7. TRAINING REFLEXES BY GROUPING OF MOVES

These are groups or a series of exercises to develop quick reflex moves on various given situations. These were developed by the late Jose V. Villasin, also a student of the Grandmaster Venancio “Anciong” Bacon. Some purists of Anciong Bacon’s students dismiss this and may consider this as alien to their original training.

Certain recurring situations call for varied response and a projection or anticipation of counter responses. Thereafter the student is taught various optional responses to given situations. He then is given an arsenal of responses or moves. For the moment, the student is taught these basic moves. Constant and correct repetition leads to quicker reflex response as in every martial art. Eskrima is no different.

GROUP I- CLEARING AND LIFTING - The student is taught to lift and clear (tapi tapi) the instructor/opponent’s left hand. (We are assuming under these instructions that the opponent is right handed. This has to be adjusted if the opponent is left handed. It is not much different. The same principles apply, except that you are dealing with a different hand.)

1. The instructor delivers strike number1 which student blocks by crossing the instructor’s stick.

1. The instructor simulates a control hold with his& left hand over student’s stick. Instructor lowers his hand and student’s stick at about waist level.
   

2. The student lifts the instructor’s left hand with student’s left hand for an unobstructed and clear blow to instructor’s face, as in strike number 2. Instructor blocks the counterblow with his stick in a vertical position.
   

3. Student clears the instructors stick with the back of his left hand from under the X formed by the crossing of the sticks (towards the student’s left) and again delivers strike number 2 to right side of instructors head.

2. Instructor ducks the blow, simultaneously guiding student’s stick with the back of his left hand.

1. Instructor slides the student’s stick to his left. Instructor’s hand stays on top of the butt portion of the student’s stick. Instructor’s left hand (palm down) keeps constant contact and control of student’s stick.
   

2. Student lifts instructor’s left hand to deliver a side blow to instructor’s left side.
   

3. Instructor blocks the side blow with his stick with a downward stroke with a simultaneous oblique twist facing the stick. ;
   

4. Student pushes instructor’s stick to pin the stick on instructor’s chest and delivers number 12 strike to instructor’s head.

3. Instructor ducks the head blow, his weight on his left foot guides the blow over his head (paawas) towards his right.

1. Instructor simultaneously delivers a strike to student’s right leg.
   

2. Student drops his stick on instructor’s right wrist to block the blow, with simultaneous control of instructor’s wrist with his webbed hand.
   

3. Student delivers strike number 2 to instructor’s head.
   

4. Instructor blocks the blow with his stick in a vertical manner to close Group I. Instructor closes the series by controlling the crossing sticks by holding both sticks with his left hand.

GROUP II -BOBBING AND WEAVING - The group of moves is designed as an exercise to develop quickness in ducking, bobbing and weaving of the head. This is also used to train the eyes in reacting to attacks or strikes to the face. Upon learning Group I, the student proceeds to Group II in conjunction with Group I. As the instructor closes Group I -

1. Instructor delivers strike number 6, a thrust below student’s right nipple. Instructor faces obliquely left with his weight transferred mostly to his right foot as he delivers the thrust.
   

2. Student’s body faces the stick and blocks the stick, his eyes fixed on the instructor. Student clears the stick down with his left hand and delivers strike number 1.
   

3. Instructor blocks student’s stick, controls the student’s hand with his left hand and withdraws his (instructor’s) stick under his elbow, allowing the student to lift and clear instructor’s left hand.
   

4. Student lifts instructor’s left hand and instructor butts student’s face.
   

5. Student ducks the butting blow to his face and blocks the butt by dropping his left elbow. Student slides his left hand under the instructor’s hand and stick and guides (paawas) both hand and stick over to student’s left side. In so doing student must make sure that instructor’s stick is in the web of his left hand, otherwise, instructor’s stick could hit his face.
   

6. Instructor clears student’s left hand control toward student’s left and delivers a boxing blow with his RIGHT fist to student’s face. ;
   

7. Student parries the boxing blow as in blocking strike number 12 by catching his fist and guiding it over to his right side (paawas).
   

8. Student delivers strike number 1.
   

9. Instructor blocks with his stick and closes Group II by holding both sticks.

EXERCISES I:
Instructor places his hand on student’s face level. Student ducks his head left and right alternately. When student develops agility, simulate a right cross which student ducks to the left, then a left jab which student ducks to the right.

EXERCISE II:
Instructor swats student’s face with his right open palm as student bobs under the swat to his left. Instructor swat’s student’s face of head with his open left hand as student bobs under the swat to his right.

Do both exercises alternately until student feels comfortable and agile in bobbing and weaving.

GROUP III - THRUSTING EXERCISES -This group of movements is designed to drill the student in quickness and flexibility in shoulder and hip twists (takilid) both to the right and left to avoid thrusts, or stabbing moves. These exercises are done along with Groups I and II.

