History UsefulNotes / Eskrima

'''Eskrima''' or '''escrima''', also known as '''arnis''' and '''kali''' depending on the place, is an indigenous martial art from the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}. It is mainly an armed fighting style, characterized by the usage of [[DualWielding weapons in both hands]] and an emphasis on dynamic, aggressive attacks, although it also has a minor unarmed variation (called '''suntukan''' or '''mano-mano''', both terms translating as "fistfight" and being also used in other styles)[[note]]''Mano-Mano'' comes from Spanish ''mano a mano'', which literally translates as "hand-to-hand" but means something more in the line of "duel" or "physical fight".[[/note]] similar to the UsefulNotes/{{Silat}} found in other countries of Southeast Asia.

Eskrima originally lacks a grading system, but some schools adopted colored belts taken from Japanese martial arts like UsefulNotes/{{Judo}} and UsefulNotes/{{Karate}}. Practitioners are sometimes called ''eskrimadores'' and ''arnisadores'', although this is not unanimous. Speaking of which, the names of the art have all interesting etymologies: ''eskrima'' comes from ''esgrima'' (Spanish for "fencing"), while ''arnis'' comes from ''arnés'' (literally Spanish for "harness", in reference to a long-abandoned meaning of the word that translates as "arms and armor"), and ''kali'' is a variation [[note]]possibly hyper-corrected, the spelling with an S being assumed to be a Spanish rendering when it isn't[[/note]] of ''kalis'' (a pre-Hispanic, Filipino word translatable as "blade" or "sword", cognate to Indonesian and Malay ''keris'', hence the dagger or sword known as ''kris'' in English which is found in all three countries).

'''Eskrima''' or '''escrima''', also known as '''arnis''' and '''kali''' depending on the place, is a Hispanic-indigenous martial art from the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}. It is mainly an armed fighting style, characterized by the usage of [[DualWielding weapons in both hands]] and an emphasis on dynamic, aggressive attacks, although it also has a minor unarmed variation (called '''suntukan''' or '''mano-mano''', both terms translating as "fistfight" and being also used in other styles)[[note]]''Mano-Mano'' comes from Spanish ''mano a mano'', which literally translates as "hand-to-hand" but means something more in the line of "duel" or "physical fight".[[/note]] similar to the UsefulNotes/{{Silat}} found in other countries of Southeast Asia.

The origin of eskrima is complicated, as the strategic position of the Philippines means a lot of martial cultures converged here, including Indian, Chinese, Arab and Malayan, and as well as the systems of weapons brought by the Spanish Empire after their [[UsefulNotes/SpanishConquestOfThePhilippines conquest of the Philippines.]] The first Spaniards to arrive in the islands already observed the natives were unusually good weaponmasters, to the point they supposedly claimed that [[NeverBringAKnifeToAGunFight only firearms were consistently able to overpower them]], and sources record the presence of Filipino mercenaries in many conflicts in the Pacific, from Malaysia to Japan (indeed, the Spaniards themselves would recruit native militiamen to great effect). Their fighting arts were often based on bladed weapons, and after Spaniards banned civilians from carrying full-sized swords in peacetime to prevent conflicts, this expanded to the usage of [[CaneFu fighting sticks]] and smaller blades to help keep their customs alive. The presence of Spanish fencing culture, with elements such as their famed ''[[UsefulNotes/HistoricalEuropeanMartialArts Verdadera Destreza]]'' and their specialty on simultaneous ''espada y daga'', would only help the art evolve and achieve systematization over time.

The Spanish Empire was put out of its last century's misery a long time ago, but even with eskrima's obvious indigenous corpus, some have argued that it still contains the greatest alive remnants of Spanish martial arts we can find today. It's hard to delimit how much exactly were Filipino martial arts influenced by Spain, especially given that their various regional styles would have had featured different levels of exposure, but traits like the dual usage of unequal weapons and the emphasis on knife-fighting make it resemble strongly the moveset of the Hispanic swordsmen, soldiers and ''navajeros'' of yore. It comes to the point that, with polearms and blades long vanished from European warfare, both Spanish and Filipino experts joke that, "if you are looking for how Spaniards used to fight, look in the Philippines." UNESCO is currently pondering about declaring eskrima intangible cultural heritage.

