There are at least some 12 category of weapons in the Filipino Kali. The question is where do those weapons stand with us? How do we view the weapons in Filipino martial arts? Here are a few things that are important to us:
1) Filipino Kali acts as a mere tool for attribute-enhancement. By that we mean, due to its high attributional demands, it tends to hyper-activate the neural structure at a higher level——thus producing better athletes if the methods are applied right. The studies done in neurophysiology on the development of the neural structures and their developments leaves no room for doubt on this fact.
2) The weapon-categories of Filipino Kali provide us with, not just some residual traditions, or just 12 categories of weaponry, but some 12 solid principles that are meant to help the athletes pick up almost any object on this planet and be able to move them with effective efficiency, and the mastery that every distinct weapon demands.
3) Every category of weaponry has, not only its own distinct characteristics, but also, one counterpart associated with other systems such as Muay Thai, Boxing, Jiujitsu and so on. In other words, Filipino Kali carries the principle of symmetry which can not only help us improve other systems, but also, facilitates any form of movement associated with the synergies that depend on transitions.
While most people are just interested in learning and memorizing a thousand different disarms and other fancy movements in Filipino Kali——and while most may be interested in “just” the preservation of traditions, we, on the other hand like to be more focused on far deeper, interdisciplinary benefits of the Filipino Kali. We do not consider ourselves as the tools, or the slaves of any martial art systems, but their masters.