history of Kali

Eskrima, Kali, Arnis the only known traditional Filipino martial art, the art goes back into the antiquity of the culture and history of the Philippines. The exact time of it's origin remains uncertain. Historical evidence reveals that this manly art of self defense - using a single stick, 2 sticks, a short and long stick, a dagger or some other blunt instrument - had no doubt existed well before the arrival of the 1st Spanish colonists in the country.

A lot of martial arts schools and instructors believe that the word Kali is a combination of the words Lihok (movement) and Kamut (hand). It is also believed that Kali mother art of Arnis or Escrima but there is very little evidence to support this. Kali or Kahli as it is sometimes called, in Visayan is a type of stick, but not used to refer to the fighting art. Kali is also the Hindu Goddess of destruction, and the Moros of the Sulu archipelago  often would go into battle dressed like the goddess Kali. The most acceptable explanation is from the Tagalog word for a large bladed weapon, Kalis. This was shortened simply to Kali to refer to all bladed weapons. Its use in the West comes from the use of the word by Floro Villabrille who used this term to describe his art, and this was eventually popularized by Dan Inosanto.