Traditional eskrima has no formal system of instruction. Although everyone begins with the basics, you learn whatever your teacher decides to teach or remembers on that day or instant and from observing you: what you can do, what you need to improve, and what you need to learn.
There are no fixed movements or groupings. There are patterns of movement, one may even call them "drills," that graduate into spontaneous free-style sparring so that you learn to observe, take the initiative, and move as you fight. When you become proficient, it’s anything goes.
There are no dojos. You train in open grounds and on whatever terrain but always you train in hiding.
There are no uniforms. You train in the clothes you usually wear.
There are no katas. There are free-flowing shadow-fighting exercises that one must always execute with commitment and focus. The right attitude is fundamental to good eskrima.
There are no ranks or certificates. Only those who do not know, those who are learning, and those who do know. Sadly, there are also those who forget.
There is no master or grandmaster. There is only the teacher and the pupil. There is none of the elaborate rituals observed in dojos and other training halls. There is only the respect that the pupil must always have for his teacher.
There is no doctrine or dogma written down in traditional eskrima. What works is what’s right. This is the principal reason why eskrima adopts a variety of weapons, even those that originate from other nations, and appropriates them whenever possible.
To become good in eskrima, one trains. Constantly. So that he never forgets, so that his movements are fluid, so that he always has the proper attitude. And creatively. So that he is always aware and acts and reacts with an alive and ready mind.
Then there are the traditional training methods. Each of these is intended to teach good habits or to develop strength, stamina, or skill. They also help check or improve one's level of skill and oftentimes are a means of providing a training partner when none is available.
Finally, there is the Zen aspect of eskrima. When your teacher lets you go because, after having learned what must be mastered, everything else that you have to learn you must learn on your own. Otherwise, you can only be a copy of your teacher.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Breaking the Rules
It strikes me that if one studied the rules on what are considered illegal blows in all sporting competitions of a combative nature, from boxing, karate, MMA, muay thai, tae kwon do, judo, and what have you, one would have a pretty good idea of what to do if you were ever in a real fight. And to give this article coherence, I will enumerate exactly what you can do to violate these rules, starting with targets from the head and downwards, and other things that you can do to defend yourself when you’re unarmed. Let's start from the top:
Grab the hair and pull down hard and fast. Once he’s down, kick and pound with every ounce of strength you have.
Poke or gouge out his eyes.
Clap hard on one or both ears or grab one or both of his ears and tear them off his head.
Grab the lower lip and pull down hard to tear it off.
Strike hard at the throat or strangle him.
Strike hard at his clavicle and break it.
Twist or break his shoulder or elbow joint.
Grab a finger and break it. Any finger, or fingers, will do.
To break a stranglehold, seize the pinkie finger and, if need be, break.
Hit him in the groin, or in Visayan, the pus-on. Visualize a circle three inches in diameter with a center two inches below the navel, aim for that spot, and punch two or three inches through it.
Kick him in the balls.
Kick, twist or break his knee.
Strike at his shin but aim to break it.
If he's in your face and less than a hand away, butt him with your head.
Strike with the elbows and the knees.
Bite any part of your opponent that you can.
Kick your opponent when he’s down. Kick his ribs and break them in. Stomp on his face or chest or back or hip or groin. Kick hard at any joint: elbow, knee, shoulder, hip. But don’t let him grab your foot.
Much of what I've enumerated above is brutal, considering that this is a post about breaking the rules. Done singly, some of them may not be enough to stop an attacker. But if you're brutally violent enough, you may just put an end to an attack. Of course, you will also have to face and be responsible for any subsequent lawsuit for any resulting injury, disfigurement, or death. Which is why the skills of a practiced eskrimador are lethal and should only be exercised in self-defense. Ideally, at the least.
Grab the hair and pull down hard and fast. Once he’s down, kick and pound with every ounce of strength you have.
Poke or gouge out his eyes.
Clap hard on one or both ears or grab one or both of his ears and tear them off his head.
Grab the lower lip and pull down hard to tear it off.
Strike hard at the throat or strangle him.
