RP opens Arnis center in London

Philippine martial art "Arnis" (eskrima) will be further promoted in the United Kingdom with the opening of a new Eskrima Centre in London. Philippine Ambassador to the UK Antonio Lagdameo led the ribbon-cutting formally opening the UK headquarters of the EA Doce Pares Gym in London "The gym will teach the Philippine martial art Eskrima. The event featured guests from the Filipino community, live demonstrations from EA Doce Pares instructors and students, and a screening of the documentary 'Eskrimadors,' which chronicled the history of the Philippine discipline," the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a press release last Saturday. [See: RP Embassy joins opening of Eskrima center in UK] Ermar Alexander, the gym's chief instructor, said eskrima - also known as Arnis or Kali - has been in the UK for 40 years, with the British public showing increasing interest in the sport. The EA Doce Pares first established a club in the UK in 2007, and has added three more clubs around the London area. Its new headquarters is expected to be a center for the promotion of Philippine culture and martial arts within the UK. Eskrima is an indigenous Filipino martial art which utilizes weapons such as olisi (stick), baraw/daga (knife/dagger), espada y daga (sword and dagger) and bangkaw (staff/spear), as well as mano-mano (empty-hands) and dumog (grappling) techniques. In 2009, Republic Act 9850 was passed declaring Eskrima as the Philippine national martial art and sport. — LBG, GMANews.TV