From casasai.org
Glossary for Eskrima Practitioners
Introduction
Eskrima became popular among martial arts enthusiasts. It attracts many martial artists all over the world maybe because of its practicality and effectiveness. But many Eskrima terms are ambiguous due to the fact that there many styles of Arnis established in different regions of the Philippine Islands using diverse languages or dialects that often times confuse students who are exposed to variety of Eskrima styles thus the techniques of Arnis and some movements are sometimes named differently in different regions of the Philippines.
Spanish language has greatly influenced the technical terms used in Filipino Martial Arts hence it is very imperative to know that many of these terms came from Spanish words or the adulterated version of these words. I hope that this glossary will help you comprehend the nature of this exotic art of self defense.
Abang
-to wait defensively
Abanico
-fan; also spelled as abaniko; it is as a form of striking characterized a snappy action of the wrist. There two types of abanico strikes. The abanico corto or short abanico strike, and abanico largo or long abanico strike.
Abecedario
-refers to the basic striking techniques
Abierta
-open position.
Agaw
-to disarm or take away the weapon or stick of the opponent.
Aldabis
- A diagonal upward strike or uppercut.
Antas
- level or degree.
Anting- anting
-A good luck charm. Many old practitioners of Eskrima before believe in anting-anting as an extra protection. This is a Filipino word for talisman or amulet.
Arnis
- the Filipino martial also known as eskrima, kali which begins the training with the use of weapons and progresses to empty hand techniques both in offense and defense.
Arnisador
- a person who practice arnis. Also known in Western Visayas as bastonero.
Arnis de mano
-sometimes used to describe arnis. Mano means hand.
Atras
-a backward movement or retreat.
Avante or abante
- A forward movement
Bagsak
- to drop suddenly or sometimes refers to overhead hard downward strike.
Baguhan
-a novice
Bahi
- refers to Filipino word for hard wood for stick fighting. This usually made of a very old wood of palm tree.
Baitang
-a tagalog word for level or stages.
Bakbakan
- a rumble or free for all fight.
Balaraw
-a visayan word for dagger or knife.
Baligtad
- Reverse or inside out
Bali
- to break
Balisong
-Butterfly knife invented in Batangas which became very popular not only Philippines but also in other parts of the world. It came from the words bali which means to break and songay which refers to the horn of the Philippine carabao. This is because the handle of this knife is folding and partly made of carabao horn.
Banda y banda
-It is a form of striking in which the cane moves horizontally across the body. In doing the inward strike the palm should be facing upward while the palm is facing downward when doing the outward strike.
Bangkaw
- Spear
Bantay
-To guard or watch
Bantay kamay
- The guard hand sometimes called as the “alive hand”
Baston
-a stick or walking stick. Also refers to arnis stick
Batikan
-Certified expert
Batikang Eskrimador
-Certified expert in eskrima
Binangon
- a typical bolo in Iloilo province.
Bolo
- A farm implement primarily use for cutting woods or bamboos.
Buhat –Araw
- An overhead powerful strike
Bungkol
- a very strong thrust wherein the long stick is held by two hands. It can be done using the tip or the base of the cane.
Bunot
- To draw a sword or dagger
Bunot-kaluban
-An upward slash followd by a downward slash; drawing and slashing technique
Busalian
-A Hiligaynon word for powerful warrior
Cadena
-chain. In arnis, there is de cadena strikes or movements.
Cadena de mano
- chain movements of hands.
Centro
-Center
Cinco teros
-it means five strikes. There are styles of Arnis using five basic strikes.
Contra
-Against or opposite
Contrada
-Counter
Corto
-Short or close range
Daga
- A dagger, knife, sometimes called punyal
Dakop
- To catch.
Dalagangan
- A visayan word for a renown and very powerful warrior.
De Cuerdas
-a style of arnis. Cuerdas means string. So it is literally means with string.
