45221785 Modern Arnis the Filipino Art of Stick Fighting Repost

MODERNARN1S

by Remy Presas

THE FILIPINO ART OF STICK FIGHTING

Editor: Gregory LeeGraphic Design: Karen Massad

Art Production: Mary Schepis

© 1983 Ohara Publications, Inc.All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of AmericaLibrary of Congress Catalog Card Number 83-60128

ISBN: 0-89750-089-X

Fourteenth printing 1997

WARNINGThis book is presented only as a means of preserving a unique aspect of the heritage of the martial arts. Neither Ohara

Publications nor the author makes any representation, warranty or guarantee that the techniques described or illustrated inthis book will be safe or effective in any self-defense situation or otherwise. You may be injured if you apply or train in thetechniques illustrated in this book. To minimize the risk of training injury, nothing described or illustrated in this bookshould be undertaken without personal, expert instruction. In addition, it is essential that you consult a physician regardingwhether or not to attempt anything described in this book. Federal, state or local law may prohibit the use or possession ofany of the weapons described or illustrated in this book. Specific self-defense responses illustrated in this book may not bejustified in any particular situation in view of all of the circumstances or under the applicable federal, state or local law.Neither Ohara Publications nor the author makes any representation or warranty regarding the legality or appropriatenessof any weapon or technique mentioned in this book.

OHARA PUBLICATIONS, INCORPORATEDSANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to thank my excellent students who assisted me in the tech-niques photographed for this book: Jeffrey Arnold, Dan DiVito,Michael Replogle, Roland Roemer, Jr., and Tom Zoppi. My apprecia-tion also to our patient photographer, Marcia Mack.

R.P.

Thanks to Michael for his invaluable assistance in the preparation ofthis manuscript—your contributions made the difference.

G.L.

111111111111=WISINIM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Remy Amador Presas is one of themost vibrant personalities in the mar-tial arts. One of the Philippines'premier stick fighters, Presas hasbecome a national figure in his nativecountry for his blending of the count-less island combat styles into onesystem, which he named Modern Ar-nis.

Presas began his study of arnis atan early age, leaving home at 14 topursue his interest in the fighting arts characteristic of his homeland.Presas ultimately synthesized important aspects from kali, escrima,tjakalele and arnis de mono into the art he teaches today. His travelthroughout the Philippines led to the rise of arnis as a national sport,taught regularly in physical education classes throughout the country.

Presas left the Philippines in 1975 on a goodwill tour sponsored bythe Philippine government to spread arnis to other countries. He ar-rived in the United States, conducting special seminars to groups asdiverse as law enforcement agencies and senior citizens. The"Professor" (as his students affectionately call him) has been welcomedwherever he goes, demonstrating the daring techniques of the boloand the bewitching twirl of double rattan sticks—the sinawali.

In 1982, Presas was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame as In-structor of the Year for his devotion to teaching the art he loves. Yearsof refinement have given Presas a personal style that makes his semi-nars among the most popular at many 'martial art schools.

Presas currently resides in San Francisco, and he is actively in-volved with the formation of his International Arnis Federation (IAF),headquartered in Los Angeles.

Readers who are interested in furthering their studies in the art of ar-

nis, or who have comments or questions about this book, are encour-aged to write to IAF at 124 Rolph St., San Francisco, CA 94112.

HISTORY

The origins of arnis are difficult to trace, primarily because there arenearly as many styles of Filipino stick fighting as their are islands in thePhilippine archipelago—more than 7,000! The races that settled inthese islands came from India, Southeast Asia, China and Indonesia.

These diverse races and cultures blended their heritages over thecenturies, producing a common method for employing sharp swords,daggers and fire-hardened sticks in combat. These highly sophisticatedfighting styles have grown in popularity in the international martial artscommunity.

One of the earliest known forms was called tjakalele, (Indonesianfencing). Kali is another term familiar to stick fighters around the worldtoday.

When the Philippines were invaded by the Spanish, the invaders re-quired guns to subdue their fierce opponents. The deadly fighting skillsof Filipino warriors nearly overwhelmed them, and they dubbed thenative stick style escrima (skirmish). Escrima was subsequently outlaw-ed, but the techniques did not disappear. They were preserved insecret, sometimes under the very noses of the conquerors, in the formof dances or mock battles staged in religious plays known as moro-moro.

These plays featured Filipinos, sometimes costumed as Spanishsoldiers wearing arnes, the harnesses worn during medieval times forarmor. The blade fighting forms and footwork were identical to thoseused in escrima. The word arnes soon became corrupted to arnis, andthe name stuck.

Historically. arnis incorporated three related methods: espada ydaga (sword and dagger), which employs a long blade and a short dag-ger; solo baston (single stick); and sinawali (to weave), which uses twosticks of equal length, twirled in "weaving" fashion for blocking andstriking (the term derives from sinawali, the bamboo matting woven inthe Philippines).

When Remy Amador Presas first traveled his country, he took whathe considered to be the most effective principles of each island styleand combined them with his own knowledge of other martial arts, suchas karate, judo and kenpo. Modern Arnis, as Presas terms his system,

incorporates empty hand moves based upon the same motions used insolo baston and sinawali. Unlike kali, his system also uses low kicks andtakedowns for a more well-rounded approach.

Presas also insisted on modernizing a particular training aspect tradi-tional in arnis: that of hitting your opponent's hand or arm instead ofhis stick—a painful practice that was tolerated because the rattan canesused in arnis were considered sacred. Presas decided that hitting thestick was just as good a practice method and would obviously dis-courage far fewer students of arnis, preventing many painful injuries.

Presas does not merely combine techniques—he encourages theindividual student to adapt arnis principles to his own feel for each tech-nique. The method should suit the person and not the other wayaround. This is known simply as using "the flow." The flow is Presas'universal term for defining the comfortable place where the movementsof arnis and the individual human body meet for maximum effective-ness; body and weapon blend to achieve the most natural fighting stylebased on an individual's needs and attitudes.

"Arnis makes many martial artists discover new things about theirown style," says Presas. "They recognize the beauty of arnis because itblends naturally the best movements from many arts. Most of mystudents continue to study their own styles—they just use arnis to sup-plement their understanding. -

For his seminars, Presas has further simplified some of his teachingin order to give novices a tangible amount of self-defense skill throughspecific drills. Sinawali, for instance, is practiced first with the hands in"patty cake" fashion, then the sticks are picked up and the studentrepeats these motions.

Presas demonstrates how these weaving motions can be translatedinto empty hand movements for blocking, punching and takedowns.He has designated 12 important angles of attack on the human body,and 12 basic ways of dealing with each angle. There are also many dis-arming techniques (demonstrated in this book), and the variations andimprovisational capabilities implied are endless.

