Arnis / Eskrima

Also known as Arnis · Arnis stick fighting · stick sparring

Arnis is the stick art of the Philippines. In sport sparring two players in padding use light rattan sticks, exchanging numbered strikes, checks and a trap that takes the other stick away, scoring touches by skill and never by force.

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Arnis / Eskrima: photograph by Mr.Colling — Photo: Mr.Colling, CC BY 3.0, source on Wikimedia Commons

Arnis / Eskrima: the game in attract mode

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How to play

Watch the rival's stance: it shows the move coming.
Tap the answering move while the marker is inside the bright zone.
A disarm only works once the rival is off balance.
Win two of three rounds.

Rules at a glance

Every move beats two others and is beaten by two others; learn the circle.
Timing decides the strength of a move: inside the bright zone is full strength.
Strikes, weaves and checks score a touch; a trap and disarm scores two.
A round ends when one player is five points ahead, or when the clock runs out.
Tired players move weakly: use Breathe to recover.

About the tradition

Arnis, also called eskrima or kali, is taught across the Philippine islands with rattan sticks. Students learn numbered angles of attack and partner drills such as the double-stick weave before they ever spar, and it is now a school sport and a national martial art.

Origins

Usually placed in the era of Classical Worlds (about 1000 BCE to 500 CE), although its exact origins are uncertain, within the cultural world of Southeast Asia and the Islands.

Credits

Game design: World Heritage Games (original)
Photo: Mr.Colling, CC BY 3.0, source on Wikimedia Commons
Text: CC BY-SA 4.0, World Heritage Games.

Sources

Get the app

Arnis / Eskrima is one of 18 sports and skill games in the Sports & Skill of the World app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Submitted to the App Store and Google Play; in review. Store links appear here the day it goes live. One app, many traditions, no account needed.

See all 18 sports and skill games in the app

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