Is it true that other martial arts are more popular in the Philippines than Arnis / Eskrima /Kali?
Sad, but true. Other MAs, especially Taekwondo and Karate get more media exposure than the local MAs. Also, the weapon oriented nature of FMAs means that parents are less likely to make their children learn Arnis, Eskrima, Kali. However, this doesn’t mean that FMAs are dying in the Philippines. There are still many local practitioners of the art. In fact, among weapon oriented MAs, Arnis / Eskrima / Kali is the most widely practiced art locally.
