Weapons

Krabi
Krabi Krabong is the weapons art of Thailand, the military weapons forerunner to the unarmed combat art of Muay Thai and the ring sport of Thai Boxing.

Krabi uses twin stix, the number 1 strike and jodan uke block.

It uses an advancing pushing, pressure step, and retreats with defence.

5 step sparring involves advancing and retreating in attack and defence.

We start with a single step and strike, then progress to a double step and strike.

We finish the sequence with a power strike, a "kradot" jumping strike or a double "tenchi" strike.
It is also possible to put in a kick at the end of the sequence.

The stixs represent swords, as in kali. Though brutal as a stick combat art, the ultimate intention is to train for blade combat.

It is , like boxing, a very basic and primative art, with not a lot to learn. Which is what makes it so effective.

Eskrima and Kali
Eskrima and Kali are the weapons arts of the Philipines, referred to as Filipino Martial Arts or FMA.

Training is done with the short stick, single or double.

In Eskrima we fight with the stick, so stick training represents stick combat.

In Kali we fight with swords, so stick training represents blade combat. That is the real distinction between the two. Kali is a lot like Krabi, but also very different, as you will see.

Eskrima training consists of:

Sinawalli - double sticks
Largo mano - long range single stick
Serrada - close range single stick
Kadena de mano - knife and hand


Largo
Largo is the long range.

Largo mano actually means long hand, but we use it to cover weapons method as well.

The basic drill is an advancing and retreating 5 step kumite.

This can be done with the single stick, the longer stick, the sword and the staff, both jo and bo.

We can also mix and match weapons:

stick v 2 stix
boken v stix
boken v bo
boken v jo
jo v stix
bo v stix
tonfa v stix
tonfa v boken
tonfa v jo
tonfa v bo


Sinawalli
Sinawalli means "weaving". It refers to the patterns the stick make in the drills.

Sinawalli is done with double sticks at the largo range.

The first thing you learn is the basic different counts:
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

4 count also has a twirl and sipat henka
5 also has a sipta henka
5 and 7 are also performed "offside"

6 count is a series in it's own right, containing standard, heaven, earth, redondo, stab and sipat henka.

The second thing you learn is "chains" - 2 and 4,
4 and 6,
2, 4, 6
6 chains such as heaven, earth

Then you learn concepts:
chaining, matching, mirroring, redondo, chasing, etc.

It is a very dynamic, thorough and fulfilling art to learn and practice.

It's also a lot of fun!


Serrada
Serrada is the close range system done at the medio and corto ranges.

Drills include:

sombrada - both 3 and 5 count
box sombrada
hubud
entry from largo to medio and out again
move from largo to medio to corto and out
locks with stick

Serrada uses the 12 angle number system of Cabales Eskrima.

We can also drill with tonfa at serrada, and even nuncha (called tayok in FMA)


Knife
Though we do Japanese tanto training from kobudo and ninpo, the bulk of our knife training is from Eskrima.

Kadena de mano means knife and hand. It is the close range art of fighting and defending with the knife.

Knife to knife, hand to knife, and hand to hand are the 3 phases.

Knife uses the first 7 angles of Eskrima.

Knife defence we work on at an early level.

Knife "fighting" itself is taught to seniors.

Tonfa and nunchaku
We play tonfa and nuncha in serrada range as well as largo.

stick v tonfa
stick v nuncha
tonfa v nuncha
nuncha v nuncha
tonfa v tonfa

Bokken, Jo and Bo
We play these at largo range, extending the range out as needed.