The highly traditional, unwritten character of eskrima means it doesn't have a clear history of lineages, although in modern times, grandmasters like Antonio "Tatang" Ilustrísimo, Teodor "Doring" Saavedra, brothers Eulogio and Cacoy Cañete and Balbino Tortal spearheaded the expansion of the art after World War II. It was taught first in countries like Hawaii, Australia and United States, with Creator/BruceLee and his contemporaries learning it, before gaining more international recognition. In fact, Lee himself learned his signature way of wielding nunchaku from his Filipino-American friend Dan Inosanto, an eskrima virtuoso whose moves you can watch in the surviving scene of ''Film/GameOfDeath''. The general crowd is unknowingly very familiar already with eskrima moves, as the art managed to sneak into mainstream choreography of western martial arts films rather quickly due to its weapon brilliance flashy style; every time some action star wields two sticks or twin weapons onscreen, you can bet safely that there is some kali work behind, likely performed by someone from the Inosanto Academy, even if the art is not explicitly referenced on the film.

The origin of eskrima is complicated, as the strategic position of the Philippines means a lot of martial cultures converged here, including Indian, Chinese, Arab and Malayan, and as well as the systems of weapons brought by the Spanish Empire after their [[UsefulNotes/SpanishConquestOfThePhilippines conquest of the Philippines.]] The first Spaniards to arrive in the islands already observed the natives were unusually good weaponmasters, to the point they supposedly claimed that [[NeverBringAKnifeToAGunFight only firearms were consistently able to overpower them]], and sources record the presence of Filipino mercenaries in many conflicts in the Pacific, from Malaysia to Japan (indeed, the Spaniards themselves would recruit native militiamen to great effect). Their fighting arts were often based on bladed weapons, and after Spaniards banned civilians from carrying full-sized swords in peacetime to prevent conflicts, this expanded to the usage of fighting sticks and smaller blades to help keep their customs alive. The presence of Spanish fencing culture, with elements such as their famed ''[[UsefulNotes/HistoricalEuropeanMartialArts Verdadera Destreza]]'' and their specialty on simultaneous ''espada y daga'', would only help the art evolve and achieve systematization over time.

The Spanish Empire was put out of its misery more than a century ago, but even with eskrima's obvious indigenous corpus, some have argued that it still contains the greatest alive remnants of Spanish martial arts we can find today. It's hard to delimit how much exactly were Filipino martial arts influenced by Spain, especially given that their various regional styles would have had featured different levels of exposure, but traits like the dual usage of unequal weapons and the emphasis on knife-fighting make it resemble strongly the moveset of the ''espadachines'' and ''navajeros'' of yore. It comes to the point that, with polearms and blades long vanished from European warfare, both Spanish and Filipino experts joke that, "if you are looking for how Spaniards used to fight, look in the Philippines." UNESCO is currently pondering about declaring eskrima intangible cultural heritage.

The highly traditional, unwritten character of eskrima means it doesn't have a clear history of lineages, although in modern times, grandmasters like Antonio "Tatang" Ilustrísimo, Teodor "Doring" Saavedra, brothers Eulogio and Cacoy Cañete and Balbino Tortal spearheaded the expansion of the art after World War II. It was taught first in countries like Hawaii, Australia and United States, with Creator/BruceLee and his contemporaries learning it, before gaining more international recognition. In fact, Lee himself learned his signature way of wielding nunchaku from his Filipino-American friend Dan Inosanto, an eskrima virtuoso whose moves you can watch in the surviving scene of ''Film/GameOfDeath''. The general crowd is unknowingly very familiar already with eskrima moves, as the art managed to sneak into mainstream choreography of western martial arts films rather quickly due to its weapon brilliance flashy style; every time some action star wields two sticks or twin weapons onscreen, you can bet safely that there is some kali work behind, likely performed by someone from the Inosanto Academy, even if it is not explicitly referenced on the film.

The highly traditional, unwritten character of eskrima means it doesn't have a clear history of lineages, although in modern times, grandmasters like Antonio "Tatang" Ilustrísimo, Teodor "Doring" Saavedra, brothers Eulogio and Cacoy Cañete and Balbino Tortal spearheaded the expansion of the art after World War II. It was taught first in countries like Hawaii, Australia and United States, with Creator/BruceLee and his contemporaries learning it, before gaining more international recognition. In fact, Lee himself learned his signature way of FightingWithChucks from his Filipino-American friend Dan Inosanto, an eskrima virtuoso whose moves you can watch in the surviving scene of ''Film/GameOfDeath''. The general crowd is unknowingly very familiar already with eskrima moves, as the art managed to sneak into mainstream choreography of western martial arts films rather quickly due to its weapon brilliance flashy style; every time some action star wields two sticks or twin weapons onscreen, you can bet safely that there is some kali work behind, likely performed by someone from the Inosanto Academy, even if it is not explicitly referenced on the film.

