History of Filipino Martial Arts The Philippines is an island nation in the Western Pacific of almost 70 million people where more than 70 dialects are spoken. Over the centuries the Philippines has been a crossroad for various cultures trading and fighting. Kali is the mother art of the modern Filipino Martial Arts. According to historians, the Ten Datus of Borneo came to the island of Panay, where reading, writing and Kali was taught in schools. Because written data has disappeared, no one knows the original, exact techniques of Kali. Still modern Filipino martial arts have elements of Kali. The Spanish began a 400-year occupation of the islands late in the 16th century. To suppress opposition to their rule, the Spanish banned the teaching of Kali. Elements of the art were hidden in folk plays and native dance. However, over time, Spanish fencing methods were blended into the indigenous fighting framework. Under Spanish influence, the native art became known as eskrima, estocada, arnis de mano or arnis. Arnis historians have cited as many as 200 systems or styles of Arnis-Eskrima-Kali. Some of the most well-known Arnis-Eskrima-Kali styles are: - Illustrisimo Kali - Pekiti Tirsia - Doce Pares Eskrima - Marinas Pananandata - Balintawak - Cabales Serrada - Villabrille Eskrima - Modern Arnis - Kombatan