Delikado
-Dangerous
Depensa
-Defense
Depensa-opensiba
-Offensive defense
Derecho
-Direct
Dikitan
- Very close or close quarters
Disarma
- Disarming
Doble
- Double
Doblete
- double or repeat, it is also refer to double strikes
Doce Pares
- Twelve Pairs. It is also a style of eskrima popularized by GM “Cacoy” Canete in Cebu, Philippines.
Dos Manos
-It means two hands.
Dukot
- To snatch, seize unexpectedly
Dulo
-The tip or the tip of the stick or blade
Dulo-dulo
-It may refer to a palm stick with pointed ends use as one of the weapons in arnis training.
Dumog
- Filipino wrestling or the Filipino grappling art.
Duslak
- A visayan term means to thrust
Elastiko
-Elastic also refer the style of strike characterized by bending the upper body backward to avoid a strike and by countering it immediately by leaning forward coupled with a counter strike.
Enganyo
-feint or fake movements to draw the opponent to attack so he will be vulnerable to counter attack.
Entrada
-The first movement
Ekis
- X or x-strike
Eskrima
-another name for Arnis. It also means fencing
Eskrimador
- Also called bastonero in Western Visayas; an arnis or eskrima practitioner
Eskrimahay
- fighting with the use of stick or sword
Espada
- sword
Espada y daga
- Sword and dagger. This is also one form of practising arnis wherein the practitioner use sword and dagger simultaneously.
Estrella
-it means star. A series of five strikes which forms the figure of a star.
Figura
-figure or form. In arnis it may refer to the form of strikes like estrella, otso-otso etc.
Galang
- Respect
Gantihan
- Exchange of blows.
Garote
- Also refers to stick or sword
Ginunting
-A long sword in Panay
Gunting
-Scissors also refers to a martial art maneuvers to trap, immobilize an opponent to execute a more fatal technique. This maneuver can be done by hands or legs.
Guro or Guru
-means a teacher or instructor.
Hakbang
– Footwork
Hakbang paiwas
- Side step to avoid an incoming attack
Hagad- hubad
-a Visayan word for strike and counters.
Hagis
-To throw or throwing technique
Haboy
-Hiligaynon word for throwing technique.
Handus
-to stab specifically in hammer grip position
Hanot
- Strike
Hanot derecho
- Direct strike or attack
Hanot centro
- Center strike
Hatak
- To hold and full
Hawak
- to hold
Hawak punyo
-A regular hold of stick with one to four inches allowance from the base of the cane.
Hawak sagad
- A way of holding a cane or grip with no punyo.
Hawak saksak
- A regular or hammer grip when holding a dagger and the like.
Higot
-It is also a Visayan word which means to tie.
Hulagpos
- To escape from capture or restraint by the opponent.
Hulog
- To drop; this may refer to a very quick downward strike to beat an opponent to a count.
Ibabaw
- Above or on the top of
Ilag
- To evade
Ilalim
-Under or underneath
Ipit
-A trapping technique that can be applied to fingers arm, neck and other parts of the body.
Ipit-pilipit
-This is a system of trapping and squeezing the opponent’s body parts which open result to submission. This Eskrima system is popularized by GM Cristino Vasquez of Modern Arnis.
Isganan
-A warrior
Iwas
-To avoid.
Kaabtik
- Alertness
Kalas
- Disengage
Kalasag
-Shield
Kalas Sandata
-Disarming technique
Kali
- Other term for Eskrima which became very popular term for the FMA in western countries probably derived from kamot lihok which means the movements of hand.
Kasa
- To accept a challenge to fight
Kengkoy
-derogatory term used for unrealistic or impractical styles of fighting
Kinamutay
-akin to mano-mano or empty hand techniques; also called “alimahay” in “Kinaray-a”- one of the native dialect in Panay Islands.
Kris
- Serpentine blade knife or sword
Krusada
- a form or figure of strikes which form a cross. The first strike is crossed by the second strike and a second strike is crossed by the third strike etc…
Labaha
–Razor blade
Laban
- To fight
Labanang dikitan
- A close quarter combat
Labanang malapitan
- Medium range combat
Labanang malayuan
- Long range combat
Laban laro
-Combat drills or play fight designed to develop speed, timing etc…
Laban Paluan
- Free-style sparring or fighting
Largo mano
- Long range.
