Martial Arts

1. Pwede po ba akong sumali sa isang training session lang?

   May I join just one training session?

   Usage

   The national martial art of the Philippines is arnis, also known as eskrima or kali; Republic Act 9850 of 2009 declared it the national martial art and sport. Groups often train in a school gym, on a barangay basketball court or in a park rather than at a commercial gym, so the club model is more common than the membership gym. Start by asking whether a single visit is possible

   Grammar Note

   "Po" is the respect particle and should always be used with elders or strangers. "Pwede po ba akong ...?" is the all-purpose way to ask permission. "Sumali" is "sali" with the actor-focus infix -um-

2. Pwede po ba akong manood muna ng training?

   May I watch the training first?

   Usage

   Arnis clubs are welcoming to spectators and will usually let you watch for free, and since they train outdoors or in gyms it is easy to observe. Filipino training groups are famously friendly to newcomers, so asking to watch often ends with an invitation to try it yourself

   Grammar Note

   "Muna" means "first / for now" and follows the verb ("Kain muna" = eat first). "Ng" is the case marker for a non-specific object

3. May baston po ba na pwedeng hiramin?

   Is there a stick I could borrow?

   Usage

   The core arnis weapon is a rattan stick, called "baston" in Tagalog and "yantok" in some regions, roughly the length from your elbow to your fingertips. They are cheap, so clubs usually keep spares and will lend you one. Related terms are "daga" (training dagger) and "espada y daga" (stick and dagger together)

   Grammar Note

   "Baston" comes from Spanish "bastón"; Filipino martial arts vocabulary is full of Spanish loans such as "espada" (sword), "daga" (dagger) and "abanico" (fan). The -in suffix on "hiramin" puts the focus on the object being borrowed

4. Baguhan po ako, kasisimula ko lang mag-arnis.

   I am a beginner — I have only just started arnis.

   Usage

   Saying this up front gets you started properly on the basic angles (abecedario). Well-known systems include Modern Arnis (codified by Remy Presas), Doce Pares, Balintawak, Pekiti-Tirsia Kali and Lameco. Swap "arnis" for "boxing" at a boxing gym — boxing is enormously popular in the Philippines too

   Grammar Note

   "Ka- + first syllable of the root repeated + root" marks something that has just happened ("kakakain" = ka+ka+kain = has just eaten; "kasisimula" = ka+si+simula = has just started). The mag- prefix turns a noun into a verb meaning "to do that activity"

5. Dahan-dahan lang po, huwag masyadong malakas.

   Please go slowly, not too hard.

   Usage

   Stick work stings when it catches your hands or fingers, so there is no shame in asking. Arnis partner drills include strikes to the hand, which beginners do slowly and without protection. To ask for the opposite, say "Pwede pong bilisan" (could we speed it up?)

   Grammar Note

   Reduplication ("dahan-dahan") softens and conveys gradualness. A prohibition takes "huwag" before the verb or adjective. Most Tagalog adjectives carry the ma- prefix ("lakas" = strength → "malakas" = strong)

6. Masakit po ang pulso ko, pwede ko po bang laktawan ang mabibigat na drills?

   My wrist hurts — may I skip the heavy drills?

   Usage

   Say this before training starts. Arnis works the wrist and forearm hard because you swing a stick continuously, and newcomers often feel it quickly. Swap the body part for "balikat" (shoulder), "siko" (elbow), "tuhod" (knee), "likod" (back) or "bukung-bukong" (ankle)

   Grammar Note

   Tagalog pluralises adjectives by reduplicating the first syllable ("mabigat" = heavy → "mabibigat"). "Ang" marks the subject or a specific object

7. Magkano po ang monthly fee?

   How much is the monthly fee?

   Usage

   Community arnis clubs are often not run for profit, so dues can be very low or amount to sharing the cost of the venue. Commercial boxing and MMA gyms in Metro Manila charge proper monthly rates. English mixes freely into Filipino speech, so "monthly fee" is understood as is

   Grammar Note

   "Magkano" asks specifically about price, distinct from "ilan" which asks about quantity. Mixing Tagalog and English (Taglish) is entirely everyday and carries no rudeness

8. Magkano po ang bayad kada session?

   How much is it per session?

   Usage

   The way to ask a per-visit rate. Follow up with "May private lesson po ba?" if you want one-on-one coaching. Community clubs sometimes wave payment away entirely; offering something towards equipment or the venue is appreciated in that case

   Grammar Note

   "Kada" comes from Spanish "cada" and means "each / per" ("kada araw" = every day, "kada linggo" = every week). The native alternative is "tuwing"

9. May klase po ba para sa mga babae?

   Is there a class for women?

   Usage

   Arnis relies on weapon and technique rather than size, so women take part in large numbers. Since the 2009 law it is part of the physical education curriculum in public schools, so most Filipinos of either gender have handled a stick at school. Some clubs run women-only sessions; at many others mixed training is simply the norm

   Grammar Note

   "Mga" precedes a noun to mark the plural and is pronounced "ma-nga". "Para sa + noun" expresses "for someone", while "para kay + personal name" is used with individual names

10. Anong oras po ang klase ngayon?

    What time is the class today?

