Knife Sparring in Filipino Martial Arts

The Filipino martial arts are made up of the styles of arnis, eskrima and kali. Filipino martial artists typically begin their training with sticks and then progress to knives. The same striking angles are used for both sticks and blades. Knife sparring is practiced in order to improve proficiency with this lethal weapon. Sparring with sharp knives is obviously extremely dangerous and can have fatal consequences. You should use dull, practice knives to decrease the inherit risks involved in this activity. Protective eyeglasses are also recommended for extra safety.

  1. Practice Knives

    • Martial artists typically use rubber, wooden or polypropylene knives for sparring. There is even a knife on the market that delivers an electrical shock to an opponent. While knife sparring, you should treat practice knives as if they are real blades so that you don't become complacent about getting hit. For an eye-opening drill, occasionally try using washable markers instead of knives. After a sparring match with markers, you can see how many times you would have been cut.

    Footwork

    • Filipino knife sparring is a fast-paced activity. When you have someone slashing or stabbing at you with a blade, you have to be quick on your feet. Filipino martial artists use triangular footwork. When using this type of footwork, you advance and retreat in a fashion that is diagonal to your opponent. “Systems that concern themselves with weapons, particularly blades, tend to develop a heightened understanding of this type of body shifting,” say Mark Cody and Marrese Crump in “The Warrior's Journal.” In knife sparring, triangular movements help you evade attacks while simultaneously setting yourself up in an advantageous position to slash your opponent.

    Defanging the Snake

    • A well-known concept in Filipino knife sparring is the idea of “defanging the snake.” This concept refers to striking or cutting your opponent's weapon-wielding hand. If you injure his hand, your opponent will hopefully drop his weapon. “Defanging the snake” is sometimes practiced in Filipino martial arts classes by using practice knives and protective hand pads. While sparring an opponent, focus on slashing his dagger-wielding hand with your knife. This type of knife sparring improves cutting speed, timing and accuracy. “Defanging the snake” is also a good way to introduce students to knife sparring.

    Full-Contact Knife Sparring

    • The hand is not the only target in a full-contact knife-sparring match. In Filipino martial arts, you also learn how to effectively attack other prime targets, like the arms, legs, neck and torso. Diagonal and horizontal cuts are usually used when attacking these targets. Be mindful of protecting vital areas on your own body while sparring. For example, it is important to protect the arteries and veins on the inner arm. A slash to the inner arm may simply hurt in a sparring match, but it could be deadly in a real situation. Remember, knife sparring is meant to teach you how to protect yourself in a life-or-death situation against an actual blade.