ons. Bladed weapons include the sundang, baraw, pinuti’, bangkaw, palmenko, daga, kris, laring, kalis, barong, gunong, kampilan, gayang, pita, punyal, itak, banjal, bangkon, lahot and panabas. Of course, the Batanguenos are world famous for their fan knife or balisong, which is an entire art in itself.
Cebuanos borrowed the word eskrima from the French word escrime, meaning fencing and from the Spanish word esgrima, meaning swordplay or fencing. This was probably an attempt by 17th and 18th century Filipinos to sound sophisticated by borrowing words from the colonizing European (Spanish) invaders. It was also possible that the Spaniards gave it its name.
When Spain colonized the Philippines, kali or eskrima was already the standard fighting art of the Philippines. Rajah Lapulapu, ruler of Mactan was a kali expert according to Pigafetta, Magellan’s historian and chronicler. According to legend, Lapulapu used eskrima to route the invading Spaniards eventually killing Ferdinand Magellan. This was the first recorded Filipino repulse of foreign invaders. When the Spaniards returned to overcome the Filipinos with their superior firepower, eskrima became a prohibited art in 1596 and 1764. It was totally banned by Don Simon Aredo y Salazar since it was discovered that masters of the art led revolting Filipinos. It was also said that Filipinos were abandoning their farms to practice eskrima.
Besides, the practice often led to injury and death. The art went underground and was taught by Filipinos - often from father to son. It also crept into religious ceremonial dances (sinawali) and in Moro-Moro plays, depicting the conflict between Christians and pagans. The sinawali dances concealed moves of offense and defense as in katas so that moves could not be forgotten. Filipino national hero Jose Rizal, and other martyrs and patriots such as General Gregorio Del Pilar, Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Andres Bonifacio, Fr. Gregorio Aglipay, Antonio Luna were practitioners of the art. Poet Laureate Francisco Baltazar also known as "Balagtas" made frequent mention of arnis in his immortal romance Florante at Laura. (Source of some historical data, 1st International Arnis Congress Magazine).
World attention to Asian martial arts evolved when little Japanese men would throw or disarm larger Caucasian foes. This interest in other Asian arts led to the discovery of eskrima. Often thought, and often with good reason as purely stick fencing and often caricatured in martial arts movies. It usually depicted the villain frenziedly swinging and twirling the stick, only to be quickly disarmed and subdued by the high-kicking hero. There is nothing farther from the truth in Balintawak eskrima. Other styles have helped fan this ornate and fancy stick twirling.
Eskrima while still arcane and esoteric, is a very sophisticated, highly refined and ancient art dating to prehistoric Philippines. Only recently has it caught the attention of martial artists. The Philippines is relatively obscure in world politics, culture and business. Besides, there was a dearth of information about experts in the art. The practice of the art was hardly organized. Lately however, eskrima has nosed its way to gain world attention. Sophomoric practitioners have crawled out of the woodwork and have anointed themselves as “grandmasters”. During the lifetime of the Grandmaster, no one had the audacity and temerity to claim such title. Some have even made grandiose claims of beating up the masters in alleged matches.
Eskrima has not been developed as a sport since it is deadly and meant to inflict serious injury and harm. It therefore has hardly been promoted as a sport until it will be eventually made safer for students of the art. By then it will have lost its true essence. Foul blows in other sports is taught, developed and mastered into a science. Strikes, thrusts with the stick, hands and feet to nerve centers and vital points are meant to cause serious injury - more obviously like strikes to the head, knee breaks, elbow breaks and thrust to the eyes, throat and groin. Eskrima involves 