Mano
- 'Hand to hand' — empty-hand phase.
Major competitions
World Eskrima Kali Arnis Championships
biennial · Global (rotating) · since 1989
Philippine Arnis National Championships
annual · Philippines · since 1980
Where it is played
Governing bodies
World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation (WEKAF)
Founded 1989 · Cebu, Philippines
International Modern Arnis Federation
Founded 2001 · USA / global
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Dan Inosanto (Bruce Lee's JKD Filipino martial arts mentor)
- Remy Presas (Modern Arnis founder, 1936-2001)
- Cacoy Cañete (Doce Pares grandmaster)
- Ernesto Amador (Balintawak grandmaster)
Frequently asked
Eskrima vs Arnis vs Kali — is it 3 different arts?+
NO — they are 3 REGIONAL NAMES for essentially THE SAME FILIPINO MARTIAL ART FAMILY. ESKRIMA (from Spanish 'esgrima' = fencing): dominant term in central Visayas. ARNIS (from Spanish 'arnés' = armor): dominant term in northern Luzon; official Philippine name. KALI (older Malay-derived term): used by pre-Spanish + Muslim southern Philippines communities. The 2009 Philippine law designated ARNIS as the official national name; practitioners abroad often use all three interchangeably.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Arnis— Wikipedia