what is the importance of arnis in our culture essay

Essay on Purpose Of Arnis

Students are often asked to write an essay on Purpose Of Arnis in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Purpose Of Arnis

Introduction to arnis.

Arnis, also known as Kali or Eskrima, is a martial art from the Philippines. It uses sticks, blades, and sometimes bare hands. The main goal of Arnis is self-defense. It teaches people how to protect themselves from harm.

Physical Fitness

Arnis is great for keeping fit. It helps build strength, flexibility, and endurance. It also improves balance and coordination. So, not only does it teach self-defense, but it also helps in maintaining a healthy body.

Mental Development

Arnis also helps in mental development. It boosts concentration, focus, and discipline. It trains the mind to think fast, especially during combat. This can be useful in daily life too.

Preserving Culture

Arnis is also about preserving Filipino culture. It’s a traditional martial art that carries the history and spirit of the Philippines. By learning Arnis, one is also learning about and keeping alive a part of Filipino heritage.

Building Confidence

250 words essay on purpose of arnis.

Arnis, also known as Kali or Eskrima, is a popular martial art originating from the Philippines. This essay will explore the purpose of Arnis, focusing on its importance for self-defense, cultural preservation, discipline, and physical fitness.

The Purpose of Arnis for Self-Defense

Arnis is primarily a self-defense technique. It uses weapons, usually a pair of rattan sticks, to block, strike, and disarm opponents. The movements in Arnis are fast and precise, designed to protect the practitioner from harm. Learning Arnis can help individuals feel safer and more confident in their ability to defend themselves if necessary.

Arnis as a Tool for Cultural Preservation

Arnis is a significant part of Filipino culture. It carries a rich history and tradition that dates back to pre-colonial times. By practicing Arnis, students can learn about and help keep alive this important aspect of Filipino heritage.

Arnis for Discipline and Character Building

Like other martial arts, Arnis teaches discipline and respect. Students learn to control their movements and emotions, improving their focus and patience. These skills can be beneficial in everyday life, helping students to become more disciplined and respectful individuals.

Arnis for Physical Fitness

Arnis also serves as a great form of physical exercise. The movements in Arnis can help improve strength, flexibility, and coordination. Regular practice can lead to better overall health and physical fitness.

500 Words Essay on Purpose Of Arnis

Arnis, also known as Kali or Eskrima, is a type of martial art that originated in the Philippines. It uses sticks, blades, and sometimes bare hands to fight. But Arnis is not just about fighting. It has many purposes, which we will explore in this essay.

Physical Fitness and Defense

One of the main purposes of Arnis is to promote physical fitness. Just like other martial arts, Arnis involves a lot of movement. This helps to strengthen the body and improve flexibility. It’s a fun way to exercise and stay healthy. Moreover, Arnis is also a form of self-defense. It teaches people how to protect themselves in dangerous situations. This can boost confidence and make people feel safer.

Cultural Preservation

Mental discipline.

Arnis also serves the purpose of improving mental discipline. It requires concentration, patience, and strategic thinking. These skills can be useful in many areas of life, not just in martial arts. For instance, they can help students do better in school or adults perform better at work.

Social Interaction

Arnis can also be a social activity. It is often practiced in groups, which allows people to interact and make friends. This can lead to a sense of community and belonging. It’s a great way to meet new people and learn to work as a team.

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Arnis: The Philippines' National Sport and Martial Art

what is the importance of arnis in our culture essay

London Travel Writer

Arnis enjoys the status of the de jure national sport of the Philippines . It is a martial art characterized by the use of “swinging and twirling movements, accompanied by striking, thrusting and parrying techniques for defense and offense.” Having been handed down from generation to generation for centuries, the discipline hones the skill, speed, accuracy and agility of its practitioners.

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Arnis was developed by the indigenous populations of the Philippines, who used an assorted range of weaponry for combat and self-defense. Encompassing both simple impact and edged weapons, arnis traditionally involved rattan, swords, daggers and spears.

In 1521, equipped with nothing more than bladed weapons and their fearsome arnis abilities, Filipino islanders defeated Ferdinand Magellan’s armored, musket-bearing Spanish conquistador forces when they tried to invade.

