“Secrets” of the Filipino Fighting Arts
Words from a Modern-Day Warrior

Something we don’t see many Eskrimadors practice is using the stick against an unarmed opponent. Almost everything people do assume that the opponent will have a stick, or will have the same weapon you have. This is simply unrealistic.

We see knife vs knife (sort of common), stick and knife vs stick/stick and knife (almost never), stick vs machete (not really common here in the US, but a possibility), and empty handed defender vs stick/knife/etc (very important skill to have). But what about using the stick to fight an empty handed man?

Here are a few things to think about with this skill:

• an empty handed man will fight you for your weapon. In order to learn this form of fighting, you must know how to hold on to your weapon. You must also develop the skill at stopping an opponent who wants to grapple with you
• you must keep your weapon off the opponent’s centerline. On the centerline, your weapon is in the perfect position for either of his hands to grab it. By holding the weapon far to his right or far to his left, it will be awkward for him to reach it. On top of that, your weapon will now be in a great position to strike him from and he will have difficulty defending against it
• keep your weapon in constant motion also, and avoid having a rhythm to your motion. This will make it difficult for him to be able to follow it. As a matter of fact, keep your feet in constant motion
• make good use of snapping strikes, rather than power strikes. Power strikes often miss because they move slower, and have poor recovery. Your opponent will be looking for chances to both grab the weapon and strike in between your strikes. The Abaniko and Witik strikes will make recovery time quicker, and will not give him enough time to react. Once you have seen an opportunity to finish the fight, then take the finishing shot. You may have to take several, but don’t waste all your energy and strength on a fresh opponent who has yet to be set up

In addition, I would like to suggest striking combinations to use against an unarmed opponent. NOT GIVE-AND-TAKE, striking combinations. Train them with footwork, as opponents being attacked by a weapon will run. Make sure your ability to move and attack are well-trained. However, factor in lunges from the opponent, and devise a plan of how you will react to them.

Finally, let me add that I do not favor stick grappling. I do know stick grappling maneuvers, but by choice I do not specialize in them. My opinion is that we should work to enhance the natural advantages and strengths of the weapon, rather than  suppress them with grappling. That said, I do advocate using the knife in grappling, as this is where the knife is most lethal. Perhaps we will cover this topic next.

Thanks for visiting my blog.