Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Martial Arts
  3. Arnis

Arnis

Arnis de Mano

Weapons🇵🇭 Philippines

AI-generated content — may contain inaccuracies

Why train this

At a Glance

IntensityMedium
ContactMedium
Beginner FriendlyEasy
Belt SystemVaries by organization (belt or ranking system)
Origin🇵🇭 Philippines
CompetitionWEKAF World Championships, SEA Games (Arnis)

Who It's For

Self-DefenseTraditionalCompetition

What You'll Learn

Labindalawang anggulo (12-angle striking system)

Disarming techniques — disarma — against stick and blade

Sinawali (weaving) double-stick patterns

Empty-hand translations — mano mano — of weapon movements

Tapi-tapi (checking hand) flow drills and alive hand — bantay kamay

Your First Class

Watch & Learn

Gallery

Two Eskrima practitioners sparring with stick and knife

Legends of Arnis

Remy Presas

Remy Presas synthesized traditional Filipino stick and blade arts into Modern Arnis, making the complex system accessible to international practitioners. He brought Filipino martial arts to the global stage and influenced a generation of FMA instructors from the Philippines to the United States.

1936–2001

Remy Presas

Ernesto Presas

Ernesto Presas founded Kombatan, a comprehensive Filipino martial arts system, and was the younger brother of Modern Arnis founder Remy Presas. While the brothers pursued different paths, Ernesto's Kombatan emphasized a complete fighting curriculum including sticks, blades, empty hands, and grappling.

1945–2010

Ernesto Presas

Dan Inosanto

Dan Inosanto is a martial arts instructor, actor, and the foremost authority on Jeet Kune Do after Bruce Lee. He is one of only three people certified by Bruce Lee to teach JKD and has dedicated his life to preserving and advancing Filipino martial arts, Silat, and Southeast Asian combat systems.

1936

Dan Inosanto

Datu Tim Hartman

Related Styles

FMA (Filipino Martial Arts)

Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) — Sining ng Pakikipaglaban ng Pilipinas — is an umbrella term for the weapon-based fighting systems of the Philippines, including Arnis, Kali, and Escrima. Training begins with weapons — baston (sticks) and blades — espada (swords) — and translates to empty hands — mano mano (hand-to-hand).

Kali

Kali is a Filipino martial art emphasizing edged — patalim (blades) — and impact weapons — baston (sticks) — with sophisticated doble baston (double-stick) and daga (knife) techniques. Different lineages (Pekiti-Tirsia, Inosanto-Lacoste, etc.) have distinct methods but share core principles.

Escrima

Escrima (Eskrima, from Spanish esgrima, "fencing") is a Filipino weapon-based martial art closely related to Arnis and Kali. Visayan in origin, it emphasizes practical baston (stick) and blade combat — with a strong emphasis on corto mano (close-range) fighting.

Jeet Kune Do

Jeet Kune Do ("Way of the Intercepting Fist") was developed by Bruce Lee as a personal combat philosophy. It rejects rigid styles in favor of directness, simplicity, and adaptability, drawing from boxing, fencing, and Wing Chun.

Jeet Kune Do

Popular With

Weaponologist

Give me any weapon.

Weaponologist

Ready to train Arnis?

Find schools near you and book a free trial class.

Keep Exploring

Why train this
IntensityMedium
ContactMedium
Beginner FriendlyEasy
Belt SystemVaries by organization (belt or ranking system)
Origin🇵🇭 Philippines
CompetitionWEKAF World Championships, SEA Games (Arnis)
Training Goals
Self-DefenseTraditionalCompetition
© 2026 MartialBase
About·Contact·Brand·Privacy·Terms