1. From the close of Group II, the instructor delivers strike number 6, a thrust below the student’s right nipple. (Again for safety, aim outside student’s right shoulder to avoid injury.) Instructor targets the shoulder area to force the student to turn his shoulders.

1. Student twists his body facing the stick but keeping his eyes on the instructor’s eyes and not on the stick.
   

2. Student’s weight should be mostly on his right foot. If his weight falls on his left foot, he will be within the reach of the opponent/instructor and therefore within punching or butting distance. Student should not over rotate so that he turns his back to the opponent/instructor. If he does so, he could be flipped backward with a sweep.
   

3. Student’s left hand controls instructor’s stick (on top butt portion of the stick) and clears it in a downward motion as in parrying strike number 2.
   

4. Student delivers his counterblow, strike number 1.

2. Instructor blocks and crosses student’s stick, controls and substitutes stick with his left hand, palm down and delivers strike number 7 (a thrust below student’s left nipple) or left shoulder, again to force student to twist his shoulder farther left to avoid the thrust.

1. Student twists his body farther left, keeping his eyes focused on instructor’s eyes, simultaneously blocking instructor’s stick with his stick. ;
   

2. Student’s weight must fall largely on his left foot. Otherwise, his face will be within the reach of the instructor/opponent for a possible punch, eye poke or butt with the stick. Again, do not exaggerate the twist by turning the back on instructor/opponent for the same reason described in paragraph 1.b above. (Note: This is basic training. This rule may be broken in the advanced stage where you may submit yourself as open for an attack, as a ruse for an intended strike. This is known as the cuentada, which will be discussed in a later chapter.) ;
   

3. Student delivers strike number 2, which the instructor blocks with his stick with his left hand controlling student’s right hand.

3. Instructor pushes the student’s stick with the back of his left hand (student’s stick controlled by his thumb and forefinger) and forearm to open up the student for strike number 5 (a thrust to student’s abdomen).

1. Student twists and rotates his abdominal area to his left to avoid the thrust, accompanied by a downward, palm out scoop with his left hand. Student simultaneously blocks instructor’s stick with his stick (point up) as detailed in Basic Blocks in paragraph E.5.
   

2. Student’s weight should be largely on his left foot for the same reason explained above, that is, to be out of reach for a possible punch, butt or poke in the eye. There is danger of turning the back to the instructor/opponent if the student over rotates and his weight falls on his right foot.
   

3. Student proceeds to deliver strike number 2.

As discussed in paragraph E.5, there are three actions in evading the abdominal thrust: a) the body twist avoiding the thrust, b) the stick block, c) the scooping action of the left hand.

EXERCISES FOR LOWER ABDOMINAL THRUST IN BARE HAND COMBAT -

1. HAND PARRIES

1. Instructor sticks his open right palm in student’s abdomen, simulating a knife thrust to the abdomen.
   

2. Student parries with both hands with both palms facing the same director, fingers facing down. Alternate parrying left and parrying right.
   

3. Student parries with the back of both hands facing outward. Alternate in parrying left and parrying right.

2. ELBOW PARRIES

1. Alternate right and left elbow blocks with body twist.
   

2. Alternate right and left combined elbow and open palm blocks.

These exercises are combined with ducking and punching exercises.

EXERCISES FOR UPPER CHEST STABS IN BARE HAND COMBAT

1. Instructor does a knife thrust, palm down on student’s upper left chest.

1. Student turns to face left to avoid the thrust and moves his body right and forward.
   

2. Student double blocks, all fingers point up - his left hand grabs the weapon hand on the wrist with the right hand delivering& a knife hand chop on the forearm. This is a simultaneous motion.

2. Instructor does a knife thrust, palm up on student’s right chest.

1. Student turns right and steps forward and left to avoid  the thrust.  
   

2. Student’s right hand controls the weapon hand by grabbing the wrist and his left hand executes a knife hand chop on instructor/opponent’s forearm.

NOTE:

In both instances, these are not the complete defenses to knife thrusts. These are merely exercises. These exercises may not work on ripping thrusts as explained later under knife fighting techniques. In this event, it may be a better defense to weave back out to avoid the thrust and weave back in as soon as the hand comes to a stop at the completion of the stabbing motion, to control the weapon hand. 1) In the case of the palm down stab, move in and left to control the shoulder and the arm. Push him to your right to make him turn his back on you. 2) In the case of a palm up stab, move in and right to control both shoulder and arm of the weapon hand. Push his shoulder to your left to make him turn his back on you.

GROUP IV - TRAINING BODY FLEXIBILITY - This group of exercises are designed to drill the student in body flexibility, that is, teaching him to turn his shoulders to evade a stab or a strike.