'''Eskrima''' or '''escrima''', also known as '''arnis''' and '''kali''' depending on the place, is a Hispanic-indigenous martial art from the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}. It is mainly an armed fighting style, characterized by the usage of [[DualWielding weapons in both hands]] and an emphasis on dynamic, aggressive attacks, although it also has a minor unarmed variation (called '''suntukan''' (meaning fistfight) or '''mano-mano''' (from Spanish '' mano a mano'', meaning hand-to-hand), names also used in other styles) similar to the UsefulNotes/{{Silat}} found in other countries of Southeast Asia.

The origin of eskrima is complicated, as the strategic position of the Philippines means a lot of martial cultures converged here, including Indian, Chinese, Arab and Malayan, and as well as the systems of weapons brought by the Spanish Empire after their [[UsefulNotes/SpanishConquestOfThePhilippines conquest of the Philippines.]] The first Spaniards to arrive in the islands already observed the natives were unusually good weaponmasters, to the point they supposedly claimed that [[NeverBringAKnifeToAGunFight only firearms were consistently able to overpower them]], and sources record the presence of Filipino mercenaries in many conflicts in the Pacific, from Malaysia to Japan (indeed, Spaniards themselves would recruit native militiamen to great effect). Their fighting arts were often based on bladed weapons, and after Spaniards banned civilians from carrying full-sized swords in peacetime to prevent conflicts, this expanded to the usage of fighting sticks and smaller blades to help keep their customs alive. The presence of Spanish fencing culture, with elements such as their famed ''Verdadera Destreza'' and their specialty on simultaneous ''espada y daga'', would only help the art evolve and achieve systematization over time.

The highly traditional, unwritten character of eskrima means it doesn't have a clear history of lineages, although in modern times, grandmasters like Antonio "Tatang" Ilustrísimo, Teodor "Doring" Saavedra, brothers Eulogio and Cacoy Cañete and Balbino Tortal spearheaded the expansion of the art after World War II. It was taught first in countries like Hawaii, Australia and United States, with Creator/BruceLee and his contemporaries learning it, before gaining more international recognition. The general crowd is unknowingly very familiar already with eskrima moves, as the art managed to sneak into mainstream choreography of western martial arts films rather quickly due to its weapon brilliance flashy style; every time some action star wields two sticks or twin weapons onscreen, you can bet safely that there is some kali work behind, likely performed by someone from the Inosanto Academy (founded by Lee's partner Dan Inosanto, an eskrima virtuoso), even if it is not explicitly referenced on the film.

The art features a long list of weapons, including ''bastón'' (short staff or rod, of variable length), ''sibat'' (spear), ''daga'' or ''baraw'' (several types of daggers and knives), ''bolo'' (machete), ''kalis'' (wavy-bladed sword, known as "kris" in English), [[note]]there are straight-blade versions so the distinctive hilt design is really what makes a kris a kris[[/note]] ''karambit'' (the small, curved used in [[UsefulNotes/{{Silat}} pencak silat]]), ''tabak-toyok'' (a weapon similar to the nunchaku) and ''látigo'' (whip) and much more, as well as improvised weapons.

Eskrima originally lacks a grading system, but some schools adopted colored belts taken from Japanese martial arts like UsefulNotes/{{Judo}} and UsefulNotes/{{Karate}}. Practitioners are sometimes called ''eskrimadores'', although this is not unanimous. Speaking of which, the names of the art have all interesting etymologies: ''eskrima'' comes from ''esgrima'' (Spanish for "fencing"), while ''arnis'' comes from ''arnés'' (literally Spanish for "harness", in reference to a long-abandoned meaning of the word that translates as "weapon" or "arms and armor" in general), and ''kali'' is a variation [[note]]possibly hyper-corrected, the spelling with an S being assumed to be a Spanish rendering when it isn't[[/note]] of ''kalis'' (a pre-Hispanic, Filipino word translatable as "blade" or "sword", cognate to Indonesian and Malay ''keris'', hence the dagger or sword known as ''kris'' in English which is found in all three countries).

* '''ARPI''' (Arnis Philippines): this version uses padded sticks aside from more extensive body armors, and resembles traditional fencing in that fighters are separated every time a blow is scored according to visual judges. Its target areas are wider than those of WEAKF and also allows disarming the opponent if done quicly, which is an instant win. Some hope this style will be an Olympic sports some day, while others pray so it will never be.