Arnis is a growing art, expanding in this country rapidly. Arnis tendsto transcend stylistic distinctions, and discovery seems to be a primarybenefit from the study of Modern Arnis, especially under the methodsof Remy Presas.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: WARM-UPS ..................................................... 9

CHAPTER 2: PREPARATIONS ............................................ 21

CHAPTER 3: THE 12-ZONE STRIKING SYSTEM ............. 31

CHAPTER 4: THE 12-ZONE STRIKING DEFENSES ......... 45

CHAPTER 5: TRAPPING HANDS ..................................... 63

CHAPTER 6: FLOW PRACTICE .......................................... 83

CHAPTER 7: THE SINAWALI AND REDONDA ................. 95

CHAPTER 8: STICK DISARMING TECHNIQUES ........... 119

CHAPTER 9: SWORD DISARMING TECHNIQUES 145

CHAPTER 1Warm-Ups

he need for basic warm-up,muscle-building and limbering exercises prior to any training, in themartial arts or any athletic endeavor, is obvious. The exercises depictedhere are only a sampling of those I employ in a typical class for ModernArnis. Other basic workout routines, including isometric exercises,aerobics (such as running and jumping rope), stretching, weight train-ing and other forms, are all recommended for keeping the body fit forarnis practice.

Try these exercises as part of your introductory training, and be sureto use them daily. Do several repetitions of each exercise.

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WINDMILLS

(1) Stand straight with your feet ap-proximately shoulder-width apart,trunk straight ahead and your armsspread outward, palms down. (2)Begin twisting your upper body at thewaist, first to the left, bringing yourright arm around to your left as youmove your left arm back and to yourright. Now twist back (3) in the oppo-site direction and repeat. Go back andforth ten or 20 times.

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KNEE LIFTS

(1) Stand straight with your heelsclose together and your arms looselyat your sides. (2) Pick your left kneeup, grasping your shin with your lefthand and assisting your knee all theway up until you can touch your chest.(3) Repeat with the right knee. Do a setof ten or 20.

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TRUNK STRETCH

(1) Stand straight with your feet ap-proximately shoulder-width apart,your arms raised high over your head.(2-4) Begin bending at the waist andswing your upper torso down to theright in an arc until you are bent for-ward near the ground. (5&6) Now bendback up and to your left in an arc untilyou return to the starting position.Now repeat in the opposite direction.

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PALM-TO-FLOOR

This is a variation on the old toe-touching exercise. (1) Stand straightwith your feet approximately twoshoulder-widths apart and your armsspread at your sides, palms out. (2)Bend at the waist and bring your rightarm down, touching the ground infront of your left foot with your palm.Bring your left arm back behind yourhead. (3) Repeat on the opposite side,left palm toward right foot. Do 20 repe-titions.

ARM ROTATIONS

This is for loosening up the muscles inthe wrists and arms, particularlyi mportant in arnis. (1) Stand straightwith feet spread comfortably apartand your arms spread wide at yoursides grasping a cane in each hand,palms forward. (2&3) Twist your armsforward and then back, stopping whenthe sticks are parallel to the groundand then reversing the direction, backand forth. To make the exercise moredifficult, grasp each stick near oneend.

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ARM CIRCLES(1) Stand straight with your feetspread comfortably apart and yourarms at your sides. (2-5) Swing yourarms simultaneously in front of you,then over your head and back behindyou in a 360-degree arc. Swing thembackward several times, then stop andswing them forward for several repeti-tions.

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PUSH-UPS

(1) Position your body above the floor with your palms flat supporting most of yourweight and your knees off the ground, legs on tiptoes. (2) Lower your body until yourchin is close to the ground in standard push-up fashion. (3) Vary the push-up exer-

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cise by first raising your hips while keeping your chin low to the ground, then (4)lower your hips as you straighten your elbows and raise only your head away from

the ground. Repeat.

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CHAPTER 2Preparations

here are only a few specific stancesor ready positions in Modern Arnis, but learning them is essentialbefore they become a part of your automatic response in a self-defensesituation. Effective balance and the ability to move swiftly backwardand forward to facilitate blocking and striking are the backbone of arnisor any martial art.

Stances or ready positions are not static things to be assumed andthen maintained throughout practice. The body flows into each appro-priate stance as the situation demands. The first few postures shownhere are formal stances and the assumed ready positions are prepatoryto starting each practice session.

Also included in this section is the formal courtesy of Modern Arnis,performed at the beginning and end of any practice, and the properway to hold the traditional cane or stick.

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THE GRIP

To grasp the arnis stick properly, hold it firmly as if shaking hands (A) and fold yourthumb on top of your first finger. Do not leave the thumb exposed (B) on top of thestick, as this may cause injury. Keep the wrist relaxed.

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A B

ATTENTION STANCE

(A)The closed attention stance is assumed during the courtesy, before any practicesession and at the end of a practice session. Your heels are together, feet pointedoutward at a 45-degree angle. The stick is held horizontally with your arms relaxedon either side. Your eyes are focused straight ahead. (B) The open attention stanceis identical to the closed stance, except that your feet are spread approximatelyshoulder width apart.

OPEN LEG READY STANCE

This stance is assumed in preparation for a direct frontal assault. The legs are inthe same position as the informal attention stance, but the knees are slightly bentand the stick is now held out with the right hand (at a 45-degree angle respective tothe ground) and the left hand is held directly behind it to guard, or support a block.

SIDEVIEW

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FRONT SIDVIEW Nirm VIE\

STRADDLE STANCE

Similar to the open leg ready stance, but the legs are spread further apart, approx-i mately two shoulder widths and the knees bent further. The stick and oppositehand are in the same position as the open leg ready position.

RIGHT FORWARD STANCE

In this stance, the right foot is planted forward and the weight distributed evenly onboth feet. The stick and opposite hand are still held up in the ready position. The leftforward position is assumed by stepping forward with the left leg. Your trunk re-mains facing forward.

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RIGHT BACK STANCE

The weight is now shifted slightly to the rear foot, about 60 percent on your rear footand 40 percent on your front foot. The feet are now forming an L-shape with the toesof the back foot pointing 90 degrees to the left. The stick and hand remain in thesame ready position. The left back stance is assumed by stepping forward with theleft leg.

OBLIQUE FORWARD STANCE

Similar to the forward stance except that the trunk is now twisted 45 degrees to theright or left of the forward stance to face an assault from another direction. Thefront knee is bent deeper and more weight is on the forward foot. Both heels andtoes remain planted firmly on the ground. The hands and stick remain in the sameready position.

