To understand in a better way a martial art it’s necessary to start from its origin and its socio-cultural context in which this art has taken place. When we talk about Philippine martial arts, we face a more various panorama than what we can imagine. Philippine archipelago has been a conquest land for years; this historical aspect has left (in a more or less marked way according to the zones) its mark both from the cultural point of view and from the martial one. More than the others, Spanish people have left a great impression, but not in the whole land. It’s in the north-centre part that we have the most relevant Spanish influence; besides, as a result of this, about 90% of people are Catholic (and catholic religion has been spread by Spanish people).
There isn’t the same situation in the south part of the country where since the strong influence of Indonesian archipelago, the Islamic religion has the better of it.
Even in martial arts we can find the same differentiations; as a matter of fact, in the north-centre part of the country, we can find fighting systems having an evident Spanish origin, together with a technical glossary with a strong Spanish impression. In the southern part, where we have the martial art identified with the name “kali”, Spanish influence has a less relevant influence against the Indonesian one, where we can find some “silat” elements typical of bare hands. Here, in particular in Mandinao isle area, that we hav kali kalasag principles and techiques origin.
“Kalasag” is a kind of shield used by some Philippines tribes; that’s why, giving this name to the whole system has allowed to keep untouched this martial art’s tradition and principles, that at the beginning was thought not for personal defence but for fights.
Kali has developed as one of the most mortal fighting system, where a lot of well-known people have lost their life, such as Ferdinando Magellano that, on 27th April 1521, during a fight on Mactan isle (at the north of Mindanao) lost his life under kampilan (Philippine machete) strokes of warrior Lapu-Lapu; or such as a lot of American soldiers whose throat, at the beginning of 20th century, was cut with bolos (working knife) by moros warriors in the forest.
Till today Mindanao is one of the most “turbulent” zone of the whole archipelago and a lot of its inhabitants ask for its independence from Manila government.
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