1. From the cross and close of Group III - The instructor delivers a thrust to student’s right side. With instructor’s stick over the student’s stick, palm down, he guides his stick with his left hand as he thrusts.

2. Student counters by lifting the tip of his stick together with the instructor’s hand. He guides the instructors stick, his stick and instructor’s hand to his right, outside his body by lifting all three to his right. Student simultaneously rotates his shoulder right and transfers his weight mostly on his right foot.

3. Student pushes instructor’s hand down to clear for a number 1 strike.

4. Instructor crosses the student’s stick with his left hand on top.

5. Instructor releases control of his left hand to deliver a flicking fan strike paypay) to student’s LEFT shoulder, palm up. (NOTE: This blow, while not officially a standard Balintawak strike is practiced in anticipation of strikes from other styles, otherwise, a Balintawak student will be surprised by blows strange to him.)

6. Student turns his left shoulder to avoid the blow. Before student could deliver a counter strike, instructor transfers control by his left hand on top of student’s stick to deliver another fan blow to student’s RIGHT shoulder, palm down, forcing the student to turn his& right shoulder and pursue (paapas) the strike with his counter. Student’s weight falls mostly on his right foot.

7. Student catches up to block and clear down (tapi) to deliver strike number 2.

8. Instructor blocks student’s stick to cross, controls student’s stick with a downward parry with his; left hand.

9. Instructor withdraws his left foot, with weight mostly on his right foot, weaves his head so that his stick does not catch his head and face. Instructor delivers another fan blow to student’s left shoulder (palm up).

10. Student turns his left shoulder, weight on his left foot, to face the blow. Student blocks, clears and delivers strike number 2.

11. Instructor blocks to cross and close Group IV.

GROUP V - PARRYING AND BLOCKING BOXING BLOWS - This is a group of exercise moves to develop reflexive response to boxing blows to the face and body during trading strikes and blows.

1. Instructor delivers strike number10, a thrust to the right eye.
   

2. Student blocks the thrust with by crossing his stick, controls instructor’s stick with his left hand and clears down to deliver strike number 1.
   

3. Instructor blocks the counter strike by blocking the stick. With the back of his left hand and his arm, the instructor pushes the stick towards students right to pave way for thrust number 11, a thrust to the left eye.
   

4. Instructor controls student’s stick with his left hand and lays his right hand and butt of his stick (tanday) on top of students weapon hand to immobilize and transfer control to his right hand.
   

5. Instructor release his left hand control and delivers a left hand punch (open hand touch during workouts with beginners) to student’s face.
   

6. Student counters the boxing blow by simultaneously dodging the blow by moving left and forward and parrying the blow with his left hand. Student’s weight transfers to his left foot.
   

7. Student frees his right hand from control, stabilizes his balance and delivers strike numbers 1 or 4.
   

8. Instructor blocks the strike with his stick, controls by clearing with his left and delivers thrust number 10.
   

9. Student blocks, clears with his left hand and delivers blow number 1.
   

10. Instructor blocks with his stick to cross and with the back of his left hand and arm, he pushes student’s stick towards student’s right side to deliver thrust number 11.
    

11. Instructor places his right hand (palm up) on top of student’s right hand to control (tanday) and delivers a left hand punch into student’s abdomen (over his stick).
    

12. Student counters the left hand punch by a downward parry with his left; hand and arm and simultaneously pulls his stick down and out to release it from the controlling hand of the instructor to deliver strike number 1.
    

13. Instructor blocks, controls and delivers thrust number 11, controls with his left& and lays his right hand on top student’s stick (tanday) to control and delivers an immediate left uppercut on student’s right rib cage below student’s right elbow.
    

14. Student blocks instructor’s uppercut with a downward block with his right elbow.
    

15. Student controls weapon hand with his left and delivers blow number 1 as instructor  blocks to close Group V.

EXERCISES: This is an exercise for recognition of and quick reaction to a strike with a weapon or bare hand.

1. Instructor raises his right hand up, student quickly parries it down with his left hand.

2. As student parries the hand down, instructor pushes his left shoulder with his left hand, simulating a punch.

3. The student slips the push by turning his left shoulder out and his right hand parrying the push.

4. The student executes a counter push with his left hand, pushing the instructor’s left shoulder.

REPEAT THE EXERCISE using the other hand, meaning, the instructor raises his left hand instead of the right hand.

When the student is proficient,  push the right shoulder, which student slips by turning his; right shoulder before countering with a push of his own.

When this is mastered then the instructor alternately raises his right and left hand. The student reacts to whichever hand is raised. The instructor on the other hand pushes either shoulder, whichever is more convenient and whichever he can push to mislead the student. The student on the other hand does his counter push on either shoulder. It then becomes a game and training tool for fast reflex in weaving, docking and countering. The push it must be remembered represents a punch which is being slipped and countered.