Strike hard at his clavicle and break it.
Twist or break his shoulder or elbow joint.
Grab a finger and break it. Any finger, or fingers, will do.
To break a stranglehold, seize the pinkie finger and, if need be, break.
Hit him in the groin, or in Visayan, the pus-on. Visualize a circle three inches in diameter with a center two inches below the navel, aim for that spot, and punch two or three inches through it.
Kick him in the balls.
Kick, twist or break his knee.
Strike at his shin but aim to break it.
If he's in your face and less than a hand away, butt him with your head.
Strike with the elbows and the knees.
Bite any part of your opponent that you can.
Kick your opponent when he’s down. Kick his ribs and break them in. Stomp on his face or chest or back or hip or groin. Kick hard at any joint: elbow, knee, shoulder, hip. But don’t let him grab your foot.
Much of what I've enumerated above is brutal, considering that this is a post about breaking the rules. Done singly, some of them may not be enough to stop an attacker. But if you're brutally violent enough, you may just put an end to an attack. Of course, you will also have to face and be responsible for any subsequent lawsuit for any resulting injury, disfigurement, or death. Which is why the skills of a practiced eskrimador are lethal and should only be exercised in self-defense. Ideally, at the least.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Kicking in Eskrima
Eskrima is not known for its kicking techniques. Yes, it employs kicks, mostly low, but the bulk of its techniques concern the hands and not the legs. The kicks are usually simple low roundhouse or frontal kicks, knee strikes, and a solid side kick or back kick to round things up. And, as a rule, you only kick when you can land it.
In eskrima, the legs are primarily used for balance and movement, not direct attacks. And especially not for feints. But this does not mean that you are forbidden from kicking in eskrima. You take any advantage when it presents itself. Perhaps the only rule is that your kicks should never compromise balance or defense.
As a fighting tool, the leg is much stronger and longer than the arm. Usually, it is the part of your body closest to your opponent and, conversely, your opponent’s leg is your nearest target. But in the instant you kick, you open yourself up to counterattack and all the weight of your body must be borne by one leg. For that one instant, no matter how quick you are, you are in a vulnerable position. Further, it is true that the higher you kick the less power your kick has. It is also far easier to train the hands to attack and defend than it is to train the feet.
An attempt to kick is always betrayed by the feet moving first. And any feint to kick when you really intend to punch leaves you unbalanced to deliver an effective, penetrating punch. Extensive kicking without the necessary warm-up, improper kicking, and even miscalculations in the moment and distance of one’s kicks could result in injuries to the ankle, the knee, or the hip and, sometimes, to bone fracture. You can only hope that such injuries are not permanent or recur when least desirable.
To effectively use kicks in a fight, you need to be very flexible and in top physical condition. You have to be powerful, precise, very quick, and always balanced, even on one foot. The typical eskrima practitioner does not have to be as in shape yet he can still be an effective fighter because he does not exhaust himself by chasing after the opponent but conserves his energy by waiting until contact is made and then, at that moment, engages the opponent.
The traditional eskrimador does not fight as an athlete. His martial art is not a sport; it is self-defense. And when an eskrimador fights, he keeps to his strengths and exploits his opponent’s weaknesses.
This is not to say that the eskrimador need not be fit. In fact, he will find that his effectiveness as a fighter, training, and the quality of his techniques will improve greatly the healthier he is.
But then, because it does not have a formal system of techniques, the practice of traditional eskrima often, in reality, becomes a matter of personal choice. Which is why many practitioners will usually have their own idiosyncrasies in movement, rhythm, and technique even if they were taught by the same master.
Ultimately, the question of developing kicking proficiency in eskrima is best left for the practitioner to decide.
In eskrima, the legs are primarily used for balance and movement, not direct attacks. And especially not for feints. But this does not mean that you are forbidden from kicking in eskrima. You take any advantage when it presents itself. Perhaps the only rule is that your kicks should never compromise balance or defense.