'''Eskrima''', also known as '''arnis''' and '''kali''' depending on the place, is a Hispanic-indigenous martial art from the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}. It is mainly an armed fighting style, characterized by the usage of [[DualWielding weapons in both hands]] and an emphasis on dynamic, aggressive attacks, although it also has a minor unarmed variation (called '''suntukan''' or '''mano mano''', names also used in other styles) similar to the UsefulNotes/{{Silat}} found in other countries of Southeast Asia.

The art features a long list of weapons, including ''bastón'' (short staff or rod, of variable length), ''sibat'' (spear), ''daga'' or ''baraw'' (several types of daggers and knifes), ''bolo'' (machete), ''kalis'' (wavy-bladed sword), ''karambit'' (the small, curved used in [[UsefulNotes/{{Silat}} pencak silat]]), ''tabak-toyok'' (a weapon similar to the nunchaku) and ''látigo'' (whip) and much more, as well as improvised weapons.

Eskrima originally lacks a grading system, but some schools adopted colored belts taken from Japanese martial arts like UsefulNotes/{{Judo}} and UsefulNotes/{{Karate}}. Practitioners are sometimes called ''eskrimadores'', although this is not unanimous. Speaking of which, the names of the art have all interesting etymologies: ''eskrima'' comes from ''esgrima'' (Spanish for "fencing"), while ''arnis'' comes from ''arnés'' (literally Spanish for "harness", in reference to a long-abandoned meaning of the word that translates as "weapon"), and ''kali'' is a variation of ''kalis'' (a pre-Hispanic, Filipino word translatable as "blade" or "sword").

The origin of eskrima is complicated, as the strategic position of the Philippines means a lot of martial cultures converged here, including Indian, Chinese, Arab and Malayan, and as well as the systems of weapons brought by the Spanish Empire after their [[UsefulNotes/SpanishConquestOfThePhilippines conquest of the Philippines.]] The first Spaniards to arrive in the islands already observed the natives were unusually good weaponmasters, to the point they supposedly claimed that [[NeverBringAKnifeToAGunFight only firearms were consistently able to overpower them]], and sources record the presence of Filipino mercenaries in many conflicts in the Pacific, from Malaysia to Japan (indeed, The Spaniards themselves would recruit native militiamen to great effect). Their fighting arts were often based on bladed weapons, and after Spaniards banned civilians from carrying full-sized swords in their day jobs to prevent conflicts, this expanded to the usage of fighting sticks and smaller blades to keep their customs alive when not warrinh. The presence of Spanish fencing culture, with elements such as their famed ''Verdadera Destreza'' and their specialty on simultaneous ''espada y daga'', would only help the art evolve and achieve systematization over time.

The origin of eskrima is complicated, as the strategic position of the Philippines means a lot of martial cultures converged here, including Indian, Chinese, Arab and Malayan, and as well as the systems of weapons brought by the Spanish Empire after their [[UsefulNotes/SpanishConquestOfThePhilippines conquest of the Philippines.]] The first Spaniards to arrive in the islands already observed the natives were unusually good weaponmasters, to the point they supposedly claimed that [[NeverBtingAKnifeToAGunFight only firearms were consistently able to overpower them]], and sources record the presence of Filipino mercenaries in many conflicts in the Pacific, from Malaysia to Japan (indeed, The Spaniards themselves would recruit native militiamen to great effect). Their fighting arts were often based on bladed weapons, and after Spaniards banned civilians from carrying full-sized swords in their day jobs to prevent conflicts, this expanded to the usage of fighting sticks and smaller blades to keep their customs alive when not warrinh. The presence of Spanish fencing culture, with elements such as their famed ''Verdadera Destreza'' and their specialty on simultaneous ''espada y daga'', would only help the art evolve and achieve systematization over time.

The origin of eskrima is complicated, as the strategic position of the Philippines means a lot of martial cultures converged here, including Indian, Chinese, Arab and Malayan, and as well as the systems of weapons brought by the Spanish Empire after their [[UsefulNotes/SpanishConquestOfThePhilippines conquest of the Philippines.]] The first Spaniards to arrive in the islands already observed the natives were unusually good weaponmasters, to the point they supposedly claimed that only firearms were consistently able to overpower them, and sources record the presence of Filipino mercenaries in many conflicts in the Pacific, from Malaysia to Japan. Their warrior arts were often based on bladed weapons, and after Spaniards banned civilian from carrying full-sized swords to prevent conflicts, this expanded to the usage of fighting sticks and smaller blades to keep their customs alive. Even the presence of Spanish fencing culture, with elements such as their famed ''Verdadera Destreza'' and ''espada y daga'', would only help the art evolve with new influences and achieve systematization over time.

