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Pangamut

The Empty Hands of the Filipino Martial Arts

To most people and martial artists, the Filipino Martial Arts purely concentrate on the use of Sticks, Knives and Edged weapons. To those who have some knowledge of the arts they know that it contains a large section of empty hand fighting skills.

These empty hand skills are derived from the movements with the weapons and are taught within the framework of weapons techniques. For instance, the footwork and arm positioning used in a snake disarm would also be used in delivering an uppercut or hook punch to the ribs.

Filipino Martial Arts include in general:
Panandatas (weapons skills)
Suntukan Panantukan (empty handed boxing skills)
Suntukan Pananjakman (kicking skills)
Dumog (grappling skills)

Pangamut literally means “Maneuvering of the hands”, and comes from the root word “Kamut”, meaning “Hand” in Cebuano dialect, and mainly used in the Mindanao & Visayan regions. Although it covers a wide spectrum of skills, In Filipino Martial Arts it is commonly noted for unarmed defense against a weapon. The Pangamut form is the study of several different areas at once; to recognize a disarm situation by feel as opposed to sight (tactile acuity vs. visual acuity), to sense when you are in potential danger of a disarm, sensitivity to counter the disarm, opportunities for striking and locks & unbalancing methods for takedowns. The form is also the study of the disarm itself, the mechanics involved in separating weapon from hand. Combining trace elements of boxing, kung fu, silat, eskrima, joint locks, what-have-you, Pangamut is at once practical and esoteric. It embraces change, and the adaptation to new methods, while it’s roots lay in the classical style.

Action patterns and neuromuscular pathways formed in stick and knife training are reproduced in the empty hand translation automatically and unconsciously. Training with weaponry gives the Kali practitioner the qualities necessary for empty hand fighting, certain body mechanics of torque and pivoting for powerful explosive empty hand striking. It gives him cat-like timing and sensitivity for fast, deceptive trapping. Your hands and body seem to know what to do and how to move, which is the direct result of drilling the simplistic patterns into muscle memory. The understanding of weaponry leads to the knowledge of leverage, evasiveness, and motions to be used for the locking, choking and throwing segments of empty hand training.

The entire body us used as a striking tool in Pangamut. You can head butt, elbow, finger jab, pinch, bite, punch, kick, knee, slap, tear, & stomp. As opposed to standard blocking in a rooted stance, Pangamut favors parrying and evasions used in conjunction with footwork & body English identical to the movement found in the weapon based body english, often with limb destructions. Because Pangamut focuses on empty hands against a WEAPON, evasion skills are developed to a much higher degree, along with fast-twitch muscle use. Parry and entry tactics are employed from day one, with concentration on sensitivity & weapon awareness.

The typical posture & entry methods in Pangamut draw heavily from Silat, and the style of flow is complimentary to Kali. It allows for the upper body to penetrate the opponent’s defenses, and stay in a range that he will have difficulty in defending from. This is particularly important if he is armed. Most martial arts advocate a type of “proper posture” attitude, with the spine erect and the hips aligned with the shoulders. The problem with this posture is that it puts equal striking distance between you & your attacker. Even if you block the incoming attack, you still have not gained a superior advantage over your opponent, and it will still be a race to gain a line of attack.

Using the Silat stance and attitude, you are able to close, trap & attack your opponent comfortably, as well as break his balance. This puts your attacker in the worst possible position, he must first regain his posture & balance before he can even think about mounting a counter attack. The posture itself takes time to develop & skill to apply, because you normally must step INTO the attack to use it. Again, evasion skills and superior footwork are the key to this, since stepping into a punch or kick won’t work using conventional methods and stances. You must have the flexibility to alter your direction and intent in a second, as well as staying upright or dropping low, even kneeling or sitting on the ground. As a reminder to ourselves, we often say “If it doesn’t flow, let it go”.

Empty handed training includes:
Boxing skills - fist / open hand / elbows
Kicking Skills - feet / knees
Trapping skills
Nerve destruction techniques / Pressure point strikes
Standing grapple techniques - Throws / Trips / Sweeps / Locks / Chokes
Ground grapple techniques - Pins / Locks / Chokes
Self-defense (general)
Self-defense techniques - against impact weapons
Self-defense techniques - against edged weapons
Multiple opponent strategy

Weapons training include:
Single stick (largo - long range)
Single stick (medio - medium range)
Single stick (corto - close range)
Double stick (sinawali)
Stick & Dagger / Sword & Dagger (olisi y daga - espada y daga)
Staff (bangkaw) - Spear (sibat) - Palm stick (tabak-malitt)
Flexible weapons - (tabak toyok) - (lubid) - (latigo)
Bladed weapons - Knife / Sword (single - pared)
Projectile weapons - (sumpit) - (songil) - (yo-yo)
Sparring (Full protective equipment)
Sparring (Limited protective sparring)

Panandatas
Panandatas refers to the weapons employed by the Filipino art of Kali. these vary in type from long to short, single and paired, impact or edged, flexible and projectile.

Single Stick:
The rattan stick forms the nucleus of training in weapons skills and is applied at long, medium and close range. The skill developed in the practice of single stick is applied throughout the other stages of study in the art of Kali.

One of the most important aspects of single stick training is the use of the free hand, referred to as the "Live Hand". This is the hand which does not hold a weapon, usually the left hand. This hand is used to check, block & parry at medium and close range.

Double Stick:
Known as Sinawali (weaving), here two sticks are used which teach a high level of co-ordination helping in the development of both weapons and empty handed skills. There are many training drills for the progression of sinawali which is fast and dynamic. Various concepts such as; chaining, half-beat and reversals are taught within this training phase plus various drills designed to teach application of double sticks in actual sparring.

