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Last updated on January 14, 2019

Kali Fighting Tips for Attacking, Grappling and Grabbing

Attacks can hurt your opponent immensely.  Make sure that as a Kali practitioner, you perform it correctly. If you can, you'd have an edge over an opponent. The kali fighting tips for attacking, grappling and grabbing will help enhance your skill as a stick fighter.

Eskrima
Practicing Empty-hand Eskrima techniques.

Kali Fighting Weapons of an Eskrimador

An Eskrimador can employ the following weapons:

  • Learn to strike with other weapons through learning to strike with a stick. However, utilize the left hand to hit even when there's a weapon on the right. Do not be one-handed.
  • It's treated as a mini stick.
  • Inverted fist, knife edge, or palm heel, regular fist are all utilized. Blows can be delivered as straight punches, hooks, back-fists, at any of the 12 attack angles and any degree.
  • Forearms are weapons utilized for breaking the elbow
  • Elbows are used as destructive weapons.
  • Knees and feet can deliver devastating kicks.
kali fighting tips
Stick fighting guru explain the principle of attack.

The following primary categories of counter- attack or attack are found in kali fighting:

  • Breaking/striking
  • Removing the force can be an element of countering.
  • Restraining/throwing
  • Off-balancing can be an introduction to the others.
  • Trapping/checking can be an introduction to the others.
kali fighting tips
Stick fighting students doing an offense and defense drill.

Self-defence Technique Against Knife Attack that Saved My Life!

Be ready for a knife attack with this life-saving self-defence technique. Learn the technique here.

5 Basic Principles of Attack or Strike in Kali Fighting

  • Hit first. You can take the tactic of waiting for an attack, or you can take the idea. We prefer to strike first, before your opponent initiating his attack, however, there are exceptions. When shielding against a knife, it's frequently safer to wait for an attack. Your first blow must always be explosively fast, and utilize a power blow following your opponent being stricken once and hurt or distracted. Strive for a “non-blockable” speed in a hit, at the proper distance (hand or stick).
kali fighting tips
Stick fighters doing a stick fighting drill.
  • Hit low and high. Don't give your enemy time to regain his strength from the first surprise. Confuse him through striking high then low, or left then right.
  • You have to change to another target. If your enemy blocks your blow, transform into another attack right away with the same hand. This may be very hard to defend if performed well.
  • Hit what's closest to you. For example, you can strike the lead foot or hand with the stick.
  • Hit constantly. When attacking, maintain the pressure with a nonstop storm of attacks.

Grappling and Grabbing in Kali Fighting

To perform “grabbing” correctly, the practitioner should employ the principles of grappling for a better execution of the kali fighting art.

The most excellent idea isn't to grab since it's slower and it can be hard to grab a wrist especially when it is large or slippery. Utilize the basic two finger and thumb grips while grabbing. At times, the thumb isn't part of the grip. However, this depends on the style.

There must be no space between your opponent's limb and your hand. When grabbing, do not attempt to grab at an exact spot. Contact the arm then go down to the grab position. If grabbing, pull, hit or off-balance right away and generally, do not grab except if you have a style to perform that employs a grab.

A grab without follow-up is a brand of an inferior fighter.

Off-balancing Techniques

In corridas, turning and off-balancing are a basic style. It can be done with many grips. It is meant as an introduction to put your enemy into an unfavourable situation.

 

Empty-hand techniques or “dumog”

Utilize jerking movements to psychologically and physically off-balance your enemy. This can be executed with a pull, push or both. This jolting kind of pull or push is frequently linked with the dumog, a Filipino grappling art, yet an essential element of Balintawak Eskrima. In some techniques, it is called “blasting.”

Always employ excellent body dynamics, particularly the slump to allow these motions to be efficient.

Kali Fighting Throwing Techniques

Throwing is an essential element of corridas, involving about 35 throws, and are organized according to the body part of the enemy that's gripped (from hand to head to foot). Throwing is executed in all situations, following the opponent's disorientation.

It's usually employed as the technique's last move, following the assailant being stunned with a hit to the throat, eyes, or groin. When it's employed as the technique's first move, it must be followed up with a final blow, either a hand chop or a kick to the gullet.

The throw can be performed as a defensive move or an attacking one. One alternative is to hit first, going low, for bringing the upper body forward; and high, for bringing the upper body back.

kali fighting tips
Grandmaster Atillo (red) demonstrating Kali fighting technqiues

Another move is to block then throw. Always utilize a throw that's normal for a hand contact resulting in not excessively moving the hands.

Final Words

In Filipino Stick Fighting, the stick is just the mere extension of the arm. While attacking with the primary weapon (the stick) the stick fighter is also made aware of the other weapons he can use at his disposal, especially his human weapon (the body).

Thus, in stick fighting, you can use grappling, grabbing and other techniques that can be executed with the free hand. This makes Filipino stick fighting a complete and effective martial art.

Learn More:

  • Double Stick Training to Develop Both Hands
  • Escrima Footwork and Stances – Tips to Improve Footwork
  • 3 Essential Arnis Kali Eskrima Tips to Striking Fast and Hard

Written by Louis Lim · Categorized: Training and Drills · Tagged: barehands

Instructor

Louis Lim

Louis Lim is a Filipino Stick Fighting instructor in the Philippines. You can read more about his journey here.

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I am a Filipino Martial Arts instructor from the Philippines. I specialize in the deadly art of Balintawak Esrkima.

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