ARNIS

Chapter 1
BRIEF HISTORY,
NATURE,
AND DEVELOPMENT OF ARNIS
 OBJECTIVES

At the end of the chapter, the students are

expected to:
1. trace the brief history of Arnis.
2. discuss the nature of the game.
3. analyze the development of the game.
 LESSON 1

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE GAME

Several races that inhabited Philippines came from India,
Southwest Asia, China and Indonesia. Although range of these
cultures blended of over the centuries and produced methods
for employing sharp swords, daggers, fire-hardened, stick in
combat.
An art of defense and self preservation is originated in the
Philippines is called Arnis. Historically it is derived from the
word “arnes” meaning, a colorful trappings on defensive
armors. This Pre-Spanish martial art is practiced and mastered
by the early Filipinos.
 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE GAME

Arnis stated even before the colonization of the

Spaniards. During those time it was called Kali and the
techniques of the art is focused on bladed weapons fighting.
Kali, a large bladed weapon longer than a knife was derived
from tjakalele which is a native fencing in Indonesia. It was
also known widely and is practiced throughout the
archipelago; both nobleman and commoners were
enthusiast and practitioners of the said art. Also during
those days Kali is being taught in a school like training
grounds, which was called Bothoan along with military
tactics, Alibata (Native Alphabet), and herbal medicines.
 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE GAME

Evidence to this was the long bloody and

turbulent history of fighting for power of the early
Filipinos against the Spaniards in the protection
and preservation for dignity and honor. Spanish
warriors however, required firearms to subdue the
native population (Filipinos). The Spanish soldiers
made use of the native stick and bladed style also
known as itak or bolo in Filipino as well as
“escrima” also called “eskrima” (skirmish).
 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE GAME

The famous lives of the Filipino heroes were associated with

the remarkable influence of the martial art of Arnis. The Filipino
conquered against the domineering adversaries in mortal combat in
the arena of battle is now held in immortal sacredness by history.
It is unbelievable to assume that one of the earliest Filipino
heroes, LapuLapu, was Kali (arnis) expert. Pigafetta, the speaker
and historian of Magellan, documented on April 27, 1521. Lapu-
Lapu destroyed the great Spanish warrior with a bladed weapon
thus marking a Filipino’s first triumphant stand against 4 foreign
invader. He also noted that many of the natives carried and used in
battle, a short pointed hardwood stick which was hardened by fire.
 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE GAME

The Arnis was common during the early days that it was known
as the sport of the Kings and members of the royal blood. Primarily,
skilled in Arnig were the rajah and maharlika of Tagalog regions and
Visayas, Amandakwa in Pangasinan, and Baruwang of Cagayan
Valley region of the art.
Before it was introduced in Manila, modern Arnis has its humble
beginnings in Bacolod City in the Visayas where the founder first
learned the techniques of the art. Being a master of many martial arts,
he was able ty compare the intrinsic qualities of Arnis with other
martial arts. And this comparison led him to improvise the antiquated
techniques of Arnis not only for reasons of pacing with the times but
also for utmost effectivity. These improved techniques were then
taught for the first time to the students in that city.
 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE GAME

It was in Manila, however where these modern techniques underwent

thorough improvements and gained wider acceptance when the National
College of Physical Education, through the encouragement and patronage
of Col. Arsenio de Borja, director and secretary - treasurer of the
Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation (PAAF) offered modern Arnis as
regular subject in Physical Education to the students who major in this
course. This was in 1969.
The student in the NCPE were mostly teachers from different schools
in the country who took PE as a degree or as a special course. This
enabled Arnis to gain a wider area of propagation as these teachers in turn
taught Arnis to their students. Besides these teachers, students who
enrolled in Modern Arnis in the school of the author, also help propagate
the art. After completing the course, these students establish their own
schools in their respective provinces.
 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE GAME

He was unsparing in his instructions to his students. The

techniques he taught were complete and the training was rigid. He
made it a point to teach them the advance course. That's why by
the time these students taught Arnis, they were qualified teachers
of the art having with them a full knowledge of advanced Arnis.
The outcome is revealing, modern Arnis is now an institution
in the world of martial art. It has caught fire in the hearts of
Filipino martial art lovers And the timing is perfect for we are
now in the midst of national awakening to our true Filipino
identity. The government is now exerting much effort to acquaint
the Filipino people of their culture thus cementing nationalism in
their hearts.
 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE GAME

