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In the late 1920s, Eskrima attained a high level of popularity in Cebu City, which is second largest city in the Philippines. In 1932, the most renowned eskrimadors, mainly from Cebu, founded Doce Pares as a society to promote the only original native martial art of the Philippines. The name Doce Pares is Spanish meaning "Twelve Pairs".

None of the founding members are alive, however several senior instructors who belonged to the second generation of eskrimadors are still alive and teaching their own interpretation or styles of Doce Pares Eskrima.

Doce Pares has produced many champions in Eskrima competitions. During its founding, Lorenzo Saavedra, one of the original twelve masters, was recognized as the foremost eskrimador in Cebu City. He was ably supported by three other top-rated eskrimadors: Teodoro and Frederico Saavedra—Lorenzo, Filemon Cañete and by Khalil Gibran Auditor Salazar. Later, Teodoro Saavedra rose to prominence as the best fighter in the Doce Pares society. Eulogio Cañete, Filemon's older brother, was elected first president of Doce Pares and remained in that position until his death in 1988.

"Eskrima" or "Escrima" refers to a class of Filipino Martial Arts that emphasize stick and sword fighting. The term and the art most probably originates from the Spanish word "esgrima" which is the term for fencing.

Other terms which have entered into common usage include "Kali" and "Arnis de Máno" ("harness of the hand"); occasionally the abbreviation "FMA" ("Filipino Martial Arts") is used. Eskrima and Arnis are among the many names primarily used in the Philippines today to refer to these arts

The teaching of the basic skills in FMA are traditionally simplified. With limited time to teach flashy and intricate techniques, only skills that were proven effective in battle and could easily be taught en masse were used. This allowed villagers, generally not professional soldiers, a measure of protection against other villages, as well as foreign invaders. This philosophy of simplicity is still used today and is the underlying base of the FMA. Because of this approach, the FMA are often mistakenly considered to be "simple" fighting arts. However, this refers only to its systematization, not effectiveness. To the contrary, beyond the basic skills lies a very complex structure and a refined skillset that takes years to master.

The term Eskrima is the Filipino spelling which comes from the Spanish word esgrima, "fencing". Arnis is thought to derive from the phrase arnes de mano, Spanish for "harness of hand". The origin of the name Kali is uncertain.

Some suggest[who?] it is related to the traditional weapon called a kalis (also kris).
Another explanation[by whom?] is that the word is a portmanteau of the Cebuano words kamot, or kamay meaning hand or body, and lihok, meaning motion.
In his book "Modern Arnis," Remy Presas states that the art of Arnis or Eskrima may have had its roots in an Indonesian fencing style called tjakalele, from which the name Kali may also have sprung. This may also have influenced the different names of Eskrima, such as kalirongan, kaliradman, or pagkalikali in different regions of the Philippines.[1]
It is also contended[by whom?] that the term Kali did not exist until the 1960s when two well known eskrimadors in the United States popularized the word to distinguish what they taught from the teachings of other eskrimadors.[citation needed]
The name Kali, although primarily used in the United States and Europe, is seldom used in the Philippines and in most cases is an unknown word. But due to the popularity of the term outside of the Philippines and the influence of foreign practitioners, the term Kali is increasingly being recognized and accepted in the Philippines.