Eskrima Flow: Single and Double Sticks and Swords

Doble baston / espada carenza at the Prisoner of War Shrine, Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines.
My FMA background includes Rapido Realismo Kali, Modern Arnis, and some limited Pekiti Tirsia Kali and Dekiti Tirsia Siradas.
Gratitude goes to Guro Gerald Pilapil of Ensayo Tactical Kali for the aluminum training blades.

[@brijseeker]

Very nice! Also thanks for the tribute to our elders to helped in WWII. Indeed our guerillas helped bigtime I recall alot of old stories from my dad and uncles who have fought and used our art during WWII.I am sure there are alot of others out there who's family member have contributed to our historical liberation during that time.Maraming Salamat!

[@TheSubwaysurfer]

Sinawali is the greatest advertisement for the Filipino arts. I'll never forget in the eighties when my friend came into our a rate club in college swinging these two sticks like propellers of an out of control ceiling fan. I was mesmerized from that point on, and fell in love with a style that has been, for me at least, truly adaptable regardless of my age, my current level of health, my time, ir flexibility. The FMA are the most user friendly, and they're a lot of fun!

[@nemisysone]

Another Awesome video Sir Alex! You can see the perfect circular trajectory of the sticks/knives and the effortlessness of the strikes; with no wasted movement. Galing!!!

[@stefomate]

you should do a tutorial on movements like these

[@Fangsinurface]

Awesome carenza. The way u move your sticks is like flowing water. Very skilled.

[@jamiirali1]

yeah bro!!!!!! this is what bruce lee meant when he said "be water my friend". your flow is smoother than a polished stone!

[@Fangsinurface]

This is one of my fav bids. Your mastery of the double and single weapons is amazing. Keep it alive brother!

[@Sissiaraujo]

Amazing performance, great skill!

[@Puting_Kapre]

Cabanantuan...very nice setting for training. The challenges the Americans and Filipinos went through to free the men held there is nearly unimaginable. Nice video, and nice stick work!

[@bladesociety]

I agree! The hardships they had to endure to execute one of the most successful rescue missions in US Military history! Thank you very much!

[@BAdventures]

Cool demonstration, fast technique ;)

[@etckoreat]

I am very lucky to be in this era of KZbin that you can tune down the speed of the video for a clearer and easier observation of the excellent movements of yours, truly inspiring, even at such point the audio is kinda painful to listen at... but worth it.

[@bladesociety]

Thank you so much for your kind words, friend! What an excellent gift to start the year. Happy new year, brother!

[@etckoreat]

You too have a wonderful year! You are a true master in this martial art. If not, at least the one with rich experience and impressive skills.

[@bladesociety]

I appreciate it, my friend, far from being a master :) You made my day!

[@Shintenshi317]

I just watched a documentary about kali yesterday. A lot of Bruce Lee's moves in the movies are actually FMA. His friend, a Grand Master of this art, was a Filipino who thought that FMA was a very under-appreciated practice. Not many people know it but those "fancy moves" that you see in movies (especially in the Bourne series) are actually FMA.

[@SakanLam]

I need to learn how to flow like this...

[@Fangsinurface]

Beautiful as always brother. Thanks for posting

[@joanneabigaildelacruz4748]

Awesome. Pugay!

[@bladesociety]

Maraming salamat po!

[@hjmartialarts501]

You are very talented my friend, wish I could use them like you do! Time to train!

[@bladesociety]

+HJ Martial Arts You are very gracious :)

[@TheToneBender]

+HJ Martial Arts I think you mistake talent for countless hours of practice

[@MrRogergonzalez62]

very nice thats alot of drills put together

[@bladesociety]

+MrRogergonzalez62 That's very kind of you, sir thank you!

[@3228000]

Man that was some fantastic stick work, I hope if you have time you could give us a lesson in slow motion, thanks for the vid...Or show us how to do it

[@B1gBangA77ack]

I think the best way for eskrima to work against longer ranged weaponry is that once you deflect and attack, attempt to close the distance. Eskrimadors are usually taught what do to in a tight situation where even elbows could be used. The person wielding the rapier or katana length weapon is at a much greater disadvantage.

