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WHAT
IS THE MARTIAL ART OF ESCRIMA?
Escrima,
Arnis, Kali are just a few name used to
describe the martial art brought to the
United States by Filipinos.
Whatever
name it goes under, the art has had a long
and savage history, dating back to 1521
when Spanish rule first came to the Philippine
Islands. Before colonization by Spain, Escrima
was taught as a recreational activity, along
with reading, writing, religion and Sanskrit.
The
Spaniards had a hard time imposing their
rule on the inhabitants, who wielded their
bolos, daggers and sticks with fierce and
deadly effectiveness. Not until they brought
in reinforcements and firearms could they
affect any semblance of order.
In
the seventeen hundreds, when Spanish rule
was firmly secured, the teaching and study
of Escrima was banned (in the same way as
the Japanese overlords banned the ownership
of weapons on Okinawa). The carrying of
a bolo (a long bladed weapon similar to
a machete) or dagger was also forbidden.
These orders were imposed in an attempt
to "civilize" the spirited Filipinos.
Escrima
then became a clandestine art (as did the
art of Karate on Okinawa) and was practiced
in secret. When it re-emerged it went unnoticed
by the Spaniards. It had been set to native
music and performed as it was, without weapons,
the movements resembled only a harmless
dance. This "dancing" even became
popular with the rulers and demonstrations
were given in public at fiesta time.
The
real Escrima had not died though, as the
Spanish soldiers found out every time there
was a revolt. From generation to generation,
the many different regional styles, collectively
termed Escrima, were kept alive, being handed
down from father to son over the centuries.
When
Spanish rule ended and the Americans took
over in 1898, the ban on the art was lifted.
Friendly competitions were then conducted
in public at fiesta's but the teachers never
"opened their doors", so to speak
and Escrima remained a semi-secretive activity.
The
country was to see a lot more martial arts
action in the ensuing years. When the war
came, the Japanese invaded the Philippines
and a lot of Filipinos worked alongside
the Americans in guerilla units. Many of
these owed their lives, in countless close-quarter
engagements, to their Escrima training--the
custom issued machete closely resembled
their native bolo. This is an art that has
been well and truly tested, over a long
period of time in actual combat.
After
the war, many Filipinos had emigrated to
the USA--needless to add, Escrima went with
them. Most of the immigrants went to Hawaii
and California. Of these that went to California
the majority settled in Stockton and it
is from there that Arnis / Escrima has surfaced
onto the American martial arts scene.
The
"discovery" of Escrima, along
with the widespread use of the Nunchaku
weapon, must be credited to the late Bruce
Lee. His portrayal of the use of the "double
sticks" in the movie "Enter the
Dragon" and the unfinished "Game
of Death" brought the art of Filipino
Stick Fighting out into the open. Bruce
Lee was taught Escrima by his student and
friend, Danny Inosanto who had in turn been
trained by a distinguished Escrimador (the
title given to practitioners of the art)
in Stockton, California.
The
Filipino Martial Arts is virtually unknown
to the general public because of it’s
late entry into the mainstream martial arts
world. What hasn’t helped the popularity
growth of Escrima is the stigma attached
to how it is taught. Escrima is noted for
using weapons, usually sticks, as the primary
tool to learn the basic concepts of the
art, with the secondary focus being the
empty hands. The idea of just picking up
a stick or any weapon is a scary thought,
and avoiding rather than exploring the beauty
of the art seems safer and is less time
consuming.
Continued...
Buy
Escrima Sticks
This
article appears at http://www.escrima-concepts.com
and is a highly recommended website for
more information about the martial art of
escrima.
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