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BODY SHIFTING

Learning to employbody shifting in arnis isextremely important.Virtually all the tech-niques in this book em -

ploy some degree ofbody shifting to move

EXAMPLE #1

(1) You and your opponentare about five feet apart.When your opponentmoves in with a backhandstrike (2) you should stepforward at a 45-degree an-gle (with your left foot) andblock, closing the dis-tance. Inset 2A shows howto shift if attacked with aforehand strike.

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your body away fromthe opponent's angleof attack, yet close thedistance so that an ef-fective defense can beused (counterstrike,disarm, takedown).

EXAMPLE #2

I (1) If you are too close toyour opponent, when hesteps in with a backhandstrike (2) you should stepback 45 degrees (with yourright foot) in order to main-

I fain a working distancefrom him while still avoid-ing the angle of his attack.Inset 2B shows how toshift if attacked with aforehand strike.

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THE COURTESY

This is the official modernarnis salute. (1) Face yourpartner/opponent with yourfeet together, body erectholding your stick parallelto the ground in bothhands (palms down). (2)Move your left foot untilyour feet are shoulderwidth apart in an open legstance. (3) Bring your left

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foot back and raise yourstick up in your right handso that it is perpendicularto the ground, and bringyour left hand up, palm flatagainst your chest. (4)Return to the open legstance with your stick heldhorizontally in both hands(the same as step 2).

CHAPTER 3The 12-Zone Striking System

he 12 angles of attack in ModernArnis are both a way of memorizing the major, vital areas of the bodythat can be attacked, and also a sequence of strikes practiced as a drillin a specific order to familiarize the student with the 12 basic strikes.

The 12 vital areas are: the left and right temples, the left and rightshoulders, the stomach or groin, the left and right sides of the chest, theknees, the eyes and the crown of the head. Stick strikes to any of theseareas are all injurious, many fatal.

The arnis student learns the strikes in a prescribed sequence andpractices striking to these areas over and over in order to understandthe angles of attack in approaching these zones, and how anopponent's approach often telegraphs his own intended target area.

The numbered zones are referred to throughout the book forreference; when showing a defense, the text may say, "The attacker at-tempts a strike to #2 . . ." The technique will then illustrate how tocounter such an attack. Learn these 12 strikes, both as a point ofreference for defending your own body and for striking the target areasof your opponent.

The following striking drill is practiced as one continuous sequence,though the 12 strikes are also broken down here individually for easierinstruction. Notice that your body will shift almost automatically into theproper stances as you execute each strike. Though the instructions areshown for the right hand only, you should practice the left hand equal-ly, mirroring the movements of the right hand.

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1

THE 12-ZONESTRIKING DRILL

(At a glance)

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STRIKE #1

From the ready position, (1) step inwith your right foot while drawing yourright hand back toward the right sideof your head and (2) execute a fore-hand strike to your opponent's lefttemple, following through (3) in onecontinuous motion by drawing yourstick back to the left side of your head,ready for Strike #2.

STRIKE #2

Starting from the final position ofStrike #1, (1) step in with your rightfoot while drawing your stick handbehind your head for a backhandstrike (2) to your opponent's right tem-ple, following through (3) by drawingyour stick all the way back to the rightside of your body, ready for Strike #3.

STRIKE #3

Starting from the final position ofStrike #2, (1) step in with your rightfoot while drawing your stick back andexecute a forehand strike (2) to youropponent's left side, followingthrough (3) by drawing your stickacross to the left side of your body,ready for Strike #4.

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STRIKE #4

Starting from the final position ofStrike #3, (1) step in with your rightfoot while drawing your stick back andexecute a backhand strike (2) to youropponent's right side, followingthrough (3) by drawing your stickstraight back to the right side of yourwaist, ready for Strike #5.

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STRIKE #5

Starting from the final position ofStrike #4, (1) step in with your rightfoot and execute a forehand thrust (2)straight into your opponent's solarplexus. Withdraw the stick (3) back tothe same side of your body while rais-ing your right arm and elbow, ready forStrike #6.

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STRIKE #6

Starting from the final position ofStrike #5, (1) step in with your rightfoot and execute a forehand thrust (2)straight to the left side of your oppo-nent's chest, following through (3) bydipping the end of your stick down in aclockwise arc past your left knee,ready for Strike #7.

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STRIKE #7

Starting from the final position ofStrike #6, (1) continue the arcing mo-tion from Strike #6, lifting your stick ina clockwise circle past your left shoul-der as you step in and execute a (2)backhand thrust to the right side ofyour opponent's chest, withdrawingyour stick (3) back the way it came tothe left side of your body, ready forStrike #8.

STRIKE #8

Starting from the final position ofStrike #7, (1) step in with your rightfoot while drawing your stick backcounterclockwise and execute a back-hand strike (2) to your opponent's rightknee, following through (3) by drawingyour stick across to the right side ofyour body, ready for Strike #9.

STRIKE #9

Starting from the final position ofStrike #8, (1) step in with your rightfoot while drawing your stick back andexecute a forehand strike (2) to youropponent's left knee, followingthrough (3) and drawing your stickstraight back to the right side of yourhead, ready for Strike #10.

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STRIKE #10

Starting from the final position ofStrike #9, (1) step in while raising yourstick high on your right side and ex-ecute a forehand thrust (2) straight toyour opponent's left eye, followingthrough (3) by dipping the end of yourstick down in a clockwise arc pastyour left knee, ready for Strike #11.

STRIKE #11

Starting from the final position ofStrike #10, (1) continue the clockwisearcing motion from Strike #10, liftingthe stick in a circle past your leftshoulder and executing a (2) backhandthrust to your opponent's right eye,withdrawing your stick (3) counter-clockwise above your head, ready forStrike #12.

STRIKE #12

Starting from the final position ofStrike #11, (1) continue circling yourstick counterclockwise above yourhead and step in to strike (2) down-ward directly on top of your oppo-nent's head, following through (3) bybringing your stick back to the readyposition.

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CHAPTER 4The 12-Zone Striking Defenses

he following are some of the basicdefenses used against the 12 major strikes. Though they are brokendown carefully in these photographs, they are meant to be executed inone smooth and swift motion, with no distinct pauses between theblock, check and counterstrike motions.

Keep in mind that when blocking one stick with your own, your freehand should always be poised to guard, ready to brace a stick block orgrab an opponent's stick. You must stay loose and move quickly,always pivoting to face the strike and keep your balance.