[@TheBonely1]

sweeeeeeet,good video keep them coming

[@copypacercopypacer]

Great job, however I always wanted to see how effective eskrima is a gainst a weapon with a longer reach such as a rapier or a katana.

[@TrendGrapesOfficial]

Love this ... I will make a response video and post it

[@B1gBangA77ack]

True. I see your point, and there are a multitude of factors to consider on both sides. Everything you said applies, and I agree. But I think that most arts have counters for most weapon types, so in the end it really just depends on practitioner skill. I thinks so, at least.

[@darkinner777]

I loved the blades and other weapon's designs. Where can I buy them ? Thanks in advance.

[@MrLeonidas0001]

Super cool vid with good info!

[@B1gBangA77ack]

Whenever the distance is closed, the longer weapon may still do damage but the shorter one has more room for quick jabs. The practitioner is also a factor, as both may have different takes in close ranged martial arts. That's my take on it at least.

[@edwardkoo8564]

With that flow I can imagine you fighting raiders when the fallout happens

[@bladesociety]

Aw, thank you buddy :)

[@mangmiketeamtaiaha7256]

Hi, This was filmed in Nueva Ecija Luzon? Would have been great to have met you while visiting some years ago. I'm sure you could have shown me some really cool Kali drills.

[@bladesociety]

Hello, Michael, yes it was. And I would've :) Stay safe always, my friend! If you ever get the chance to visit the area again, please let me know

[@Josh-gh3vq]

Just because of all the arguing. Yes Filipinos trained with sticks as practice. When spain invaded we had swords and shields and spears all that good stuff. The reason for the sticks was to practice how you would fight, the kris "the wavy sword" you see it every where it's a Filipino sword also the bolo and itak, all kinds of swords but the one used to kill the Spanish leader majelin "please forgive not sure the spelling of his name" was the kampilan it has a fork like end that was actually use

[@FLiPModeAriaO5]

Wow! your wrists must be super strong! I sadly had to give up martial arts because my carpal tunnel syndrome hurts too much. :(

[@bladesociety]

I had a hard time initially but with time, I finally had the wrist mobility and stability needed for those twirls. It's unfortunate you have CTS, I hope it gets better with time :)

[@DeanPMA]

Not for up the road from me is the old Camp X in Queensland Australia, where they trained the filipionos.. look it up..

[@copypacercopypacer]

too bad people rarely use two swords like this. nice job I am very impressed.

[@Makeupbymayra602]

wow thatz really good!

[@bobby6577]

FMA is not about using short weapons. A practitioner can use different weapons (swords, spear, stick, pen boo, chairs) but the movements are the same.

[@Readioheed]

You must have very large and very sturdy drums. :)

[@Dogburns]

Hes saying if you got in the Katanas/Rapiers range you typically would be at a huge disadvantage, especially considering you are not trained for short range, or chest to chest fighting. Its common sword fighting tactics when your opponent has more reach to get inside its range so the weapon becomes useless almost.

[@jasonbourne4748]

Nice!

[@scientist501]

Very nice!

[@ObliviousBurrito]

On the other hand, you have a good point on the effectiveness of long swords vs knives/short swords. In combat it is always essential to control the range and distance of the fight, if one controls the distance, then they control the battle. Long swords are excellent tools for doing just that, but those methods of melee combat are obsolete in our modern age thanks to the firearm. Short ranged blades in cqc have survived because they are suitable for tight urban environments, which long(cont.)

[@spildaleidodomo]

Wow!, another epic one Alex !!

[@parodosA5No9]

VERY NICE!!!

[@checkreality1]

I wish I had the money to live in the Philippines for 5 years so I could train with people like this guy. ...And I could date Filipina girls in my free time!

[@chizkeyk1086]

checkreality1 hahahaha it is very beautiful at the Philippines

[@AsxAxSin]

would love to learn eskrima but there aren't any near my town

[@villejohn8926]

you should be one of those cast in The Walking Dead, slicing zombies

[@chizkeyk1086]

Ville John hahahhahahaha

[@TheWCChronicles]

Dude you have some skill !!!