Stick & Dagger / Sword & Dagger:
As skill is developed, the single stick is paired with a dagger so as to teach the skills required for control of distance. Moving from long range, medium range to close range is an essential component of stick & dagger training.

The stick is used in offence and defense as the dagger is thrust out towards vulnerable targets of the opponent as they come into range. The dagger, when combined with the stick or sword becomes a formidable combination requiring a high level of skill to defend against.

Bladed Weapons:
Bladed weapons play an important role in developing Kali fighting skills and the knife or dagger are central to this development. Learning the principles of knife fighting help to develop awareness and skill in employing empty handed, un-armed defense against the blade. Knife training develops your skills to a high level of sophistication and offers the pinnacle to the physical aspect of Kali. The method used to train the use of the dagger is referred to as Kadena De Mano.

Eskrido
Eskrido, founded by Grandmaster "Cacoy" Canete incorporates joint locks, throws and chokes from Judo, Ju-jitsu and Aikido which are incorporated into the close range stick sparring methods. Eskrido is also known as Stick Grappling.

Panantukan
Also known as Suntukan, refers to the empty handed boxing skills of Filipino Kali and consists of a wide variety of punches, open hand techniques elbow strikes and nerve destruction techniques. There are a large number of training drills which, when performed with a training partner develop the reflexes and tactile sensitivity. These methods of training are known as Corto Kadena which mean, close range chaining. These drills help develop the concept of "flowing" from technique to technique in a fast continuous flurry of attacks which target vulnerable areas of the body such as, the eyes, throat, solar plexus, groin, bladder, kidneys and various nerve and pressure point areas.

Many of the empty handed flow drills also teach the concept of trapping which involves manipulating an opponents attacking arms in such a way as they become "tied-up" thus rendering effective defense almost impossible. Trapping is a highly sophisticated skill requiring a high level of training.

The empty hand skills taught are essentially a modified boxing format with one key difference, the fighting range. In Western Boxing the fighting range is from the end of the punching hand to your opponents chin, the Filipino styles however have their fighting measure from the end of the punching hand to a distance where you can attack the attacking limb. For example, where you can elbow strike your opponents cross to prevent him from punching you again. A lot of these movements are tied in to the use of the knife, where evasive footwork and parries followed by an attack to the weapon hand is often preferred.

This Limb Destruction is also due to the fact that by applying forward pressure to your opponent you are preventing him from hitting you as effectively and you are closing your opponents attacking tools down, i.e. "Defanging the Snake".

Limb destruction is commonly performed with 2 tools at the upper body range, these being the hand and the elbow. Of these the elbow is by far the more potent weapon in terms of destructive power, the only problem is unless you are attacking the hand you have to close the gap to employ it.

Common methods in which the elbow is employed is by using the point of the elbow on the fingers of the fist, or driving into the bicep or pectoral. Against a side kick the point of the elbow can also be dropped onto the side of the calf.

The major hand attacking method used in Limb Destruction is Gunting (Scissor type motion). This is where one hand parries an attack and your other hand attacks the limb which attacked you.

For example : Your opponent attacks with a right cross, you step to the outside of the punch, parry to your right with your left hand and you hit the nerve between the bicep and tricep with the knuckles of your right hand.

The Gunting can be delivered either horizontally, vertically and in either direction, up or down. The choice of tool you use is up to you, it can be the knuckles, backfist or knife hand.

One important thing to note with the use of the Gunting is that in certain situations you are open to very subtle counters which will probably destroy your own limb. This is where your opponent either drops or bends his elbow as you attack. This can be applied against you if you are attacking from the outside line or if you are attacking vertically upwards.

There are no blocks per se but rather parry's and evasions as used in boxing, these are often used with a limb destruction as described above. These include slapping blocks and jams to hinder your opponent whilst you setup your own counter. Twisting of the body is stressed to move your vital organs out of the line of attack and to present as small a target as possible.

The elbow can be brought up to cover the side of the face whilst the arm covers the side of the head. If you step forwards as you do this it can also be used as a strike to the pectoral or shoulder joint of your opponent.

The major striking tools are the fist (In the major boxing punches), hammerfist, knife hand, knuckles and elbow.

Flowing attacks are commonplace where once you close the gap you hit and hit until your opponent is incapacitated. Remember the art revolves around the flow, you must be like water, moving from one obstacle to the next, you either go through it or around it. This may well be due to the fact that most fights in the Philippines involved weapons and you could not afford to let your opponent gain the advantage over you.

For instance: You counter with the gunting as desribed above, then eye jab your opponent with your right hand, wrench the attacking arm back as you deliver a left hand elbow strike to the bicep, then grab the head and leg sweep your attacker to the floor and finish.

Your stick striking patterns can also be applied into your empty hands, such as Heaven 6 by replacing the sticks with hammer fists or knife hands.

Empty hand skills are also taught against the stick and the knife, in terms of a street attack in the USA or Europe your are probably more likely to face the knife and Eskrima has plenty or parries, evasions and tie ups for facing a knife attacker following up with strikes or disarms. It must be stressed however that these are desperate measures when all other options such as getting away from the area are not available options.
 

Pananjakman
Pananjakman and Sikaran refers to the kicking methods employed in Filipino Kali. Because Kali is a weapons based system, most kicks are centered below waist level, kicks target vulnerable areas such as the instep of the foot, ankle, knee and hip joints as well as areas such as the bladder, groin and shin bone. As with the empty handed boxing skills, kicks also target nerve and pressure points in the legs so as to inhibit mobility.