    Usage

    Community clubs tend to meet on weekend mornings or weekday evenings, and because they borrow school gyms or barangay courts the available hours shift by day. Outdoor sessions can be called off during the rainy season, roughly June to November, so confirm on the day

    Grammar Note

    "Anong" is "ano" (what) plus the linker -ng, joining it to the following noun. "Oras" is borrowed from Spanish "hora"

11. Pwede po bang ituro nang dahan-dahan ang sinawali?

    Could you teach me the sinawali slowly?

    Usage

    "Sinawali" is the foundational double-stick drill in which the sticks weave against each other; the name comes from "sawali", woven bamboo matting. Other core terms are "abecedario" (the numbered basic angles), "redonda" (continuous circular strikes) and "abanico" (fanning wrist strikes). Knowing them makes instructions far easier to follow

    Grammar Note

    "Nang" links an adverb to a verb and is distinct in both spelling and role from the case marker "ng". The i- prefix on "ituro" focuses on the thing being conveyed

12. Gaano po katagal bago ako pwedeng sumali sa sparring?

    How long before I can join sparring?

    Usage

    Free stick sparring in arnis is normally done in head and hand protection, while unpadded partner work stays inside set patterns. Instructors withhold permission until your basic angles and blocks are reliable, so it is safest to leave the timing to them

    Grammar Note

    "Gaano ka- + adjective" asks about degree ("gaano kalayo" = how far, "gaano kabigat" = how heavy). "Bago" is a homonym: as a conjunction it means "before", as an adjective "new"

13. Anong estilo po ng arnis ang tinuturo dito?

    Which style of arnis is taught here?

    Usage

    Styles differ substantially in stance, how the angles are numbered and how range is managed. Established systems include Modern Arnis, Doce Pares, Balintawak, Pekiti-Tirsia Kali, Lameco Eskrima and Kombatan, alongside many regional lineages. Asking about lineage is itself taken as a sign of respect

    Grammar Note

    "Tinuturo" is "turo" (to teach) with the -in- infix and reduplication, an object-focus form meaning "the thing being taught". Tagalog verbs change shape according to which participant is in focus

14. Saan po ako makakapanood ng arnis competition?

    Where can I watch an arnis competition?

    Usage

    Competitive arnis has a full-contact "labanan" division fought in protective gear and an "anyo" division judged on the accuracy of forms. Arnis is an official event at the Palarong Pambansa national student games, which run from regional qualifiers upward. Demonstrations also appear at barangay fiestas

    Grammar Note

    The maka- prefix expresses ability, and reduplicating gives the future ("makapanood" = was able to watch → "makakapanood" = will be able to watch). "Saan + subject + verb" is the basic order for asking about location

15. Itaas ang guard, tingnan ang mata ng kalaban.

    Keep your guard up, look at your opponent's eyes.

    Usage

    Said by the instructor. In arnis the cue covers not only the stick hand but the position of the empty "alive hand". Commands come as short, subjectless imperatives, and the absence of the polite "po" carries no rudeness at all

    Grammar Note

    Commands use the object-focus verb form with the subject dropped ("itaas" = raise it, "tingnan" = look at it). "Ng kalaban" marks possession, giving "the opponent's"

16. Lakasan mo ang hampas, huwag kang mahiya.

    Strike harder, do not be shy about it.

    Usage

    Said by the instructor. "Hampas" is the everyday arnis word for a stick strike. A half-committed swing wanders off line and is more likely to catch your partner's hand, which is why holding back is treated as the riskier choice. "Mahiya" derives from "hiya", a central concept of shame and restraint in Filipino culture

    Grammar Note

    The -an suffix builds a causative transitive verb ("lakas" = strength → "lakasan" = to increase the force). "Huwag kang ..." is the prohibitive pattern, with "ka" (you) taking the linker -ng

17. Limang minutong break, uminom kayo ng tubig.

    Five-minute break, everyone drink some water.

    Usage

    Said by the instructor. The heat and humidity are serious and neither school gyms nor outdoor courts are air conditioned, so water breaks are built into the session. Bring your own bottle, or buy one at a nearby sari-sari store. The "kayo" in the command addresses the whole group

    Grammar Note

    Numbers attach to nouns with the linker -ng or "na" ("lima" + ng + "minuto"). "Kayo" is the plural "you" and also serves as a polite second person for a single senior person

18. Tama na muna ngayon. Magaling!

    That is enough for now. Well done!

    Usage

    The instructor's closing line. Sessions typically end with a mutual bow and a handshake. Towards an older instructor there is the "mano po" gesture — taking their right hand and touching it to your forehead — which is deeply appreciated. Reply with "Salamat po, Sir / Ma'am"

    Grammar Note

    "Tama na" is literally "it is already right" and functions as the set phrase for calling a halt. Adding "muna" softens it to "for today at least"

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