Arnis is one of our national cultural gems. The efforts of the author has
become an instrument of this awakening to its worth. The chain of propagation
that sprang from his unselfish and dedicated tutelage of the art has produced a
nationwide fever that is now the pride of every Filipino for Arnis is a true
Filipino martial arts.
A true lover of sports, Mr. Remy A. Presas is the man behind Modern Arnis
today. From the cold tomb of oblivion, Mr. Presas gave new life and meaning
to the true Filipino martial art called Arnis. Arnis died with the passage of time
as the incontrovertible onslaught of modern living and foreign influences
blotted out this gem of the Filipino culture to merely one of the things of the
forgotten past. Truly Arnis died with the times. If there were any devout
practitioners of the art, they were a very negligible few not even worthy of the
slightest attention. People then were so overwhelmed by the appeal of other
foreign martial arts like judo, jujitsu, and karate, as to give a passing look to
their own Arnis. Such then was the sad status of the martial art of Arnis.
 LESSON 2

BASIC CONCEPT IN ARNIS

The real influence of Arnis does not end with its
techniques. Although basically, the techniques are
powerful enough, there is still much power lei
untapped if these techniques are not executed along the
essential principles underlying its execution.
Consequently the usefulness of Arnis itself will be in
vain if these principles are not observed, it is essential
therefore that the learner should know these principles
by heart and commit the techniques to memory.
 Chapter 2
PREPARING YOUR BODY FOR ARNIS
 OBJECTIVES

At the end of this chapter, students are expected to:

1. explain the importance of warm up
exercise.
2. perform properly the different flexibility
exercise.
3. appreciate the contribution of different
exercise in preventing muscle injury
while performing Arnis.
 CALISTHENICS
Calisthenics (exercises to develop a strong and
graceful body) in Arnis is aimed not only in
developing physical strength, but also speed and
agility in movement since Arnis is a sport which calls
for lightning speed execution. It is also to develop the
player’s keen eyesight, catlike reflexes, and extra
sense of anticipation of the opponent’s movement.
Calisthenics in Arnis may be grouped in three phases:
the limbering exercises, the muscle strengthening
exercises, and the arm twisting with the club or cane.
 LESSON 1
LIMBERING EXERCISES

Limbering exercises warm up the body. They relax and tone up the muscles
to make them more controllable. These can be done either before or after each
training session.
A. Body loosening - This is done by relaxing the muscles of the arms and
shoulders as the shoulders are repeatedly lifted gently up and down.
B. Neck twisting - stand in an open-leg stance with arms akimbo. Then
twist your head from left to right in in succession, after which do it backward
and forward. Bend your neck from left to right, repeating this movement and
finally swing head in a wide circle.
C. Arm-stretching - Relax shoulders as you extend your arms forward and
rotating them in wide circle from the front of the body to the inside direction
and then to the outside. Rotate arms at the side of the body in the same
direction, fore or rear, and in the opposite direction.
 LESSON 1
D. Leg lifting - Lift leg alternately, as high ag possible, to the chest,
knee touching the chest alternately with both legs.
E. Side-stretching - Stand with open legs at a wider distance. Extend
arm downward and raise left arm over the head, open palm fingers
pointing to the side, then bend to the right. Bend to the right. Bend to
the left for reverse position of the arms. Do not bend forward.
F. Bending - Stand straight. Place both arms straight upward with
open palms bent forward and downward, the fingertips touching the
toes. Do not bend knees. Stand with open legs. Extend the arms to the
side with open palms. Bend forward and downward. Extend one arm
upward to the right at the same time extend the left arm downward so
that the fingertips touches the toes of the left foot. Do this alternately
right and left exercises at the most number of times. This develops the
arms, chest, back, and ankles.
 LESSON 1
D. Leg lifting - Lift leg alternately, as high ag possible, to the chest,
knee touching the chest alternately with both legs.
E. Side-stretching - Stand with open legs at a wider distance. Extend
arm downward and raise left arm over the head, open palm fingers
pointing to the side, then bend to the right. Bend to the right. Bend to
the left for reverse position of the arms. Do not bend forward.
F. Bending - Stand straight. Place both arms straight upward with
open palms bent forward and downward, the fingertips touching the
toes. Do not bend knees. Stand with open legs. Extend the arms to the
side with open palms. Bend forward and downward. Extend one arm
upward to the right at the same time extend the left arm downward so
that the fingertips touches the toes of the left foot. Do this alternately
right and left exercises at the most number of times. This develops the
arms, chest, back, and ankles.
 LESSON 1
G. Trunk-twisting - Stand with open legs, then extend arms to the side
with open palms. Twist body as far as possible to the left, at the same time,
face the same direction with the arms extended Straight from the shoulder.
Do the reverse in the same fashion. Do alternate movement at desired
count.
H. Trunk stretching - Stand straight, open legs with shoulder wide.
Raise both arm upward, open palms facing front. Bend forward to the right
and downward, then to the left and upward following a circular motion of
the body. Stretch as far as possible.
 LESSON 2
Muscle-Strengthening Exercises
These are aimed at the physical development and fitness of the players
They help him develop strength and condition his body to the exact needs
in Arnis.
To develop a player’s physique and strength, jogging is recommended.
Rope-skipping is also ideal exercise as it helps develop the rhythmic
movement of the whole body, build lung capacity and tone up body
elasticity. It is also a good exercise in body coordination and develops the
foot work of the player which is very essential in Arnis.
1. Push-up Exercise - Place hands on the 4 floor with open palm and _
fingertips pointing forward, feet close to each other, ball of the feet on the
floor, hips raised upward to and body and lower the body close to the floor.
Repeat this figure 10x or more.
A player can also do the push-up and the rabbit-hopping exercises.
 LESSON 2
2. Rabbit-hopping exercises - Clasp hands at the
sides bend knees, and sit on toes. Jump upward and
forward maintaining the same posture in the air and in
landing. The movement is in rabbit-like fashion.
3. Arm twisting with club or cane. With canes in
both hands held at the middle portion stretch both canes
sideward in a horizontal position. Twist both canes
forward and backward or palm up and down at a
convenient number of times. This exercise strengthens
the wrist and the arms. It also helps to loosen the
muscles in the area.
Chapter 3
BASIC SKILLS IN ARNIS
 OBJECTIVES
At the end of the chapter, the students are expected to:
1. identify the different basic skills in arnis.
2. demonstrate the proper way of executing the
different Arnis skills.
3. appreciate the benefits derived from using the
appropriate skills in arnis.
 INTRODUCTION
“The principles of battle exist and occur in combat whether
you know them or not.”
-Roberto Torres