Both Panantukan and Pananjakman, when combined, offer a vast arsenal of highly effective combat applications which attack the limbs and body of an opponent in a flurry of devastatingly fast combinations designed to overwhelm an opponent thus making any form of effective defense almost impossible.

The Filipino arts do not kick very high, instead they prefer to kick at waist level and below, the primary targets being the thigh, knee, and shin. The kicks are not very pretty to watch but are delivered with body weight behind them and usually from punching range.

You may be asking yourself "Why from Punching Range?", this is because at this distance you will be trying to counter your opponents attack and the kicking techniques are used to distract your assailant, destroy his mobility and if possible take them to the floor. You should be able to put these low level kicks in whilst punching or locking.

Kicking Striking Tools
The most common Kicking tools are the Knee and sole of the foot, occasionally the ball of the foot is used. I have never seen the instep used this possibly being due to the fact that the instep does not give you as much penetration of power.

Oblique Kick (Sipa) - This is delivered with the sole of the foot, usually from the rear leg to the knee or the shin. This type of attack will cause instant pain and is intended to stop the forward motion of the attacker. This kick will also keep pressure on the opponent whilst allowing yourself time to maneuver into a better position.

Front / Point Kick - The Eskrima front kick is generally delivered with the ball of the foot or the toes. This gives more penetration to the kick. The kick can either be used as a straight attacking tool or as a counter attacking tool.

Knee - The knee is primarily used to attack the thigh. The points to attack are the Sciatic Nerve ("Dead Leg"), the back of the thigh (Hamstring) and the front of the thigh. Kneeing the front of the thigh is usually done to stop your opponent moving forwards. This is not to say that obvious targets such as the groin are not taken advantage of. The knee is also used in pushing attacks to off balance your opponent, this is done by pushing your opponents knee either to the outside of his body or by pushing the knee straight back. This is sometimes done in conjunction with a foot trap to provide a lever.

Shin - The shin is usually delivered in a roundhouse fashion, either to the side of the thigh, similar to a Muay Thai kick, or to the front of the thigh which has to be felt to be believed. This is usually delivered to help bend your opponent over. The kick to the front of the thigh is delivered from the side and is done in conjunction with a trapping move to the arm.

Feet - The feet are also used to apply trips and sweeps to the lower leg to put and opponent down. Stamping is also another viable form of attack. As said before this is usually done in conjunction with another form of attack to keep your opponent off balance and confused. The heel is also used in a hooking type of kick to attack the rear of a opponents leg, this would be to the Knee, Calf or Ankle.

The preferred targets are the knee and the shin. The knee if pushed from either side is very easy to collapse and will result in your opponent taking a tumble. The shin is very easy to contact and can cause a lot of pain if contacted with boots or shoes.
 

Dumog
Dumog and Buno are Filipino grappling arts that includes a wide range of locks, known as trankadas, chokes, throws, trips, sweeps and pins which blend and flow naturally from the empty handed boxing and kicking methods, applied with or without a weapon.

Dumog is primarily concerned with felling an opponent in such a way as to cause maximum damage to joints, ligaments and tendons followed by a ferocious flurry of ground striking techniques designed to distract and disable an opponent prior to applying a pin, lock or choke.

Due to the combative nature of Kali and the fact that weapons are often employed and due to the vulnerability faced when dealing with one or more opponents, or of an attacker wielding a knife or such, Dumog does not primarily concentrate on sport style grappling, However a number of reversals and counter measures are taught.

Dumog involves joint locks and off balancing techniques. It is basically designed to keep your opponent from hitting you whilst you hit them.

A favorite technique is to use your forearm to wrench the bicep of an opponent down this will drag your opponents upper body down enabling you to head butt, elbow, take down or lock. This technique is effective no matter how big your opponent is, if they happen to be a bit of a Goliath then step back slightly as you perform it.

Locks are usually taught in a flow during Dumog this is done to help you flow from one technique to another as mentioned above and if your opponent is wriggling out of a lock teach you to quickly change to a different one. The flow I was taught begins with a basic one handed wrist lock and finishes with a figure four arm lock, working up the arm from wrist to elbow to shoulder.

Locks are generally not sought after but if there is an opening to use them you should know how to apply them, there may also be a time when locking somebody is preferable, e.g. if a friend or relative is drunk and behaves irresponsibly you may not want to take their head off. A lot of the locks tend to dominate the head, this is because if the head is moving the rest of the body will follow.

One main characteristic of Dumog throws is that they are not very easy to fall from, like Silat they often involve twisting and turning the opponents body during the throw the aim being to cause as much damage as possible. Remember that there are no mats out there on the street just good old tarmac and concrete so the harder your opponent falls the worse off they are going to be when they land.

Joint Locking
Joint locking, by definition, is the forceful hyper-flexion or hyper-extension of a limb, normally applied with an amount of striking and twisting to the extremity. It is literally, a study of what the joints DON’T do. Although this method will usually allow for a broken appendage, it is mostly used to shock the opponent’s body into submission or compliance, and set him up for a coup de grace finishing move. The ability to alter your lock, radically change direction, or even release it when facing imminent danger, is important. Many styles of grappling (i.e. judo, aikido, jiu jitsu) advocate hanging on for dear life to whatever lock you manage to get, and not letting go no matter what.

To be honest, this can often be more of a hindrance than anything else. If your opponent has a high tolerance for pain, or your lock isn’t very secure, he will fight back stronger than you can apply pressure. If you hang on in the hopes of overcoming the situation through brute force, you are going to get nailed in the worst way possible. Pangamut advocates adaptability to the changing combat situation, to flow from one lock to another, or into a different technique altogether. This not only serves to aid in your defense, but it throws the attacker off-balance as well.

