Weapons · Philippines
Eskrima
Filipino stick and blade (arnis / kali): weapon-first pedagogy, then empty hands.
Find a topic
A map of this art. Live entries are links. The rest is mapped, not written yet.
What Is Eskrima?
Eskrima (also arnis, also kali — the naming is regional and political) is a family of Filipino martial arts. Most systems put a weapon in your hand early: single stick, double stick, knife, or machete-length blade. Empty-hand work is often the same motion with the stick removed.
That weapon-first pedagogy is the encyclopedia fact. A boxing gym that adds a rattan stick on Fridays is not automatically eskrima.
How Eskrima Works
Angles of attack (often numbered) organize defense and counters. Sinawali are woven double-stick patterns that train timing and flow. Disarms, trapping, and close-range slashes or thrusts show up once the range collapses.
Modern sport arnis exists (padded sticks, points). Traditional and street-oriented rooms keep a different pressure. Read silat for the Malay-world close-combat neighbor and HEMA when the source is a European book instead of a living Filipino system.
Many systems, one archipelago
Doce Pares, Modern Arnis, Pekiti-Tirsia, Balintawak, and others are not one syllabus. This hub is the family door. System pages can land later without pretending they were always here.
What You’ll Find Here
This hub is the live overview. Published entries are links. Fighters, gyms, rules, and news are mapped for later — even when those pages are not written yet.
FAQ
Questions we hear on the mats, in gyms, and when fighters compare styles.
Eskrima, arnis, or kali?
Different names, overlapping arts. Arnis is common in the Philippines’ sport and school programs. Kali is a name many Western schools use. Eskrima is widely understood. Ask the school which word they want.
Why start with a stick?
The stick is faster to train and stands in for a blade. Empty hand comes from the same angles.
Is it just stick tapping?
Bad classes can look like that. Good rooms add power, timing, and a knife that is not a toy.
The Bottom Line
Eskrima is Filipino stick-and-blade practice with a weapon-first classroom. Silat is the Southeast Asian neighbor; HEMA is the European reconstruction neighbor.