Escrima

On April 28, 1521, when Ferdinand Magellan waded onto shore of one of the 7000-plus Philippine islands in the name of Spanish King Charles I, Chief Raja Lapulapu killed Ferdinand Magellan with a Philippine kampilan dagger by slicing his leg, then thrusting the dagger into his throat. In response, the Spanish conquerors forbid the Filipinos from carrying swords. To counter this, Filipinos combined their own sword skills with the Spaniards’ sword skills and applied them to rattan sticks, giving birth of escrima (eskrima). Although colloquially escrima is called stick fighting, the term is a Filipinization of the Spanish word esgrima, which means “fencing.”
Some circles use the word “escrima” interchangeably with the term arnis. When escrima techniques were used with bladed weapons, the art then became known as kali. Some historians prefer to lump the three arts under the umbrella of “escrima.”
It’s one of the few martial arts in the world in which practitioners must first learn how to use weapons before learning empty-hand skills. Because villagers had limited time to learn how to protect themselves from other villagers and foreign invaders, escrima training focused on using simple, easy-to-learn, battle-tested fighting skills.
http://www.blackbeltmag.com/category/escrima/

Basic strikes of United Arnis

  The 12 basic strikes are the foundation of every Arnis player,  thus it is worth knowing it by heart and mind.  This video will guide you through the 12 basic strikes of United Arnis.

The 12 basic strikes of United Arnis are a combination of striking, thrusting and butting techniques. 

In today’s practice of Arnis, thrusting and butting techniques are introduced to the students on their intermediate or advance levels, however, for United Arnis, thrusting and butting are incorporated in the 12 basic strikes.  This exposes the students to the advantage of training and using it even at an early stage.

 The following are the 12 strikes: 
Strike 1 strike to the left temple area of the opponent
Strike 2 strike to the left knee area of the opponent
Strike 3 strike to the right temple area of the opponent
Strike 4 strike to the right knee area of the opponent.
Strike 5 strike to the left shoulder area of the opponent.
Strike 6 strike to the right shoulder area of the opponent
Strike 7 thrust or poke to the left chest
Strike 8 thrust or poke to the right chestStrike 9 butt to the left eye
Strike 10 butt to the right eye
Strike 11 center thrust
Strike 12 strike to the crown of the head 
The most important thing in practising the 12 strikes is to practice it continuously and repeatedly, being conscious of the target, stance, footwork and body movements.  Repeating the 12 basic strikes helps build retention, muscle memory and muscle conditioning.
http://www.unitedarnis.com/Basic-strikes-of-United-Arnis.html

 

Arnis - 10 radical truths

Arnis 10 radical truths will change the way you think about and play Arnis






 

Arnis is an art of  empty hand

Arnis is often considered as an art that involves weapons such as sticks, daggers, bolos, among others.   It is generally thought that without these weapons, arnis cannot be practiced.

 Precisely speaking, Arnis is an art of empty hand.

Unlike other arts that first teaches empty hands techniques and then weapons at a higher belt, Arnis uses weapons training that leads to empty hand thereby accomplish two things  - weapons training and empty hands training.

                This kind of training is effective to prepare the student in both armed and unarmed real life combat scenario.

Weapons are extension of your hand

Arnis is an art of offense and defense,  weapons are just an extension of the hands and skills of an Arnis player.  Arnis has a set of hand patterns and  body movements that the weapons follow through the hands of a trained Arnis player.

Arnis is convertible art

Although  Arnis training use sticks such as rattan, kamagong (iron wood) , and bahi, the patterns and movements used in Arnis for sticks are also convertible to other weapons even to make shift weapon such as a pen.

Arnis Blocks are Strikes and Arnis Strikes are Blocks

                Arnis consolidates strikes and blocks into one.  A block can be a strike by using the technique referred to as “displacement”.  By displacement in Arnis means, striking to the opponents vital points instead of blocking the stick. In Arnis techniques for strikes can also be used for blocks.

 

Everything is a setup in Arnis

                An Arnis player should know that everything in Arnis is a setup that could lead to another.  A strike could be a setup to a counter and a block can be a setup for a strike, counter strike can also be a setup for a block or a strike. 

Arnis double sticks develop hand coordination

                By training with double sticks, Arnis makes the weaker hands complement the stronger hand.  If you are right handed your right hand is your stronger hand while the left hand is the weaker hand.

               As an example, double sticks trains the left hand to properly block and parry the opponent the same way he will do using a single stick.