In modern arnis, students work with rattan sticks as soon as

they start their training, though they also train in bare-hands
defense. The style utilizes blocks, counter attacks, locks, and
throws to disarm the adversary. Throughout training, students
strike at their opponent's rattan sticks. However, in genuine
fighting situations, the strikes need to be made on the hands
that hold the weapon to successfully disarm the enemy.
 LESSON 1
STANCES
Stances in Arnis, as in other forms of martial arts are different
body positions basic to the play of the art. These are a technique
which teaches a player how to maintain body balance and the
proper manner of distributing his weight on his legs.
Mastery of these techniques is essential in the perfection of the
art of Arnis. A player can never hope to fight effectively without
knowing these important rudiments.
Proper body positioning gives one mobility and ability. Shift
from one position to another with strong foothold and with much
agility.
Moreover, this is [very essential in defensive and offensive
fighting.
 LESSON 1
Stances
1. Attention stance - Stand with feet at 45 degree
angle, heels closed together, hands at the side ang
relaxed.
2. Open-leg stance - Stand with legs spread apart
about shoulder width with toes pointing slightly outward.
3. Straddle-leg stance - Spread legs about twice the
width of shoulders and bend knees outwards, heels
firmly planted and toes pointing straight forward.
Distribute weight evenly on both legs.
 LESSON 1
Stances
4. Forward stance - Move one leg forward at a distance about twice the
width of the shoulder and about 30 degrees to the side and bend front leg at
the knee with cane in the center and in fighting form. Rear leg is extended
fully with both feet flat on the ground.
5. Back stance - Stand with one foot backward with rear-foot toes
pointing outward and front-foot toes pointing forward, so that the two feet
form an L-shape. The rear foot should point either left or right depending on
what foot is in front. Rear knee should be a little bent and forced outward as
in straddle stance. Seventy percent of the weight of the body should be
supported by the rear leg with 30 percent by the front leg.
6. Oblique forward stance - This is executed by stepping either foot
obliquely to the left or to the right. The reverse of the oblique forward
stance is executed with the withdrawal of either foot. In both movements,
the L-shape position of the feet should be maintained.
 LESSON 2
In Arnis, posture is important for the effective
delivery of strikes. In executing all these postures,
the head should always face the opponent,
observing all his body movements.
1. Front Facing - Body facing directly towards
opponent.
2. Half-front Facing - Body facing 45 degrees to
either left or right.
3. Side Facing – Body entirely facing either left
or right.
 Chapter 4
THE TWELVE STRIKING TECHNIQUES
 OBJECTIVES

At the end of the chapter, the students are

expected to:
1. identify the twelve Striking techniques in
arnis.
2. demonstrate the proper way of executing
the striking techniques.
3. Appreciate the importance of each striking
technique.
 THE TWELVE STRIKING
TECHNIQUES
The twelve striking techniques are the and soul of Arnis. They are
the hinges around which other techniques in Arnis revolve. In the
twelve striking ' techniques, the learner is taught how and where to
deliver a strike in order to achieve the maximum power a and efficacy.
In learning these techniques, the learner should know the different
parts of the body considered vulnerable which excellent target are for
the strikes. These parts of the body are the left and right temples, ~ he
crown of the head, the left and right shoulders, the | yes, the breast, and
the left and right knees.
Of course, in delivering the counterblows in both defensive and
offensive plays, the vital parts of the body like the solar plexus, the
Adam’s apple, the abdomen, the chain and others should similarity be
made targets of the blows or strikes. These parts are also vulnerable that
a strike or a blow to them may incapacitate, if not, kill a person.
 THE TWELVE STRIKING
TECHNIQUES