There are many variations in arnis on the defenses shown here—these are only the most basic. A stick-versus-stick situation is illustrated,followed each time with the same identical motions of defense per-formed empty-handed against the same stick attack. The beauty ofarnis is in the translation from stick defense to empty hand defense withno major modifications in reaction. This helps accelerate a student'straining in arnis, since he or she can learn both forms in practice at thesame time, and see the correlation between the two.

Although in most of the following illustrations the stick strikes (andblocks) the opponent's stick, in actual combat you would strike the op-ponent's wrist, forearm or elbow. In practice, you always block the op-ponent's stick, never his arm.

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DEFENSE AGAINSTSTRIKES #1 OR #3

(1) As your opponent steps in with aforehand strike to the left side of yourbody (Strikes #1 or #3), sidestep toyour right (2) to avoid his strike as youexecute an outside block, using yourleft hand to check (3) his right hand.Draw your stick back underneath yourleft arm and strike (4) swiftly to youropponent's chest or stomach.

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UNARMED DEFENSEAGAINST STRIKES #1 OR #3

(1) As your opponent attempts a fore-hand strike to the left side of yourbody, (2) sidestep to your right as youdeflect his strike with your right hand.(3) Check his right hand with your lefthand and (4) strike your opponent's so-lar plexus or groin with your righthand.

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(1) As your opponent threatens with abackhand strike to the right side ofyour body (Strikes #2 or #4), sidestep(2) to your left to avoid his strike asyou swing your right stick out to exe-cute an inside block. Follow imme-diately (3) with a left hand check (and/or grab) and (4) execute a strike to hisleft temple (Strike #1).

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(1) As your opponent attempts a back-hand strike to the right side of yourbody, (2) sidestep to your left to avoidthe strike as you block his right handwith your left hand, sweeping your lefthand underneath your right arm asyou check (3) his right hand with yourright hand. (4) Grip his right hand asyou strike your opponent's groin withyour left hand.Note: In this case, the defender initi-ated the block with his left hand in-stead of his right, as shown in the ex-ample on the opposite page.

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DEFENSE AGAINST

(1) As your opponent attempts a fore-hand thrust to your midsection (Strike#5), (2) sidestep to your right to avoid

STRIKE #5

the thrust while executing a verticalblock (tip of your stick pointing at the

3 ground), checking (3) with your lefthand as you draw your stick under-neath your left arm and immediatelystrike (4) your opponent's groin orsolar plexus.

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UNARMED DEFENSEAGAINST STRIKE #5

(1) As your opponent attempts a fore-hand thrust to your midsection, (2)sidestep to your right to avoid histhrust as you block his right hand withyour right hand. Check (3) his righthand with your left hand as you drawyour right hand back for a strike (4) toyour opponent's groin.

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(1) As your opponent attempts a fore-hand thrust to the left side of yourbody or head (Strikes #6 or #10), (2)sidestep to your right as you executean outside block with your stick. (3)Check his right hand with your lefthand as you draw your stick back un-derneath your left arm and strike (4)your opponent's ribs.

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(1) As your opponent attempts a fore-hand thrust to the left side of yourbody or head, (2) sidestep to your rightas you parry his right hand with yourright hand. (3) Check his right handwith your left hand as you draw your 3right hand underneath your left armand strike (4) your opponent's ribs.

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(1) As your opponent attempts a back-hand thrust to the right side of yourbody or head (Strikes #7 or #11), (2)sidestep to your left as you execute aninside block. (3) Check your oppo-nent's right hand with your left handas you raise your stick high and (4) ex-ecute a strike to your opponent's lefttemple (Strike #1).

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(1) As your opponent attempts a back-hand thrust to the right side of yourbody or head, (2) sidestep to your leftas you block with your left hand. (3)Check his right hand with your righthand as you raise your left hand for astrike (4) to your opponent's head.Note: Here again, the hand initiatingthe block varies with stick or empty-hand situations.

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DEFENSE AGAINST STRIKE #8

(1) As your opponent attempts a lowbackhand strike to the right side ofyour body (Strike #8), (2) sidestep toyour left as you raise your stick high tothe left side of your body and executea strike (3) to the outside of your oppo-nent's right wrist or forearm.Note: In practice, you never strike yourpartner's body—only his stick.

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(1) As your opponent attempts a lowforehand strike to the left side of yourbody (Strike #9), (2) sidestep to yourright as you raise your stick on theright side of your body and execute astrike (3) to the inside of your oppo-nent's right wrist or forearm.Note: In practice, you never strike yourpartner's body—only his stick.

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(1) As your opponent attempts a lowbackhand strike to the right side ofyour body, (2) sidestep to your left asyou block his right hand with yourright hand. (3) Check with your lefthand on his right arm as you drawyour right hand back and execute astrike (4) to your opponent's head.

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(1) As your opponent attempts a lowforehand strike to the left side of yourbody, (2) sidestep to your right as youblock with your right hand. (3) Checkyour opponent's right wrist with yourleft hand as you raise your right handhigh to strike (4) your opponent'shead.

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(1) As your opponent attempts a down-ward strike to your head (Strike #12),sidestep to your right (2&3) as you ex-ecute a slashing strike upward acrossyour opponent's right arm and followi mmediately with a check to his rightwrist with your left hand. (4) Grab thewrist and pull your opponent off bal-ance, executing a strike to his left tem-ple (Strike #1).

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(1) As your opponent attempts a down-ward strike to your head, sidestep toyour right (2&3) and execute a two-hand upward block and deflect youropponent's right wrist with your lefthand. Raise your right hand high andexecute a strike (4) to his head.

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CHAPTER 5Trapping Hands

h is section illustrates hand-to-handcombat using the same basic defense patterns shown previously, withor without a stick. Each example (whether inside vs. outside, left vs.right) is followed by a close-up of the same action for a betterunderstanding of the rolling and trading-off action of the hands. Notethat the striking surface, whether back fist or just knuckles, is not asimportant as quickly parrying the potential punch, checking the at-tacker's arm out of the way and delivering the counterstrike.

Also included is the de cadena (of chains), an exercise in trading offhands with a partner to practice the flow and to increase speed andagility. Another purpose of many arnis drills is to get the student com-fortable with reacting instantaneously with either hand, to the inside oroutside, without any difference in response or ability.

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INSIDE DEFENSE(vs. Right Punch)

(1 &2) As your opponent at-tempts a right punch, shiftto your right and parry withyour right hand (3) by exe-cuting a brushing block tohis right wrist. (4) As youreach up with your lefthand to check (and/or grab)his right wrist, draw your

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right hand up from underyour left elbow and (5) exe-cute a backhand strike toyour opponent's head. Youcan add more to the im-pact of the blow by yank-ing on your opponent'sright wrist, pulling him intothe strike.

