• It is a martial arts system of armed and unarmed combat.  Normally, martial arts are designed to use empty hand as major "Tools", Weapons are used as supplemental "Tools".  Some tend to concentrate on a few areas of tactics.  For example, Judo major in grappling, joint locking and throwing.  Tae Kwon Do focus on kicking and supplemented by punching.  Karate focus on striking and blockings with the hands.  Aikido major in off- balancing, joint locking and throwing.  Arnis/Kali/Eskrim are designed to balances all these aspects into a more complete system with weapon techniques transferable to empty hand techniques.
• Arnis Training is by usage and application of partner drills.  This is practical approach is benefit to help undestand the combat reality.  Training in routines, forms (kata) is a one way training approach, which can emphasis one self co-ordination rather than act according to other party (Enemy or training partners).
• Traditional Kali Arnis training begins with weapons first and then move to empty hands in a later stage of training. This is completely different to most Chinese, Korean and Japanese martial arts which train empty hands first then weapons as supplement training.
• Arnis techniques the emphasis is on weapons techniques since the theory in Philippine Martial Arts are : empty hands may be easily mastered if oneself master weaponry skills.  Philippine Martial Arts like Arnis, Kali have developed a training methods that can ensures weapons techniques can be is easily mastered.  Some other martial arts, like Chinese, Korean and Japanese  arts tend to train more in empty hands.
• Arnis like other martial arts have soft and hard techniques.  Some other martial arts are either more stress on hard style or stressed on soft style.
• Arnis processed a unique way of the flow of chi energy, technique and tactics. Some other martial arts, like Tai Chi Chuan, Aikido are also emphasis these relative similar aspects.
• Kali/Arnis focus on street-safety techniques with a set of special training methods.
• Since Arnis use Sticks to train, many legal enforcement units have employ the sticks skills to enhance the Police Baton techniques.  Many general public also employ arnis as a aid of fitness training. 
• Arnis/Kali mainly focus in 3 ranges of combat:- long (Largo Mano), medium (Cotrio), short.  Some other martial arts are suited to one special comabtr range.  For example, Judo and wrestling are mostly practice in short range (Grappling Range).  Wing Chun and Tai Chi are mostly practice the medium range.   Tae Kwon Do and western fencing are focus in long range.
• Arnis training employ lots of partner training drills.   This is not much seen in some other forms of martial arts.
• Arnis focus the use of the 'Alive Hand' in assist of the "weapon hand".   This feature seems not widely employ in some other form of martial arts.

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