You will discover that many of the skills from weapons play translate well into empty hands. Sinawali drills and flow drills are just as destructive empty handed as they are with a weapon. The pattern is already ingrained into muscle memory. Understand, although the principle of motion is much the same, the application is enormously different. Because Pangamut conforms to the practitioner, instead of vice-versa, the PRINCIPLE of the technique is more important than the technique itself. Examine the motion alone, & substitute various targets for the end result. Ask the crucial questions: What attack would put that target in my reach? What footwork could I use to enhance the technique? What strategy would maneuver my opponent to attack with that limb? Could I lure him into committing to a mistake? Don’t become locked in to one single way of doing ANYTHING, there is always another variation that works better for somebody else.

Trapping - Kali's Devastating Range
The most damaging range in the Filipino Martial Arts is trapping range. You can barrage your opponent with knees, elbows, head butts, low line kicks, stomps, sweeps and standing choke outs. In the Filipino Martial Arts, trapping doesn't just refer to techniques, but to the range itself. When an animal is trapped in a cage, it cannot move forward, backward or side to side. This is what the opponent will feel like against a trapper. Trapping range is reached when two fighters start our in boxing range, where all the punching takes place. The two fighters now get into a clinch where they are both too close to punch. This is trapping range, where muscle destruction's, hand immobilization's, knees, elbows and head butts take place. While in trapping range, you will be using a lot of forward pressure while you are hitting. It is very hard to defend against all these strikes when you are being forced to back pedal.

Trapping
Trapping is another abstract concept has been given many labels in an attempt to easily categorize it. These have included “Trapping is a range” “Trapping is a technique” “Trapping only works for Wing Chun” “Trapping doesn’t work at all”.

Trapping has far too many faces for it to casually fall into any one category, it is a multi-functional tool with several parts that can be interchanged at will, or used simultaneously. A simple definition of trapping could be “The act of engaging your opponent’s weapon, empty hands, or both in such a manner as he is unable to deploy them for attack or defense.” However, there is quite a leap from the definitive to the applicative. In other words, you can talk about the finer points of technique all you want, actually pulling it off requires an adaptability that few people possess, or are even aware exists. There is an entire art of timing, sensitivity, body English, balance, position and footwork that must be mastered before you will be able to flow into trapping. There is also a dastardly element of trickery and deception you must understand well to make your trapping effective.

Several martial arts in existence already have unique forms of trapping that are indicative of their respective styles, as well as countless variations for each. You should not get tied down into the biased, stylistic approach, “Silat trapping is better than Wing Chun trapping because…” There are individual principles in place, and good reasons why each style uses the approach that they do. Usually, the method will support the posture and stance of the style.

The point to understand is a trap is dynamic, and the objective will be different from trap to trap, depending on the current situation. Usually you are not trying to arrest your opponent’s energy completely, because that will often result in a force-against-force tug of war, complete with body tension and loss of flow. Rather, a trap will just hinder your opponent’s motion or defenses long enough to gain a purchase on the inside line for attack. However, this is still a narrow view of the art, trapping is used for much more than simply “limb incapacitation.” Trapping normally takes place at a medium to extreme close range, the further away you are from your opponent, the easier it is for him to escape. Traps serve to uproot and imbalance an opponent, they can mentally confuse him into making a beginner’s mistake in a fight, or augment your own entry into his defenses. A good trappist uses a high degree of sensitivity with relaxation, and flows with the energy of his opponent instead of against it. He realizes the opportunity that is presenting itself when the hands make contact, and will capitalize on it instead of opting for a push/shove match. He uses his traps to work around barriers in the window of combat, as opposed to trying to crash through the gate and climb over his opponent.

We are born pre-programmed with an aversion to having our personal space invaded, and most martial arts cultivate the feeling even more, albeit usually it's an unconscious act. They usually don't come out and SAY "Stay at this range only", but drills are set at a standard range, use of elbows and knees are neglected, negation, redirection and entry skills aren't stressed over "block-punch-step back into a stance" kind of training. These people are the most susceptible to trapping, because their art never allows them to get close enough to actually use it, therefore they never train for the situation.

At the extreme close range many primitive survival instincts kick in, and people unfamiliar with this approach often succumb to panic, tensing up their extremities & doing anything they can to push the other guy OFF or AWAY from them. Their arms fly up to shield their face, they lean back & break the precious posture they have been programmed to maintain at all costs, attack initiative goes right out the window. For a fighter who can maintain mental equilibrium no matter how close the opponent is, he will be relaxed (as much as possible in a fight), focused, and in flow, and this will give him an advantage for trapping. In this scenario, the opponent usually can't even mount a passable defense let alone attack. This is the value trapping in combat. Trapping is the province of the live hand, and is an integral element of your ability to flow.

The primary goal of trapping is to clear a path for an attack. This point often gets lost in the sea of trapping styles and techniques. You must first objectify and understand what traps are. There are two basic methods of trapping:

1: Simple Traps
These are 1 and 2 beat-timing traps that are executed with simplistic strategy, and clear a path for attack on the third or fourth beat. This is the most desirable, since the object is to make the attack, NOT draw out the length of the trap. Simple traps are often overlooked because of their simplicity, they are not “flashy” enough, and are often neglected for more complex traps.

2: Complex Traps
These are traps that exist past the 2 beat range, and are best avoided. The longer you spend trying to trap the opponent, the closer you get to DEFENDING instead of ATTACKING. It’s easy to get lost in trying to get that perfect lockup you saw in class. Grapplers have this same syndrome, the unwillingness to let go of a failing lock or choke when the situation warrants it. Understand, I don’t mean abandon trapping altogether. However, you should be able to flow from trap to trap, as long as your focus in entering the opponent’s defenses to attack. Trying to hang on for dear life to the “perfect trap” or joint lock is tunnel vision, and will get you clobbered. You must commit to a decision in a fight, but once you do, don’t commit to it so much that you lose the fluidity of negotiation if you have to change or even abandon things midway through. You may have formed a brilliant strategy, but don’t be so in love with it that you can’t bring yourself to alter it if the need arises.

