Reviving arnis

The battle to resuscitate arnis is no longer a lonely one for master Roland Dantes. For years, he has been quietly working to have the sport made part of the physical education curriculum, and fighting the powers that be to restore the sport’s glory. According to Dantes, the leaders of the national sports association, Arnis Philippines (ARPI) have not done anything for the sport.

True enough, a visit to the NSA’s website shows that Raymond Velayo has been president since 1986. No elections have been held since. And even the name of Dantes, one of ARPI’s founders, has been deleted from the sport’s “official” history. Because of treatment like this, Dantes has been close to giving up several times, feeling that he has been alone in his nationalistic quest.

That is no longer the case. Powerful backers are rushing to support his projects, even as he travels the countryside teaching the sport he has been preaching worldwide, the sport now recognized as FMA (Filipino Martial Art).

Former national athlete, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri has penned Senate Bill 1424, “An Act Declaring Arnis as the Philippine National Sport.”

In the one page proposed law, Zubiri explains “It is the policy of the State to inculcate patriotism, nationalism and the appreciation of national heroes and symbols in the historical development of the country.”

“Modern arnis is now also recognized as a distinct focus of martial arts, side by side with karate, judo, taekwondo and the like, here and abroad,” said the Senate Majority Leader. “But the leadership of arnis, under Raymond Velayo, has not done anything in a long time, and it’s time the sport was given to fresh, young minds who want to make a difference. You can quote me on that.”

Newly-appointed Philippine Sports Commission chair Harry Angping concurs.

“There has to be a change in arnis; nothing is happening,” declares Zubiri’s former compatriot in Congress. “That is my mandate from the President, to make sure the NSAs are performing their job. We should hand sports over to those who will develop them and make them grow.”

If Zubiri’s bill is passed into law, the PSC’s official seal will have the symbol of arnis inscribed on it, and the Department of Education shall be tasked to promulgate the sport.

Even Harbour Centre owner Mikee Romero, himself a black belt in arnis, was ecstatic about the planned projects of Dantes.

“That is one of my passions, and a sport I would gladly support,” said Romero, author of a record-setting six straight PBL championships. “With people like Roland Dantes there, arnis is in the right hands.”

Dantes, the former body-builder who migrated to Australia to propagate arnis and its related arts there, was practically speechless.

“It is so gratifying to know that there are many people who love the sport as much as I do,” the Hall of Famer in two sports exclaimed. “It doesn’t feel like such a lonely battle anymore.”

Zubiri said that main challenge now is to reunite the differing beliefs and forms of the sport. Dantes’ Philippine Council of Kali, Escrima and Arnis Masters of the Philippines (PCKEAM) is a great first step.

“What has happened is all these schools have already become so successful in their own right, and even have their own international competitions,” Zubiri said. “We want to recognize all of them. No one art is better than the other. Let’s all work together.”

Right now, even the Department of Interior and Local Government, through Sec. Ronaldo Puno, will incorporate the training of arnis among barangay tanods nationwide, since the one weapon they usually carry is the baton. Arnis trains athletes in single-baton as well as two-baton forms for competition.

As a footnote, The STAR’s pieces on arnis have also drawn emotional responses from bloggers on www.philstar.com, some of whom have gone out of their way to contribute historical research into the sport.

The wellspring of support is there. Now is the time to tap it.