Stick Info

Stick Grips
Sticks are held one fist length up from the end. This gives you a main striking point (the long end of the stick) and a small striking point for close thrust strikes.

There are 2 positions, each with 3 starting points (same, but on opposite sides).

Open Position
The starting point of the stick is the same side as the hand holding the stick.

Closed Position

The starting point of the stick is the opposite side as the hand holding the stick (across your body).

For Open or Closed, here are the 3 main positions:

High - stick resting on your shoulder.
Middle - stick at your side in parallel with the floor.
Low - stick straight down at your side in parallel with your leg.

Basic Strikes
The strikes can all be done from Open or Closed positions and each can be done forward or backward. Forward is described here. For backward, simply reverse the line of motion using the same end of the stick.

Wa-Tic
A quick snapping strike that does not follow through. Any of the Cut or Thrust type strikes can be done in Wa-Tic fashion.
Lob-Tic
A thrusting strike that completely follows through. Any of the Cut or Thrust type strikes can be done in Lob-Tic fashion.
Vertical cut
From High position, strike straight downwards through the center line of the attacker and past your leg (same side).
Diagonal cut
From High position, strike downwards at an angle towards your opposite leg.
Horizontal cut
From Middle position, strike straight across the center of your body.
Vertical thrust
From a high position, drive the tip of the long end of the stick straight down through attacker.
Diagonal thrust
From the high position, drive the tip of the long end of the stick downwards at an angle towards your opposite leg.
Horizontal thrust
From the middle position, drive the tip of the long end of the stick straight into attacker (like a sword).
Big Circular Strike
Use your arm to move the stick. The tip goes behind you before coming back to strike.
Small Circular Strike
Use only your wrist to move the stick. The tip travels in front of you in a short, small circle before striking.

Using some of the above movements, the basic 5 striking lines are:

1. From Open High position; Step forward with a Diagonal Cut
2. From Closed High position; Step back with a Diagonal cut
3. From Open Middle position; Step forward with a Horizontal Cut
4. From Closed Middle position; Step back with a Horizontal Cut
5. From Open Middle position; Step forward with a Forward Horizontal Thrust

Distance
These are the basic ways in which to measure your distance to the attacker. As with the techniques, your distance is part of what determines the type of weapon and strike to use.

Long Range
With sticks held out, the far end of your stick reaches the close end (to them) of attackers stick. If attacker strikes without using his footwork, they cannot strike you, but can strike your weapon or hand.
Medium Range
With sticks held out, your wrist reaches attackers wrist. You can strike the head or body of attacker as well as apply the buckling or checking hand.
Close Range
Close enough to strike with the butt, or short end, of the stick. Time to include all your natural close range weapons, employ checking and trapping as well as flowing into various techniques..

Footwork
The footwork, though slightly different from standard Parker Kenpo, is almost identical to standard foot maneuvers.

Retreating
To be used against any strikes (long or close range)
1. Start in a Neutral Bow.
2. Step back slightly with your rear foot followed by a Step Thru reverse with your front foot.
3. Do a Step Thru forward with your rear foot into a Neutral Bow.
Retreating Step-Drag
To be used against any strikes (long or close range)
1. Start in a Neutral Bow.
2. Do a Step-Drag reverse.
Ducking
To be used against horizontal strikes (long or close range)
1. Step forward into a Neutral Bow.
2. Bend your knees to duck under the strike. Don't bend over much at the waist or you won't be able to see the attacker.
Bob and Weave
To be used against horizontal strikes (long or close range)
1. Step forward into a Neutral Bow.
2. Bend your knees to duck under the strike. Don't bend over much at the waist or you won't be able to see the attacker.
3. While bent over, weave (circle) your upper body from outside to inside.
Triangle/Diagonal Attack
Full Side Step
To be used against Vertical or Diagonal strikes (long or close range)
1. Step forward into a Neutral Bow.
2. Slide your rear foot behind your front foot into a Neutral Bow that is 90 degrees off from where you started, placing you beside the attacker.
Full Side Step and Return
To be used against Vertical or Diagonal strikes (long or close range)
1. Step forward into a Neutral Bow.
2. Slide your rear foot behind your front foot into a Neutral Bow that is 90 degrees off from where you started, placing you beside the attacker.
3. Step Thru forward in front of (or behind) attacker then slide your rear foot back behind your front foot (sort of a step thru reverse but continuing in the same direction as you were going).

Escrima Drills
All drills begin, by default, at long range and from a right to right fighting stance. They can also be done left to left, left to right and right to left.

1. Escrima One
   1. From the open high position
   2. Do a Diagonal Cut while stepping back with your lead leg into either a transitional Cat or Rear Twist stance.
   3. Immediately step forward again with the same foot while doing a backward Diagonal thrust on the same angle.
2. Escrima Two
   1. From the open high position
   2. Do a Diagonal Cut while stepping back with your lead leg into either a transitional Cat or Rear Twist stance.
   3. Immediately step forward again with the same foot while doing a backward Diagonal thrust on the same angle.
3. Escrima Three
   1. From the open high position
   2. Wa-tic Diagonal Cut to attackers head
   3. Big Circular Strike while stepping back with your lead leg into either a transitional Cat or Rear Twist stance.
4. Escrima Four
   1. Same as #3 but from close range.
   2. Note simple variations of the circular strike to strike high, medium and low.
5. Escrima Five
   1. From the open high position
   2. Step Drag forward while doing a Wa-Tic Diagonal Cut to attackers head.
   3. Do a vertical Big Circular strike while doing a Step Drag reverse.
   4. Step Drag forward while doing a Lob-Tic Diagonal Cut from the open high position. This can be aimed high, middle or low.
6. Escrima Six
7. Escrima Seven
8. Escrima Eight
9. Escrima Nine
10. Escrima Ten
11. Escrima Eleven
12. Escrima Twelve

Single Stick counter-for-counter
Starting from a Natural Stance. Once these two major steps end, you swap with person B doing person A's moves from the beginning.