Trapping Techniques
There are also many different hand trapping and immobilizing techniques in Kali. When an opponent tries to block a strike, that block can be turned into a devastating trap. Kali has traps that will cross an opponents hands, so that he can't block any more. These traps are very similar to Wing Chun Kung Fu. When the opponents hands are trapped, the Kali man can then head butt, knee and elbow. Hand trapping almost always follows some type of muscle or nerve destruction. Hand trapping skills are important to offset an opponents blocks. An opponents block is referred to as an obstruction, and Kali teaches you to remove these obstructions, or go around them. This training enables you to hit your opponent at the same time you are immobilizing his arms. The best traps will have are tying up your opponents two arms with just one of yours. Now, you can strike with all of your close range weapons, while his arms are trapped.

Trapping comes from the Weapon
The bulk of the trapping in the Filipino Martial Arts, comes from the single and double dagger systems. The Filipino's believe that if you can trap with the weapon, your empty hand trapping will be enhanced. The empty hand, and the knife, both seek the same path, destroying and removing obstructions. The main difference between being armed and unarmed, is that in trapping range, the empty hand needs a solid hit, but the knife just has to graze the opponent to cause damage. In a stick fight, two combatants can clash and not have enough room to swing. This is the range where the two fighters can trap the hand or the weapon. Head butts, knees, and elbows will also fly in this situation.

Trapping Vs Grappling
Trapping skill can help against fighting a grappler or wrestler. Whenever the grappler tries to grab you, you must control center line, and let the elbows, knees and head butts fly. A wrestler or street fighter can't grab, lock or throw you while he is being barraged with these shots. Unlike punches or kicks, knees, elbows, and head butts almost always break the skin when they hit the face or head.

Trapping Range Tools
In the Filipino Martial Arts, elbows are usually thrown in combination. A Kali man can hit in combination with both elbows at an incredible speed. The main targets for the elbows are the hands, the bicep or triceps, the deltoid, the collarbone, and the face and head. The elbow is also used to defend against kicks or knees.

The knee attack is usually aimed at the nerve in the thigh or at the groin. After the knee is throw, the foot can then stomp down on your opponents instep. The knee is also thrown in fast combinations while your upper body is striking.

The head butt can be the most damaging weapon in trapping range. The head butt is always performed with the top of the head. The general rule of head butting is if you see your target, you're positioning is wrong." The head butt is aimed at the eyes, cheek, mouth and nose. It can be used as a defense to a grab or while your opponents hands are trapped.

Foot sweeping is another tool used in trapping range. One of the best times to sweep your opponent is when you are in trapping range and he covers his face with his hands. It is hard to score when your opponent covers up, so you can just re-route your attack to the low line and sweep out one of his legs. A sweep can also follow a knee to the thigh to weaken his balance.

There are also may standing chokes done in trapping range. While you have your opponents hands immobilized, you can use your free hand to perform one of many lapel chokes. Lapel chokes and other standing chokes can be found in such arts as Kali, Jiu Jitsu and Judo.

Conclusion
So you see, in long or midrange, the only tools you have are punches, or kicks. In Kali trapping range, you have elbows, head butts, knees, stomps, sweeps, chokes and bites. These tools combined with lots of forward pressure makes a very formidable opponent. Trapping range is the range most people aren't familiar with. It is very important to be able to function in close range. When most fighters clash in midrange, the fight usually ends up on the ground. Learning Kali's trapping range, will give any Martial Artist, a whole new way of looking at combat.

Glossary:
Trapping: the art of immobilizing one or both of your opponent's arms so that you can hit him. This can also apply to immobilizing his feet.
Attributes: a quality or skill that a person possesses.
Sensitivity: the ability to feel your opponent's movements when you are in physical contact.
Atapi: Filipino term. A palm slap used to trap the arm. It can be done with either hand and from any lead In some dialects, the work itulak is used.
Hilahin: Filipino term. A trap involving the pulling of the opponent's arm across the center of his body.
Gunting: Filipino term. A scissors-like motion, usually a strike intended to shock the nervous system. This is generally delivered to the muscle and/or nerves of a limb.
Kaukit: Filipino term. The trapping of your opponent's foot. The purpose is to off-balance or pin him in place.
Pak sao: Chinese term. see Atapi.
Lop sao: Chinese term. see Hilahin.
Reference position: position in which both partners are in the same lead stance with their front wrists touching.

Limb Destructions
Limb destruction is the core of Filipino empty hand combat, and can be used for an immediate entry as well as to negate an attack. Most martial arts emphasize the use of blocks to pave a road to your opponent’s body for attack, as well as blocking several strikes in succession while responding with only one of your own. You see it time and time again, katas are formed with a pattern of “block-block-block-punch”. This has given whatever attacker three attacks before you answered him. Ever hear of a little thing called fighting the way you train? Kali and Silat stress attacking WHATEVER the opponent tries to throw at you, usually on the first beat or attack. This serves a dual purpose: First, it negates the initial attack, and second, it sends a psychological response to the attacker. The first technique he sent out, he received pain in return. This discourages him from fighting further, and the attacking limbs are often easier to break, snap & crush than the standard shots to the body.

