The Philippine native martial arts “arnis” was showcased anew in the recent 12th Commandment of Steel in Israel last week, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.
Citing a report from the Philippine Embassy in Tel-Aviv, the DFA said the event last May 7 is the biggest and sharpest Filipino Martial Arts event in Israel which showcased arnis.
“It brought together internationally renowned arnis masters and teachers from Berlin, Munich, Slovenia, and Israel, among others,” the DFA said.
Facilitating the 12th Commandment of Steel was Guro Jon Escudero, a Filipino arnis expert residing in Israel, and one of the last to learn directly under and be ranked by the late Grandmaster Benjamin Luna Lema.
Philippine Ambassador Petronila Garcia said it was inspiring to see the growth of many arnis schools around the world and to see that Filipinos are no longer the only ones practicing this discipline today.
She is hopeful that practitioners, as they progress in mastering arnis, would also gain more insight into the Philippines history and culture.
Arnis became the Philippines’ national martial art and sport by virtue of Republic Act No. 9850 (An Act Declaring Arnis as the National Martial Art and Sport of the Philippines) which was signed into law in February 2010. – GMANews.TV
