Modern Arnis
Arnis is the Phillipino art of stickfighting. In Arnis, one learns to fight against an armed
attacker as well as how to fight with sticks or knives. The techniques always have an empty
hand translation, so it is an empty handed martial art as well as a weapons oriented.
These are all very important aspects, because you never know what a random attacker will
have on him.
Training in arnis starts with the 12 basic disarms, one disarm from each of the twelve basic
angles (ways) someone can attack you. From there you learn all the possible variations of
disarms, locks, and counters that are available.
At the same time as this, you will be learning sinewali, which means weaving. Sinewali is to
Arnis, what learning to walk is to life. It is first taught as a two stick drill than it is
translated to one stick, and empty-hand. It can be applied to self-defense, and it can be
used as a drill from which other techniques branch. These other techniques can be strikes or
attempted locks, anything that deviates from the expected pattern. This allows one person
to practice moving from attack to attack while the other is practicing how to defend against,
or counter each attack.
Kata
There are four stick forms in Arnis and eight empty-hand forms. They are:
Stick Forms | Empty-Hand Forms |
| 1. Anyo Baston Isa | 1. Anyo Isa |
| 2. Anyo Baston Dalawa | 2. Anyo Dalawa |
| 3. Anyo Baston Tatlo | 3. Anyo Tatlo |
| 4. Anyo Baston Apat | 4. Anyo Apat |
| 5. Anyo Lima |
| 6. Anyo Anim |
| 7. Anyo Pito |
| 8. Anyo Walo |
