PE 3 INDIVIDUAL AND DUAL SPORTS

(ARNIS)

Individual and Dual Sports

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Material & Equipment Correct grip, Courtesy
Chapter 3
Stances
Intended Learning Outcomes: At the end of this chapter, the students are expected to:

1. Identify Materials, equipment, grip & courtesy;

2. Identify the different stances of arnis;
3. Execute the basic stances of arnis; and
4. Perform actively the different body shifting.

3.1 Courtesy Bow

A traditional gesture of respect, in which a player closes his feet, put his hand on
his chest with the Stick while bowing her head.

3.2 5 Stances

Open Leg Stance

Stand with your feet apart parallel to the shoulder with both toes pointing
forward. The knees should be straight, the waist and the body facing forward. Hands
are on waist level and the hands should hold the sticks on both sides. The ready stance
is commonly used when standing at ease during training or tournaments.

Individual and Dual Sports

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Attention Stance

Stand with your feet forming a 45 degrees angle. Heels should be close to each
other, knees should be straight, the waist and body facing forward. Shoulders are
dropped to the side and both hands are at waist level. The Attention Stance is
commonly used in preparation for courtesy or “bowing” at commencement of sparring.

Fighting Stance

Starting with the ready stance, move one foot forward until the knee and the toe
are in line to each other. Both toes are pointing in front, the waist and the body is
facing forward. The body should not be too low or the lead foot too extended
otherwise it will be hard to maneuver. Distribute the weight or center of gravity to both
legs. Forward stances can be right foot lead, which is the Right Foot Forward Stance or
it can be left foot lead which is Left Foot Forward Stance. Forward Stance are commonly
used with frontal striking or blocking techniques.

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Straddle Stance

Starting with the ready stance, move one foot about two feet (2’) to the left or
the right direction until both lower legs are almost perpendicular to the ground. Both
toes are pointing in front, the waist and the body is facing forward. The body should not
be too low or extended otherwise it will be hard to maneuver. Distribute the weight or
center of gravity to both legs. Straddle stance are also called Horseback Riding Stance
since it mimics position when riding on a horse back. Straddle stances are commonly
used for blocking the strikes to the side of the body.

Backward Stance

Starting with the ready stance, move one foot backward 45 degrees away from
the body. The heels of the foot should form an imaginary “L” shape while the legs are in
a straddle position. The body should not be too low or extended otherwise it will be
hard to maneuver. Distribute the weight or center of gravity to both legs. Back stances
can be right foot lead, which is the Right Foot Back Stance or it can be left foot lead
which is Left Foot Back Stance. Back stances are used for blocking and backward
evasion techniques.

Course Description
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3.3 MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

The Yantok

The Yantok weapon goes by many different names, including baton, Filipino
Fighting Sticks, Rattan Sticks, Escrima (or Eskrima) sticks, and Kali Sticks. These names all
refer to the same weapon; a stick a little over two feet in length made from a relatively
straight piece of rattan vine or hardwood. This weapon is widely used and practiced in
many Filipino martial arts.
Rattan is a member of the palm tree family, but grows as a vine instead of a tree.
Because it is generally quite strong and stable it is often used to make rattan furniture
and is widely used for martial arts weapons, including the Yantok.
On the outside rattan looks somewhat similar to bamboo. But unlike bamboo
rattan is solid on the inside, not hollow. Rattan has the characteristic of being very
forgiving of impact and can take significant abuse before it begins to deteriorate.
However it does not splinter and break like wood might when it deteriorates. Instead
rattan begins to fray and become fibrous, making it easy to notice when it is time to
retire the weapon. This makes the weapon very safe for contact use.

A Historical Perspective

There are many different art forms that have evolved in the Philippines. These
arts are often referred to as Escrima, Eskrima, Kali, Arnis, and a vast number of other
names. Some individuals have espoused different origins and stylistic elements related
to these different names, but from all I have been able to determine, these are
essentially generic names often used interchangeably to describe this family of arts.
There are individual styles, systems, and schools that use these names to describe their
art, but each of these tend to have their own unique characteristics. They do not claim
that they represent the entire art of Kali or Escrima, or Arnis. They generally mean that
they have a unique art form within the Kali and Escrima family of arts. Today all of these
arts are typically characterized as being Filipino Martial Arts (FMA).
The FMA evolved principally throughout the various islands of the Philippines,
often with significant regional variations. These arts were influenced periodically by
various cultural exchanges with other nations including Malaysia, India, China, Spain,
and others.

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 These arts train with weapons and with bare hands. Weapons commonly include
the Yantok and other stick weapons, knives, swords, projectile weapons (blowguns, bow
and arrow, etc.) and a great many unique weapons popular in smaller regions of the
Philippines. Bladed and stick weapons are by far the most prevalent weapons used in
these arts. Students of these arts typically learn to use a weapon first, and then learn
bare hand techniques and strategies.

Yantok Weapon

A Yantok normally measures between 24 and 28 inches in length with most

being toward the upper end of this range. Most Yantok are approximately one inch in
diameter. There can be significant variation in the diameter however since vines
naturally grow to variable thicknesses.
A shorter Yantok has a speed advantage, but it also has a reach disadvantage.
Longer weapons have better reach but may move somewhat less quickly. In practice
however, these small variations are not that consequential.

Kinds of Yantok/ Baston

Rattan

Rattan is the most commonly used material for bastons in Arnis training. They
are light, flexible and good for training in speed. They are made from dried and cut
reeds and are typically cut 26"-30" in length, 3/4"-1" in diameter and rounded at both
ends. Prolonged impact training with rattan sticks will tend to splinter their ends so
some practitioners use electrical or duct tape in order to protect their bastons, as they
are more expensive outside of the

Kamagong

Kamagong (also known as Mabolo) is a dark, dense, expensive type of wood

known for its weight and hardness. It is said that bone will break before a good
kamagong baston will, but those of low quality can splinter or shatter on impact due to
their hardness and lack of flexibility. Kamagong is also an endangered species of ebony
woodand its export outside the Philippines is illegal without a permit.

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Bahi

Bahi is a type of wood made from the heart of a palm tree. In weight and
density, it is similar to kamagong, but is made of a porous material, which tends to
slightly dent on impact, making it less prone to shattering than kamagong. Kamagong is
a critically endangered lumber species so it is recommended that practitioners purchase
bahi instead.

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