Kali Empty hands in Kali Sikaran have many similarities to Kali Sticks and Kali Knife principles. One example is stickfighting in Kali Sticks where the practitioner has to learn the different ranges such as Largo Mano (long range), Solo Baston (medium range), Punio and Locks (close range). To be a well rounded stick fighter you have to manage all the distances and switch effortlessly between them all.
Same thing goes for Kali Empty Hands where you want to manage long range, medium range and close range depending on circumstances and the situation. In Panantukan (Filipino boxing also known as dirty boxing) you want to stay predominantly in “mark range” where you can line up and deliver full power punches whenever possible. In Kadena de Mano it's all about the centerline and how to dominate the centerline, monitor the opponent and throw short punches and elbows as fast and effective as possible. In Dumog (lock and grappling range) there’s more focus on controlling and manipulating the opponent into a disadvantage position for different follow ups or to submission in standing positions or on the ground.
When we talk about Panantukan and Kadena de Mano there’s not too many techniques, generally speaking. But to truly understand and be functional with these techniques you have to do a lot more than just learn the actual technique. You have to put them in combinations and practice in various drills and eventually spar with them. It’s like a minute to learn and a lifetime to master! When the student starts to learn some combinations and some drills it quickly becomes overwhelming and confusing. There’s a lot of confusing stuff out there, especially in Kali because it's such a huge system. That’s one of the reasons we have put a lot of emphasis on structure and methodology in the Kali Sikaran programs to make all of this less confusing.
In Dumog there’s even more sensitivity and time to spend before getting functional with the different techniques. That’s one of the reasons why the Dumog module is less emphasized in the first phases in the Kali Sikaran programs. And from a self defense perspective it's prioritized to stay on your feet (as much as possible) and be able to choose if you can leave in a safe way or stay at a safe distance to have enough reaction time for necessary measures. But sometimes it’s not possible due to the situation and circumstances and the only possible solution is Dumog. Just remember that it's a means to an end and not necessarily the end goal out of a Kali Sikaran perspective.
And after learning a few or many of these techniques and combinations in Panantukan, Kadena de Mano and Dumog you want to be able to flow between the different ranges just the same way as in stick fighting. One way of doing that is to practise and learn with a drill, can be a very fixed drill or a more open format depending on the experience of the practitioner.
Here’s an example video of how Panantukan, Kadena de Mano and Dumog can be mixed and practiced together in a drill.
Kali knife training is called DAGA in the Kali Sikaran Program. It's a very important part of the training and definitely essential to have survival skills for selfdefence. And the Kali knife is a well known aspect in the Filipino martial arts overall.
But there's a lot of confusions and misunderstandings about tactics and training methods all around so we'll try to explain the approach we have in Kali Sikaran International.
What do you know about Kali Knife training?
There are several training methods we use in Kali Sikaran and it's important to understand the purpose of them. The practitioner have to build a foundation with principle based techniques. These techniques will be improved by improving mechanics, positions and structure. Later on in the progression it's also important to understand the attackers perspective. It's not that anybody can predict how an attacker will act but there are some essentials that needs to be learnt. Another important part in Kali knife training is sparring and drills when the student is ready for that.
Why do drills when learning Kali knife in Kali Sikaran
To learn Kali knife or anything for that matter you need repetitions, lot's of them. It is said that you need 2000 or more repetitions to build a major motor muscle skilled reflex. And the more complex the technique becomes the more repetitions you have to add. The goal is to make it as simple as possible but as complex as it has to be to solve the problem. A common misunderstanding is that it's some kind of goal to make Kali complex just to make it cool. It's not the goal in Kali Sikaran!
The primary goal with a drill is to do multiple repetitions and build the reflexes in a more dynamic environment. Later on it can be pushed to failure and give the practitioner experience to react to the circumstances rather then just doing the drill properly. Eventually that will prepare the student for testing the skills in more challenging scenarios, sparring and situations.
Check out the video below to see an example of techniques that becomes a drill.
Updated: May 25, 2022
The boxing method in Kali Sikaran is mainly emphasized for self defense. Even though the first punches and combinations might look like regular boxing it's not. The main differences are that in self-defense there is no ring, no judges and no weight categories to make the fight fair. Another big difference is that both punching and defending is not the same without gloves, there is no absorption and the hand can get injured quite easily.
What does all this mean for the practitioner, isn't boxing good? Boxing is very good and it's not easy to defend against a good boxer if you don't know what you are doing. That's the reason why we do a lot of "regular" boxing exercises in Panantukan at the beginning.
Boxing is good for timing, stamina and a lot more and when the student is ready for it, it's very honest in sparring. It's important to have a strong cross for every fighter and martial artist.
So what's the actual difference between boxing and Panantukan?
The primary self-defense strategies in Kali Sikaran are three:
Leave the situation in a safe way, if possible (might be running but not necessarily)
Even out the odds with some kind of equalizer (some everyday object etc.)
When option 1 & 2 isn't possible, defend yourself empty handed
What does these strategies actually mean, and why are they important for Panantukan?
If there isn't something to gain and no ring to keep you safe you can't hang around for a couple of rounds. And the only judge you might see is in the court house. So strategy number one is the absolute best when possible, but you have to be proactive to make it work.
To win over an opponent you have to be better technically and/or physically, preferably both. But in selfdefence that rarely happens, the attacker spots a victim that wont cause to much trouble or time. Hence the importance to equalize the odds. That might be striking with a cellphone to get more knockout power or a ballpen to discourage the attacker to continue.
When boxing emptyhanded there are a couple of considerations to make. Where and how to hit for best result and to avoid ruin your own hands.
If you want to read more about Panantukan you can check out the PANANTUKAN eBook and Program here.