About Progressive Arnis
What is Progressive Arnis?
Progressive Arnis is a martial arts system conceptualized by Grandmaster Chad Bailey that is based on the concepts of the late Professor Remy A. Presas’ Modern Arnis, under whom Guro Bailey studied in the 80s and 90s. Progressive Arnis is predominantly Filipino, but incorporates other arts from all over the world, including but not limited to Silat, Gung Fu, Piper, Tai Chi, and Jiujutsu.
The logo brings together the fist, knife, stick, and bolo connected by a triangle which not only represents the foundational footwork, but the three main concepts: mobility, stability, destruction. Encased in a circle, we are reminded of cyclical motion and importance of range, among other symbolism that you are free to draw for yourself.
Founded in 1992, and continuously improved upon, Chad designed Progressive Arnis to arm the practitioner with concepts of continuous motion and flow that exercise the mind, body, and spirit — creating a formidable fighter, a healer, a teacher, and a gentle[wo]man of his students.
Progressive Arnis uses a conventional belt ranking system, but we train without uniforms and without ego to encourage and learn from each other without bias and with an open mind, as we all have different experiences that we have learned from and can teach. Of all the practical concepts PA employs, the idea that an altercation can erupt at any time in any environment, not just in a dojo with a padded mat, wearing a gi, we practice and train in plain clothes, often outside, sometimes in the dark. Chad teaches us to use our environment to our advantage, and learn to use any object as a martial tool.
As one of the most difficult systems to master, Progressive Arnis doesn’t have a complex ranking hierarchy. It is said that a Green Belt is roughly equivalent to a Black Belt in most other Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) systems, and that a Lakan (Black Belt) in Progressive Arnis is equal to a 4th or 5th degree elsewhere. In PA, there are no Black Belt degrees or Dan rankings. There’s Lakan and there’s Guro, which thus far has only been achieved by Chad. Guro ranking, besides a few additional advanced forms and concepts, is a teaching rank. Guro is achieved by taking three students to Lakan as their instructor. This is a journey that usually takes 10-15 years of patience and practice.
Chad and I invite you to challenge yourself, open your mind, and begin your journey with us! If you have any questions that have not been answered on this site, your curiosity is welcomed in the forums or our contacts page.