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Kali - Escrima - Filipino Pesagi Tolong |
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| Brief History: | ||
| Filipino martial arts was flourishing in the Philippines islands at the time of the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the fifteen century. The Filipino martial arts were practiced and established before this time and its roots can be traced back to the Indonesian empires and the Hindu Malayan Arab missionaries. Filipino native arts promote employment of several categories of self-defense. | ||
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| One of the advantages that the Filipinos found by using the hard stick Garrote for example, it could be wielded fluently like a sword and yet deliver a fatal blows by striking the hand or leg portion of the opponents anatomy. Delivering such a blow to the bone structure would leave the enemy not only defenseless but useless. Never to be able to handle a weapon again. The wound from a blade could at times be stitched and healed. With such a fatal blow to the bone with a hard stick it would fracture the bone into small pieces like an egg shell. Never to be healed properly again. This also was an effective defensive in battle against the Spanish Conquistadors since most of them armed themselves with protective metal breast plates & helmets to deflect or stop any sword penetration that may be aimed at the body and head. | ||
| Commonly known systems and styles throughout the Filipino islands that employ weaponry defenses can be identified under three names. Kali, Escrima and Arnis. The word Escrima comes from the French term "To fence" or "Fencing". Arnis comes from the Spanish phrase "Arnis De Mano", (To harness the hands). These two styles came into existence in the Filipino islands during the Spanish colonization period in the sixteenth century. The ancient word Kali is said to have come from several recourses some predict it comes from the two word syllables Kamut which means "Hand" and Lihok which means "Movement". In short this translates to Hand Movement with or with out weaponry. Some believe it comes from the ancient art of India called Velakali or "Sword play". Were others have predicted that the Moro's warriors of the southern Philippine resemble the Hindu Goddess of death called Kali when they engaged into battle. | ||
Although all three systems are found in the Philippines and are similar, each one has a specific fighting method that identifies its style of defense. Arnis is characterized by fencing stances and whip like strikes, due to the influence of weaponry, such as the Spanish saber and fencing foil. Kali, is characterized by angles of attack with flamboyant circular footwork patterns. This is due from Moro warriors and Indonesian influences. Escrima, employs fast whip like motions and slashes to its rapture. Other forms of defense and cultural combative arts from the Philippines include kick boxing also known as Panatukan (punching) and Sikaran (kicking). This effective fighting technique is employed in the same fashion as the weaponry portion of the Filipino arts. |
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| One of the concepts in Panatukan / Sikaran is to target and destroy the opponents hands and legs leaving the opponent immobile and unable to deliver blows. This fighting method along with stick fighting matches were active among the Filipino cultures as a sporting event and entertainment. Filipino boxers would wrapped their hands, forearms and shins with cotton gauze to enhance their kicking and punching strategies against one another in the ring. Focusing on to destroy the opponents hands, arm, shoulders, knees and feet would leave one weaponless unable to throw blows. Filipino empty hand techniques like Panatukan move with fluid rhythmic motions that simulate the same movement as the sword and stick weaponry portion of the Filipino martial arts . | ||
| Wrestling and grappling are other forms of combat that can be found throughout the Filipino martial arts. Magakos ( to hold), Kunsi and Dongab (to lock) and Tomba (to throw) are rare forms of Filipino wrestling techniques. Some of these wrestling forms can be found throughout the Philippines, but mostly were practiced and seen among the Philippine fishing villages along the coastline islands. | ||
| One of the main concepts that the Filipino martial arts preaches is to translates the identical motion from sword, sticks and empty hand while attacking and defending without having to change the arts format. Which will create a self defense system that moves with symmetry against weapons or empty hand tactics without having to remember many techniques but only fluid offensive and defensive motions that destroy what ever it may encounter. But above all one of the most important aspects that the Filipino martial arts combined are strong spiritual beliefs and cultural philosophies where it becomes synchronized with the practitioner, forever embracing the Filipino culture within oneself. | ||
| Filipino martial arts in the U.S. were rarely
seen in public until the 1960's and 1970's. Most Filipinos in the U.S.
demonstrated the arts in their cultural surroundings, private groups, and
social gatherings. Not many or any public martial art schools were teaching
Filipino arts then since karate and judo were some of the most influential
systems in the U.S. during that the time period. |
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