As a fighting tool, the leg is much stronger and longer than the arm. Usually, it is the part of your body closest to your opponent and, conversely, your opponent’s leg is your nearest target. But in the instant you kick, you open yourself up to counterattack and all the weight of your body must be borne by one leg. For that one instant, no matter how quick you are, you are in a vulnerable position. Further, it is true that the higher you kick the less power your kick has. It is also far easier to train the hands to attack and defend than it is to train the feet.
An attempt to kick is always betrayed by the feet moving first. And any feint to kick when you really intend to punch leaves you unbalanced to deliver an effective, penetrating punch. Extensive kicking without the necessary warm-up, improper kicking, and even miscalculations in the moment and distance of one’s kicks could result in injuries to the ankle, the knee, or the hip and, sometimes, to bone fracture. You can only hope that such injuries are not permanent or recur when least desirable.
To effectively use kicks in a fight, you need to be very flexible and in top physical condition. You have to be powerful, precise, very quick, and always balanced, even on one foot. The typical eskrima practitioner does not have to be as in shape yet he can still be an effective fighter because he does not exhaust himself by chasing after the opponent but conserves his energy by waiting until contact is made and then, at that moment, engages the opponent.
The traditional eskrimador does not fight as an athlete. His martial art is not a sport; it is self-defense. And when an eskrimador fights, he keeps to his strengths and exploits his opponent’s weaknesses.
This is not to say that the eskrimador need not be fit. In fact, he will find that his effectiveness as a fighter, training, and the quality of his techniques will improve greatly the healthier he is.
But then, because it does not have a formal system of techniques, the practice of traditional eskrima often, in reality, becomes a matter of personal choice. Which is why many practitioners will usually have their own idiosyncrasies in movement, rhythm, and technique even if they were taught by the same master.
Ultimately, the question of developing kicking proficiency in eskrima is best left for the practitioner to decide.
Monday, March 1, 2010
So you want to learn eskrima?
Learning eskrima seems to be trendy these days. It’s been featured in too many movies (the Jason Bourne films, 300, The Book of Eli, Hunted, and even Bruce Lee’s classic Enter the Dragon) that it cannot help but be. And in the Philippines, especially with the approval of RA 9850 on December 11, 2009, making eskrima/arnis, also known as FMA, as the national sport and the national martial art, it will hopefully grow to be more so in its country of native practice.
As a martial art, eskrima is quite simple. Any practitioner may expect to be competent in the art within a month of daily training and instruction. For a natural athlete, it may even take just a few days (but then there are also those people who may have only a passing interest and not the mindset to be an eskrimador; there’s no hope for such as these). What will take time is the development of a proper attitude, readiness and restraint, full focus in a fight, and gaining a masterful understanding of eskrima’s underlying principles of movement.
But there are some realities that you must prepare for if it is your wish to learn this art. As soon as you begin training with the rattan stick, there will be blisters and, soon, calluses on your palms. When you begin sinawali drills or groupings there may be bruises wherever there is skin. There will be sharp raps on the knuckles and the back of the hand that take days or weeks for the pain to fade (depending on how hard you were struck), and a few contusions on the head. If you have a careless training partner, you can add joint dislocations, bone fracture, concussions, or internal hemorrhaging to the possible injuries. These are the consequences that may accompany learning eskrima, so it is understandable if, right now, you are asking yourself, “What can I do to avoid these injuries?”
The only answer is for you to train well. It is not for you to avoid injuries but to prevent them from ever happening. The teaching principle of most traditional eskrimadors is that the pupil learns by doing. This should, however, be further qualified into “The pupil learns by doing well.” Don’t rush into sinawali drills when you can’t even properly angle your strikes.
Of course, you may wear gloves to protect your palm and your knuckles but then you will never grow accustomed to the feel of the stick in your bare hand. And at the first instance of extensive stick use, your palms would then blister, unless you’re using padded sticks or nerf bats.
For beginners, a long stick helps reduce the possibility of knuckle strikes, along with proper striking positions, especially in styles where sinawali drills are basic to the system. It is also advisable to use one-inch thick sticks, as thin sticks are more likely to blister your palms.
