History

The origins of the Filipino martial arts otherwise known as Arnis, Kali and Eskrima are lost to antiquity. The Philippines was a crossroads for waves of Malay and Indonesian migrations as well as Chinese traders and pirates. Early forms of fighting arts probably resmebled Indo-Malay silat with a heavy focus on the use of edged weapons.

As the Chinese interacted with the tribesmen in many regions of the islands the martial arts, like the cultures, began to mix. Just as in further south in Malaysia and Indonesia, the Chuan fa of the Chinese was blended with the silat giving birth to Kuntaw (or Kuntao).

In 1521, the first Europeans arrived in the Philippines. The Spanish would eventually conquer most of the Philippine Islands and occupy them for over 300 years. This marked a new chapter in the development of the the Filipino martial arts.