Also in the first category are the ax (wasay), club (batuta), and sword
(kalis), when such weapons are used by themselves. Filipino swords come
in many shapes and sizes, especially down south in Moroland. Moro
weapons include the kris, barong,and kampilan.Krises have three or more
(odd-numbered) flaming waves in the blade (labeled the flamberge blade
type) and their double edge is designed for thrusting. The Filipino kris is
larger, wider, and heavier than the Indonesian kris. The barong is a shorter,
leaf-shaped, single-edged sword for chopping and thrusting, without a hilt.
The kampilan is a longer chopping sword with a blunted point, which may
be swung with one, but usually two, hands. Visayan swords include the tal-
ibongand ginonting.The talibong is hilted with a crossguard and is single
edged, made by stock removal along one side of the blade. Unlike the
forged swords characteristic of Mindanao, stock removal is used to shape
bar stock steel to fashion weapons in the central and northern regions. The
ginonting has a blunted point with no crossguard and is more like a utility
knife. Farming tools, such as the bolo or machete, are prevalent.
The second category is double stick (doble baston, sinawali) and
refers to two canes or swords of equal length. The philosophy that prevails
in this category of weapons is that “two swords are better than one, when
you know how to use them both in conjunction.” Sawali means “to
weave,” while sinawali refers to the striking patterns that are made by two
coordinated weapons. Thus, the label sinawali is more specific than doble
baston in general, because of patterns employed.
Category three is called sword and dagger (espada y daga). Tech-
niques in this category recognize the natural hand dominance in human
physiology. If an opponent is holding one weapon, then it will probably be
held in the dominant hand. If an enemy is holding two weapons, then ei-
ther the lighter or the smaller weapon will be held in the submissive hand,
and the heavier or longer weapon will be held in the dominant hand. This
is not true for the sword and shield, but the principle of warding with the
awkward or submissive hand still holds.
The shield (Pilipino; kalasag) is used in combination with either the
sword or the spear (see category eleven). The principle remains the same as
with appropriate-handed weapons wielded. Fighters wore armor during
the time of Magellan, but armor is seldom used for contemporary FMA
practice. Beginning with the Spanish colonial period, European martial
arts, notably the Spanish (De La Destreza) geometric theory of fencing, was
blended with native fighting. For example, the concept of angular attack
influenced Filipino karate. Filipino espada y daga might have evolved from
Spanish sword-and-dagger techniques, not the rapier and dagger. The Eu-
ropean fencing schools include the French, Italian, Spanish, and German.
Rikarte Eskrimahas attack and counterattack methods for each European428 Philippines