 

Arnis Sword and Dagger develops punch, push and thrust

                In Arnis the left hand are often used to check, parry, and grab the opponents hands or weapon, however, the left hand can be fully utilized by training it to punch, push, and thrust.

                This realization can be done in Arnis by training with Espada y Daga or Sword and dagger.

 

Strike at the nearest point

                The crown of the head is often the target of an Arnis player, this is logical since a strike to the head can cause fatal and immediate effect. 

                However it is important to note that in Arnis the head is also the most protected area of the body and everybody learns to protect it.

                You could strike at the nearest point of the opponent’s body  instead, rather than trying to strike to the head, it may not be as fatal but it sure will bring damage to the opponent.

 

Own your Arnis technique

                Practice your techniques continuously and repeated until it becomes your reflex action or your second nature.  In real life situation, you do not have the luxury of thinking twice, by burning the technique into your muscle memory, your reaction will be an instinct during such situation.

                In Arnis, It is not the number of techniques you know, it on how many techniques you can execute effectively, efficiently and accurately under stress and pressure.

 

Arnis Sparring and competition develops you

                Participating in arnis sparring sessions and competitions enables you  to test your skills and efficiency level. A cooperative opponent is a partner who is willing to be hit and allows you to execute your techniques on him.  While the uncooperative opponent, is a partner who is not willing to be hit and employs every means that his disposal to go against you on a controlled manner. 

              Training with a dummy or a cooperative opponent is only good for honing your techniques but it does not give you the benefit of testing your skills against a moving, engaging and uncooperative opponent. 

                Remember  that the uncooperative opponent is an example of a real-life combat scenario without the rules.

Be a part of THE WINNING TEAM, UNITED ARNIS

 http://www.unitedarnis.com/Arnis-10-radical-truths.html

Arnis: A Question of Origins by Bot Jocano

Rapid Journal Vol. 2, No. 4
4th Qtr 1997

Taichi Works Publications
458 Jaboneros St. Binondo, Manila 1006

Arnis: A Question of Origins

by Bot Jocano

 The term arnis evokes a number of reactions from people every time it is mentioned in a conversation. Some people start fanning their hands in the air, imitating the distinctive movements of the two-stick (doble baston) training method. This image of arnis is one of the most popular to the layman. A second reaction, and quite as common as the first, is the question: "Saan ba talaga galing ang arnis?" (Where did arnis really come from?) Alternatively, "Di ba, sa atin nanggaling ang arnis?î (Isn't it that arnis comes from us?) is a question also heard. This article is an attempt to critically examine the roots of one of the martial arts of the Philippines, arnis. It must be noted that in no way does this article claim to be the final say on the origins of arnis. It is actually a preliminary look, a start if you will, into re-examining carefully the origins of an art form.

 Arnis, also known as kali, escrima, baston, etc. is a complete martial art system, encompassing weapons training and empty-hand self-defense. It includes training in single stick techniques (solo baston), double stick techniques (doble baston), stick and knife or dagger techniques (espada y daga) and knife techniques (daga). Some styles may include staff and spear (sibat) training in their curriculum. Others will include the practice of medium to long bladed weapons (bolo) in their repertoire. Many styles have some form of empty hand combat, encompassing striking, kicking, locking, throwing and even choking methods. These are usually taught when the practitioner has demonstrated a reasonable degree of proficiency with the weapons of his style of arnis. Different arnis styles, from different parts of the country, may emphasize different areas of the training methods noted above. The term arnis is believed to be a Tagalog corruption of the Spanish term arnes, or harness, a reference to the decorations worn by the early Filipinos. Kali is another term used to refer to the same kind of martial arts. Different provinces may have different names for arnis, such as baston and kaliradman (Ilonggo, Bisaya), pagkalikali (Ibanag) and kalirongan (Pangasinan). These are only a few examples of the terms already recorded in different sources.

 With such a comprehensive system of martial arts being taught and promoted in different areas of the country, it is inevitable that people would ask, where did such a complete martial art system come from?

 One suggestion is that it originally came from another martial art system, called tjakalele. This is actually the name of a branch of the Indonesian martial art system known as pentjak silat. Another suggestion is that it was brought here from the Southeast Asian mainland, particularly during the Madjapahit and Shri-Visayan empires. Yet another suggestion is that it was propagated by the so-called ten Bornean datus fleeing persecution from their homeland. We shall critically examine these assertions one at a time.