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CLOSE-UP OFINSIDE DEFENSE(vs. Right Punch)

(1&2) Parry and shift simul-taneously to brush block aright punch, drawing yourleft hand up (3&4) to check(and/or grab) his wrist while

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freeing your right handagain (5&6) to deliver thecounterstrike to your oppo-nent's head.

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INSIDE DEFENSE(vs. Left Punch)

(1&2) As your opponentsteps in with a left punch,shift to your left as youparry his strike to yourright with your left hand us-ing a brush block on the in-

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side of his left wrist and(3&4) quickly checking(and/or grabbing) with yourright hand. Use your lefthand for a (5) backhandstrike to his head.

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CLOSE-UP OFINSIDE DEFENSE(vs. Left Punch)

(1&2) Parry your oppo-nent's left punch by brushblocking left-to-right withyour left hand, (3) drawingyour right hand up to check(and/or grab) his left wristwhile (4&5) freeing your left

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hand again to deliver abackhand strike to your op-ponent's head. Your lefthand and arm are also in aposition to block a possi-ble counterstrike by youropponent.

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OUTSIDE DEFENSE(vs. Right Punch)

The identical motions areemployed whether block-ing an opponent's punch tothe outside or the inside.(1&2) As your opponent at-tempts a right punch, shiftto your left as you blockand parry his punch usingyour left hand on the out-side of his right wrist. (3)Continue shoving his rightarm, binding up his poten-tial left counter in the pro-

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cess, and trade hands (4),checking (and/or grabbing)with your right hand andfreeing your left hand for abackhand strike (5) to youropponent's head. Noticethe change in position rela-tive to your opponent byshifting to the outside in-stead of the inside, creat-ing many possible anglesof counterattack.

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CLOSE-UP OFOUTSIDE DEFENSE

(vs. Right Punch)

(1&2) When your opponentattempts a right punch,brush block on the outsideof his right wrist from leftto right, (3&4) then check

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with your right hand bygrabbing his right wristand pulling, freeing yourleft hand (5&6) for thecounterstrike to his head.

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OUTSIDE DEFENSE(vs. Left Punch)

(1&2) As your opponentsteps in with a left punch,shift to your right outsidehis punch, brush blockingacross your body with yourright hand, then checking(and/or grabbing) (3) with

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your left hand as you drawyour right hand back underyour elbow, (4&5) coun-tering with a backhandstrike to your opponent'shead.

CLOSE-UP OFOUTSIDE DEFENSE

(vs. Left Punch)

(1&2) As your opponent at-tempts a left punch, parryfrom right to left with yourright hand on the back ofyour opponent's left wrist,then (3) check (and/or grab)

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with your left hand on hiswrist and draw your righthand back (4&5) to deliver acounterstrike to your oppo-nent's head.

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DE CADENA

(1) Throw a right punch to yourpartner's head, which he will brushblock inside with his right hand (2) andcheck with his left. Your partnercounters with a right backhand strike(3) to your head, which you will parry(4) from the outside with your lefthand. (5) Check with your right handand throw a backfist (6) to his head.(7&8) He will parry your strike to theoutside with his left hand and attemptto counter with a right backhand strike(9) to your head. (10) Counter his strikewith an inside brush block, using yourright hand to brush from right to leftand checking (11) with your left hand.Counter (12) with another right back-fist to his head which he parries (13) tothe outside with his left hand, and soforth.

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CHAPTER 6Flow Practice

he flow exercises that follow are forpartners, and are performed both with sticks and with empty hands.These will familiarize you with the flow, the way your body and handscan weave in and out of an attack to convert your opponent's momen-tum into an opening that you can exploit. These drills should be aregular part of your arnis training, and the speed at which you can per-form them should gradually increase with experience. But for the mo-ment, practice them in virtual slow motion and feel "the flow."

Though the following drills (and many in this book) depict a right-handed approach, all drills should be practiced as much or more usingyour left hand. This is crucial to mastering arnis.

In the following drill, one partner will slowly attack using just onestick while the other person defends by using a series of parry-and-slashmotions. Your stick hand and free hand criss-cross continually in frontof your body as you deflect an opponent's strike into your counter-strike. Imagine that your stick is a sword and that you are "slicing" youropponent's arm.

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FLOW PRACTICE(with Sticks)

(1) As your partner (pictured here onthe left) steps in with a low forehandstrike (Strike #9), sidestep to your right(2) and parry his stick from your left toyour right with your free hand whileusing your stick to "slice" the insideof his stick arm. (3) Follow through,bringing your stick all the way acrossyour body and continue pushing hisstick away. (4-6) As he counters with alow backhand strike (Strike #8), use abackhand strike on the outside of hisstick arm and parry his stick with yourfree hand from right to left, alwaysdeflecting and striking simultaneous-ly. (7-9) If your opponent tries an over-head strike (Strike #12), duck low andto your right and use a forehand strikeacross the inside of his stick arm asyou deflect with your free hand fromleft to right. Be sure to bring your stickall the way across preparing for hisnext attack. (10-12) As he counterswith a high backhand strike (Strike #2),strike the outside of his stick arm witha backhand strike and use your freehand to brush his stick hand awayfrom right to left. Continue this drill,back and forth, slowly increasing thespeed of attack.

FLOW PRACTICE(with Hands)

This drill is similar to the previous one,except that the defender uses only hishands to parry and "slice" his at-tacker's stick arm. (1-4) When yourpartner attacks with a low forehandstrike, brush the inside of his stick armwith your right hand as you parry hisstick with your left hand. (5-9) As hetries a low backhand strike, use yourleft hand to pull his stick from right toleft while striking his right arm withyour right hand. Continue to push his

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stick away. (10-13) As he counters withan overhead forehand strike, push hisstick hand from left to right with yourleft hand and cut the inside of his rightwrist with your right hand, alwayskeeping low to avoid his attack.(14&15) As he tries an overhead back-hand strike, parry his stick hand fromright to left with your left hand, simul-taneously slicing his forearm from leftto right with your right hand. Followthis same procedure continuously,always parrying and slicing in thesame motion. Flow easily from onestrike to the next without stoppingand let your partner gradually in-crease the speed of his attacks. No-tice that you never try to stop a strikewith a block, but always permit thestrike to flow past you in the samedirection.

