Kali is the art of stick fighting. Hard, bamboo sticks are used to strike and defend. Filipinos have made this particular fighting style into an art form. Filipino Kali teaches weapons fighting before bare hand to hand combat as they do in other martial art styles. For example, a student in any Chinese martial arts is expected to master hand to hand combat before moving on to any form of weapons.

Definition: martial art specializing in fighting with two baton-length sticks, with techniques adaptable to empty-hand or edged weapons. The terms "escrima" is thought to originate from the Spanish word "escrime", meaning to fence with a sword--and is thought to have originated during the Spanish occupation of the Phillipine Islands. Often used synonomously for arnis and kali.