TRECEHAMPAS ARNIS SEMINAR

  THE HISTORY OF ARNIS 

There are as many styles of Filipino martial arts as there are islands in the Philippines. The various arts have a number of similarities in their respective training methods. Filipino styles can be classified into eight categories: provincial styles (e.g., Bicolano Arnis; Pangasinan escrima); personal styles (e.g., Binas dynamic arnis; kali Ilustrisimo); styles defined by technical characteristics (e.g, abaniko style; sinawali style), or fighting range (e.g, serrada escrima; larga mano arnis); styles consisting of composite systems (e.g, Vee arnis jitsu; lameco escrema); eclectic styles (e,g., talahib fighting arts); empty hand systems (e.g., sagasa kick boxing; hagibis combat system), and those styles named after their enemies (e.g., Etalanio style).

When the Spanish invaded the Philippines, the deadly fighting skills of Filipino warriors nearly overwhelmed the Spanish, who dubbed their fighting style escrima (skirmish). Escrima was subsequently outlawed, but the techniques did not disappear. The techniques were preserved in the form of dances or mock battles in religious plays known as moro-moro. These plays featured Filipinos wearing Arnes, the medieval Filipino armor and the blade fighting forms and footwork. The word Arnes soon became corrupted to arnis. Historically, arnis incorporated three methods: espada y daga (sword and dagger); solo baston (single stick); and sinawali (to weave), which uses two sticks of equal length, twirled in "weaving" fashion for blocking and striking (the term derives from sinawali, the bamboo matting woven in the Philippines).

Dakilang Guro Andy Sanano has inherited the family tradition of Trecehampas Arnis, which he considered to be the lost arnis art of his family system. Dakilang Guro Andy Sanano teaches Trecehampas Arnis and combines it with his own knowledge of different styles of martial arts such as sikaran, karate, combat judo, kung fu and tae kwon do. Arnis, as Sanano terms the system, incorporates empty hand moves based upon the same motions used in single and double sticks. The Sanano system also uses low kicks and takedowns for a better-rounded approach.

Dakilang Guro Sanano encourages his students to adapt arnis principals to their own sense of feel. The method should suit the person and not the other way around. This is known simply as using "the feel." The feel is for defining the comfortable place where the movements of arnis and the individual human body meets for maximum effectiveness; body and weapon blending to achieve the most natural fighting style based on the individual's needs and attitude. "