Filipino Kali is the art of stick fighting.  They use hard, bamboo sticks to strike and defend.  They have made this particular fighting style into an art form.  Filipino Kali teaches weapons fighting before bare hand to hand combat as they do in other martial art styles.  For example, a student in any Chinese martial arts is expected to master hand to hand combat before moving on to any form of weapons.

Definition: martial art specializing in fighting with two baton-length sticks, with techniques adaptable to empty-hand or edged weapons. The terms "escrima" is thought to originate from the Spanish word "escrime", meaning to fence with a swoard--and is thought to have originated during the Spanish occupation of the Phillipine Islands. Often used synonomously for arnis and kali.

History of Kali, Arnis, Escrima

Kali is an ancient term used to signify the martial arts in the region of the Philippines. In Southern Philippines, it is called Kali-Silat. Silat refers to the movements of the lower body. During Spanish occupation, they forbade the practice of Kali. The Spaniards called the art Escrima or Arnis. Hence, after this period, the martial arts of the Philippines, all three words were used to describe their art.

Kali is a prefix for many Filipino languages. One of the oldest is Karay-a-Panay. Other words include Kalipay (happness), Kalibutan (world). Kali is also used as a suffix. A very common word as you can see.

Recorded history tells us that the early Filipinos migrated from the southern islands. Kali is also used in India. Kali is the name of an Indian God. Kali is also found in Indonesia.

In Indonesia, they fight more with Silat than Kali. In Pentjak Silat is included a study of the body's center of gravity and how to constantly topple it. In Southern Philippines, Silat is used in dances, as martial arts, and as games. They played it as young children of 6-8, and we never thought of it as a martial art, just as a funny game of physical wit.

Dance relates to the culture of the country. A study of the dance forms of the Philippines shows that the kali pattern is ingrained in all the hand gestures and footsteps for agility. None of these kali patterns are seen in the dances of India, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Japan, Pacific islanders. Only in the Philippines will you see these dance patterns similar to the kali patterns. So even if there is similarity to the Silat of Indonesia, Kali still developed into its own, in ancient Philippines.

The martial arts was taught and practice by both men and women in the Philippines. Combat was used amonst neighboring tribes and warlords. The Filipinos have a long history of women fighting in battle, wars and combat.

The Filipinos pride themselves in believing that the martial arts of their nation was a self originated art, not borrowed from the Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, or Spanish.


Kali, escrima or arnis de mano, stick fighting was developed over a period of many centuries in the Philippines as her people fought for their independence from foreign invaders. Each skirmish with a new culture added to the Filipino Martial Arts as Kali warriors developed techniques to combat foreign styles. Subsequently, more than 100 different Filipino Martial Arts styles developed, which can be grouped into three complete self-defense systems which utilize sticks, swords, empty hands and other weapons. The systems are called Northern, Southern, and Central.

"Kali," the mother of escrima and arnis de mano, is the preferred reference by its practitioners. Always assuming the use of the blade, whether it be the sword or knife (dagger), Kali employs many techniques, including strikes, stances and weapon handling, which have influence from China, Arab missionaries, Indonesia and Spain. This is due to immigration as well as invasion and occupation. The Philippines’ colorful history records the immigration of several cultures to the islands, all of which influenced the Filipino Martial Arts. The Madjapahit, who settled in the Southern stretches of the islands, where influenced by Arab missionaries and became know as fierce Moslems (called "Moro Filipinos") who violently opposed foreign peoples on their native land. During the American occupation of the Philippines in the early 1900s, Moros, marked by tiger-eyes and red headbands - signifying a resolve to kill until killed - strode singly down the streets blading everything in their path, embracing the belief that every slain Christian assured their places in heaven. So tenacious was the Moros’ rampage that hundreds of reports by American soldiers surfaced, stating that the slugs of .38-caliber pistols failed to stop the advancing Moros. As a result of those reports, the .45-caliber pistol was designed and issued to American servicemen. Although the Moros’ religious fervor was a crucial element in their destruction, it was the use of their bladed weapons that allowed the bloody chaos to succeed. The art they so deftly employed was Kali.

