Philippine National Sport: Arnis: Our National Sport

We all know that “Lupang Hinirang” is our national anthem, “narra” is our national tree, “sampaguita is our national flower, and “manga” is our national fruit. As for our national sport, we were all taught in school that it was “sipa”. Well, not anymore. In 2009, the Philippine Congress has officially declared arnis de mano (harness of the hand) or “arnis” for short as the national sport of the Philippines through RA 9850, which finally put an end to speculations why sipa became our national sport on the first place? But what make ‘arnis’ any better than sipa?

No official declaration of a national sport
First of, there is no official declaration of a Filipino national sport until 2009 despite the fact that most books and school accept and teach that “sipa” as our national sport. Nobody really knows including the Department of Education why, who and where the idea of naming sipa as the national sport started, although some historians contend that it should have been “patintero” instead because it is a native sport that Filipinos play even earlier than sipa. With no official basis for proclaiming “sipa” as national sport, it would be well-timed to declare one.

Sipa is not a sport
“Sipa” in the Philippines is not a sport much like the “Sepak Takraw” of Malaysia or our own “Sipa Lambatan” that is played like volleyball using only the foot to hit and pass a rattan ball. “Sipa” in the Philippines is a game synonymous to hacky sack save that clustered rubber bands or a tailed round metal washer or stud is used. “Sipa” is more live a children’s game rather than a sporting event. Thus, sipa was correctly declared as a national game along with other traditional Filipino native games like patintero, luksong baka, tumbang presyo, and agawang sulok among others.

Arnis is purely a Pinoy martial art
Although not all our national symbols are native or exclusive to the Philippines like manga and sampaguita, it would nevertheless be ideal if a sport that is native and original in one’s own country is selected as the national sport. This is true in the case of arnis, which is internationally known and recognized as martial art that is indigenousness to the Philippines. Arnis is known in many names in different Philippine regions such as kali, garote and eskrima because of the many variations of this art of fighting. Moreover, the art is also comprised by other related martial arts such as Panandata (use of weapons), Kuntao (bare hands), Dumog (grappling and wrestling), Sikaran (kicking) and Hilot (healing).

Arnis played a significant historical value
The declaration of national heroes and symbols is primarily aimed to instill patriotism and nationalism to the Filipinos. It would be therefore sensible to declare a sport that played key historical value to the Philippines. Through out our history, arnis had been utilized as defense system to resist and fight off foreign threats ad invaders of our land. It was used by ancient Filipino natives in the Battle of Mactan to repel Magellan and his cohorts. It was also used by Filipinos in its revolution against the Spaniards. It was used by Filipino guerillas against Japanese invaders during the second world war. The martial art was also incorporated in dances such as moro –moro, which also become a source of entertainment for the Filipinos in its time of crisis. Arnis is therefore truly an art that had become an integral part of being a Filipino.