Limb destruction is commonly performed with 2 tools at the upper body area, these being the hand and the elbow. Of these the elbow is by far the more potent weapon in terms of destructive impact, but the hand has the reach & greater adaptability. Common methods in which the elbow is employed is by using the point of the elbow on the fingers of the fist, or driving into the bicep or pectoral. Against a kick the point of the elbow is dropped onto various points on the leg, or the fist strikes the inside of the thigh on entry, depending upon the range. This usually renders the limb completely useless on the first shot, and stuns the opponent. The only drawback to using the elbow is that, due to its position (halfway up the arm) unless you are attacking the opponent’s outstretched extremity, you must clear and cover a large gap to employ it. This method demands the perfection of evasion, entry and trapping skills, as you will not be able to close the gap without them. That said, the elbow has awesome maneuverability & destructive power on the inside line, serving for attack or trapping as well, and second only to the knife at close range.

The major hand attacking method used in Limb Destruction is Gunting (Scissor type motion). This is where one hand parries an attack and provides a stable base, while your other hand strikes the attacking limb. The gunting can be delivered either horizontally, vertically and in either direction, up or down. The choice of tool you use is up to you, it can be the knuckles, backfist, punch, fingers or an elbow. The gunting-style action is transferable to other situations, it can be used empty hand, double weapon (stick or knife) and is particularly useful in knife fighting.

Understand that limb destruction is only half of the picture. You must develop excellent entry and checking skills to capitalize on the opening you have made with the limb destruction. This is where timing comes into play, and the concept of the single synapse theory. There are three basic standards of timing, commonly referred to as “Initiative”:

1: Supraliminal Initiative
This is the preemptive strike, or “Attack the attack”. When your opponent has committed to an attack, he has usually resigned his momentum to one direction. If his intent is focused on attack, he will not be thinking of defense. You must strike at the beginning of his momentum, preferably at his face, or the attacking arm/shoulder while it is still in the “pulled back” position.

2: Simultaneous Initiative
This is simply moving at relatively the same time and speed as your opponent. In Kali, this is known as blending, and it advocates moving with the force of your opponent, as opposed to against, to create an opening, or zoning advantage. You should try to intercept the incoming attack at least halfway between your body and his, if not closer. This allows you to manipulate the attacking limb, as well as evade and blend with the attack itself.

3: Late Initiative
Late Initiative is the counter attack, it is attacking your opponent AFTER he has made his attack, and is withdrawing his weapon, or preparing for another strike. This style of initiative requires patience, you must be able to “take the heat” of an attack without losing your mental equilibrium. Late initiative is a lure, mostly used to sucker the opponent into an unrecoverable error. It is also used to strike your opponent at the END of his technique, when he has committed most of his energy and weight to the attack, and is susceptible to a counterattack. This is also an excellent opportunity for an entry, following your opponent’s initial attack back into his body & trapping his arms as you enter.

Another important concept that ties in with this is perception. If you can recognize when an opponent is about to attack, and train yourself to respond BEFORE he gets his strike off the ground, you will have a clear advantage. When a fight occurs, opponents often give little telltale signs of their intentions. For example, pulling their arm back behind their shoulders before a strike, bending the knees, leaning forward, a general tensing of the body, taking a deep, sudden breath, all of these are alerts you should be aware of. At this moment, they are vulnerable, and there is tremendous advantage here, if you train to exploit it, but your awareness must be cultivated.

Monitor
The checking hand is never forceful, you want it to envelope your opponent’s weapon hand without alerting him to an imminent threat. If he feels threatened, he will try to disengage from you, thus breaking contact. To avoid this, you must develop sensitivity to a high degree, and the ability to call upon it in a fluid environment. Train with the mindset of “Washcloth Hands”, cover & cling, gently guide, but do not force. If the opponent pushes back, yield to his energy & direct him away from you. Don’t meet his energy head-on, or you will be giving him the same signals he is giving you, and if he is skilled he will capitalize on it. Never let your opponent know he is in danger, keep him relaxed, all the time positioning his weapon for a disarm, or his body for a strike. If he is maneuvering your weapon hand as well, try to set your trajectory up for a strike en passant. The position most sought after is the oblique side of the body, checking the weapon hand upward at the elbow & striking toward the back. There are various drills to achieve this level of sensitivity, and the skill is often likened to that of Wing Chun’s famous “Sticky Hands” exercise. You must develop the ability to muscle-read your opponent’s body without looking at him.

Tapi –Tapion
Tapi-Tapion or Tapi-Tapi is the close-range game, it is the elements of block, check, parry, trap & monitor all at once, in a fluid, relaxed motion. The literal translation is “Check & Parry”, but the idea behind this is to clear a path with your empty hand for an attack. Tapi-Tapion is really the skill of moving between any or all of the aforementioned elements at will, against an opponent. But these definitions are only the broadest sense of the word. Tapi-Tapion is a living concept, a dynamic principle. The mechanics will differ depending on body size, skill & reflex/sensitivity. This can only be learned in a class, a book really can’t come close to describing it. Remember, at close range the checking hand is equally important as the weapon hand, working in a tandem together, the empty hand opening the door for the weapon. There are several skill-specific drills that focus on this, and many more that encompass it peripherally. Tapi-Tapion is probably one of the most transferable skills in Kali. Weapon-and-checking hand skill will have immediate benefits in other areas, such as dagger, Sinawali & Espada y Daga.

Kina Mutai
Kina Mutai is the brutal Filipino art of biting and eye gouging. Although it cannot be used as a primary fighting style, you can use it as an add-on to any other fighting art. When mixed with grappling, it can render an opponent virtually helpless. The art's effectiveness has been proven in battle, and is now being taught to high-level military teams, such as the Navy Seals, and U.S. Army Rangers.

