How to Do Escrima

Last Updated: February 11, 2023 References

Escrima, Kali, and Arnis are all common names for martial arts systems found in the Philippines. They are all weapons-based, but they also teach you to defend yourself if you don't have a weapon by using techniques like headbutts, bites, pinches, eye gouges, and strikes with your hands, feet, knees, and elbows.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Joseph Bautista
Self Defense Specialist, Martial Arts Instructor, & 1st Aid/CPR Instructor
Expert Interview. 9 July 2020.} Learning the basic movements and strikes is simple enough, but it takes lots of practice to build up your skill. Once you’ve got the basics down, there are plenty of advanced techniques you can try your hand at learning.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Practicing Your Footwork

1
Draw a square-shaped box on the ground with an X inside. Use chalk, tape, or stick to draw a box on the ground about 3 by 3 feet (0.91 by 0.91 m) large. In the center of the box, make diagonal lines from each of the corners to form an X pattern.^{[2]
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- Make the lines thick and easily visible.
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Stand in the center of the X with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width. Step into the box and stand over the X with your feet spaced out. Take a slight bend in your knees so you’re able to move quickly and comfortably.^{[3]
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- If it feels more comfortable, you can place 1 foot slightly ahead of the other so you’re able to move more easily.
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3
Burst forward in the V to jam a horizontal strike. Stand in the center of the X in the box. If an opponent attacks you with a horizontal strike from right to left, move to the V’s left portion and use your arms to jam their arms before they build momentum and stop the attack. If an opponent sends a horizontal strike from left to right, move the right portion to stop. Practice moving to the left V, then back to the center of the X, as well as the right V, and back to the center to improve your footwork.^{[4]
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- Moving offline allows you to meet your opponent’s strikes while also making it more difficult for them to hit you.
- Improving your forward movements also helps you send faster and better strikes of your own.
4
Step back in the lower V to move out of the way of a horizontal strike. Move from the center of the X in the box to the left portion of the lower V to avoid a horizontal strike coming at you from left to right. If a strike is coming at you from right to left, move back to the right portion of the lower V to evade it. Stand in the middle of the X and practice moving backward and forward from the lower V and back to the center of the X to get better and faster.^{[5]
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- Evading a strike while also moving offline can set up a counterstrike.
- Try not to lean too far back when you burst backward. Keep your shoulders in line with your hips so you’re stable and balanced.
5
Move your closest foot first then slide the other into place to move sideways. If you want to move to the side, start the movement by extending the foot that’s closest to the direction you want to move. Then, slide your other foot into place so you’re in a stable stance. Keep facing the same direction so you’re always facing your opponent.^{[6]
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- For example, if you want to move to the right, move your right foot first, then slide your left foot into place.
- Avoid hopping or jumping to the side, which can leave you unbalanced and exposed to a strike from an opponent.
6
Shuffle your rear leg to the right or left to move in a circular pattern. If you want to move in a circular direction around your opponent, start by shuffling the leg opposite the direction you want to move so it’s behind your other leg. Then, move your other leg in the direction you want to go so your legs are once again shoulder-width apart. Move in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction by shuffling repeatedly in 1 direction.^{[7]
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- Moving in a circular pattern is a good way to force an opponent to adjust to your movements, which can set up striking opportunities.
- It’s common for 2 escrima fighters to dance in a circle during a fight or competition.
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Practice moving smoothly to improve your footwork. Train and drill your movement patterns every time you practice escrima. Focus on moving fluidly and smoothly to build muscle memory and develop better movement patterns. Keep your balance and avoid double-stepping or using choppy movements.^{[8]
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- It’s better to move smoothly than quickly. As you improve, you’ll get faster, but it’s important that you focus on the fundamentals as you’re learning the art.
- Drills help you improve your timing, so when you have to use your fighting skills, you'll be able to react quickly. Drills also carry less risk of injury than sparring.^{[9]
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  Expert Source
  
  Joseph Bautista
  Self Defense Specialist, Martial Arts Instructor, & 1st Aid/CPR Instructor
  Expert Interview. 9 July 2020.}