[@mattg8844]

Huh, he's got an Anderson Silva Muay Thai College shirt on True martial artist recognizes true martial artist

[@IanReyR]

lol i need to learn those sticks for my drums!:)

[@B1gBangA77ack]

Totally, both of them have advantages and disadvantages. If I were going to a large planned skirmish out in the open, I'd take a rapier or a katana. But if I were in a jungle our tight city environment where ambushes could come through alleys our thick forest, I'd prefer a shorter blade for concealment. Both are good, and both categories require different skill sets.

[@B1gBangA77ack]

Honestly, to me it would seem to be based on who the more skilled practitioner is in their weapon's art. The shorter weapon is still capable of proper counters, parries, etc. So if the longer weapon's attack was parried, it gives the other adversary the opportunity to step in and close the distance or go for a disarm.

[@Dogburns]

Not necessarily. Something like a Katana is not that hard to get around. A Rapier wont do alot of damage. The reason that matters is because the fillipino warriors were known for being drugged up and usually immured to pain for that very reason.

[@monocyte2210]

not sure if he's too fast or the video is just fast-forwarded. i mean look at the flags.....

[@bladesociety]

Gorgy Porgy Thank you, man. It's not fast forwarded :). Problem is, I can only do shorts bursts though. I can't do those twirling movements as fast as I can for more than a few seconds :(

[@DavidBylsma]

cool

[@bladesociety]

Come Visit Waikiki Thank you :)

[@memine8795]

+bladesociety where did you learn to do that

[@bladesociety]

Hi! I learned to wield weapons though this guy : rapidorealismokali.weebly.com/pg-henry-espera.html. I started with double sticks, then single stick, then proceeded to swords :)

[@fgerardohost]

Wow a really want learn to use Kali.

[@searletssky9124]

wow can't believe my eyes o.o

[@bladesociety]

Thank you for watching!

[@bobby6577]

If someone is doing that in front of you, will you attack him?

[@Gauntlets]

They needa make a Soul Calibur character who's an escrima practitioner...

[@bobby6577]

Anyway, I studied aikido and kendo for 5 years and arnis/kali/eskrima for 3 years so I know what I'm talking about. I also fought a fencer using sticks and manage to beat him using techniques in arnis.

[@mendozacarlson1]

go doc... hehe ^_^

[@diosdadoapias]

That is nice he can use to sticks. In real fight one stick is enough to defend yourself and usually a person will use only one stick or any bladed weapon unles you brought or pick 2 sticks or blade. have more practice with single stick and make it live practice using real stick and no paddings so that each practitioner wil not be so brave to enter and hit each other like in the competition.They will be very careful least they will be hit live and get hurt like in real fight.

[@bengundran1488]

Too fast to learn this .Show-Off

[@chablehh]

Did you know that the Filipino warriors also caused the Marines to get the nick-name "leather necks" when the US was occupying the Philippines, the Filipino warriors would come and slit their throat at night, and also cause the standard issue round to change to the more flat bullet it is now, the rounder one would just go straight through and the warriors would just keep going. :D

[@raullopez9170]

En cuanto tiempo se podría dominar estos movimientos

[@bladesociety]

dependería de la capacidad del alumno para asimilar las lecciones. Me tomó alrededor de un mes o dos de hacer los ejercicios :)

[@MaharlokanSovereign]

Question: have anyone know or post in youtube the forbidden Filipino/ Maharlokan Martial Art of yo-yo using Kali??? some said it only for the Nobles same as the Nobles of India were they use an elastic tread of Gold like a whip.

[@ObliviousBurrito]

If Filipinos are so bad at using real weapons, than why is it that their Marines,SEALS, and S.W.A.T. tend to use their Bolo's and Knives in combat more frequently then their firearms? Pekiti-Tersia Kali, taught by Leo Gaje, is the art that deals in training Filipino Force Recon Marines and the Special Action Force of the national police. Gaje encouraged both forces to use and rely on knives and blades more than their own firearms, and so far this method of combat has proves effective for both.

[@copypacercopypacer]

How exactly is the longer weapon at a disadvantage?