The highly traditional, unwritten character of eskrima means it doesn't have a clear history of lineages, although in modern times, grandmasters like Antonio "Tatang" Ilustrísimo, Teodor "Doring" Saavedra, brothers Eulogio and Cacoy Cañete and Balbino Tortal sperheaded the expansion of the art after World War II. It was taught first in countries like Hawaii, Australia and United States, with Creator/BruceLee and his contemporaries learning it, before gaining more international recognition. The general crowd is unknowingly very familiar already with eskrima moves, as the art managed to sneak into mainstream choreography of western martial arts films rather quickly due to its weapon brilliance flashy style; every time some action star wields two sticks or twin weapons onscreen, you can bet safely that there is some kali work behind, likely performed by someone from the Inosanto Academy (founded by Lee's partner Dan Inosanto, an eskrima virtuoso), even if it is not explicitly referenced on the film.

The art features a long list of weapons, including ''bastón'' (short staff or rod, of variable length), ''sibat'' (spear), ''daga'' or ''baraw'' (several types of daggers and knifes), ''bolo'' (machete), ''kalis'' (wavy-bladed sword), ''karambit'' (the small, curved used in pencak silat), ''tabak-toyok'' (a weapon similar to the nunchaku) and ''látigo'' (whip) and much more, as well as improvised weapons.

Eskrima originally lacks a grading system, but some schools adopted colored belts taken from Japanese martial arts like UsefulNotes/{{Judo}} and UsefulNotes/{{Karate}}. Practitioners are sometimes called ''eskrimadores'', although this is not unanimous. Speaking of which, the names of the art have all interesting etymologies: ''eskrima'' comes from ''esgrima'' (Spanish for "fencing"), while ''arnis'' comes from ''arnés'' (literally "harness", in reference to a long-abandoned meaning of the word that transles as "weapon"), and ''kali'' is a variation of ''kalis'' (a pre-Hispanic, Filipino word translatable as "blade" or "sword").

* '''WEKAF''' (World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation): this ruleset sees fighters wearing body armor and working to score ten points with stick strikes. This is the most popular and widely practised, yet a controversial one among the most martial-minded people, as it emphasizes offensive moves yet also penalizes repeating attacks, which carries the perception that its fighters are more skilled in spamming blows.
* '''ARPI''' (Arnis Philippines): this version uses padded sticks aside from more extensive body armors, and resembles traditional fencing in that fighters are separated every time a blow is scored according to visual judges. Its target areas are wider than those of WEAKF and also allows disarming the opponent if done quicly, which is an instant win. Some hope this style will be an Olympic sports some day, while others pray so it will not be.

The origin of eskrima is complicated, as the strategic position of the Philippines means a lot of martial cultures converged here, including Indian, Chinese, Arab and Malayan, and as well as the systems of weapons brought by the Spanish Empire after their [[UsefulNotes/SpanishConquestOfThePhilippines conquest of the Philippines.]] The first Spaniards to arrive in the islands already observed the natives were unusually good weaponmasters, to the point they supposedly claimed that only firearms were consistently able to overpower them, and sources record the presence of Filipino mercenaries in many conflicts in the Pacific, from Malaysia to Japan. Their warrior arts were often based on bladed weapons, and after Spaniards banned civilian from carrying full-sized swords to prevent conflicts, this expanded to the usage of fighting sticks and smaller blades to keep their customs alive. Even the presence of Spanish fencing culture, with elements such as their famed ''Verdadera Destreza'' and ''espada y daga'', would only help the art to evolve with new influences and achieve systematization over time.

The highly traditional, unwritten character of eskrima means it doesn't have a clear history or lineage of masters, although we could cite a 1712 work about something named ''Destreza Indiana'' as the very first treatise on the art. Centuries later, grandmasters like Antonio "Tatang" Ilustrísimo, Teodor "Doring" Saavedra, brothers Eulogio and Cacoy Cañete and Balbino Tortal would cause the true expansion of the art after World War II. It was taught first in countries like Hawaii, Australia and United States, with Creator/BruceLee and his contemporaries learning it, before gaining more international recognition. The general crowd is unknowingly very familiar already with eskrima moves, as the art managed to sneak into mainstream choreography of western martial arts films rather quickly due to its weapon brilliance flashy style; every time some action star wields two sticks or twin weapons onscreen, you can bet safely that there is some kali work behind, likely performed by someone from the Inosanto Academy (founded by Lee's partner Dan Inosanto, an eskrima virtuoso), even if it is not explicitly referenced on the film.