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Learning Basic Strikes

1
Hold 1 training sword so your second knuckle lines up with the edge. If you’re using an escrima training sword, hold it by the handle with your dominant hand. Grip the handle so the edge of the blade lines up with the second knuckles of your fingers.^{[10]
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- Lining up the edge with your second knuckle helps it face in the right direction when you send strikes.
- Use an aluminum training sword with a blunt edge to practice safely. You can find them at martial arts supply stores or by ordering them online.
2
Imagine your second knuckle line as a blade edge if you’re using a stick. If you’re using an escrima fighting stick, take a firm grip about 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) from the bottom of the stick. Imagine the line formed by the second knuckles of your fingers as the front of the stick for a reference when you wield the stick.^{[11]
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- Escrima fighting sticks are commonly used for practice and competition. You can find them at stores that sell escrima supplies or by ordering them online.
3
Keep your empty hand tight to your chest to protect it. Hold your empty hand against or near your chest so it’s out of the way. Avoid reaching out or moving your hand away from your chest to keep from accidentally hitting it with your weapon while you practice.
- If you’re practicing with a partner, keeping your hand close to your chest will ensure that they don’t accidentally hit it as well.
4
Make an “X” pattern as you swing to send basic slashes. Practice making upward and downward slashing motions with your weapon. Imagine making an X pattern as you send diagonal strikes. Send multiple slashes to make your motions more smooth and fluid.^{[12]
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- Keep your motions light at first and pick up the speed as you warm up and get more comfortable.
- Make sure you hold on tightly to your weapon so it doesn’t go flying out of your hand.
5
Roll your wrist forward as you slash to perform a redonda. A redonda means “round” in Spanish, and refers to a slashing strike in escrima that involves a circular rotation of your weapon. As you send a slashing strike, roll your wrist forward to rotate your weapon so it ends up back at its original starting point.^{[13]
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- A redonda allows you to send multiple strikes quickly because you don’t have to bring your arm back to move the weapon into place. You can simply roll your wrist and swing again.
- Practice using redondas to improve your striking speed.
6
Twist your wrist, hip, and shoulder to send an abanico strike. An abanico, also known as a witik, means “fan” and is a quick snapping strike. Hold your weapon and raise your arm in front of you so the weapon is parallel to the ground above your shoulder. In 1 motion, twist your wrist and snap your hip and shoulder forward to send a quick strike before returning your weapon to the starting point.^{[14]
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- Think about trying to snap your weapon forward with a quick flick of your wrist, adding your shoulder and hip for more power.
- Abanicos are useful if you’re really close to your opponent.
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Hit with the butt of the stick or sword to send a puño strike. Puño means “hilt” or “handle” and refers to a strike that uses the end or the butt of your weapon. From your stance, raise your arm to point the butt of your weapon at your opponent. In 1 swift, snapping motion, send the butt of your weapon forward like a hammer to send a puño strike. Then, return to your starting position.^{[15]
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- A puño strike can be used to target a nerve point in the shoulder or a soft spot like the nose of an opponent.
8
Move forward or backward at an angle when you send a strike. Escrima uses lots of movement to set up strikes and counterstrikes, so whenever you do send a strike, make sure you’re moving. Move forward or backward, but move offline, which means you aren’t in front of your opponent, to help avoid strikes and to set up potential strikes of your own.^{[16]
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- Staying in front of your opponent makes it easier for them to hit you. If you keep moving at an angle, they’re forced to keep making adjustments, which can make it difficult for them to send a good strike.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Improving Your Ability

1
Use daily cardio exercises to improve your conditioning. Escrima is a fast-paced and physical martial art, so it’s important that you exercise to keep your body in shape and capable of performing the movements. Go running, swimming, biking, or do some other form of cardiovascular exercise for at least 30 minutes every day to build up your conditioning and stay in fighting shape.^{[17]
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- If you get winded or tired quickly, you won’t be able to train as much, so you may not improve your escrima skills.
2
Work with a training partner to practice striking and blocking. Find a training partner and have them use the same weapon as you. Practice sending strikes at each other and blocking the strikes. Start slowly and build up speed as you improve to get better at striking and blocking.^{[18]
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- Working with a partner is an important part of building your skill.
- Be sure to start slowly to avoid major injuries, but remember, escrima is a fighting art, so you’re likely to pick up a few bumps and bruises as you practice.
3
Practice on a tree or heavy bag if you don’t have a partner. If you don’t have a partner, find a solid tree, stack of tires, or a heavy punching. Use it to practice your movements and hit it with your weapon to get practice sending strikes.^{[19]
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- Be sure to work your movements as you send strikes.
- Try filming yourself practicing so you can look for mistakes and improve your practice.
4
Train with 2 sticks to work on more advanced techniques. As you improve your escrima skills, try adding in a second stick when you practice. Work on your strikes, blocks, and movements with the extra challenge of 2 sticks to get more comfortable.^{[20]
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- Many escrima competitions allow or require 2 sticks to compete.
- Make sure you feel comfortable working with 1 stick before you try using 2.
5
Join an escrima school to learn from master practitioners. Search online for a martial arts school that teaches escrima in your area. Visit the school and sign up to start taking classes and working with masters who can help you improve your technique and ability.^{[21]
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- The best way to make real improvements and master a skill is to work with a master.
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Compete in an escrima competition to test your skill. If you’ve been practicing escrima for a while and you want to test your ability and learn what it’s like to get into an escrima fight, look online for a competition in your area and sign up! Compete in competitions to learn your strengths and weaknesses so you can improve as a practitioner.^{[22]
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- If you train at an escrima school, they may put on a competition or know where you can compete in one.

Expert Q&A

Question

What differentiates escrima from other martial arts?

Joseph Bautista
Self Defense Specialist, Martial Arts Instructor, & 1st Aid/CPR Instructor
Joseph Bautista is a Self Defense Specialist and a Martial Arts Instructor specializing in Filipino martial arts. With over 18 years of instructing and martial arts training experience, Joseph runs Legacy Filipino Martial Arts, a Filipino martial arts school based in San Francisco, California. He also teaches self-defense with Self Defense For the People, a self-defense program with clients such as Salesforce, Airbnb, Gap, UPS, and UCSF. When not teaching self defense he is teaching CPR and 1st Aid Skills to 911 Dispatchers and Local Police Officers in the SF Bay Area with 1st Five Minutes.

Joseph Bautista

Self Defense Specialist, Martial Arts Instructor, & 1st Aid/CPR Instructor

Expert Answer

Filipino martial arts are different from other martial arts because we are weapons-based, so when you take your first class, you're going to learn to train with weapons. Those can be impact weapons like a stick, cane, or tire iron; edged weapons like a knife, pen, or keys; or flexible weapons like a belt, towel, or bandana.