Kali, Escrima, Eskrima, Arnis De Mano
Telescopic Steel Batons - The Real Story!I have been swinging sticks since 1983 after meeting a Filipino teacher in CA. He taught us simple, single stick - Doce Pares (referring to the twelve basic strikes and twelve basic defenses of eskrima) and I believe we worked on what he called Larga Mano or a "long handed striking" method. I'm really going through the "time machine" to recall all of these terms! After spending some time learning a bit of his style, I relocated and went back to learning various techniques from A.J. Advincula and Danny Inosanto tapes. Occasionally, at karate tournaments, we got to see Master Remy A. Presas' breathtaking demonstrations of his system of Modern Arnis complete with stick fighting and bladed weapons demonstrations. No one knew actually knew much about it in our neck of the woods.
My pal from CA who introduced me to Escrima began training at some seminars that were actually taught by the "Old Man" Angel Cabales, in Serrada Eskrima. He has also studied with Angel's son along with an Anglo instructor who taught classes there as well. He has passed down the material to me on his annual visits to our home. We swing sticks and do drills until you can actually smell the rattan, burning in the air. In Serrada the sticks (or batons) we use are much shorter and we always use two sticks (not sure why - maybe my pal thought I was ready to add the other?) as compared to one baton only, in the original Doce Pares I had learned. Also, Serrada Eskrima is very "in tight", and is very sophisticated, always checking the opponent's weapon with one stick (rattan) while striking with the other. Or, when using one stick - the other hand is used to "check" the opponent's arm or wrist.
"Eskrima or Escrima refers to a type of Filipino Martial Arts that emphasize stick and sword fighting (translates to "fencing" from the Spanish). Other terms which have entered into common usage include Kali (martial art of the Philippines) and Arnis de Mano (harness of the hands); occasionally the abbreviation FMA (Filipino Martial Arts) is used. Eskrima and Arnis are some of the many names primarily used in the Philippines today to refer to these arts. The name Kali, although primarily used in the United States and Europe, is seldom used in the Philippines according to some sources.
I highly recommend this type of training - especially for beginners - as it is actually easy and very natural to learn, unlike some styles of Karate and Kung Fu that I've studied. No katas, no interminable training in static postures or stances. It also allows a person with a light baton of rattan, or a modern, lightweight telescopic steel baton to face down multiple attackers at one time and will defeat
any other weapon short of a gun (or another stick fighter who's more skilled). It is the preferred weapon for defense against a knife as well - since the reach advantage is in the hands of the stick fighter. The learning time is minimal to attain enough skill to defend yourself from "most attackers" too!
Using a simple
steel baton for self defense purposes is
not a bad choice. The baton is used as an extension of your arm, and therefore lends itself to a more natural and swift learning curve. It doesn't take long to learn a few of the basic strikes and blocks. It can be "aped" by watching a video tape - that's how easy it is. The weapon, whether rattan or lightweight steel is light and almost anyone can swing one with devastating force in a very short time. It is also a selective weapon - in other words you don't have to pull the trigger on a handgun and hope the assailant doesn't die, nor do you have to come into close physical contact with the assailant, in order to inflict a devastating and debilitating blow to the arms, wrists, knees, or legs. A shot to the head is going to be the end of the fight and possibly the assailant's life - so be careful with power shots to the head and neck - unless your life is on the line.
Representing a traditional fighting art, I still practice my very first martial art after 30 years, but have added Escrima for "modern" weaponry, and Muay Thai to enhance my stand-up striking skills. Although I have many students who train in Wrestling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I'm just a little bit "long in the tooth" to do much serious grappling and submission training. Having said that - I have always championed the belief that my students should take other martial arts to compliment or add to their arsenal of fighting tools. A still pool of water becomes stagnant and what better way to refresh and add life to your pool of "self defense" knowledge, than some new martial art that enhances a fighter's all around fighting skill.
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