When the Spanish eventually returned and successfully conquered parts of the Philippines, the traditions of arnis were preserved, despite its prohibition, in the forms of ritual dance, performance and mock battles. While earlier Filipino martial arts were influenced by Spanish colonization, the modern forms have been affected by the country’s contact with both the United States and Japan after gaining independence in 1898. Just over a century later, in 2009, the government of the Philippines declared arnis to be the martial art and national sport of the Philippines.

Culture and traditions

Arnis is otherwise known as eskrima , kali and garrote, and by even more names in different Filipino regional languages. Although Spanish influence had a pacifying effect on Filipino martial culture, the original warrior ethos has persisted and remains on the fringes of the art. Arnis “death-matches” were outlawed as late as 1945 yet, as Mark V. Wiley explains in Filipino Martial Culture , they still take place in private today.

The Philippine government’s declaration of arnis as the national sport has codified a clear martial culture. This should begin to develop an accessible story of Filipino cultural heritage that the outside world can grasp, like Japan did during the Edo period (1603-1868) and as post-cultural revolution China has done with Wushu .

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How it works

Like all martial arts, arnis is primarily defensive, encompassing hand-to-hand combat, grappling and disarming techniques. However, the fighting style also includes the use of bladed weapons and sticks, in addition to improvised weapons. A baton-like cane is the primary melee tool employed and the weapon used in officiated arnis competitions.

Competitive Arnis generally takes one of two forms: the performance-based anyo model or the combative leban . Anyo competitions are judged on the basis of the overall choreography of the performances, including the gracefulness, strength and force employed. Meanwhile, the leban form tests participants’ agility and reactions, as competitions are judged based on the number of strikes inflicted. Although most leban competitions exclude body contact, such as grappling, blocks and disarming an opponent using the hands or feet, there are some exceptions where full contact is permitted.

Arnis in popular culture: Hollywood

Close-quartered, fast-paced fights look great on screen and no martial style involves quite the combative speed of arnis—no wonder it’s so popular with Hollywood directors. The Bourne Identity (2002) features a kali / jeet kune do hybrid fight style when Jason Bourne encounters Jarda, the only other living agent of the terminated ‘Treadstone’ program. Vin Diesel and Jason Statham also engage in eskrima -inspired combat, using metal pipes and wrenches instead of sticks, in the final fight scene of Furious 7 (2015).

In Kick-Ass (2010), the eponymous character fights crime with arnis canes, while his vigilante partner, Hit-Girl, uses Filipino balisong knives. Meanwhile, Liam Neeson uses a combination of arnis, wing chun and silat to rescue his daughter from her French captors in Taken (2008). James Bond too subdues a knife-wielding assassin using Filipino martial arts in Quantum of Solace , the 2008 installment of the James Bond franchise.

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Medical Information

Health Benefits of Modern Arnis

Modern Arnis is a Filipino martial art that combines elements of both traditional and sport martial arts. It was developed by the late Grandmaster Remy Presas in the Philippines in the 1950s and has since spread to many countries around the world.

Health Benefits of Modern Arnis may include:

Improves cardiovascular health: Arnis training involves a lot of movement and can be a great way to get your heart rate up, which can help improve cardiovascular health.
Increases muscle strength and flexibility: Arnis training requires the use of various muscle groups and can help increase muscle strength and flexibility.
Enhances coordination and balance: Arnis training involves a lot of movement and requires coordination and balance. This can help improve overall body coordination and balance.
Boosts self-confidence and self-esteem: Arnis training can help boost self-confidence and self-esteem by giving individuals a sense of achievement and accomplishment.
Reduces stress and tension: Arnis training can be a great way to relieve stress and tension. The physical and mental demands of Arnis can help individuals focus on the present moment and forget about their worries.

