FMA - Filipino Martial Arts

FMA integrates a "system-of-systems" approach to combat readiness. Filipinos have made significant sacrifices to develop their arts. Throughout the ages multi-cultural, multi-national invaders of the Philippines imposed new dynamics for human conflict and combat. FMA, the "system-of-systems" transformed itself as a direct result of an appreciation of their ever changing environment and circumstance. The Filipino's intrinsic need for self-preservation was the evolutionary genesis of these analogous systems.

They learned often out of necessity how to prioritize, allocate and utilize common resources in combative situations. For over three hundred years the Spanish had control over much of the Philippines. The Spanish regime often enforced royal laws and decrees limiting and prohibiting weapons use by the indigenous people. These restrictions of use were partly responsible for secretive and underground nature of FMA.

The Filipino's battle tested tactics proved strategically effective from angle of old world weaponry and hand to hand conflict. Highly skilled Filipino martial artists are often characterized by a state of "flow" that is decisively responsive, deployable, agile, versatile, lethal, survivable, and sustainable.

In 1972, the Philippine government included Filipino Martial Arts into the "Palarong Pambansa" or National Sports. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports also included it as part of the physical education curriculum for high school and college students. Knowledge of the Filipino martial arts is mandatory in the Philippine Military and Police. Today, the traditional Filipino martial systems continue to grow, new ones emerge, and new transitional FMA stylists continue to arrive on the Martial Arts scene.

« Back to Styles List