Kali

Filipino Kali/Escrima

Arnis, Escrima, and Kali
In general these are all names for the Filipino Martial Arts, just as we use the terms Kung fu, Gung fu and Wushu for the Chinese martial arts. It is stated that the art of Kali is the “mother” art of all Filipino arts and Escrima and Arnis come from this art. One theory is that the art comes from the Indonesian art of Tjakalele a form of Silat, another suggests the name stems from the Kalis a snaked shaped sword also called a Kris. Others claim that the names are based on regional differences, Arnis in the north, Escrima in the central regions and Kali in the south. Still others claim that the term “Kali” only came in to existence in the 1970’s when used by the great Dan Inosanto in his book on the Filipino arts.

It also depends on the individual practitioners preference or style that he/she is practicing. If they train in Modern Arnis it would be referred to as Arnis. In the Serrada system created by Angel Cabales it is called Escrima.. With so many different versions and little available in the way of written history it is doubtful that the true origin will ever be known. In current times Kali and Escrima are used in the United States and Arnis in the Philippines. In fact it is the national art of the Philippines

Most people think the Filipino Martial Arts are stick fighting arts only. This is a common misconception because the rattan sticks are one of the primary tools used in training. In fact it is one of the few arts where weapons are taught first before anything else. This is one of the things that make the art so popular. This may also be why so many people think of it as only a stick art. If you start off with the sticks and then leave after a few months this is all that you know of the art.

Kali (for simplicity sake I will use this term for the Filipino Martial Arts) is actually a sword-based art, meaning that the original techniques are designed for use with a sword. Using a rattan stick allows the students to practice without injury and saves wear & tear on the weapons. Kali is an incredibly complex art. Mastering the sticks alone can take years, you have the single stick, double stick, stick & dagger and long staff (bangkaw). Then you have the dagger, double dagger, whip and other weapons along with empty hand, kicking and joint locking techniques.

One aspect of Kali that I find particularly effective is the use of the left hand. The left side is always trained along with the right whether using 2 sticks while performing drills or if you are only using 1 stick the left hand is constantly checking and monitoring or being used to throw a punch or apply a joint lock. There are also many partner drills that help develop speed, timing and reflexes. Kali is what I consider a “live art”, that is, the movements flow from one to the next effortlessly. It is not stiff, static or dead. It seems to enhance the practitioners’ skill and makes even a mediocre martial artist a formidable opponent.

There are other Filipino arts that we will touch on later such as Dumog (ground fighting), Sikaran or Pananjakman (kicking arts), Panantukan (boxing) and Kinomutai (biting, pinching & gouging).