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COMBINED GIVEAND TAKE DRILL

This exercise combines elements ofboth the flow practice and the 12strikes. Partners alternately attackand defend, converting their defensiveblocks and flowing into their next at-tack. In this hypothetical example,(1&2) one partner steps in and ex-ecutes a #3 strike, which the other per-son blocks and checks using an out-side block (3) and then follows (4&5)with a low backhand strike. The firstman (6) blocks the opponent's righthand with his left as he slices down ontop of the opponent's stick (7), thenraises his stick high (8&9) for an over-head strike (Strike #12). His opponentuses the flow to parry the opponent'sstick to the outside (10&11) while

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slashing across his opponent's stickfrom left to right. (12&13) The first manexecutes an outside block to parry hisopponent's forehand strike, checkingwith his left hand and attempting alow backhand strike (14) to his oppo-nent's ribs. (15-17) The opponentblocks the first man's right handdownward with his left hand andslices his opponent's stick, counteringwith a high overhead strike. (18) Thefirst man parries his opponent's stickhand to the left and slices across withhis right. (19&20) His next move is aforehand strike, which his opponentchecks with an outside block. The se-quence can go on continuously in anydirection.

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CHAPTER 7The Sinawali and Redonda

inawali are weaving motions madewith two sticks in Arnis that are practiced in precise, prescribed motionsto familiarize the student with the method of stick fighting, both in freesparring and with blades.

There are three basic types of sinawali in Arnis: the single sinawali,the double sinawali and the reverse sinawali. All employ two sticks (ortwo hands) and can be practiced with a partner. Both partners employthe same motions, up and down, left to right, at the same time. As youpractice each sinawali, you should make firm contact with your part-ner's cane or stick, and not be afraid to make some honest noise. Yourwrists, forearms and shoulders will soon feel new dexterity as you prac-tice sinawali over and over. It is both a fine exercise for the upper bodyand arms as well as good programming for learning to defend againstanother's stick or blade.

The sinawali are also taught without the sticks, in empty hand fash-ion, to illustrate how the sinawali motions can be easily translated forempty hand defense. The weaponless defender can use the sinawalimotion to fend off an attacker who is armed with a cane or blade. Theapplication in defense with empty hands will be shown after eachsinawali exercise is illustrated.

The variations of sinawali are numerous, but the three outlined hereare the basis of the Arnis system.

The hand versions of each sinawali are shown first, which will makeyour subsequent practice with the sticks easier.

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SINGLE SINAWALI(Hands)

(1) In the ready position, your righthand is held high near your right ear,and your left arm is bent so that yourforearm is parallel to the ground andyour left palm is near your waist. (2)Both men slap their right palmstogether midway between them andfollow through (3&4) without stoppingas they lower their right palms to slapin a low position. Your hands meet bymoving your right arm counterclock-wise. At the same time that your righthands meet in the lower position, raiseyour left hand high by your left ear andprepare (5) to repeat the same se-quence with your left palms, slapping(6) high and then circling clockwise(7&8) to slap low. Simultaneously,bring your right palm up near yourright ear (9) to repeat the sequenceagain.

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SINGLE SINAWALI(Sticks)

When you are familiar with the singlesinawali, pick up both sticks and per-form the exact motions, striking thesticks together instead of your palms.(1) Assume the same ready position,right stick high near your right ear. leftstick tucked underneath the right arm-pit pointed straight back. (2-4) Executea high forehand strike with your rightstick, then circle yopr stick counter-clockwise for a low backhand strikewhile raising your left stick up high onyour left side, ready to repeat the se-quence with the left stick. (5&6) Exe-cute a high forehand strike with yourleft stick as you tuck your right stickunderneath your left armpit. Circleyour left stick clockwise (7&8) to ex-ecute a low backhand strike whileraising your right stick high (9) readyto repeat the sequence.

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SINGLE SINAWALI(Application)

(1&2) As your opponentthrows a straight rightpunch, sidestep to yourright and parry with yourright hand inside his rightwrist, then (3) continue cir-cling your right arm downand back up in a counter-clockwise motion, reach-

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ing up for your opponent'sneck or hair (4) while trap-ping his right arm in yourright elbow. (5&6) Your op-ponent is off balance andeasily taken down by con-tinuing the circling motionof your right arm and pivot-ing your body.

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DOUBLE SINAWALI(Hands)

(1) Assume the same starting positionas the single sinawali, with your righthand near your right ear and your leftpalm parallel to the ground near yourwaist. (2) Slap with your right palm in ahigh position and pull your left handunder your right armpit. Followthrough by drawing your right hand to-ward the top of your left shoulder (3)as you slap your left palm down low.(4) Follow through again by drawingyour left palm up high by your left earand striking with your right palm in thehigh position. Now repeat the entiresequence only beginning with the lefthand (5) slapping high, with your righthand under your left armpit, thendrawing your left palm on top of yourright shoulder as your right palm (6)slaps low, then (7) slap your left palmin the high position while drawing yourright palm high near your right ear, (8)ready to repeat the sequence.

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DOUBLE SINAWALI(Sticks)

(1) Assume the same starting positionas the single sinawali, with your rightstick high near your right ear and yourleft stick tucked underneath your rightarmpit. (2) Execute a high forehandstrike (striking your opponent's stick)with the right stick, (3) then draw yourright stick to the top of your left shoul-der while executing a low backhandstrike with your left stick. (4) Execute ahigh backhand strike with your rightstick and draw your left stick up high,behind your left ear, preparing to re-peat the sequence on the oppositeside. (5&6) Execute a high forehandstrike with your left stick as you pullyour right stick back under your leftarmpit. (7) Execute a low backhandstrike with your right stick as you pullyour left stick through to the top ofyour right shoulder. (8) Execute a highbackhand strike with your left stick asyou pull your right stick through andup high on your right side, (9&10)ready to repeat the sinawali. This exer-cise can be easily done with a one-two-three, four-five-six count in eachset.

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DOUBLE SINAWALI(Application)

(1&2) As your opponentsteps in with a right punch,sidestep to your left whileparrying (3) his punch withyour left hand, blockingfrom left to right. (4) Delivera face strike with your right

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hand, then grasp behindyour opponent's neck (5&6)and pivot to your right onthe ball of your left foot,maintaining control of hisright arm and forcing himto the ground.

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REVERSE SINAWALI(Hands)

(1) Face your partner with your handsheld up. (2) Meet your partner's rightpalm in a low strike while raising yourleft palm to your right shoulder. (3)Then bring your right palm up under-neath your left armpit while strikinglow with your left palm. (4) Draw yourleft palm up near your left ear whilestriking low again with your rightpalm. (5) Strike low with your left palmwhile bringing your right palm to thetop of your left shoulder. (6) Strike lowwith your right palm and bring yourleft palm underneath your right arm-pit. (7&8) Bring your right palm up highnear your right ear and strike low withyour left palm, completing one set andreturning to the starting position.(Note: The last three strikes are a mir-ror image of the first three strikes, asin double sinawali.)