 The idea that arnis evolved or was derived from another martial art system, namely tjakalele silat, is due to linguistics. The alternative name for arnis is kali. It is widely held that this is the older term for arnis, and that kali itself emphasizes bladed weaponry apart from practice with the stick. It is not surprising that a connection could be seen between the term kali and tjakalele. However, linguistic similarity alone is not enough ground to assert that kali was indeed derived from tjakalele. There has to be documented proof that one came from the other. What form should this proof take? Authenticated documents certainly are one of the best pieces of evidence - if such could be found, and proven to be genuine. A close and thorough comparison of both styles would help, but it must be remembered that they would have changed over time, reflecting the different changes that have happened in their cultures of origin. On the other hand, one of the local terms for a bladed weapon is kalis. It is also believed that kali is a derived term from kalis. This assertion will require study before it can be validated.

 Another oft-quoted idea is that kali was brought here during the Shri-Vishayan (7th -14th centuries and Madjapahit (13th -16th centuries) empires. This reflects the notion that the Philippines then was somehow an integral part of both empires. It must be noted that the archaeological evidence for the role of the Philippines in both empires is very meager. About the best that could be said is that there was commercial contact, but whether such contact also included the spreading of martial arts is circumstantial at best.

 A third idea regarding the spreading and propagation of kali in the Philippines is that ten Bornean datus (sometimes nine) fled here and settled in various parts of the Philippines. They brought with them their fighting systems and taught these along with other arts in the academies called the bothoan.

 A key problem here is that much of what we know about the ten datus is derived from the Maragtas of Pedro Monteclaro, published in l1oilo in 1907. Doubt has been cast on its usefulness as a historical document, especially since it records folk or oral history. Scholars such as the late William Henry Scott and F. Landa Jocano, are clear on this point - the Maragtas is a document recording folk or oral history, and not an actual eyewitness account of the events stated therein. As such, its historical value diminishes rapidly with each retelling of the story .If the original story of the ten Bornean datus is folklore and not authentic history, what are we then to make of the story regarding the propagation of kali in the bothoan? Folkloric history is useful in enabling people to identify with the art of kali, but it should not be taken as actual history.

 If after having critically questioned the sources of the origins of kali, or arnis as it is known today, and through these critical analyses, have come to the positions stated above, what can we then say about the origin of kali, or arnis? Regardless of the name of the art or its sources, the fact that the early Filipinos practiced some form of combat was not lost on the Spaniards who first arrived here. Pigafetta's description of the death of Magellan is graphic in its description of the weapons wielded by the natives. It is interesting to note that Magellan died as he was rushed by the defenders armed with spears and bladed weapons. In more recent times, Scott's book Barangay includes a chapter on ancient Bisayan weapons and warfare. This was derived from the accounts and dictionaries of the early Spanish friars, some of whom were witnesses to the use and practice of weapons and warfare methods at the time.

 To state therefore, that its origins lie outside the Philippines is misleading, for it disregards the unrecorded but no less real experiences our forefathers went in simply trying their best to survive. These experiences are recorded in the techniques of their styles of arnis. It is also quite possible that there were blendings with different styles of combat, but if so, these are quite difficult to verify historically.

 A key difficulty in researching the origins of arnis is that most sources tend to be oral history or folkloric in nature. They are not exactly historical documents in the sense of being eyewitness accounts. Hence, their authenticity in this sense is always suspect. On the other hand, as folklore, they serve as a window, if you will, into how people think. Folklore gives us an idea of how people actually understand their world and their place in it.

 Martial arts, in whatever form, and in whatever place, are the unique product of the people who developed them, as members of their culture. A case in point is Japanese fencing, kendo in its modern format, kenjutsu as the traditional form. Japanese fencing is a product of the technology and the values and habits of the Japanese. Similarly, it should be remembered that kali or arnis as it is also called today, is very much a product of the Filipino cultural experience. The relative informality of most practice sessions, for instance, is a reflection on the importance we place in building harmonious relationships with others.

 In conclusion, it is not easy to actually trace the origins of the art of kali or arnis. Perhaps we may never actually trace it to a single key event in the lives of our forefat1lers. On the other hand, it is equally important to remember that the art itself is a continuing evolving product, subject to change and refinement over the years. What is also important is that we remain open-minded, willing to improve our understanding of the origins of this martial art. Such open-mindedness is useful inasmuch as it provides us with further insights into our identity as Filipinos.

