Filipino martial arts have a long tradition dating to indigenous people of the Philippines more than a thousand years ago. These people developed different styles of combat to deal with ever-changing circumstances such as the invasion of outsiders, or changes came about when migrants from nearby Asian countries came and influencing the existing martial style. The first Western account of Filipino martial arts occurred when Magellan was defeated by Filipinos in 1521.
Etymology
The three most popular names for Filipino martial arts are escrima, arnis, and kali. These words are often used interchangeably to refer to the Filipino system of martial combat. Essentially there is no difference between the arts -- they are just different names used in separate regions. Escrima is derived from the Spanish word "esgrima," which means fencing. Arnis is the word for the armored costumes worn by Filipinos during stage productions to disguise their art while under the reign of the Spaniards. Kali is mostly used in the United States, not in the Philippines.
Weaponry
Ray Terry of the Martial Arts Resource says that Filipino martial arts (FMA) are noted for their use of weapons. The Filipino philosophy toward the use of weapons is that they should be practical and available for street situations and actual combat. Not many people walk around with a sword; instead, weapon training in FMA involves knives and various other types of objects that would be found around the house or farm.
Types of Weapons
The three main types of weapons used in FMA are blades, sticks and various household items such as pens, keys and anything else that could injure an opponent. Intricate techniques have been developed for the use of blades of different sizes, from the small pocket knife to something as big as a machete, as well as for sticks, which can be either large like a piece of bamboo or two smaller sticks wielded at the same time. Throwing items such as spears or darts also are part of the FMA system.
Unarmed Combat
FMA also teach unarmed combat. The term mano mano is used to refer to hand-to-hand techniques such as punching, elbowing, head butting and submission locks. Dumog is a Filipino style of wrestling that takes place while standing. It involves series of pushes, pulls and other techniques, with the goal of knocking the opponent off balance.
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