MANILA, Philippines – It’s always a good idea to gear up on your self-defense skills, but have you ever tried a martial art that is native to the Philippines? 

Kali Eskrima is a Filipino fighting system dating back to pre-colonial Philippines, but has risen again in popularity in modern times. 

“This system is unique because it is the only Filipino fighting system of the US military, the Philippine military, the Indian military, the Austrian military, the PNP and the Presidential Security Group here in the Philippines,” said Survival Arts director Jamie Yancovitz. 

“So it is very effective because it’s based completely on the blade, and everything we do, we think that we have a blade even when we have our stick. The stick is our blade and even when we don’t have a stick, we don’t have a blade, our hand is our blade.” 

Although it cannot be learned in a day, Rappler Hustle, together with Survival Arts, gives you a glimpse of how effective this martial art can be in defending yourself from danger. – Rappler.com