1. Step forward with your right foot with a Lob-Tic Diagonal Cut.
2. Step back with your left foot with a Lob-Tic Diagonal Cut to meet the strike as your left hand grabs and checks attackers striking hand as you counter with a Backward Horizontal Cut to attackers (wide-open) ribs.

1. Step back with your right foot while doing a Big Circular Vertical Cut to check the strike and a left Heel Palm to attackers elbow. Continuing the Circular strike, step forward with your right foot to complete the circle with a Vertical Cut.
2. As the strike comes in, step back with your left foot while doing a triangular block (forming a triangle with your right arm, stick and chest - your hand is the point of the triangle) to deflect the overhead strike.

Double Stick counter-for-counter
Each section of this counter-for-counter is comprised of an individual drill. The same actions are performed by each person at the same time. The angles referenced are always from the right side. Once begun, you can execute the pieces multiple times and/or mix them up.

1. Start from a Natural Stance with both sticks in the Open High position (each on their own side).
2. Step forward with your right foot into a right Neutral Bow while doing a Wa-Tic Diagonal Cut with your right stick then step back into a Natural Stance.
3. Step forward with your left foot into a left Neutral Bow while doing a Wa-Tic Diagonal Cut with your left stick then step back to a Natural Stance.

1. Step forward with your right foot into a right Neutral Bow while doing a Lob-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 1) with your right stick followed by a Lob-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 2) with your right stick as you step back into a Natural Stance.
2. Step forward with your left foot into a left Neutral Bow while doing a Lob-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 2) with your left stick followed by a Lob-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 1) with your left stick as you step back into a Natural Stance. Tuck your left arm under your right arm with your right arm in Open High position.
3. Repeat if desired.

1. Step forward with your right foot into a right Neutral Bow while doing a Lob-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 1) with your right stick (which ends in Closed High position) followed by a Lob-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 1) with your left stick (which ends up next to your right hand in Open High position).
2. Do a Lob-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 2) with your right stick (which ends in Open High position) followed by a Lob-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 2) with your left stick (which ends up back under your right arm).
3. Repeat if desired.

1. Do a Lob-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 1) with your right stick (which ends in Closed High position) followed by a Lob-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 1) with your left stick (which ends up next to your right hand in Open High position).
2. Do a Wa-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 2) with your right stick and immediately pull it back under your left arm.
3. Do a Lob-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 2) with your left stick (which ends in Open High position) followed by a Lob-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 2) with your left stick (which ends up back under your right arm).
4. Do a Wa-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 2) with your left stick and immediately pull it back under your right arm.
5. Repeat if desired.

1. Do a Lob-tic Diagonal Cut (angle 1) with your right stick (through attackers stick) and circle the stick down to a backwards Lob-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 1), ending in Open High position.
2. Do a backwards Lob-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 2) with your left stick ending in Open High position.
3. Do a Wa-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 1) with your right stick and immediately pull it back under your left arm.
4. Do a Lob-tic Diagonal Cut (angle 1) with your left stick (through attackers stick) and circle the stick down to a backwards Lob-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 1), ending in Open High position.
5. Do a backwards Lob-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 2) with your right stick ending in Open High position.
6. Do a Wa-Tic Diagonal Cut (angle 1) with your right stick and immediately pull it back under your left arm.
7. Repeat if desired.

Knife Info

Basic Strikes
The basic Open and Closed positions described for sticks apply here with knives.

As with sticks, strikes can all be done from Open or Closed positions and each can be done forward or backward.

Downward figure eight
From Open High position, do a diagonal slash on angle 1, circle up into a diagonal slash on angle 2. Repeat.
Upward figure eight
From Open Low position, do a backward diagonal slash on angle 2, circle down into a backward diagonal slash on angle 1.
Quick thrust
Ripping Thrust
Vertical slash
From High position, strike straight downwards through the center line of the attacker and past your leg (same side).
Diagonal slash
From High position, strike downwards at an angle towards your opposite leg.
Horizontal slash
From Middle position, strike straight across the center of your body.
Vertical thrust
From a high position, drive the tip of the long end of the stick straight down through attacker.
Diagonal thrust
From the high position, drive the tip of the long end of the stick downwards at an angle towards your opposite leg.
Horizontal thrust
From the middle position, drive the tip of the long end of the stick straight into attacker (like a sword).

The basic 5 striking lines are the same as with sticks:

1. From Open High position; Step forward with a Diagonal Slash
2. From Closed High position; Step back with a Diagonal Slash
3. From Open Middle position; Step forward with a Horizontal Slash
4. From Closed Middle position; Step back with a Horizontal Slash
5. From Open Middle position; Step forward with a Forward Horizontal Thrust

Distance
These are the basic ways in which to measure your distance to the attacker. As with the techniques, your distance is part of what determines the type of weapon and strike to use.

Long Range
You can strike at the knife or hand, but cannot reach the attackers body. No checking hand is used.
Medium Range
Close enough to strike the knife, hand or body of the attacker. Close enough to use a checking hand
Close Range
Close enough to reach past the attacker. Time to include all your natural close range weapons, employ checking and trapping as well as flowing into various techniques.

Footwork