 

Bibliography:

Canete, Ciriaco. Doce Pares. Cebu City. Doce Pares Publishing House, 1989.

Inosanto, Dan; Johnson, Gilbert; and Foon, George. The Filipino Martial Arts. Los Angeles. Know How Publishing, 1980

Presas, Ernesto. Arnis. Manila. 1988

Presas, Remy. Modem Arnis. Manila. Modem Arnis Publishing Co., 1974, 1993.

Yambao, Placido. Mga Karununngan sa Larong Arnis. Quezon City: UP Press, 1957.

 

For references on Philippine prehistory:

Jocano, F .Landa. Questions & Challenges in Philippine Prehistory. Professorial Chair lecture: UP Press, 1975.

Jocano, F Landa. Philippine Prehistory. Quezon City: PCAS, 1975

Scott, William Henry. Prehispanic Source Materials for the Study of Philippine History. Quezon City. New Day Publishers, 1974.

Scott, William Henry. Barangay. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila Press, 1994. 
http://www.martialartsresource.com/filipino/arnis.html

Arnis

 

 Arnis, also known as Kali and Eskrima, is an indigenous Filipino Martial Art that comprises of Panandata (weaponry), Kuntao (empty hands), Dumog (grappling and locking), Sikaran (kicking) and Hilot (healing).
     Through out the Philippine history, Arnis or Kali has been utilized as defense of self, family, clan and the motherland. Arnis has been exhibited during the Battle of Mactan, Philippine Revolution against the Spaniards, and Philippine Guerilla resistance during Japanese occupation of the Philippines.  Armed with Arnis weaponry like daggers, bolos, and parangs, Filipino bravery and patriotism has been displayed through the effective techniques of Arnis, Kali and Eskrima.

     United Arnis traces its roots from the rich, historic, proud and herioc heritage of Arnis.  Founded by a Filipino who was trained and mentored by the best Grand Masters and practitioners of Arnis during his time, United Arnis transcends styles, groups and denominations as far as practice of Arnis.
     United Arnis focuses on empowering the individual through a combination of modern, scientific and traditional training methodology.

     United Arnis structured these methodologies into a comprehensive, informative and effective method of training that is now referred to as Unified Training.  Unbounded by time and geography, regardless of age, gender and nationality, United Arnis aims to propagate the art of Arnis Kali Eskrima .

     United Arnis headquarters is in based in Singapore

http://www.unitedarnis.com/

Let 'Em Fly

Box your way to a better body

Don't just pummel the bag. "A great boxer has to have focus, coordination, power, speed, and endurance," says Michael Olajide Jr., a former championship middleweight boxer. To help you hone your skills, we've tapped the country's top fighters to act as your cornermen. Hit these workouts to improve your staying power. 

The Workouts 

1. UFC Power Punches
Your coach: Frank Mir, Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight

Whether you're facing Wanderlei Silva in a cage match or a 75-pound bag in your basement, the same rules apply: "Once you're warmed up, you should be throwing each punch at full blast," says Mir, a former UFC heavyweight champ. He uses this demanding six-round routine to build mental and physical tenacity.

Grow your intensity:  Clock each round at 3 minutes, resting 1 minute between rounds. With each round, you'll add one punch to your sequence.
Punches per round:
1. Warmup. Strike the bag at 50 percent with a variety of punches
2. Up your power to full strength and launch jabs
3. Jab, throw a cross, and repeat
4. Jab, cross, hook, repeat
5. Jab, cross, hook, uppercut, repeat
6. Jab, cross, hook, uppercut, body punch, repeat

2.  LAPD Precision Punch
Your coach: Tim Collins, trainer, Los Angeles Police Dept. Arrest and Control
The perfect pop is built on posture and bone alignment, not fist strength. Use this routine to refine your form.

Set the stance:  Leading with your nondominant leg, position your feet shoulder-width apart, with the toe of your dominant foot in line with the heel of your nondominant foot. Your head extends over your shoulders, and your shoulders over your hips. Your knees are slightly bent.

Throw the blow:  Step forward with your lead foot and extend your nondominant arm so that your shoulder, elbow, wrist, and front two knuckles are in alignment. Your punch and your foot should land at the same time. Follow up with a cross, regaining with your rear foot the distance you took in your first step. Then come back to your original stance.

