About Eskrima

Eskrima is a term for the indigenous Martial Arts of the Philippines. Eskrima is also known by the names of Escrima, Kali, Arnis or Arnis de Mano.

Different schools and styles often claim that their terminology is the 'Mother Art' however the terms vary from region to region. In the USA for example, Kali is widely accepted as the "Mother Art" (mainly due to the influence of Guro Dan Inosanto) but in the Philippines it is more ussually Eskrima or Arnis that is seen as the correct name to describe Filipino Martial Arts (FMA).

The Filipino Martial Arts have evolved over a period of 500 years. It is only in recent years that Eskrima is becoming popular in the UK and the USA having largely remained undiscovered for all this time. Filipino Arts have proven to be very effective in real life situations and are used extensively by many of the worlds elite Military forces.

Eskrima, unlike most arts, trains it's students from the beginning to defend against weapons such as knives and sticks. Situations that are becoming increasingly relevant in today's society. Techniques taught at Malvern Eskrima include defending & countering, disarming, locking, limb destruction, Filipino boxing, low-line kicking, throwing, grappling and much more!

The art of Eskrima develops a wide range of skills and attributes at all fighting ranges. These include speed, accuracy, timing, footwork, co-ordination, reaction speed and the ability to flow with any attack.

Here are some of the unique aspects of the Filipino Martial Art:

The Filipino Stick - normally made of rattan and between 26 - 30 inches long. Some styles including the Dacayana system do use longer sticks however up to 32-34" in length. Other materials are used for heavier weapons - Bahi and Kamagong are two hard heavier woods that are often used.

Sensitivity and flow drills - not exclusively the preserve of the Filipino Martial Art but rare in other Arts. Perhaps the best known sensitivity and flow drills from other Arts would be Wing Chun's Chi Sau and Tai Chi's Push Hands. In the Filipino Arts these drills are more numerous and these training methods seem to set the Filipino Arts apart from most other Arts.

Live Hand - The 'live' hand is the hand without the weapon in it! If you are holding two weapons then it is the hand with the shortest weapon. If you are holding two equal length weapons and you favour your right side then it is the left hand!

Angles of Attack - Most Filipino systems use angles of attack within their systems. Many systems have 12 angles for their students to work from. Even though many of the angles are common across different systems, almost all of the systems have a different order in which they are used, meaning there is no standard set.