The rich culture and history of the Philippines continue to fascinate people up to this day. Time and time again, the arts exhibited in the country have been consistently recognized internationally. And we’re not just referring to the visual arts, we’re talking about the different facets surrounding it. This includes Jaclyn Jose for bagging the Best Actress award at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, Lea Salonga being part of the “Miss Saigon”, and Michael Cinco designing costumes for Hollywood stars. The list goes on.
Recently, a Netflix Original titled “The Old Guard” was launched on the video-streaming service. It tells the story of a group of mercenaries who have lived through different periods because they cannot die.
A number martial arts from different countries were showcased in the film but one particular type resonates with a Filipino viewer: Arnis.
Arnis, also known as Kali, is the national martial arts and sports in the Philippines. It involves hand-to-hand combat and requires bamboo sticks to practice it.
In addition, Arnis applies knife, stick, and sword fighting techniques. It is currently incorporated in the Philippine education system.
“The Old Guard” stars Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, and many more. To fully immerse themselves into the roles, the actors went through a variety of martial arts trainings.
“There’s a level of fighting that you want to happen when you’re shooting a film like this that doesn’t happen in editing,” said Theron. “You want to work really hard to get your body to a place where you can sustain for long takes at a time.”
“That took a lot of work. It’s really amazing. It’s something I’ll never forget,” she added.
Watch the “The Old Guard” team undergo the combat training below:
Photo Credit: Netflix
