Post by RYTCHZ MAGIC on Oct 25, 2005 17:42:04 GMT 9
The origin of a Filipino art called ‘arnis’
By JOSE DION D. DIAZ
In the global field of martial arts; while Karate, Judo, Sumo, Samurai and Kendo is to Japan… Taekwondo – to the Koreans; … Kung Fu – to the Chinese and Muay Thai kickboxing to the Thai; the Arnis, is globally Filipino. It is the answer in our search to the true Filipino identity. However, the Spaniards banned Arnis during their regime, remembering how Rajah Lapulapu a.k.a. “Tanday Lupalupa’’, warrior king and chieftain of Mactan in the 16th century, slew the Spanish conquistador; Ferdinand Magellan.
Lapulapu was a master of arnis – “pangamut” which consisted of six slashes: (to the head, chest, and kidneys – both left and right sides), and two thrusts (to the face and abdominal region), with a combination of the ancient wrestling art “dumog”. With his lightning skills as an “arnisador”; Lapulapu easily put Magellan to death. Thus, Lapulapu became our first National hero.
As time went on, Arnis continued to be banned. Spaniards were fearful the art could be used in rebellion. Filipino men were made to wear transparent clothing to assure the soldiers that there were no bladed objects hidden on their waists – that’s how the Barong Tagalog came to be. While the women were made to wear sheer kimono or “baro” with “Camiso de Chino” underneath, which evolved into “Baro’t Saya”.
But the natives were quick to innovate. They took two bamboo sticks, sharpened the edges and like pointed spears called it the “tinikling”. The “arnisadors” were quick to put down the bamboos and made it to dancing sticks, as the Spanish soldiers patrol the villages. The people danced around and merrily put their feet in-between the bamboo sticks, giving birth to the native dance – “tinikling”. Thus, making it an effective ploy to deceive the Spaniards.