Secrets of Giron Arnis Escrima. Antonio Somera

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      Development of a Fighting Art

      The history of the Philippines and her martial arts is a history of influences whose origins span the globe—extending from the Malay Peninsula, the Indonesian Archipelago, China, India, Japan, and the Middle East, to Europe and the Americas. These regions have made an impact on the Philippines through centuries of trade, migration, and conflict. The blood and ashes of such conflict has marked the landscape and national psyche of this great land for over one thousand years. This has involved a virtual kaleidoscope of cultural, ethnic, religious, and linguistic backgrounds. Throughout the ages, the people of these islands have observed, learned, and adapted from others where necessary while reinforcing and refining the wealth of indigenous knowledge already in place.

      Regionalism

      Regionalism in the Philippines evolved from the ancient barangay system of rule where rajahs or kings would exercise direct authority over a virtual city-state, consisting of between thirty and one-hundred families. Often, barangays with common language and customs would confederate with others, forming much larger regional kingdoms. This eventually formed the political-geographic basis of what has become today’s provincial system of government. It was during the period of regional kingdoms that the Spanish first arrived.

      As if in a classical morality play, the symbolism of certain events often looms larger than the occurrences themselves. The defeat in 1521 of the Portuguese explorer, Fernando Magallanes, or Ferdinand Magellan as he is known today, while sailing under the Spanish flag, indicated such an event. While attempting to bring the rajah and datus (chieftains) of Cebu under Spanish control, Magellan foolishly assumed a lack of martial capabilities among inhabitants and blundered into a conflict which ultimately led to his demise. His nemesis was a king by the name ofLapulapu. Rajah Lapulapu was named after a colorful and aggressive coral game fish of the area. Lapulapu was not of the people commonly settled in the larger island of Cebu. He was of the Orang Lauts, or man of the high seas, from the southern Celebes.

      Magellan had unwittingly encountered a fierce people whose lives were dedicated to freedom and struggle. Magellan’s defeat at Mactan became a symbol representing the inherent power of the people to resist the imposition of foreign rule. It is both ironic and illuminating that notwithstanding the long period of the Spanish rule, some 333 years, a short-lived American period, and an even briefer Japanese occupation, it is the event of victory that stands out when characterizing Filipino history. What Magellan failed to understand was that he was dealing with a people of great variety and complexity who were not unprepared for his challenge. Lapulapu and other leaders of common ancestry and experience shared a tradition of acculturation which included the study and training in the arts of war as well as other facets of life. These martial arts have continued to evolve, resulting in many of the styles and systems found in the central and southern regions of the Philippines today. In some parts of the Visayas and Luzon, knowledge of European fencing techniques generated counter measures to be woven into the fabric of indigenous styles and systems. Examples of successful resistance to foreign rule as in the case of the unconquered Moros of the southern Philippines, further served to encourage the spirit of independence among all peoples of the islands. This spirit frequently surfaced as full-blown revolts throughout Philippine history.