Arnis is the Philippines’ national martial art and sport, officially recognised by the Republic Act 9850 signed in 2009. It is a weapons-based fighting system that uses sticks, knives, and bladed implements. When practised for sport, rattan sticks replace blades. When practised for self-defence, the techniques transfer to any available implement — or to empty-hand combat. The philosophy of arnis is that the stick teaches the hand, and the hand teaches the stick.
The martial art goes by several names depending on region and lineage: arnis in the northern Philippines, eskrima in the Visayas region, and kali is the umbrella term used internationally (particularly in the United States and Europe). All three refer to the same fighting system with regional variations. The debate over which name is “correct” has been ongoing in the arnis community for decades and has not been resolved to everyone’s satisfaction.
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How arnis is practiced as a sport
Competitive arnis uses rattan sticks approximately 70-75 cm in length. Practitioners train in three main areas: anyo (forms, similar to kata in karate), sagasa (sparring with protective gear), and double stick (using two sticks simultaneously).
In sparring, competitors wear helmets, body armour, hand protection, and groin protection. Points are scored for controlled strikes that land on scoring zones of the body. The system is contact-based but controlled — the goal is demonstrating skill and accuracy, not knockout power.
There are also empty-hand arnis techniques (mano mano) which are practiced in forms and applied in sparring. The weapons training and empty-hand training cross-pollinate in arnis theory: footwork, angle of attack, and timing developed with sticks translate directly to hand-to-hand situations.
Why arnis is considered the national sport of the Philippines
Republic Act 9850, enacted in December 2009, designated arnis as the national martial art and sport. The law reflects several things: arnis predates Spanish colonisation of the Philippines (Spanish accounts from 1521 describe Filipinos using stick and blade fighting systems), it developed indigenously across the archipelago, and it represents a form of Filipino cultural heritage that survived four centuries of colonial rule.
The Spanish colonists banned arnis practice at various points during the colonial period, believing the combat training was a security risk. Practitioners responded by embedding the movements into dances and folk performances — a tactic seen in other colonially suppressed martial arts (capoeira in Brazil used a similar strategy). The art survived and was revived formally in the post-colonial period.
The designation in 2009 came after a significant lobbying effort by the arnis community, competing with campaigns for boxing (Manny Pacquiao-era) and basketball. The argument that won: arnis is the only sport that originated entirely in the Philippines, with no foreign lineage.
Arnis in Philippine schools
Following Republic Act 9850, arnis was included in the physical education curriculum of Philippine schools. The Department of Education issued guidelines for arnis instruction from elementary through senior high school. Implementation has been uneven — arnis instruction depends significantly on available teachers with training — but the sport is now part of the official school sports system and is included in the Palarong Pambansa (national school sports games).
The Palarong Pambansa, which is the Philippines’ national student sports competition, includes arnis as a medal event, which gives students a competitive pathway from school level through national competition. This has helped grow the sport’s base among young Filipinos beyond the traditional martial arts community.
Arnis internationally: kali and eskrima worldwide
Arnis/eskrima/kali has a substantial international following, particularly in the United States and Europe. This is partly due to Filipino diaspora communities teaching the art abroad, and partly due to the influence of martial arts crossover. Bruce Lee incorporated eskrima principles into his Jeet Kune Do system in the 1960s, which gave the art exposure in American martial arts circles. Dan Inosanto, Lee’s student, became a primary international teacher of kali and trained generations of martial artists.
The art appears regularly in action films and television because its weapon-based techniques are visually compelling and translate well to screen. John Wick’s combat choreography incorporates kali principles, which introduced the system to millions of viewers who did not know what they were watching.
Is arnis an Olympic sport? Not yet. It has been part of discussions for Southeast Asian Games inclusion (it appeared at the 2005 and 2019 SEA Games) but has not achieved Olympic status. Arnis advocates have pushed for inclusion, and the sport’s presence at the 2019 SEA Games in Manila — when the Philippines hosted — gave it significant domestic visibility.
FAQ: arnis, the Philippines’ national sport
Why is arnis the national sport of the Philippines?
Arnis is the only sport that originated entirely within the Philippines, with no foreign lineage. Republic Act 9850 (2009) designated it the national martial art and sport to recognise its pre-colonial origins, its survival through Spanish colonisation, and its place in Filipino cultural heritage.
What is arnis?
Arnis (also called eskrima or kali) is the Philippines’ national martial art. It is a weapons-based fighting system using sticks, knives, and blades. In sport competition, rattan sticks are used. The art covers single stick, double stick, knife, and empty-hand techniques.
Is arnis an Olympic sport?
No. Arnis has appeared at the Southeast Asian Games (2005, 2019) but has not been added to the Olympic programme as of 2025.
What is the difference between arnis, eskrima, and kali?
All three refer to the same Filipino martial arts system with regional name variations. Arnis is used in the northern Philippines, eskrima in the Visayas region, and kali is the term used internationally. Republic Act 9850 used “arnis” as the official national name.
What sports are played in the Philippines?
Basketball is the dominant spectator sport, with the PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) being the most-followed professional league. Boxing has produced world champions including Manny Pacquiao. Arnis is the official national sport. Football (soccer) has a growing following. Sabong (cockfighting) is a traditional sport with a massive, though controversial, following.
Arnis as a Filipino cultural marker
The martial art’s pre-colonial origin is genuinely important to how Filipinos relate to it. Most of the Philippines’ dominant cultural forms — Catholicism, Spanish architectural heritage, the English-heavy language — arrived through colonisation. Arnis is one of the few major cultural practices that demonstrably predates Spanish arrival. That makes its national sport status carry weight beyond the athletic designation.
For the national sports of other Southeast Asian countries — including sepak takraw (Malaysia/Thailand) — the national sports of all countries article provides the full overview. For the Southeast Asian acrobatic sport closely linked to Filipino school sports culture, see the sepak takraw guide.
