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What we do

London Arnis practice Filipino Martial Arts (FMA), however as a Dog Brothers Group we train in a slightly different way to some other martial arts. For more information on this read below.

Filipino Martial Arts

Arnis / Eskrima / Kali are all words that describe the weapons systems of Filipino Martial Arts .  The diversity in the wording is also reflected in the muddled history of FMA.  Some say it was developed by tribal warfare in the Philippines, others say that the art owes its influence to China, and its surrounding neighbours Malaysia and Indonesia. 

What is generally accepted is that the stick which embodies so much of FMA, began life as a substitute to the lethal qualities of the bladed weapons such as knives and daggers.  The Spanish conquest in 1565 resulted in the banning of the indigenous martial arts and bladed weapons.  The Filipinos got round this by using sticks instead of blades and performed ceremonial ‘dances’ that disguised the martial aspect within the arts.

Leaving the past and into the present, what cannot be denied now is the practicality of FMA as a form of self defence.  Its effectiveness was forged during the tribal battles, perfected in many ‘death match’ duels and still tested on the streets of the Philippines today, a country with a huge knife culture. 

Freed from the restraints of Katas, forms and other set training methodologies that beset other traditional martial arts, FMA is known for its simple concepts, its flowing movement and most importantly its effectiveness in both armed and unarmed combat.  It is these qualities that attract other stylists to cross train into FMA allowing them to plug any gaps in their own system without sacrificing their training methodologies.

However, the FMA runs much deeper than that, and taking a little bit of knife defense here and some blocking drills there misses the depth and beauty of FMA as a truly complete system: As well as weapons, the art covers Panantukan (Filipino boxing), Sikaran (kicking), Dumog (grappling and takedowns). The empty hands, like the weapons side, is not designed for sports purposes. Biting, gouging and limb destruction are all part and parcel of this aggressive art.

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