| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | are called Northern, Southern, and Central. |
| Filipino Kali is the martial art of stick fighting. Hard, | | | | In Kali the assumption is always to use the edge |
| bamboo sticks are used for defense and to | | | | of a blade, be it sword or knife. Kali employs |
| attack. They have made this particular fighting | | | | many techniques, including strikes, stances and |
| style into a unique and deadly martial art form. | | | | weapons handling, which have influences from |
| Kali Practitioners are first taught weapons fighting | | | | China, Arabia, Indonesia and Spain. |
| before hand to hand combat, differentiating itself | | | | The Southern islands, where influenced by Arab |
| from other martial art styles. A student in any | | | | missionaries and became know as (Moro Filipinos"), |
| other Asian Martial Art is expected to master | | | | fierce Moslems who violently opposed foreign |
| hand to hand combat before moving on to | | | | peoples on their native land. During the American |
| weapons. | | | | occupation in the early 1900s, Moros, marked by |
| A definition of Kali would be: A Martial Art | | | | tiger-eyes and red headbands - signifying a |
| specializing in the use of two baton-length sticks, | | | | resolve to kill until killed battled American trrops. |
| with techniques adaptable to empty-hand or | | | | The Moro's we so ferocious that the American |
| edged weapons. | | | | soldiers found their .38-caliber pistols ineffective. |
| The word "escrima" originates from the Spanish | | | | As a result the .45-caliber pistol was designed as a |
| verb "escrime", meaning to fence with a sword. | | | | knock down weapon specifically to deal with the |
| Escrima is thought to have originated during the | | | | Moros. The American militray term "leather neck" |
| Spanish occupation of the Philippine Islands. | | | | comes from fighting the Moro's during this time. |
| Escrima is often used synonymously for Arnis and | | | | American Marines would wrap their necks in |
| Kali. | | | | leather to keep from getting injured by the Kali |
| Kali is an ancient term used to signify the martial | | | | warriors. |
| arts in the southern Philippines. This martial art | | | | In 1935, the Philippines were occupied by the |
| style is known as Kali-Silat. During the occupation | | | | Japanese during World War II. Known for close-in, |
| by Spain, it was forbidden to practice Kali. | | | | hand-to-hand combat with bolo knives, Filipino |
| Studies of dance forms in the Philippines show the | | | | troops established themselves as fierce guerrilla |
| influence of Kali. Kali martial arts movements are | | | | forces. |
| ingrained in all the hand gestures and footsteps of | | | | Following the war, many Kali practitioners |
| the dances. These Kali patterns are not to be | | | | migrated from the Philippines to Hawaii and |
| seen in the dances of India, Indochina, Indonesia, | | | | California. They lived close together, working as |
| Malaysia, Thailand, China, Japan, Pacific islanders. | | | | farm laborers and practicing their martial art in |
| Both men and women were taught martial arts in | | | | secret. |
| the Philippines. Combat was a fact of life and used | | | | After years of secrecy the old Kali masters |
| against neighboring tribes, warlords and foreign | | | | started to teach a younger generation the |
| occupiers. | | | | beautiful and deadly Filipino Martial Art. Its sad to |
| Kali, Ecrima or Arnis stick fighting was developed | | | | say that the older generation of Kali masters |
| over a period of many centuries. The people of | | | | believe the martial art is dead in the Phillipines. |
| the Philippines fought constant foreign invaders | | | | Todays Kali practicioner shows respect to the art |
| during this time. Each struggle against a new | | | | by the use of a visual salutation. They touch the |
| culture added to the Filipino Martial Arts as Kali | | | | closed fist of their right hand to their forehead |
| warriors developed techniques to counter, combat | | | | and the open palm if the left hand to their heart. |
| and integrate many foreign styles. More than 100 | | | | Some of these masters of Kali who have |
| different Filipino Martial Arts styles developed, | | | | continued the art are Angel Cabales, Regino |
| which can be grouped into three complete | | | | Ellustrisimo, Leo Giron, John LaCoste, Ben Largusa, |
| self-defense systems which utilize sticks, swords, | | | | and Floro Villabrille. |
| empty hands and other weapons. The systems | | | | |