SEA Games: Arnis, Philippines martial art that evokes Magellan's nemesis

ANGELES CITY -- To the untrained eye, arnis -- the stick-wielding martial art of the Philippines -- is brutal and frenzied, but behind the chaos lies a tradition dating back hundreds of years.

It holds a treasured place in Filipino hearts as it evokes 16th-century tribal ruler Lapu-Lapu, whose army killed Ferdinand Magellan, the lead explorer in the first successful circumnavigation of the globe, and saw off the Spanish invaders, delaying their colonization by several decades. "We consider him our first national hero. He is actually in our logo, and we consider him as our founding father."

Players in body armor and grilled helmets bow to one another in the middle of the fighting square before attempting to strike their opponent's body with a baton made of ratan.At the SEA Games men and women from just four nations -- the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam -- fought in bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight and welterweight.

His feathered headdress is a sign of ferocity and painted tattoos show a warrior's accomplishments and place in society, he explained, while the pattern on his "wanno" loincloth indicates where he is from -- the mountainous region of Ifugao.

Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

SEA Games: Philippines wins more gold, silver in obstacle course
Source: ABSCBNNews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »

LIVE UPDATES: Philippines vs Indonesia – SEA Games 2019 men's volleyballThe Philippines men's volleyball team puts its dominant run to a test as it faces another unbeaten squad in Indonesia. Bookmark this page for live updates at 6 pm tonight! SEAGames2019
Source: rapplerdotcom - 🏆 4. / 86 Read more »

SEA Games: Philippines wins karate gold, thanks to Junna Tsukii
Source: ABSCBNNews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »

LIVE UPDATES: Philippines vs Myanmar - SEA Games 2019 basketballGilas Pilipinas eyes a sweep of the preliminary round against Myanmar tonight at the Mall of Asia Arena. Tune in here for live updates! SEAGames2019
Source: rapplerdotcom - 🏆 4. / 86 Read more »

SEA Games: Track, field stars shine as Philippines surpasses 200-medal mark
Source: ABSCBNNews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »

SEA Games: Philippines falls to 0-3 in women’s volleyballTheir performance is quiet frustrating. Was expecting more from them. Let’s adjust .. And improve.. let’s us all move on.. mabuhay pilipinas That set towards the end of the 2nd set changed that whole story of that game. Bad timing on the part of coach to change the setter. Trust is important nevertheless I am proud of the girls. So much respect to Jia 🙌
Source: ANCALERTS - 🏆 26. / 50 Read more »