Connect the punches:  Repeat the sequence, shadowboxing for 3 minutes. Then do another 3-minute round of the same sequence, this time on a heavy bag. That's 1 set. Complete 3 sets, building speed each time. "When you master the strike, it should feel like you're snapping your target with a wet towel," says Collins. Rest 1 minute between each exercise.

3.  Middleweight Lightning Hands
Your coach: Michael Olajide Jr.
Shadowboxing allows you to rack up high reps without the resistance of a bag to slow your punches. "You'll tone your shoulders, back, and core, which will help you throw faster punches," Olajide says.
Hit on beat  Play five songs that have strong rhythms and last 3 to 4 minutes each. On every fourth beat (count out loud to keep yourself on track), unleash one of the punch combinations below, and then bring your hands back to your starting stance before the next beat. The shifting tempo of some tracks may require you to punch continuously until the song slows.

Combos for each song:
1. Left jab, left jab, right cross
2. Right cross, left jab, right uppercut
3. Left body punch, right body punch, left uppercut
4. Right uppercut, right cross, left hook
5. Right cross, left hook, right hook

Read more at Men's Health: http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/3-powerful-boxing-workouts#ixzz26Eb0Eh8j

http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/3-powerful-boxing-workouts/page/2

The Origins of Boxing in the Philippines,
1899-1929

By Joseph R. Svinth

Part 1

On June 18, 1923, Francisco "Pancho Villa" Guilledo beat Jimmy Wilde to become the world flyweight boxing champion, an accomplishment that was (and remains) a matter of great pride to people of Filipino descent. Unfortunately, while there has been some documentation of the many excellent Filipino boxers who subsequently followed Guilledo to the United States, there has not been as much attention paid to documenting the origins of boxing in the Philippines. This article represents a step toward correcting that omission. People with additional information or corrections are invited to contact the author at jsvinth@ejmas.com.

"Pancho Villa, gone but not forgotten." Illustration by Ed Hughes, 1925.

Boxing Enters the Philippines

US servicemen introduced boxing to the Philippines during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. How this came about is that on April 25, 1898, the United States declared war on Spain, whose colonial holdings included the Philippines. So, on April 27, 1898, Commodore George Dewey ordered his squadron of five cruisers and two gunboats to steam from China to the Philippines, and there, on May 1, 1898, he issued the famous command, "You may fire when ready, Gridley." The resulting US naval victory effectively ended Spanish control of the region, and in August 1898 the US Army began the occupation of Luzon. Then, to the horror of the Filipinos, the Americans did not cede the Philippines to them: instead they decided to keep the islands for themselves. Between 1899 and 1913, this resulted in savage wars of peace whose heroes included Emilio Aguinaldo on one side and Arthur MacArthur, Frederick Funston, Leonard Wood, and John J. Pershing on the other.

Casualties in these battles were heavy and one-sided: US casualties were listed as 4,243 killed and 2,818 wounded in action while Filipino casualties are estimated at 16,000 killed, plus another several hundred thousand dead from famine or disease (generally cholera). However, after Theodore Roosevelt’s unilateral declaration of victory in July 1902, US commanders began thinking about how to reduce the rates of desertion, suicide, sexually transmitted diseases, drug abuse, and drunkenness among their soldiers and sailors.

Boxing was offered as a potential solution. The reason was that boxers in training were taught to avoid tobacco, alcohol, and sexual activity. Furthermore, explained writer Charles L. Clay in 1887, "Boxing also makes a man self-reliant and resourceful when assailed by sudden or unexpected dangers or difficulties." This, in turn, said a YMCA director named C.H. Jackson in 1909, made young men "Christlike and manly." So, in 1902, Major Elijah Halford (a former secretary to President Benjamin Harrison) asked philanthropists for $200,000 to construct a YMCA in Manila, and by 1904, Army officers such as Edmund Butts were extolling the virtues of boxing in tropical environments such as Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.


Copyright © Joseph R. Svinth 2001-2005. All rights reserved. The assistance of Pat Baptiste, Hank Kaplan, Paul Lou, Eric Madis, Curtis Narimatsu, John Ochs, Michael Machado, and Kevin Smith is gratefully acknowledged.

Reprinted at PhilBoxing.com with permission from Joseph R. Svinth.

Mr. Joseph R. Svinth is the executive editor of Journal of Combative Sport where he has written articles and compiled historical accounts of the different combat sports. Mr. Svinth can be reached at jsvinth@ejmas.com.
 
  http://philboxing.com/specials/origins_of_boxing_in_the_phils/index.php?part=9