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REVERSE SINAWALI(Sticks)

When you are familiar with the reversesinawali, pick up your sticks and begin(1&2) by striking low with your rightstick and drawing your left stick upabove your right shoulder. (3) Now ex-ecute a low backhand strike with yourleft stick as you follow through withyour right stick by bringing it up underyour left armpit. (4&5) Execute a lowbackhand strike with your right stickas you draw your left stick high onyour left side. (6) Execute a low fore-hand strike with your left stick anddraw your right stick back to the top ofyour left shoulder. (7&8) Followthrough by tucking your left stick un-derneath your right armpit as you ex-ecute a low backhand strike with yourright stick. (9) Follow through by bring-ing your right stick up high by yourright side and execute a low backhandstrike with your left stick, returning tothe starting position (10) and continu-ing the drill.

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REVERSE SINAWALI(Application)

(1) As your opponent at-tempts a right punch, (2&3)shift to your left and parryhis right arm from left toright with your left hand,

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slipping your right handunderneath his arm (4&5)for a groin grab. An alter-nate strike could be a palmstrike to the neck or face.

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REDONDA(Twirling)

To practice this drill at first, (1) yourpartner should hold two sticks at a45-degree angle on either side of hisbody. Starting from the sinawali readyposition, pivot to the left and (2) strikedown to your opponent's right stick,bring your right hand through behindyour left side in a clockwise circle asyour left hand comes from underneathyour right armpit (3) striking your op-ponent's right stick backhand. Yourright hand completes its circle, com-ing back to (4) strike the opponent'sright stick one more time. Simultane-ously, your left hand circles clockwisebehind your left side (5) as your righthand tucks under your left armpit.Now use your left stick to deliver (6) aforehand strike to your opponent's leftstick, as you pivot to the right. Followwith your right stick, (7) cutting acrossin a backhand motion from under-neath your left armpit as your left stickcircles to the right side of your body ina counterclockwise motion. As the lefthand completes its circle (8) andstrikes the opponent's stick, your righthand circles counterclockwise to theright side of the body. Your right handcompletes its circle coming back tothe starting position, (9) ready to strikethe opponent's right stick as your lefthand tucks under your right armpit.

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3Using the motions of the first half ofthe redonda, a defender can block hisopponent's high forehand strike (1 -4)by slashing three successive strikesacross the inside of his opponent'sforearm (right-left-right). He can usethe second half of the redonda to de-fend against a high backhand strike(5-8) by slashing three times acrossthe outside of his opponent's forearm(left-right-left). Notice that the defend-er strikes the arm of his opponent andnot the stick.

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CHAPTER 8 Stick Disarming Techniques

needed skill when dealing with anykind of weapon is knowing how to disarm your opponent swiftly. Thefollowing show 12 different disarming techniques for the 12 differentstrikes, but there are countless variations on these, and any may be us-ed against more than one of the 12 strikes. Remember to practice thesetechniques both left- and right-handed. All of these techniques employone stick and one free hand.

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DISARM AGAINSTSTRIKE #1

(1) When your opponentthreatens with a high fore-hand strike to your head(Strike #1), sidestep to yourright (2) as you execute aninside stick block and im-mediately grab (3) your op-ponent's stick in your lefthand. Twist the stick quick-

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ly (4-6) in a counterclock-wise direction as you presshard on his stick with yourstick, as if trying to cut it inhalf. Your opponent willeither let go or be takendown to the ground alongwith his weapon.

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(1) As your opponent attempts a high backhandstrike to your head (Strike#2), sidestep to your left (2)as you execute an outsideblock with your stick whilekeeping your left handready to scoop (3&4) insideyour opponent's right fore.arm. Wind your left are

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quickly in a clockwisedirection until his stick ispressing against your leftforearm (5) and his rightwrist is pinned under yourleft wrist. (6) Continuingthe pressure will force himto release his stick, andwill keep your opponentopen for a counterstrike.

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(1) As your opponent at-tempts a high forehandstrike to your left side(Strike #3), sidestep to yourright (2) as you execute aninside block with your rightstick and reach over hisstick and right wrist withyour left hand (3) to scoop

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his wrist. (4) Wind your leftarm in a counterclockwisedirection (pinning his stickagainst your stick) andbend his right wrist back-ward, (5&6) forcing him torelease his stick. Your op-ponent at this point is alsooff balance.

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(1) As your opponent at-tempts a high backhandstrike to your right side(Strike #4), sidestep (2) toyour left as you execute anoutside block with yourright stick. (3) While keep-ing your left hand on hisright wrist, quickly forceyour stick over and under-

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neath your opponent'sstick, raising his right wristup (4) until your stick andyour left hand are bothpressing (5&6) against theback of his wrist. Forceyour opponent down withstrong pressure until helets go.

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(1) As your opponentthreatens with a forehandthrust to your midsection(Strike #5), sidestep to yourright (2) as you execute aninside block with your stickpointed down. (3) Bringyour right wrist over andoutside his right wrist andyour left hand up to presson his stick. (4&5) With your

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ight wrist and stick under-ieath his right wrist, pivoto your right and pressigainst the top of his rightvrist, maintaining upwardgessure on the end of his;ti ck with your left hand. (6)iy swiftly pivoting to youright, your opponent'svrist will be bent backwardInd he will let go.

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(1) Your opponent attemptsa forehand thrust (Strike#6) to the left side of yourbody. (2) Shift to your rightand block, (3) grabbing theend of his stick immediate-ly. (4) Rotate the back endof your stick underneath

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your opponent's right wristand then over the top asyou pivot to your right (5)forcing pressure againstthe back of his right wrist.(6) Follow through until hereleases the stick.

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(1) As your opponent at-tempts a backhand thrustto your body (Strike #7),sidestep to your left (2) asyou execute a high outsideblock. (3) Simultaneously,reach your left hand under-

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neath his right wrist anddraw it quickly back (bend-ing it at the elbow) as youpress against his stick inthe opposite direction withyour stick. His hold will bebroken.

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(1) As your opponentthreatens with a low back-hand strike to your rightside (Strike #8), sidestep toyour left (2) and execute alow outside block. (3)Pressing down on his stick,step in and force your rightwrist inside his right armand wind your arm upward

(4) in a clockwise circle,trapping his right wrist andstick (5) against your stickand right hand. Use yourleft hand to hold his stickagainst your own. Pivotquickly to your right (6) tobend his right wrist back-ward, forcing him to let go.