As for the matter of careless partners, this is one of the reasons why traditional eskrima teaching is limited to one teacher and one pupil.
Padayon, Bunal Bol-anon!
As a martial art, eskrima is quite simple. Any practitioner may expect to be competent in the art within a month of daily training and instruction. For a natural athlete, it may even take just a few days (but then there are also those people who may have only a passing interest and not the mindset to be an eskrimador; there’s no hope for such as these). What will take time is the development of a proper attitude, readiness and restraint, full focus in a fight, and gaining a masterful understanding of eskrima’s underlying principles of movement.
But there are some realities that you must prepare for if it is your wish to learn this art. As soon as you begin training with the rattan stick, there will be blisters and, soon, calluses on your palms. When you begin sinawali drills or groupings there may be bruises wherever there is skin. There will be sharp raps on the knuckles and the back of the hand that take days or weeks for the pain to fade (depending on how hard you were struck), and a few contusions on the head. If you have a careless training partner, you can add joint dislocations, bone fracture, concussions, or internal hemorrhaging to the possible injuries. These are the consequences that may accompany learning eskrima, so it is understandable if, right now, you are asking yourself, “What can I do to avoid these injuries?”
The only answer is for you to train well. It is not for you to avoid injuries but to prevent them from ever happening. The teaching principle of most traditional eskrimadors is that the pupil learns by doing. This should, however, be further qualified into “The pupil learns by doing well.” Don’t rush into sinawali drills when you can’t even properly angle your strikes.
Of course, you may wear gloves to protect your palm and your knuckles but then you will never grow accustomed to the feel of the stick in your bare hand. And at the first instance of extensive stick use, your palms would then blister, unless you’re using padded sticks or nerf bats.
For beginners, a long stick helps reduce the possibility of knuckle strikes, along with proper striking positions, especially in styles where sinawali drills are basic to the system. It is also advisable to use one-inch thick sticks, as thin sticks are more likely to blister your palms.
As for the matter of careless partners, this is one of the reasons why traditional eskrima teaching is limited to one teacher and one pupil.
Padayon, Bunal Bol-anon!
Bunal Bol-anon
In any culture there is always a system of martial arts. These are manifest in weapon and empty hand forms. And the movements are often as simple as a punch or a parry or sometimes as elaborate as a jumping turning crescent kick. Often, training and education in these arts are necessary to sustain a culture and are integral to national identity. Even tribal cultures have them, although perhaps unnamed and not as standardized as the more prominent martial arts.
In China, we have the many varied fighting styles that the rest of the world knows mostly by the Chinese word for skill, “kung-fu.” In mainland Japan, we have jiujitsu, judo, iaido, and other arts that constitute the way of the warrior. From Okinawa, we have karate. From India, we have kalaripayattu. From most of the western countries, we have wrestling, boxing, and fencing, although these have been much watered down from their original practice, in consideration of sportsmanship and the practitioner’s safety. Then, there’s the more modern field of shooting with firearms. These are but some of the disciplines that truly fall within the scope of the martial arts.
In the Philippines, we have Eskrima. The name itself is not indigenously Filipino but is a vernacularization of the Spanish word “esgrima”, which refers to the sport of fencing or the art of swordsmanship. The art is also known as arnis or kali, the former being from another Spanish word, “arnes.” The origin of the latter term, however, is a subject of some controversy and a reading of Dr. Ned Nepangue’s essay The Origins of Eskrima (available online) may be enlightening for some. Of recent coinage is the acronym FMA, or Filipino Martial Arts; which is less contentious and attempts to be all-inclusive.
Eskrima training and lineage has been well documented in the islands of Cebu and Negros. In some lineages, formal and group instruction have arisen out of need. In the neighboring province of Bohol, however, there is almost nothing to indicate the province’s long-standing heritage of renowned eskrimadors.