Hashtags: #ModernArnis #FilipinoMartialArt #HealthBenefits #CardiovascularHealth #MuscleStrength #Flexibility #Coordination #Balance #SelfConfidence #SelfEsteem #StressReduction

On the Article

Krish Tangella MD, MBA

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The Embodiment of an Authentic Filipino Art of Self-Preservation and Well-being

The study discussed the cultural and historical significance of arnis, the indigenous art of selfpreservation developed by the early Filipinos. As a form of self-defense, arnis, kali, or eskrima is deemed to have evolved in the Philippines during the pre-colonial period through ingenuity, multicultural interaction, and friendship between aboriginal Filipinos and Asian traders. Arnis is a graceful yet exquisite hand-to-hand and armed routine intended for combat with a peculiar history linked to rebellion and struggles among commoners who sought freedom from the ruling colonizers. It is interesting to report that the symbolic authentic Filipino Martial Art (F.M.A.), which has been passed on through generations, had eventually reached the pedestal of recognition as a national sport, art, and culture of the Philippines under the Republic Act 9850. Arnis continued to become popular from the local to the international arena, where Filipino grandmasters, masters, and practitioners conduct seminar training and promotional tournaments to brush elbows with their counterparts in high regard and camaraderie. As a sport, it contributed to the physical development, well-being, discipline, and character of the players or practitioners from different walks of life. The Filipino people's sense of nationalism, patriotism, and national identity is reflected in arnis as a part of their rich historical and cultural heritage.

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Arnis – What Is The History and Significance Of Arnis? (Answers)

Answers to the question: what is the history of arnis.

ARNIS – In this article, we will learn about the history and significance of the Filipino martial art, Arnis.

Arnis is the national martial art sport of the Philippines. It is also known by the name Eskrima and Kali.

The sport gives emphasis to weapon based fighting. This is often done using bladed weapons such as knives, sticks, and other improvised weapons.

Arnis - What Is The History Of Arnis? (Answers)

This martial art discipline also involves hand to hand combat, grappling, and weapons disarming. The primary weapon used in this traditional martial art is the cane or baton.

Although the size of the cane varies, often times it is 28 inches long. The cane used is also considered sacred by Arnisadores.

This is the reason why the cane is hit on the forearm or the hand when sparring. The sport was also acknowledged as a defensing sport by practitioners.

Globally, Filipinos have been known for its blade culture that was birthed from this sport. But before it was famous as Arnis, the sport had a different name.

The indigenous martial art was encountered by the Spanish during 1610. Back then it was known as Paccalicali-t to the Ibanags.

It was also called Didya to the Ilokanos, and Sitbatan or Kalirongan to Pangasinenses. The sport was also known as Sinwali (“to weave”) to Kapampangans.

The word “Arnis” actually came from arnés , which is an old Spanish word for armor. According to wikipedia , it is said to come from the armor costumes used in Moro-moro stage plays.

Americans had first encountered Arnis during the Philippine-American War. This included events such as the Balangiga massacre.

This was where the majority of an American unit was hacked to death or gravely injured by bolo-wielding guerrillas. This took place in 1901.

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Like this article? READ ALSO: Philippine History Facts That Are Never Learned In School

A Brief Arnis History – A Bloody and Epic Story

Arnis is originally an art that was practiced by the commoner or peasant class. Because of this, most practitioners of the system lacked the necessary education to create any form of written record or documentation. While the same can be stated of numerous martial arts, this is particularly true for Arnis martial arts since nearly all of its Arnis history is merely anecdotal, promotional, or oral.

Arnis can be originally traced back to native combat techniques during battles among the different pre-Hispanic Filipino kingdoms or tribes, though the present form has some Spanish influence from fencing which originally was practiced in Spain.

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Influence of other Martial Arts Styles in Arnis History

It also has other influences, as traders and settlers travelling through the Malay Region brought the silat as well as Arab, Indian, and Chinese martial arts. A few of the people still localized Chinese combat methods called the kuntaw .

Moreover, it has been theorized that Arnis Kali Eskrima may have Indian roots and came to the Philippines through the people who traveled through Malaysia and Indonesia to the Philippines. Silambam , a stick-staff-based, ancient, Indian martial art influenced numerous martial arts in Asia such as silat . Arnis may share ancestry with the said systems – several Arnis movements resemble the short stick ( kaji or kali ) and other weapon-based combat styles techniques of silambam.

When the Spanish colonizers first came to the Philippines, they observed weapons-based combat arts practiced by the Filipino natives, which are likely not related to the modern-day Arnis. The earliest written records of the Philippines and the Filipino life and culture were documented by the first Spanish explorers.

A few early expeditions fought tribesmen armed with knives and sticks. In 1521, the Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, was slain in Cebu at the legendary “Battle of Mactan” by the Datu Lapu-Lapu’s forces. Several Arnisadors claim that these natives killed the explorer in a sword fight, but historical evidence does not prove so.

