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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 amongst 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 Philippines. 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.
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