Unique Features of Filipino Martial Arts Not Normally Found in Other Martial Arts

• It is a complete system of armed as well as unarmed combat. Many martial arts are either armed or barehand.  And they tend to concentrate on a few aspects of combat.  eg.  Judo concentrate on grappling and throwing.  Karate concentrates on striking with the hands. Tae Kwon Do concentrates on kicking.  Aikido concentrates on off- balancing and throwing.  Arnis, on the other hand, balances all these aspects into a unified system without undue emphasis on any aspect.
• Training is by usage and application of attack and defence only.  This is  a direct approach to resolve the problem of combat readiness.  Train in attack and defence in order to prepare for combat.  Training in forms (kata) is an indirect approach.  That is why in traditional Arnis, unlike Chinese, Korean and Japanese arts, there are no forms.
• Arnis training begins with weapons first and progresses to empty hands. This is completely opposite to Chinese, Korean and Japanese martial arts which emphasise that empty hands must be mastered before weapons can be taught.
• Arnis training begins with combat application training right away! Chinese, Korean, Japanese systems first trains the students in all basic and prepatory exercises, forms,  etc before teaching basic defences progressively.  Time is not wasted learning various sets of exercises for many years.
• In Arnis, the emphasis is on weapons training because empty hands is easily mastered if proficiency in weaponary is already aquired, and Arnis training ensures weapons training is easily and quickly acquired.  Chinese, Korean and Japanese  arts tend to emphasis empty hands training.
• Arnis is a harmonious blend of soft - hard style.  Most other martial arts are either more hard or more soft, and there is no happy medium.
• Arnis emphasises the flow of energy, movement, technique and strategy. Most martial arts, with the exception of Tai Chi Chuan, Pa Kua Chuan, Aikido, and the Malay and Indonesian arts, do not emphasis these aspects.
• Arnis emphasises street-wise techniques and strategies.  Training under ideal classroom conditions is frown upon.  In contrast, most martial arts are taught under an ideal  classroom setting.
• Arnis traditionally is not practised in groups or class format.  Even in modern times, certain aspects of Arnis require one to one attention.  Most martial arts, on the other hand can be easily and happily taught to large groups together at once.
• Arnis emphasises mortal combat as opposed to martial virtue.  This is in contrast to most martial arts which emphasise virtue and morality and way of life.  Arnis philosophy is pragmatic - such vitues are to be trained and acquired through long training.  Students should not need to be already qualified before they are allowed to study to become qualified.
• Arnis encompasses in all 3 ranges of combat:- long - medium - short.  Many martial arts are suited to a particular range.  eg.  Judo and wrestling are suitable for short range.  Wing Chun and Tai Chi are suitable for medium range.   Tae Kwon Do and western fencing are suitable for long range.
• Certain forms of Arnis make extensive use of combat training drills.   This is rarely  seen, much less, emphasised in other forms of martial arts.
• In Arnis, self defense using a stick/blade is the preferred method.   This is a distinguishing feature of Arnis, such that Arnis/Escrima/Kali is mistaken by other martials as the ‘Filipino Stick Fighting’.  It is a trademark  -  this seem to distinguish it from other martial arts.
• Arnis makes extensive use of the 'Alive Hand'.   This unique feature is not present in most other martial arts.
• Arnis does not make any differentiation between weapons and empty hands.  They are one and the same.  Therefore all weapon techniques are inter-changeable with weapons.  In stark contrast, weapons are completely distinct from empty hands in other martial arts.  ie. have forms for empty hands, but have other sets of forms for weapons.
  Arnis does not have a colour belt or Dan ranking system like Japanese and Korean martial arts.