Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner, Jr. ordered on Friday all members of the AFP to train in the traditional Filipino martial art, Arnis.

This follows a demonstration from the Philippine Army Arnis Group during the Army’s 127th anniversary celebration at the Camp O’Donnel in Capas, Tarlac.

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“Now that we have enough instructors for Arnis, henceforth, Arnis as a martial art, will be taught to all members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, including the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Airforce,” Brawner said in his speech.

He said this will add to the defense skills of soldiers during emergencies.

“If any threat comes to our country ay kailangan kayang kaya nating depensahan. Hindi lamang tayo dumedepende sa armas, but we have to be also adept and competent in fighting with our bare hands,” he told reporters after the event.

(If any threat comes to our country, we need to be able to defend ourselves and not be reliant on weapons. We also have to be also adept and competent in fighting with our bare hands.)

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Arnis is an indigenous martial art characterized by the use of one or two sticks or “any similar implements or with bare hands and feet also used for striking, blocking, locking and grappling, with the use of the same principle as that with the canes.”

It was declared as “Philippine National Martial Art and Sport” on December 11, 2009 through Republic Act 9850 signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“Tayo ang gumawa nito, tayo ang nagimbento ng Arnis. Therefore, we should be proficient, we should be experts in Arnis,” Brawner said.

“Ang dapat na pinaka-expert niyan ay ang mga sundalo ng Armed Forces of the Philippines,” he also stressed.

(We made this, we invented this. Therefore, we should be proficient, we should be experts in Arnis. AFP soliders should be the best when it comes to this.