Eskrima originally lacks a grading system, but some schools adopted colored belts taken from Japanese martial arts like UsefulNotes/{{Judo}} and UsefulNotes/{{Karate}}. Practitioners are sometimes called ''eskrimadores'', although this is not unanimous. Speaking of which, the names of the art have all interesting etymologies: ''eskrima'' comes from ''esgrima'' (Spanish for "fencing"), while ''arnis'' comes from ''arnés'' (literally "harness", although referencing a now abandoned meaning of the word that transles as "weapon"), and ''kali'' is a variation of ''kalis'' (a pre-Hispanic, Filipino word translatable as "blade" or "sword").

'''Eskrima''', also known as '''arnis''' and '''kali''' depending on the place, is a Hispanic-indigenous martial art from the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}. It is mainly an armed fighting style, characterized by the usage of [[DualWielding weapons in both hands]] and an emphasis on dynamic, aggressive attacks, although it also has a minor unarmed variation (called '''suntukan''' or '''mano mano''', names also used in other styles) similar to the silat found in other countries of Southeast Asia.

'''Eskrima''', also known as '''arnis''' and '''kali''' depending on the place, is a Hispanic-indigenous martial art from the Philippines. It is mainly an armed fighting style, characterized by the usage of [[DualWielding weapons in both hands]] and an emphasis on dynamic, aggressive attacks, although it also has minor unarmed variation (called '''suntukan''' or '''mano mano''', names also used in other styles) similar to the silat found in other countries of Southeast Asia.

The origin of eskrima is complicated, as the strategic position of the Philippines means a lot of martial cultures converged here, including Indian, Chinese, Arab and Malayan, and as well as the systems of weapons brought by the Spanish Empire after their conquest of the Philippines. The first Spaniards to arrive in the islands already observed the natives were unusually good weaponmasters, to the point they claimed that only firearms were consistently able to overpower them, and sources record the presence of Philippine mercenaries in many conflicts in the Pacific, from Malaysia to Japan. Their warrior arts were often based on bladed weapons, and after Spaniards banned civilian froms carrying full-sized swords to prevent conflicts, this expanded to the usage of fighting sticks and smaller blades to keep their customs alive. Even the presence of Spanish fencing culture, with elements such as their famed ''verdadera destreza'' and ''espada y daga'', would only help the art to evolve with new influences and achieve systematization over time.

The highly traditional, unwritten character of the art means it doesn't have a clear lineage of masters, although we can credit grandmasters like Antonio "Tatang" Ilustrísimo, Teodor "Doring" Saavedra, brothers Eulogio and Cacoy Cañete and Balbino Tortal with the organized expansion of the art after World War II. It was taught first in countries like Hawaii, Australia and United States, with Creator/BruceLee and his contemporaries learning it, before gaining more international recognition. The general crowd is unknowingly very familiar already with eskrima moves, as the art managed to sneak into mainstream choreography of western martial arts films rather quickly due to its weapon brilliance flashy style; every time some action star wields two sticks or twin weapons onscreen, you can bet safely that there is some kali work behind, likely performed by someone from the Inosanto Academy (founded by Lee's partner Dan Inosanto, an eskrima virtuoso), even if it is not explicitly referenced on the film.

Eskrima originally lacks a grading system, but some schools adopted colored belts taken from Japanese martial arts like judo and karate. Practitioners are sometimes called ''eskrimadores'', although this is not unanimous. Speaking of which, the names of the art have all interesting etymologies: ''eskrima'' comes from ''esgrima'' (Spanish for "fencing"), while ''arnis'' comes from ''arnés'' (literally "harness", although referencing an ancient, nowadays abandoned meaning translatable as "weapon"), and ''kali'' is a variation of ''kalis'' (a pre-Hispanic, Filipino word that translates as "blade" or "sword").

'''Eskrima''', also known as '''arnis''' and '''kali''', is a Hispanic-indigenous martial art from the Philippines. It is mainly an armed fighting style, characterized by the usage of [[DualWielding weapons in both hands]] and an emphasis on dynamic, aggressive attacks, although it also has minor unarmed variation (called '''suntukan''' or '''mano mano''', names also used in other styles) similar to the silat found in other countries of Southeast Asia.