Antonio Pigafetta , a chronicler, was the only person who could account for the battle. Pigafetta stated that Magellan was stabbed in the arm and face using spears and overwhelmed with numerous warriors who stabbed and cut at him. Here is the account:

The natives continued to pursue us and picking up the same spear four or six times, hurled it at us again and again. Recognizing the captain, so many turned upon him that they knocked his helmet off his head twice, but he always stood firmly like a good knight, together with some others. Thus did we fight for more than one hour, refusing to retire farther. An Indian hurled a bamboo spear into the captain's face, but the latter immediately killed him with his lance, which he left in the Indian's body. Then, trying to lay hand on sword, he could draw it out but halfway, because he had been wounded in the arm with a bamboo spear. When the natives saw that, they all hurled themselves upon him. One of them wounded him on the left leg with a large cutlass, which resembles a scimitar, only being larger. That caused the captain to fall face downward when immediately they rushed upon him with iron and bamboo spears and with their cutlasses until they killed our mirror, our light, our comfort, and our true guide. When they wounded him, he turned back many times to see whether we were all in the boats. Thereupon, beholding him dead, we, wounded, retreated, as best we could, to the boats, which were already pulling off.

The Katipunan

Opinions differ based on the degree to which Spanish colonization in the Philippines impacted Arnis training. A huge number of styles, techniques, and names of the system themselves have major Spanish influence on them – arnis or arnes , eskrima or esgrima , estoque , garrote , etc., though some argue that the Spanish names just reflect the fact that the lingua franca of the Philippines at that time was Spanish, and there was limited Spanish martial influence.

What’s certain though is that the Spanish brought with them and utilized their weapon arts when they began colonizing the Philippines in the 1500s. Moreover, that’s known is that they recruited and trained soldiers and mercenaries from the locality; these are the Kapampangans, Pangasinenses, Tagalogs, Ilonggos, Warays, and Cebuanos in order to pacify the regions and stop revolts.

Did you know that Spanish fencing influenced Eskrima? Find out more in our post – Filipino Martial Arts History – Influence of Spanish Swordsmanship on FMA

The first Filipinos who decided to attempt to revolt were the Pampangos – the most prominent and warlike folks of the Philippines. It was all the worse since these Filipinos had trained in the military art in school in the fortified outposts of the Caraga, Zamboanga, Jolo, Ternate, and other areas where their bravery and valor was recognized.

However, this is essential for our protection, and so they always say that a Spaniard and three Pampangos is equivalent to four Spaniards.

Logic tells us that these native mercenaries and soldiers would have transferred these newly acquired skills to family members and very close friends to improve the efficient and already existing native ones. Moreover, they would have shared methods and tactics with each other when put in a similar military group and combatting the foreign side like the Marianas, the Moluccas, and Formosa.

Spanish Influence on Arnis History

One prominent feature of Arnis that may point to Spanish influence is Espada y Daga (sword and dagger) method, which is a term utilized in fencing. The Filipino version of the Espada y daga is quite different from the European rapier and dagger styles; the stances are not the same as weapons utilized in are normally shorter that European-made swords.

Following the Spanish colonization in the Philippines, a decree was established that banned the common people from carrying weapons such as the Kampilan and Kris . Regardless, the practitioners constantly found ways to keep and maintain the system alive, using rattan-made sticks rather than actual swords. Several arts were passed down from generation to generation.

Occasionally, the arts took the form of rituals or choreographed dances like the Sakuting stick dance . Furthermore, as a result, an intricate and unique stick-based style evolved in the Luzon and Visayas regions. Mindanao, on the other hand, retained exclusive blade-oriented methods because the Spaniards and even Americans never entirely conquered the southern regions of the Philippines.

Filipino Martial Arts is a Unique Style

Though Arnis history integrates native combat styles with old Spanish fencing, a systematization degree was ultimately achieved, resulting in the unique, distinguishable, and exceptional Filipino martial art. With time, the system for training and teaching the essentials evolved as well.

But except a few older, more established systems, it was a common practice to pass down the art from one generation to the next in an informal way, making the attempts to trace its lineage difficult. For instance, besides learning from family members such as his uncle Regino Ilustrisimo , practitioner Antonio Ilustrisimo appeared to have learned the fighting techniques while sailing across the Philippines.

