From the rec.martialarts FAQ
(Contributor: Andy Maddox - modsox@clark.net)
Intro:
Kali, Escrima, and Arnis are all terms for the native fighting arts of
the Philippines, specifically the arts that use weapons.
Arnis is a Northern Term, Escrima more Central, and Kali is from the
South. In this view, the terms just refer to indigenous weapons
fighting systems. Arnis would be the term used in Northern Luzon,
Escrima from Manila through the central islands, and Kali on Mindanao.
People who use this definition tend to say that the words don't
matter - every village, and often every master, has a distinct style,
and that's what the important thing is - "do you study Illustrisimo,
Caballero, or Cabales style?" Not "do you study escrima or kali?"
Origin: The Phillipines
History:
Kali is an older art than Escrima or Arnis, and more comprehensive.
Escrima and Arnis were developed as streamlined, simplified ways to
teach people to fight the Spanish invaders. Hence, Kali is more of a
"warrior's art" while Escrima and Arnis are "soldier's arts". Kali is
usually considered to have 12 areas of combat, with Escrima containing
8 or 9 of them, and Arnis 4 to 6.
Description:
The "full" coverage alluded to above usually contains the following:
1 Single Stick (or long blade)
2 Double long weapon
3 Long & Short (sword & dagger, e.g.)
4 Single dagger
5 Double Dagger
6 Palm Stick/Double-end Dagger
7 Empty Hands (punching, kicking, grappling)
8 Spear/Staff, long weapons (two-handed)
9 Flexible weapons (whip, sarong, etc.)
10 Throwing weapons
11 Projectile weapons (bows, blowguns)
12 Healing arts
A further distinction that some people make is to say that Kali is, at
its heart, a blade art, while Escrima and Arnis are designed to work
with sticks. This is a matter of some contention among practitioners
of the various styles and schools.
A distinctive feature of all of these Filipino arts is their use of
geometry. In strikes/defenses and movement, lines and angles are very
important. In addition, the independent use of the hands, or hands and
feet, to do two different things at the same time, is a high-level
skill sought after a fair amount of experience.
Training:
Filipino styles normally classify attacks not by their weapon, or
their delivery style, but by the direction of their energy - for
example, a strike to the head is usually analyzed in terms of "a high
lateral strike." A punch to the gut is treated much the same as a
straight knife thrust to that region would be. Students learn how to
deal with the energy of the attack, and then apply that knowledge to
the slight variations that come with different lengths and types of
weapons.
Filipino arts place great emphasis on footwork, mobility, and body
positioning. The same concepts (of angles of attack, deflections,
traps, passes, etc.) are applied to similar situations at different
ranges, making the understanding of ranges and how to bridge them very
important. The Filipinos make extensive use of geometric shapes,
superimposing them on a combat situation, and movement patterns, to
teach fighters to use their position and their movement to best
advantage. Some styles emphasize line-cutting (a la Wing Chun), while
some are very circular (like Aikido). Some like to stay at long range,
some will move inside as soon as possible. These differences are hotly
debated, as are most things, but they all work differently for
different people.
Most Filipino arts, but Kali in particular, stress the importance of
disarming an opponent in combat. This is not usually done gently, but
by destroying an attacking weapon (break the hand, and the stick will
fall.)
Sub-Styles: Latosa Escrima, Serrada Escrima, and others.
(Contributor: Andy Maddox - modsox@clark.net)
Intro:
Kali, Escrima, and Arnis are all terms for the native fighting arts of
the Philippines, specifically the arts that use weapons.
Arnis is a Northern Term, Escrima more Central, and Kali is from the
South. In this view, the terms just refer to indigenous weapons
fighting systems. Arnis would be the term used in Northern Luzon,
Escrima from Manila through the central islands, and Kali on Mindanao.
People who use this definition tend to say that the words don't
matter - every village, and often every master, has a distinct style,
and that's what the important thing is - "do you study Illustrisimo,
Caballero, or Cabales style?" Not "do you study escrima or kali?"
Origin: The Phillipines
History:
Kali is an older art than Escrima or Arnis, and more comprehensive.
Escrima and Arnis were developed as streamlined, simplified ways to
teach people to fight the Spanish invaders. Hence, Kali is more of a
"warrior's art" while Escrima and Arnis are "soldier's arts". Kali is
usually considered to have 12 areas of combat, with Escrima containing
8 or 9 of them, and Arnis 4 to 6.
Description:
The "full" coverage alluded to above usually contains the following:
1 Single Stick (or long blade)
2 Double long weapon
3 Long & Short (sword & dagger, e.g.)
4 Single dagger
5 Double Dagger
6 Palm Stick/Double-end Dagger
7 Empty Hands (punching, kicking, grappling)
8 Spear/Staff, long weapons (two-handed)
9 Flexible weapons (whip, sarong, etc.)
10 Throwing weapons
11 Projectile weapons (bows, blowguns)
12 Healing arts
A further distinction that some people make is to say that Kali is, at
its heart, a blade art, while Escrima and Arnis are designed to work
with sticks. This is a matter of some contention among practitioners
of the various styles and schools.
A distinctive feature of all of these Filipino arts is their use of
geometry. In strikes/defenses and movement, lines and angles are very
important. In addition, the independent use of the hands, or hands and
feet, to do two different things at the same time, is a high-level
skill sought after a fair amount of experience.
Training:
Filipino styles normally classify attacks not by their weapon, or
their delivery style, but by the direction of their energy - for
example, a strike to the head is usually analyzed in terms of "a high
lateral strike." A punch to the gut is treated much the same as a
straight knife thrust to that region would be. Students learn how to
deal with the energy of the attack, and then apply that knowledge to
the slight variations that come with different lengths and types of
weapons.
Filipino arts place great emphasis on footwork, mobility, and body
positioning. The same concepts (of angles of attack, deflections,
traps, passes, etc.) are applied to similar situations at different
ranges, making the understanding of ranges and how to bridge them very
important. The Filipinos make extensive use of geometric shapes,
superimposing them on a combat situation, and movement patterns, to
teach fighters to use their position and their movement to best
advantage. Some styles emphasize line-cutting (a la Wing Chun), while
some are very circular (like Aikido). Some like to stay at long range,
some will move inside as soon as possible. These differences are hotly
debated, as are most things, but they all work differently for
different people.
Most Filipino arts, but Kali in particular, stress the importance of
disarming an opponent in combat. This is not usually done gently, but
by destroying an attacking weapon (break the hand, and the stick will
fall.)
Sub-Styles: Latosa Escrima, Serrada Escrima, and others.