Two complementary body movements

In the execution of any of these body striking
techniques, two complementary body movements are
inevitably involved. I have arbitrarily classified them
into individual or stationary and coordinated. The so-
called individual movement presupposes that the strike
is delivered by the hang without the coordinated
movement of any of the feet. In coordinated body
movement, the feet, or one of which, should coordinate
with the movement of the hand to achieve body-balance,
thus, concentrating the strength or power in the hand.
 THE TWELVE STRIKING
TECHNIQUES

Striking Technique No.1

Left temple attack
With elbow bent, swing right hand ~ a ; backward accompanied by a twist of the
body. Then execute right forward stance simultaneously swinging Right hand
forward, closed palm up, to ~ strike directly at the opponent’s left temple Note: In
executing al] these movements, the left hand should always be on guard, held high
at chest level for defensive purposes as explained and illustrated in the Blocking
Techniques.

Striking Technique No.2

Right temple attack
From the final position in No.1, withdraw right foot slightly backward, at the
same time bring right handholding cane at shoulder level and slightly twist body
backward to the left. Side right foot forwe to assume the right forward stance
position simultaneously swinging the right pan forward, closed palm facing
downward, strike at the right temple.
 THE TWELVE STRIKING
TECHNIQUES
Striking Technique No.3
Left shoulder attack
From the final position in No.2, withdraw right slightly backward and bring right hand to
the right as in No. 1 Slide right forward to assume right forward stance at the same time swing
right hand forward to strike at the left shoulder.

Striking Technique No.4

Right shoulder attack
From the final position in No. 3, withdraw right foot slightly backward and bring right
hand to the left at shoulder level. Slide right foot forward closed palm facing downward to
strike at right shoulder.

Striking Technique No.5

Thrust to the stomach
From the final position in No. 4, slide right foot slightly backward and withdraw right
hand backward to the right at hip level (elbow at right angle). Slide right foot forward to
assume right forward stance, at the same time, thrust cane forward aimed at the stomach.
 THE TWELVE STRIKING
TECHNIQUES

Striking Technique No.6

Left chest attack
From the final position in No. 5, slide right foot slightly backward, at
the same time, withdraw right hand rearward at shoulder level, closed palm
facing. Then lunge forward with right foot and thrust cane to the left chest.

Striking Technique No.7

Right chest attack
From the final position in No 6, slide right foot backward at the same
time withdraw right hand to the Ieft at hip level, cane pointing downward,
then upward to left shoulder level, twisting the right wrist (closed palm
facing upward), and positioning the cane with its up directly pointing at the
target Then slide right foot forward and thrust cane to the right chest.
 THE TWELVE STRIKING
TECHNIQUES

Striking Technique No.8

Right knee attack
From the final position in No. 7, slide right foot slightly backward, at the same
time, swing cane to the left, outward, hand at shoulder level and closed palm
downward.
Slide right foot forward simultaneously swinging cane forward and downward
to strike the right knee.

Striking Technique No.9

Left knee attack
From the final position in No.8, slide right foot slightly backward, at the
same time, withdraw right hand to the right at shoulder level, swinging it
backward, and body facing 45 degrees to the right. Slide right foot forward
simultaneously swinging cane forward and downward to strike the left knee.
 THE TWELVE STRIKING
TECHNIQUES

Striking Technique No.10

Left eye attack
From the final position in No.8, slide right foot slightly backward, at the same
time, withdraw right hand to the right at shoulder level, swinging it backward, body
Facing 45 degrees to the right. Slide right foot forward simultaneously swinging
cane forward and downward to strike the left knee.

Striking Technique No.11

Right eye attack
From the final position in No. 10, slide right foot slightly backward at the
same time, bring right hand to the left at shoulder level, closed palm facing upward
with tip of the cane towards target. Then lunge forward with right foot and
simultaneously thrust cane to the right eye. Note: When practicing these techniques,
do not aim the cane directly to the eye to avoid accident.
 THE TWELVE STRIKING
TECHNIQUES

Striking Technique No.12

Crown Attack
From the final position in No.11 slide right foot
slightly backward, simultaneously withdrawing right
hand over the head and swing cane backward.
Then lunge forward with right foot and strike from
top downward to hit the crown of the head.