Filipino Martial Arts: A Return to Being Maharlika from Illustrado
By Flordeliz Samonte
Awed by the moves of Matt Damon in Bourne Identity? Lapu Lapu, the Datu of Mactan and the First Filipino Hero and his stronghold of Kali warriors, defeated Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 with the same fighting skills which have worked their way into Hollywood movies today. The story has been heard several times but the role of the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) has been kept in the sidelines waiting for another warrior to take up the art once again.
FMA known to many in various names like Arnis, Escrima or Kali is a warrior art which is now being rediscovered by Filipinos. Known by different systems as varied as the 7,107 islands of the Philippines, FMA is a complete package. Before Spanish conquerors came to the archipelago, Filipinos already had their own fighting system used as defense during tribal wars. During the Spanish regime, it was banned, giving rise to the popular use of the rattan stick as a weapon. Driven to secrecy, FMA was secretly passed down from father to son and Kali movements were disguised as folk dances such as tinikling, maglalatik and sakuting.
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