How to Learn Filipino Martial Arts

While obscure to the general public, martial arts practitioners know and respect Filipino martial arts as one of the most effective, fast and lethal systems in the hand-to-hand fighting world. Learning the Filipino styles is difficult and sometimes brutal but worthwhile in the end.

Instructions

1. Obtain a broad background in a number of traditional Asian martial arts such as karate, judo, kung fu and jiu jitsu since Filipino martial arts is famous for its subtle integration of the older fighting arts into a "system of systems."

2. Find a style of Eskrima (alternately called Kali or Arnis as general terms for Filipino martial arts) that suits you or is most available to you in your area. Yaw Yan is a variant that resembles Muay Thai (Thai boxing) and incorporates heavy Taekwondo kicks into the fighting. Kuntaw, one of the oldest arts of the islands, uses hard parts of the body as weapons. Dumog, on the other hand, places emphasis on grappling and wrestling.

3. Work your way through the Filipino weapons systems, starting with the single handed short and long stick and moving up into axes, knives and spears.

4. Check out Kali-JKD University, an online Filipino martial arts center that gives information and training resources for many of the most important Filipino fighting systems.

5. Consider training in the Philippines at a center that accommodates foreigners. Start out at one of the large training centers in Manila so you can make contact with people you can refer you to other training centers on adjacent islands of the archipelago.