Some descriptions.

This page will always be under constructions I guess..


Methods is the classification of the styles. As a basis of Arnis we have three methods: Single stick, double stick, and fighting with sword or knife (Espada y Daga). As examples of styles under the single-stick-method, there are: Banda y Banda, Rompida, Figure 8, Hirada etc. Examples of styles in the double-stick-method, are the sinawalis.

The sticks we use in Arnis are usually made out of wood, or rattan (a special bamboo from the Philipines), 70 cm long and about 2 - 2.5 cm in diameter. The length can vary from style to style though, ranging from 30 cm to 220 cm.

Click here to read about the Philipine flag.

Some of the techniques can be "mirrored" left/right (up/down).

Single sinawali (two sticks):

Place right stick on right shoulder, and left stick on left shoulder.
  1. Hit head with right stick, and then place it on left shoulder.
  2. Hit knee with right stick, and then place it on right shoulder.
  3. Hit head with left stick, and then place it on right shoulder.
  4. Hit knee with left stick, and then place it on left shoulder.
Proceed with 1.

Double sinawali (two sticks):

Place right stick on right shoulder, and left stick below right arm.
  1. Hit head with right stick.
  2. Simultaneously hit knee with left stick, and place right stick on left shoulder.
  3. Simultaneously hit head with right stick, and place left stick on left shoulder.
  4. Simultaneously hit head with left stick, and place right stick below left arm. (This is a mirror of position in 1.)
  5. Simultaneously hit knee with right stick, and place left stick on right shoulder.
  6. Simultaneously hit hit head with left stick, and place right stick on right shoulder.
  7. Simultaneously hit head with right stick, and place left stick below right arm. (This is similar to 1.)
Proceed with 2.

The six hits (one stick): All left and right's are from your - the attacker's - point of view.
  1. Hit head on right side.
  2. Hit head on left side.
  3. Hit right knee (from the right).
  4. Hit left knee (from the left).
  5. Hit head from above.
  6. Poke in stomach.
Abanico (one stick) is a way of giving your opponent two fast hits instead of just one. Say, you do hit 1 from the six hits above, then immediately after the hit, turn your hand almost without moving your arm, so that you do hit 2.

Redonda (two sticks). In 2-redonda your arms move along paths like the number 8 lying down, all in one continuous movement. Start with your right arm pointing out to the right, and your left arm below it (with the stick pointing out to the right below it). Then swing your right arm downwards to the left, letting your left arm follow in the same path, then swing your right arm upwards, then downwards to the right, and complete the path (always letting your left arm follow in the same path). In 3-redonda there are three "hits" on left (alternating between left and right stick), and then three on the right...

The twelve hits (one stick). Note: The six hits, described above, is a subset of the twelve hits.
  1. Hit head on right side. (Similar to hit 1 in the 6 hits.)
  2. Hit head on left side. (Similar to hit 2 in the 6 hits.)
  3. Hit elbow on the right side.
  4. Hit elbow on the left side.
  5. Poke in stomach. (Similar to hit 6 in the 6 hits.)
  6. Poke the chest on the right side.
  7. Poke the chest on the left side.
  8. Hit knee on the left. (Similar to hit 4 in the 6 hits.)
  9. Hit knee on the right. (Similar to hit 3 in the 6 hits.)
  10. Poke eye to the right.
  11. Poke eye to the left.
  12. Hit head from above. (Similar to hit 5 in the 6 hits.)
X sinawali (two sticks):

This sinawali is a-symmetric. Place right stick on right shoulder, and hold your left sticks together as if you were both trying to hit your opponents head from the right.
  1. Simultaneously pull your left stick up to your left shoulder, and hit head from the right with you right stick.
  2. Simultaneously pull your right stick below your left arm, and hit head from the left with your left stick.
  3. Simultaneously your left stick onto your right shoulder, and hit left knee with your right stick.
  4. Simultaneously pull your right stick onto your right shoulder, and hit right knee with your left stick.
Proceed with 1.

Reverse sinawali (two sticks):

All hits in this sinawali are to the knees. Hold both arms and sticks pointing out to the right, the left above and in front of the right.
  1. Hit right knee with right stick.
  2. Pull right stick up to the left (under left arm), and simultaneously hit right knee with left stick.
  3. Pull left stick up to the left, and simultaneously hit left knee with right stick.
  4. Pull right stick back up to the left now in front of left arm, and simultaneously hit left knee with left stick.
  5. Pull left stick up to the right (under right arm), and simultaneously hit left knee with right stick.
  6. Pull right stick up to the right, and simultaneously hit right knee with left stick.
  7. Pull left stick up to the right now in front of right arm, and simultaneously start over from 1.

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