THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KALI, ESCRIMA, AND ARNIS

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KALI, ESCRIMA, AND ARNIS

PLEASE BE OPEN AND CORRECT MY RESEARCH IF I MISSED SOMETHING.



KALI = The forefather of the Philippines Martial Arts. Kali means to Scrape. Kali weapons has similar characteristic of weapons from all through out Southeast Asia like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Kali wasn't necessarily was the use of sticks then but more of a bladed weapons. Kali has been practiced in ancient times through the defeat against Ferdinand Magellan a Portuguese conquistador for Spain, along with his fellow soldiers and missionaries. Through my research Lapu-Lapu was romanticized as the King of Mactan who slashed Magellan with a Kampilan Sword on the thigh and then decapitated him with a gunong (a knife version of a kris sword). Others says Magellan either was killed by an arrow from Lapu-Lapu's men, or he were clubbed to death. Kali is from the southern region of the Philippines which is Mindanao. Mindanao is an Islam Nation and was introduced by the Arab Merchants hundreds of years before encountering the Conquistadors in the 1500's. The Moro tribes lives and kept their arts remained all through the Spanish colonization for over 300 hundred years. Meaning they already knew the Holy Qur'an before the arrival of Christianity, which is a portion of the Holy Bible. In the 1900's during the Spanish American War, the American soldiers stationed in the Philippines reported that the 38 caliber pistol then in use was almost useless against the hard-charging Moros. These tribesmen wrapped themselves in tough leather bindings. Swinging their razor-sharp Kris like a windmill, their bodies absorbed two, three or four shots. On reaching the line of U.S. soldiers, one Datu (a leader and the elite that wears leather armor) usually managed to kill one or two soldiers and injuring numerous before the 38 caliber shots had their effect and each warrior fell in battle. The soldiers wanted more impact; more stopping power. The 1911 Browning Colt 45mm Semi-Automatic Pistol.

There were a lot of casualties on the Moros, Filipinos and some American soldiers who switch side (ex-prisoners of filipinos), more than the Americans side making it's mark in history of many victories. But the numbers of casualties wasn't the issue as far of recognizing how the art of Kali known as ferocious and dramatic form of Martial Arts in the Battle Field. Even the U.S. Calvarys noted that.

Today, Pekiti-Tirsia Kali is the official Philippines Military Combative System. The sole heir and guardian of this system is Leo T. Gaje, Jr. who is referred to as the Grand Tuhon. He's also one of the Gurus that revived Kali by introducing the system to the Western in the 70's. His style earned recognition and respect from major martial arts organizations such as the Jewish Karate Federation, the United States Karate Association International, and the United States Karate Federation. His system has been an influence on the Dog Brothers, Dan Inosanto and other FMA practitioners. He has since brought the system to various European countries as well.


ESCRIMA = The Martial Arts in the middle regions of the Philippines. Populations mostly converted unto Christianity and have communities with Buddhist, Confucianist, and Taoist Religions. From my research, Esgrima in Portuguese and in Spanish means Fencing (Sport) - Escrime in France - Scherma in Italian - Fencing in English. So basically the name is rooted from a latin word for Fencing. Now, Escrima or Eskrima was born during the Chinese settlers and Spanish colonization of the Philippines. This was also the Limahong Era. Limahong was one of the famous Merchant Warlord that ever settled in the Philippines and was a bounty from the Chinese Government back then and considered as a notorious Pirate. He had thousands of Warriors with him and waged wars against the Spaniards. Therefore the Filipino version of Esgrima has some Chinese Martial Arts elements to it. Most Chinese communities lives in the Mid Region of the Philippines like Cebu and Manila. As well as some areas in the Northern Luzon. The Chinese that were merchants who settled in the Philippines adapt to their environments among the Natives and the Spaniards. Some Chinese were in the Islands way before the arrivals of the Spaniards. I am sure there were always tensions and animosities between these groups. Perhaps some Kung-Fu cannot counter Latin Fencing or the other way around, or maybe some Latin Fencing cannot counter Kali, and vice-versa. Along those years of conflicts, a new developed type of fighting style was born which was Escrima or Eskrima. This is when the art of Kali were underground and very rare in the middle regions of the Philippines due to Spanish colonization of the country of that time. Which makes the Chinese more of a dominant groups against the Spaniards on those times. The mixtures of Spanish, Chinese, Indigenous produced a new type of ethnic groups in the Philippines which are the Mestizos. The empty hand version of Escrima is very much like Chinese Wing Chun Gung Fu except with a Filipino twist adding the Dumog system called Panantukan.