His student and cousin Floro Villabrille claimed to have learned the art from a blind Moro princess – which was later invalidated by the older Ilustrisimo.

Modern Arnis History

The Philippines has a blade culture . Unlike in Europe where Renaissance and Medieval fighting and self-defence blade or weapon arts have gone nearly extinct, Filipino blade fighting is still a living art. The local persons in the Philippines are considered more likely to carry bolos or knives than guns.

Filipino Martial Arts Weapons Can Be Found at Home

These weapons are usually carried as tools by farmers to cut vegetation, street vendors to cut open pineapples, watermelons, coconuts, other fruits and animal meats. Also, balisongs are very easy to procure and are easily hidden. In fact, in a few rural areas, carrying a knife such as the itak was a sign that that person is making a living due to the area’s nature of work.

In Palau, they call Filipinos as “ chad a oles ” meaning “people of the knife” due to their reputation for carrying blades and utilizing them in fights.

Philippine Revolution

Contrary to the statements of some historians today that it was just guns that helped the Philippines achieved victory against the Spanish colonizers, blades played a huge part as well.

During the Battle of Manila in 1898, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that:

The Philippine native, like all the kindred Malay races, cannot do any fighting as a rule except at close quarters, slashing with his heavy knife. The weapon is called machete, or bolo, or kampilan, or parang, or kris. The plan of action is the same – to rush in unexpectedly and hack about swiftly, without the slightest attempt at self-preservation.

Furthermore, the Mauser rifle in hard work is discovered to be an error. It has a five-cartridges case, which needs to be all used prior to inserting others. Now if a soldier fires three cartridges, then he ought to go one and waste the remaining two.

The Filipino Balde Culture

It may likely be the men’s fault, or they are just unlucky in being undrilled, but they’re frequently knifed as they reload their rifles. Whatever the explanation may be, there is certainly something wrong in soldiers with bayonets and rifles being attacked by knife-wielding natives. The insurgents have guns, but many Spanish are injured with knife wounds.

The Philippine–American War

The Americans first witnessed Arnis in the Philippine–American War in such events as the “ Balangiga massacre ” where the majority of a US company was cut to death or severely injured by knife-wielding guerillas in Eastern Samar, as well as in Mindanao battles, where an American soldier was beheaded by a Moro warrior.

World War II

During World War II, many Filipinos fought the Japanese hand to hand with their blades as guerilla fighters or as military units under the USAFFE like the Bolo Battalion (now known as the Tabak Division).

Some of the grandmasters in arnis history who are known to have used their skills in World War II are Antonio Ilustrisimo, Leo Giron, Teodoro “Doring” Saavedra, brothers Eulogio and Cacoy Cañete, Timoteo “Timor” Maranga, Sr, Jesus Bayas and Balbino Tortal Bonganciso.

During the Second World War, numerous Filipinos fought the Japanese troops hand-to-hand using their blades as freedom fighters or as military men under the USAFFE such as the Bolo Battalion or the Tabak Division. A few of the GMS who are known today to have utilized their skills and expertise in WW2 are Leo Giron, Antonio Ilustrisimo , brothers Cacoy and Eulogio Cañete, Teodoro “Doring” Saavedra, Timoteo “Timor” Maranga, Sr, Balbino Tortal Bonganciso, and Jesus Bayas.

Different styles of arnis are now being practiced all over the world. It also now considered as the national sport of the Philippines. Although not as popular as other oriental martial arts or MMA, it is highly respected for its practicality and effectiveness in terms of self-defence and combat.

Did you like this post? If you did, you may also be interested in the post – Balintawak Arnis History – The Legendary Grandmaster Anciong Bacon – this story from one of the most celebrated Eskrima Grandmasters will inspire you to learn the art.

Learn More:

Balintawak Arnis History – The Legendary Grand Master Anciong Bacon
Filipino Martial Arts Near Me – The Best Traditional Filipino Martial Arts

Louis Lim is a Filipino Stick Fighting instructor in the Philippines. You can read more about his journey here .

What is Arnis: Understanding the National Martial Art of the Philippines

Category: World , Crime
Topic: Philippines , Protection

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