Spanish conquistadors, led by Ferdinand Magellan, invaded the islands in the early 1500s. A pirate according to Filipino history, Magellan was slain by the heroic chieftain Lapu Lapu and his men. The armor-clad Spanish, overpowered by the fierce islanders and their fire-hardened sticks, retreated. In the 1570’s, unable to match the conquistadors’ muskets, the Philippines fell under Spanish rule. The Filipinos preserved their Martial Arts by integrating it into native costumes and dances, often performing Kali movements in the form of dance for the pleasure of Spanish dictators.

In 1935, the Philippines were recognized as an independent nation until occupied by Japan during World War II. Welcoming U.S. intervention during the occupation, Filipinos eagerly enlisted in American services. Known for close-in, hand-to-hand combat with bolo knives, the Filipino troops established themselves as fierce guerrilla forces, marching in triangle formation with the point, or lead, man disabling enemy soldiers, leaving the following formation to finish the job.

Following the war, many adventurous escrimadors and Kali men left the Philippines for Hawaii and California. There they grouped together, working as farm laborers and practicing their art in secret, still adapting it to their environment by utilizing farm tools -asparagus knives, machetes, hoes and the like - as weapons.

After years of clandestine practice, the old masters have begun to teach a younger generation the beautiful and deadly Filipino Martial Arts. The "old men" of Kali and escrima believe the art is dead in the Phillipines. However, they teach the younger generation to respect the art by a salutation, shown by touching the closed fist of the right hand to the forehead and the open hand to the heart. Some of these masters of Kali who have continued the art are Angel Cabales, Regino Ellustrisimo, Leo Giron, John LaCoste, Ben Largusa, and Floro Villabrille.

i read this article somewhere where many kali, escrima and arnis masters had to train in secret because they would always get challenged by other masters in stick fights. :genius:

Hey Filipinos,
I was just wondering do u guys have any sort of fighting style/art?  If there is I never heard of it.

Japanese=Karate
Chinese= Kung-fu
Korean=Tae Kwon do
Thai=Muay Thai
etc.??  A lot of styles I didn't say but u get my point.

Filipino=Kulam (Vodoo), Kill the enemy when they are asleep, and one of the best is pulling hair. LOL

I dunno about the rest of yall but I found that one funny. 2

Filipino Swords

"Sticks" are recent to the arts by a couple of decades, traditionally people would train with bladed weapons such as bolos, pinutes and kampilans. You can kind of see why they started to practice with sticks LOL.

Note : Our fighting arts were developed for warfare not "self defence". Someone told me once that there is little focus on defence on Filipino MA's...pretty odd.

Japanese=Karate
Chinese= Kung-fu
Korean=Tae Kwon do
Thai=Muay Thai
Filipino=Kulam (Vodoo), Kill the enemy when they are asleep, and one of the best is pulling hair. LOL.

Filipinos do Escrima, basically what Suijen said.  It's a pretty cool fighting style.  Kali sticks!

well i wont act like i know everything just like some of these wannabees over here

well i wont act like i know everything just like some of these wannabees over here but check this website out, in the martial arts world Arnis/Kali/Eskrima is a very respected art but not alot of filipinos are even aware of it, theyre all into karate and tae kwon do or which ever one is "cool"

by the way its not Hilo its HILOT!!!

check it out

http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/fo...isplay.php?f=30

for awesome videos check out

http://www.martialartsresource.com/abass/_videos.html

I recommend checking out the videos from The World Kali Silat Society all the way down !

I heard Hawaiians like you fight with long-stringed, over-sized yo-yos so that the enemies cannot go near. Haaayy badaafff. Oh wait, you're not Hawaiian --> , sorry. 2

Filipino Swords

"Sticks" are recent to the arts by a couple of decades, traditionally people would train with bladed weapons such as bolos, pinutes and kampilans. You can kind of see why they started to practice with sticks LOL.

Note : Our fighting arts were developed for warfare not "self defence". Someone told me once that there is little focus on defence on Filipino MA's...pretty odd.

by the way its not Hilo its HILOT!!!

from the readings about eskrima originally hilot healing art was practice along with eskrima. but it is virtually dying out. is dat funnie to you?