Escrima has a lot of other techniques other than whacking the opponent with a stick - Escrima has lots of locking and trapping techniques. As well as foot works. The essence of escrima is more like weaving - to be able to tangle up your enemy with a stick. It's more like a Filipino Gentleman fighting style back in the old days. A Filipino Gentleman could be walking around in a hostile area and happened to have a simple cane with him where he's able to protect himself against street muggers. Most Escrimadors that was truly an expert to the art were very few and had been pass on to their own family generation to the next. The others kept it secret for security reasons.


ARNIS DE MANO = Means "Harness of the Hands". Which also means "What ever you can get in your hands as weapons and to use them well". Arnis de Mano is the Martial Arts of the northern region of the Philippines. For over 300 years of Spanish rules, the art of Arnis was developed underground, making it more of a Filipino Rebel Style. Since most Filipinos converted unto Catholicism, the use of the Rattan Stick or the Baston was more of a disguise to practice fighting tactics through dancing. This is during the times when Bladed Weapons were banned under the Spanish rules except for the agricultural tools like machetes and sickles (only legal to carry in certain areas). Pang-Or is another system that was used to disarm a man armed with a bolo or a machete (most likely used by the Filipino Police). Arnis de Mano were Katiponeros system to overthrow the Spaniards. And then later to counter the Japanese. Not only from the north but all over Philippines since Filipinos already had the agendas to act for revolution against Spanish Rules. And that same tactic was also used against the Japanese in WW II. So Arnis de Mano also has to do with Guerrilla Tactics - like Firearms, Rattan Sticks, Bull Whips, Knifes, Fishing Crossbows, Bolos, and Bamboo Spears. When most Filipinos settled in Hawaii, before and after WW II and having to lived among the Japanese, Karate was introduced. So the other part of Arnis has that Okinawan discipline added in the elements in the modern times. Certain belts were required to show the levels of the Arnis practitioner. Well not just Karate but Judo and Kendo. Just like Escrima, Arnis is also simple yet affective Martial Art both as a sport and in real life Applications. Let alone the philosophy behind it which makes it more lethal. Of-course, now Arnis has many different techniques from different Teachers or Gurus. There's the Modern Arnis, Arnis Balite, Scientific Arnis, Rapid Arnis, Arnis Karate and etc. It all comes down to a man or a woman is a better fighter with a stick or double stick, specially when trained. Then in the 1960's Sikaran was developed in the Philippines or had been updated from it's beginning from the 1500's as part of Dumog a Filipino Wrestling mostly applicated by the Filipino Farmers back in the day (mud wrestling, horse playing, street brawling style or dog fighting style) - so instead of using a stick as an additional limb as a fighter, Filipinos can use their legs (thick legs are common) as weapons just like Korean Taekwondo. Similar like the Boxers of Thailand where they can use their thick legs as a whipping weapon and perfected it through their art of Muay Thai. The Thais also used bladed weapons just like Kali but instead of Kali the Thailand version is called Krabi-Krabong. Sipa (hacky sack game using a ball made of bamboo skins) is another inspiration that was added to Sikaran. Sepak Takraw is the universal name for Sipa as a sport.

Today most Filipino Martial Arts School are all mixed that's why they are labeled as Arnis, Escrima, Kali Academy or School - Or simply FMA Academy combining and uniting all the styles of the Philippines Martial Arts including Dumog and Sikaran. And other styles I never heard of (some of these academies are experimenting on searching and to practice these lost and found methods). These are the difference between Arnis, Escrima, and Kali - through my research.

Growing up in the Philippines since the age of twelve, I only witnessed a real fight just once with an Arnis de Mano style that somehow came unto instinct. The conflict was between an old man and his son. They were each armed with a dagger like bolo and a pang-or sticks. The bolos was more for intimidation but they were both whacking eachother up with a stick as they get close enough - Lots of bad languages that was exchanged. There were lots of other fights but this is the only one that I could remember that implies real life Arnis de Mano.