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(1) As your opponent at-tempts a low forehandstrike to your left side(Strike #9), sidestep to yourright (2) as you execute alow inside block, bringingyour left arm quickly to theoutside of his right arm (3)to scoop his wrist. (4) Wind

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your arm in a counterclock-wise direction and pressagainst his stick with yourstick. By pivoting to yourright and pressing againstthe back of his wrist withyour left hand (5&6) youropponent will be forced tolet go.

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(1) As your opponentthreatens with a forehandthrust to your head (Strike#10), sidestep to your right(2) as you execute an in-side block and simultane-ously bring your left handup to trap (3) his stick arm

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between your left forearmand right stick. His stick isblocked against your leftshoulder. (4) Pivot quicklyto your right as you pressdownward with your leftforearm, breaking hisgrasp on the stick.

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(1) Your opponent attemptsa backhand thrust to theright side of your body(Strike #11). (2) Shift to yourleft and block his stick,reaching underhand (3) tograb the end of his stick. (4)Pull his stick over the top

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of your stick so that hisright wrist is pulled back (5)across your stick, forcinghim to release (6) his stick.Note how you have pulledhis stick in a counterclock-wise motion.

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(1) Your opponent attemptsan overhead strike (Strike#12) to your head. (2) Stepin and block horizontally,rotating the back end ofyour stick around his stickto your right and then over

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the top (4) of his right wrist,pulling down (5&6) on hisright wrist and grabbingthe end of his stick as helets go. You are now in aposition for a follow-upstrike.

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CHAPTER 9Sword Disarming Techniques

he following techniques are just afew, improvised examples of empty-hand arnis training used against at-tackers armed with a sword. The moves incorporate all the principlesoutlined in previous chapters, including body shifting, blocking-and-parrying and the circular movements characteristic of the sinawali.

These are by no means the only ways of disarming an attacker. Thischapter can only give a few illustrations of how arnis empty handmoves can be applied to such situations. The multiple defenses andvariations that can hypothetically be applied to other situations couldeasily fill an entire book.

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EXAMPLE #1

(1) As your opponentswings at your head withan overhead sword swipe,(2) execute a cross blockas you shift to the side toavoid the path of his strike.Use your left forearm toblock and your right fore-arm on top, ready to grabhis wrist from the outsidewith your right hand. (3)Pull his sword hand highusing your right hand anddeliver and elbow strike (4)underneath his right arm-pit. (5) Pivot to your right by

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stepping backward withyour right foot and pivotingon your left foot. Bring yourleft arm up and grab hisright wrist with both hands,securing the sword awayfrom your body and pulling(6) down with both hands,setting a shoulderlock.With more pressure ap-plied against the back ofhis elbow, he will drop thesword, and you can ex-ecute a takedown movefrom this position.

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EXAMPLE #2

(1) As your opponentthreatens with a swordstrike, (2) close thedistance with your oppo-nent by stepping in andmoving to your left outsidehis right arm, catching theback of his right wrist inyour right hand as heswings downward. (3) Stepbehind his right leg withyour left foot and slip yourleft arm behind his back,

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over his left shoulder andin front of his throat. Pullback hard on his right arm,straightening his elbowagainst your chest. (4) Us-ing your left hand againsthis chin, pull back and upwhile maintaining a firmhold of his sword hand,and (5) execute a stomp tothe back of his right knee,forcing him to collapse.

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EXAMPLE #3

(1) As your opponentthreatens with an overheadsword strike, (2) close thedistance as he moves in bystepping forward (in thiscase, with your left foot) toyour left to avoid the pathof his strike. At the sameti me, execute an upwardcross block, left forearmunderneath your right fore-arm, and use your righthand to grasp the back ofhis right wrist. (3) Bringyour left hand up under-neath his right arm andcover his right hand, trap-ping his hand on the sword

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with both your hands. (4)Shift toward him while pull-ing the sword down and toyour left, forcing his rightarm in and the bladeagainst his abdomen. (5)Continue turning his rightwrist as you apply upwardpressure against his arm,forcing the blade past hisbody (he may have beencut at this point). (6) Stillmaintaining a firm grip onhis right arm, bring thesword back to your right,cutting across his ab-domen again.

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EXAMPLE #4

(1) As your opponentthreatens with a swordstrike to your left side, (2)close the distance by step-ping forward with your leftfoot and blocking his rightarm on the inside with yourleft palm. (3) Follow im-mediately with a right palm

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strike to his face, thenreach your right hand back(4) behind his neck, simul-taneously pushing hissword away from yourbody and (5) pulling hisneck down into a kneestrike to his face.

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EXAMPLE #5

(1) As your opponent threatens with asword strike to your left side, (2) stepforward and to your right with yourright foot and block from right to leftusing your right hand to grab his rightwrist. Simultaneously bring your lefthand up outside and over his rightwrist (3) and use your hips and entirebody to apply downward pressure onthe back of his wrist. His sword andwrist are now trapped in the crook ofyour elbow with the blade immobiliz-ed. (4) Maintaining a steady downwardpressure with your left arm, reach upwith your right hand and grab thesword from over the top, (5) shifting toyour right to apply more pressure tohis wrist and pulling the sword away(he has to let go or his wrist will bebroken). (6&7) Now execute a down-ward strike against the back of his el-bow (with his sword still in your righthand) to take him down.

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EXAMPLE #6

(1) As your opponentthreatens with a swordstrike to the left side ofyour body, (2) step insidehis strike leading with yourright foot and execute ablock from right to left us-ing your right hand againsthis forearm or wrist. At thesame time, reach upbehind his right wrist withyour left hand and grab theback of his wrist. (3) Pivoti mmediately to your right,stepping back with your

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right foot as you pull hisright arm up and aroundwith your left hand. (4) Useyour left arm to twist hiswrist down, forcing hispalm toward you and usingyour whole body for lev-erage. (5) Trap his handagainst your chest withyour right hand and forceyour left arm against theback of his right elbow.You can now disarm himfrom this position and thenexecute a takedown.

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EXAMPLE #7

(1) As your opponent threatens with anoverhead sword strike, (2) close thedistance with your opponent by step-ping in and to your left with your leftfoot and execute a palm block fromleft to right, deflecting his right arm toyour right and grabbing (3) the back ofhis right wrist with your left hand. (4&5)Now pivot back to your left on yourright foot, grabbing his right wrist onthe inside with your right hand whilecontinuing to cover his right hand withyour left. With his hand trapped on thesword, continue pivoting back to yourleft as you pull his palm and wrist up-ward and to your left, (6&7) taking himdown. (8) Maintain the twist on hiswrist with your left hand and use yourright hand to disarm him.

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45221785 Modern Arnis the Filipino Art of Stick Fighting Repost

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