[@ChoongSung]

Well, there is a purpose to the fancy handiwork. The "twirling" is used to hit your opponent more than once in a short period of time. Instead of full circles you make them smaller and use the whipping motion of your wrist and elbow. Why don't you ask an eskrimador to demonstrate the technique on you :)

[@copypacercopypacer]

@Dogburns Your talking about the Muslims in the south who used longer weapons then the Christians in the north. I'm talking about the Filipinos in the north, not the ones from the south

[@lamichael19]

Just have someone "twirl" the sticks and you try to hit them through it. Hurts doesn't it?

[@bobby6577]

The guerillas fought the Japanese using short bolos(machetes) and they manage to acquire guns and katanas from the dead soldiers.

[@jreddie92]

can you slow the video down so your moves are visible to the human eye?

[@matanglawin6652]

sir meron ba kayong banch sa bohol tagbilaran ???

[@copypacercopypacer]

No i'm talking about long knives vs swords. Apparently Filipino "swords" tend to be very small where the average sword would be 30 or higher inches. Filipino "swords" which are actual knives are very small and are at a disadvantage in reach. Which is why I do't have very high expectations for Filipino bladed weapons.

[@laurellentwine]

try looking at the human weapon eskrima full

[@chablehh]

Yup XD

[@copypacercopypacer]

Lapu lapu is a muslim who used a muslim Longsword, which is from the southern Philippines. I'm reffering to the norther swords whic hare no longer than 27 inches. Which aren't swords at all. More like knives lol

[@isanBITOY]

the purpose of that is to hit the opponent in a short period of time,,, imagine if thats a bladed weapon...

[@bobby6577]

I'm sorry but I disagree. If Filipinos weren't that good with weapons, why did the Spaniards tried to suppress this art? Why various military (e.g. SEALs, marine corp) and law enforment agency (L.A.P.D) are studying this art? I saw some arnisadors and escrimadors in province of Cavite duke it out against practitioners of kendo and kun fu. Most of the filipinos won that fight.

[@ObliviousBurrito]

So even Lapu Lapu's famed battle at Mactan was meaningless as well?

[@copypacercopypacer]

Your skill has to be very high to do that. And chances, not always will your men or you be much better then your opponent. I mean, did the pre colonial filipinos have at least some kind of medium sized sword?

[@VentiVonOsterreich]

I tried this. I hit myself a lot of times. lol.

[@copypacercopypacer]

@copypacercopypacer in eskrima

[@ObliviousBurrito]

(cont) swords or spears cannot accommodate. The only environments I can imagine using the Katana,Rapier,or Jian for cqc are deserts,plains, and tundras, and even if modern armies incorporated long swords and spears into their melee combat, just the thought of trying to carry a spear or Katana along with an M4A1 or M240 Bravo wouldn't only be awkward, but monumentally frustrating and uncomfortable.

[@migsluck1]

Unless you have gun, I'd like to see you get close to someone dual wielding blades. lol. How about you make a video and post it on youtube for us.

[@copypacercopypacer]

That was because of terrain and luck. If you put a pre coloinal Filipino against a Japanese samurai. Chances are, the samurai will win. The Filipinos aren't very good when it comes to fighting with real weapons like the European rapier or Chinese Jian. There's a reason why nobody likes to use Filipino weapons against something much more suipeior. long sword > Filipino swords = ineffective in real combat. Only good for farmer's tools which aren't meant for fighting.

[@wickz4725]

Cry

[@acejava5676]

Try me :) search some eskremador teaching in youtube how it work.

[@ucchamburg]

that's good if you work in the circus or you're a cheerleader; but it's all nonsense for a fight

[@bladesociety]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@ucchamburg]

@@bladesociety 👍

[@wickz4725]

Like you and nonsense trashy opinions straight from garbage can

[@AntonioGuamil]

Just another American stating misinformed facts, Lapu Lapu is not Muslim they worshiped anitos. Lapu Lapu belonged to a pagan religion that has been extinct in my country since the coming of the Spaniards. And as for pre colonial Filipino faring against a so called true warrior, that will depend in the skill of the individual. And for your information during spanish times my ancestors fought off chinese pirates with a broomstick.

[@AntonioGuamil]

so you carry a rappier with you? ahahahahaha I sure do carry a Katana with me at all times ahahahahahaha

[@omurchu12]

Which only confirms your ignorance.