Theories and strategies of Pangamut

Balance:
This is the most important factor in ANY martial art. Simply put, the basic strategy is to keep your balance while attempting to force your opponent to lose his. Thusly, you will have maximum power while your opponent must use half (if not more) of his energy trying to recover his balance. The more off-balance your opponent is, the more energy needed to recover. Humans have an inbred fear of falling, and we go into a type of high-alert mode that prohibits us from doing anything effectively whenever our equilibrium is threatened, or suddenly and unexpectedly taken from us. An attacker is reduced to the rank of pedestrian when he is imbalanced.

Mobility Vs Stability:
The lower your center of gravity is, the greater your stability will be. The higher your center of gravity, the greater your mobility will be. As you apply one element, you will gradually lose another. Stability is essential for hitting or throwing, whereas mobility is crucial for evasion and entries. These points are emphasized in the various footwork patterns & ABCdarios. The hub of your motion is your waist/midsection, as it will determine your balance.

Avoid head-on collision of forces:
Learning to utilize angles and circular footwork away from the incoming line of force is key. You want to evade and blend with your attacker, not ram into him. Colliding with an opponent impairs your ability to react to an attack, as well as severely limiting your options for defending. Ignoring this will cost you mobility of your weapon or feet when you most need it, and if your opponent is larger than you he will have the advantage of mass & momentum in the clash.

Target Denial:
This is the method of drawing your body away from the opponent’s weapon. Most martial arts fight “squared up”, with the entire body facing the opponent. Turn your body 15 to 45 degrees away from the action, so it’s not such an easy target to hit, at the same time maximize your footwork by shifting and twisting your body, so your opponent can’t draw a clear bead on any one flush target. If you have a weapon, utilize it in your defense as a barrier between you & your opponent. The more target surface you present to your opponent, the more chances he has to hit you.

Create/Control Space (know your distance):
This point refers to the use of the spatial relationship between you and your opponent, as well as you & your opponent’s weapon. Advanced use of footwork, combined with sensitivity & trapping skills are what brings this element into play.

The first principle is to Create Space. In the broad sense, you want to be the one who defines the combat distance between you & your opponent. This means one of two options:

1: Closing the gap between you & the attacker, eliminating space in order to establish contact, or entry.

2: Turning around & running like all hell, thusly creating GREATER space.

The first option (closing the gap) requires advanced timing and entry skills, as well as exceptional abilities in sensitivity & footwork. Ironically, the second option’s only requirement is basic motor skills, and the ability to put one foot in front of the other, at an accelerated rate of speed!

The second principle is to Control Space. Once you have established your operating distance, your next priority is to dictate the use of that range, as well as gaining as much control over the weapon hand as possible. When you are dealing with empty hands vs. a weapon, you must take a mixed-range into consideration: You are at the boxing range, while your opponent can stay at a safer distance with his weapon. To understand how to control the weapon hand, consider the hand itself as an elbow, and begin control from there. This can help to remind you of an extra length of weapon sticking out, and not to let it get too close to your body, especially if it’s a knife. Believe it or not, this point often gets lost in the pattern of passing & checking the hands.

Single Synapse Theory:
This is a common theme in martial arts, usually covered in something like “To think and to act in the same breath”. A more in-depth explanation would be to fully respond, or act without reserve, doubt or hesitation the instant you have an opening or an attack in combat. The use of muscle memory training helps to develop this to a point of action or reaction without thinking. You need this abstract skill so much more so when facing a weapon than a barehanded attacker. The knife can move at blinding speeds, you have no time to think & consider all your options. In fighting, you have only one chance, learn to make the most of it.

Attack the Closest Target:
This is a very flexible rule, because the nearest target will change instantaneously since your opponent will most likely be in constant motion. Also, not every target should be attacked. Some attacks leave you hopelessly vulnerable to a counter, or a simultaneous attack that you will end up receiving the worst of. Pick & choose your targets wisely, and learn to respond without thought to a moment’s hesitation or open target from your opponent.

Carenza
Solo practice has always been an important part of Martial Arts training. Carenza is a term used to refer to this type of solo practice, and is the Kali equivalent of the Kata or Hyung found in other Martial Arts. The word Kali comes from a combination of two words (kamot - body, and lihut - motion) which effectively means body motion. The constant study of how your body moves will help your progress in this art. Start with basic shadow boxing or any basic weapon patterns that you have learned, then put more and more variables together as you visualize. Try to visualize each line of attack by your opponent and structure your response accordingly. Remember that your body needs repetition and our mind needs to be creative. You should work on your footwork, body mechanics, hand position, body angling and continuous follow up techniques. Although this Art should flow freely between all categories we have separated a few ideas to get you started:

Kickboxing Basics
Punches:
Jab
Cross
Hook
Uppercut
Backhand
Kicks:
Groin Kicks
Thai Kick
Foot Jab
Chasse
Fuete
Oblique Kicks
Elbows:
Down
Snap
Grab and Elbow
Knees:
Straight Knee
Skip Knee
Side Knee

Kickboxing Combinations
1. Jab - Catch (1-2 Rhythm)
2. Jab - Cross - Hook - Cross
3. Jab - Hook - Cross - Hook
4. Step Right - Parry - Cross - Hook - Cross
5. Step Left - Cover - Hook - Cross - Hook
6. Retreating Jab
7. Bob Left - Weave Right - Cross - Hook - Cross
8. Bob Right - Weave Left - Hook - Cross - Hook
9. Down Elbow - Snap Elbow
10. Duck 1/4 Step Up
11. Duck - Step Right - Overhand - Uppercut - Cross
12. Duck - Step Left - Overhand - Uppercut - Cross
13. Groin Kicks (Round - Front - Inverted)
Kick and Advance
Pendulum Kick
Retreating Kick
14. Low Side Kick
Advancing ("Chasse")
Jeet Tek (Shin - Stop Kick)
Retreating
15. Left Foot Jab
16. Right Foot Jab
17. Right Kick
18. Left Kick
19. Right Cut Kick
20. Left Cut Kick
21. Right Knee - Left Elbow - Right Elbow
22. Left Knee - Right Elbow - Left Elbow
23. Add your own!