For the most part, many of the avowed Boholano masters of eskrima have passed on, and those who still practice the martial art do so in secret, much like their teachers did. Many live lives of humble anonymity. I know of one who is a lawyer. I know of one who was a town mayor. I know of one who is a tricyle driver. I know of one who is an ice cream and newspaper peddler. I know of one who is a teacher. I know of one who is an NGO worker. And I suspect many who may live hidden in the hinterlands of the island.
In spite of how widespread the practice seems to be, there doesn’t seem to be an equal interest in the present generation to learn traditional eskrima. It has become so that if you want to learn eskrima in Bohol you enroll in a martial arts club, where they give you formal instruction in styles that usually originate from other provinces. It almost seems that traditional eskrima has faded into obscurity.
The objective of this blog is mainly to prove that the Boholano practice of traditional eskrima is alive and well. For others, it may not be as established or as comprehensive as some styles, but it is effective. And as for the excellence of its techniques, we are of the opinion that that is a product of a ready mind and diligent practice.
The secondary objective is to establish a network of Boholano practitioners of traditional eskrima. Strictly, this blog is not a venue for those who expect to find instruction or tips, although I’m bound to give a few. Rather, this hopes to create a fellowship of those already practicing the art as their forefathers did before them. By this, we hope to spark in the young an interest in eskrima so that they will themselves seek out their own teachers in their community and pass the art of eskrima on to future generations.
Padayon, Bunal Bol-anon!
In China, we have the many varied fighting styles that the rest of the world knows mostly by the Chinese word for skill, “kung-fu.” In mainland Japan, we have jiujitsu, judo, iaido, and other arts that constitute the way of the warrior. From Okinawa, we have karate. From India, we have kalaripayattu. From most of the western countries, we have wrestling, boxing, and fencing, although these have been much watered down from their original practice, in consideration of sportsmanship and the practitioner’s safety. Then, there’s the more modern field of shooting with firearms. These are but some of the disciplines that truly fall within the scope of the martial arts.
In the Philippines, we have Eskrima. The name itself is not indigenously Filipino but is a vernacularization of the Spanish word “esgrima”, which refers to the sport of fencing or the art of swordsmanship. The art is also known as arnis or kali, the former being from another Spanish word, “arnes.” The origin of the latter term, however, is a subject of some controversy and a reading of Dr. Ned Nepangue’s essay The Origins of Eskrima (available online) may be enlightening for some. Of recent coinage is the acronym FMA, or Filipino Martial Arts; which is less contentious and attempts to be all-inclusive.
Eskrima training and lineage has been well documented in the islands of Cebu and Negros. In some lineages, formal and group instruction have arisen out of need. In the neighboring province of Bohol, however, there is almost nothing to indicate the province’s long-standing heritage of renowned eskrimadors.
For the most part, many of the avowed Boholano masters of eskrima have passed on, and those who still practice the martial art do so in secret, much like their teachers did. Many live lives of humble anonymity. I know of one who is a lawyer. I know of one who was a town mayor. I know of one who is a tricyle driver. I know of one who is an ice cream and newspaper peddler. I know of one who is a teacher. I know of one who is an NGO worker. And I suspect many who may live hidden in the hinterlands of the island.
In spite of how widespread the practice seems to be, there doesn’t seem to be an equal interest in the present generation to learn traditional eskrima. It has become so that if you want to learn eskrima in Bohol you enroll in a martial arts club, where they give you formal instruction in styles that usually originate from other provinces. It almost seems that traditional eskrima has faded into obscurity.
The objective of this blog is mainly to prove that the Boholano practice of traditional eskrima is alive and well. For others, it may not be as established or as comprehensive as some styles, but it is effective. And as for the excellence of its techniques, we are of the opinion that that is a product of a ready mind and diligent practice.
The secondary objective is to establish a network of Boholano practitioners of traditional eskrima. Strictly, this blog is not a venue for those who expect to find instruction or tips, although I’m bound to give a few. Rather, this hopes to create a fellowship of those already practicing the art as their forefathers did before them. By this, we hope to spark in the young an interest in eskrima so that they will themselves seek out their own teachers in their community and pass the art of eskrima on to future generations.
Padayon, Bunal Bol-anon!
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