Other elements to add to your empty hand Carenza:
Destructions
Trapping
Locking Motions
Sweeps
Evasions
Ground Fighting

Weapons Carenza
1. Backhand 3: (Mix Order)
Backhand Witik - Backhand Medya - Backhand Redondo
2. Forehand 3: (Mix Order)
Forehand Witik (Kurbado) - Forehand Witik - Forehand Redondo
3. Downward 8's: Forehand - Backhand or Backhand - Forehand
4. Upward 8's
5. Looping 8's
6. Arco - Reverse Arco (Flouritte Strikes)
7. 3 Thrusts - Straight - Forehand - Backhand
8. Double Witiks (Abaniko)
9. 4 Count
10. Lightning Strikes:
Medya - Double Witiks (Abaniko) - Forehand Diagonal Slash
11. Reverse Lightning Strikes:
Level Witik - Double Witiks (Abaniko) - Bachkand Diagonal Slash
12. Upward Backhand Diagonal - Level Forehand - Reverse Arco
13. Clock Strikes
14. Double Clock Strikes
15. Add your own!

Footwork
Footwork is one of the key things, which bind all the various fighting areas together. This is basically around a boxing format with the notable addition of the triangular footwork patterns. As any Eskrimador will tell you the footwork is the primary means of evasion to an attack.

Male and Female footwork is based around two triangles placed on the floor in the shape of an X. If you stand in the center point, the triangle growing away from you is the female triangle and the triangle going behind you is the male triangle. If you keep one foot in the center and step out into a boxing stance to one of the points or backwards keeping your lead foot in the center you will gain the basic footwork.

If you add a large square around the X pattern you can then practice your step and slide around the X then go through the X and make your own patterns up.

The shapes can either be made up from sticks placed on the floor or you can use tape to mark the pattern out with on the floor. I prefer the latter method because you can use different colored tapes for the triangles and the square which makes it easier for you to pick them out if you only want to practice one particular form of footwork.

Another important piece of footwork is that of the arrow. If you imagine a straight line attack towards you, such as a right cross, is the shaft of an arrow you can step down either side of arrowhead to avoid the attack.

Kadena de Mano
Kadena de Mano, or “Chain of Hands” is the idea of unrelenting attacks, flowing from one technique to another without stopping, until the fight is over. The technique is to simply overwhelm your opponent. Many martial arts teach a series of attacks, and stop after a set number. De Kadena teaches to continue until the opponent is down, without pausing your attack. This concept is trained in a series of sensitivity drills that flow into disarms & entry techniques, and goes hand-in-hand with Tapi-Tapion skills. This is also a higher use of sensitivity, utilizing the entire body as opposed to just the hands & arms. Joint locks, foot traps & sweeps are woven seamlessly into the flow of de Kadena, and you will often discover new applications from moves you have long since learned. De Kadena opens the door for entries, and gives you a working module to practice counters and redirections from a wide variety of attacks, instead of the two or three most drills focus on. In a real encounter, you must judge the proper timing and distance, and when the attack is made, deal with it. That means avoiding or redirecting the attack and making your own response immediately, within the first couple of moves. Every time you successfully live through an attack but do nothing to your opponent is just giving him one more chance to kill you. Dealing successfully with a knife attack means either disabling your opponent, disarming him or running away, and the first two require you to grab, strike and/or close with your opponent. When dealing empty handed against a weapon, you cannot afford even the smallest of mistakes, and leaving your strategy to chance is suicidal.

Sensitivity Drills
Filipino Martial Arts are one of only two arts that I know of which contain sensitivity drills, the other being Wing Chun, the sensitivity drill of the FMA is called Hubud Lubud.

Hubud as it is commonly called is used to train sensitivity in your limbs so you feel how your opponent is moving, this will help you to keep contact and flow from one technique to another.

Hubud can be practiced in many forms and in any number of counts. The easiest method is probably 4 count. This is difficult to explain in words but I will do my best.

1. Your partner throws a straight right punch at you.
2. You parry his wrist with your left palm.
3. Now scoop his wrist to his inside zone with the back of your right hand. This should be in front of your left hand.
4. Slap his arm down with your left palm.
5. Punch towards him with your right fist. The sequence now reverses and your partner has his turn.

This is only a basic Hubud but at even a slightly higher level it includes changeovers from right arm to left arm and also changing from the outside of the arm to the inside.

Elements of the Checking Hand
The checking hand is just as important as the weapon hand, yet it is seldom developed as much as needed. Few styles really pay attention to it, but its flexibility & usefulness make it a valuable tool in your arsenal. The checking hand serves a dual purpose: It deflects incoming attacks missed by the weapon hand, but it also monitors & repositions the attacker’s weapon. At the Corto range, this skill is essential. You don’t have the time to both visually monitor your opponent’s attack & assess the proper counter. The checking hand supports this by using a type of “muscle-read” of your opponent’s intentions, allowing you to shift & counter appropriately. You can trap your opponent’s hands, clear a path for a strike, or twist his arms into a jointlock. It also aids you in setting up for disarms & counters to disarms. It is understood that striking is always an option. There are three major points to the Checking Hand: Monitor, Tapi-Tapion, and Trapping.