Lubud
- To blend
Lubad
- to untie; to get free from a hold or lock
Kaabtik
-Agility; alertness
Maharlika
- Nobility
Malakas
-Strong; powerful
Mandirigma
- A Warrior; also called “isganan” in Panay Islands.
Mano-mano
- Hand to hand; hand to hand fighting
Masugid
- Dedicated
Matibay
-Strong, durable, lasting
Matira ang matibay
- Survival of the fittest
Metodo
- Method
Olisi
-Same as baston or stick
Opensiba
-Offensive
Opo
-Respectful way of saying yes
Orasyon or oracion
- It may refer to a prayer for protection; believed by old eskrima practitioners as magical words for protection
Ordabis
- a backhand slash.
Paayon
- Go with the force
Paberik
-The act of wielding the stick continuously in a very fast manner. This word is commonly use in Panay Island.
Pagsasanay
-Training
Pakal
- a style of stabbing using the reverse or ice pick position.
Palo
-Strike; also called as hanot, lampos in Panay Islands.
Pangamot
-Empty hand proficiency; it came from the word “kamut” mean hand; a person who is good in Eskrima.
Pangilug
-disarming
Paniil
-one’s ability to use his legs for offense and defense
Piglas
-to struggle or resist; to get free from a hold
Pikon
-One who is easily angered or upset
Piktos
- A snap strike
Pilantik
- Usually refers to an overhead abaniko strikes
Pinasaka
- Also known as pataas which means upward. In eskrima it refers to an upward strike.
Pinatindog
- It may refer to a downward vertical strike or block. From the word” Tindog” means to stand.
Pinatag
-A horizontal strike, from the word” patag” means plane area of the land.
Pit-al
- A locking technique
Pintok
-A wrist snap strike usually delivered overhead
Pit-ol
- A wrist snap strike delivered to any part of the body
Pinuti
-A long visayan sword; In Panay Islands it refers to knife.
Pit-al
- The act of immobilizing the opponent by means of the stick, hands or legs.
Pugay
- Respect and salutation
Punyo
- the butt of the stick; a strike using the butt of the weapon
Redondo
-round; a circular strikes.
Redonda
-A double-stick style of striking composed of six flowing strikes.
Rompida
- It is a style of striking in which the cane moves up and down vertically. When striking upward the arm is twisted so that the palm is facing to the right and the palm is facing to the left when striking downward.
Sagang
- Block also called sangga
Saguidas
-reflexology equipment also called dulo-dulo which is used also as one of eskrima equipment for self dedense.
Saksak
-Stab
Salag
- Block
Saludo
- Giving respect; bow; pugay
Sangga
-block, sagang, salag
Serada
- Close
Sibat
-Another Visayan term for spear; technically this refer to a piece of pointed bamboo or wood use as spear for hunting wild animals like pigs, etc…
Sikaran
-Kicking
Siko
- Elbow
Sikuha
- striking the opponent using your elbow
Simula
- Start
Sinawali
- A double-stick style of striking. It is named because of its intricate movements resemble the “sawali”-the bamboo splits woven mat-like which the people in the bamboo-growing region in the Philippines use for walling.
Sinulog
- a primitive war dance which contains eskrima movements and techniques.
Sumbrada
-It is a flowing drill consisting of offense, defense and counter strikes designed to develop speed timing and other attributes of a good Eskrimador.
Sumbag
- To punch
Sumbaganay
- Fist fighting or boxing
Sundang
- a very common term in Western Visayas for a knife.
Tadtad
- Repeated fast blows
Talibong
>- A sword also in Panay believes to have originated in the province of Antique.Taming
- shield
Tampa
- A strike using the palm of the hand.
Tapado
-A style of Eskrima which use a long and bigger stick. This style employs a two-hand grip.
Tapi
- To parry
Tapi-tapi drill
- A flowing drill composed striking and parrying. It can be done with or without weapon in the hands.
Tayo
-Stand; stance
Tiempo
- Timing
Tiras or tiros
- Strikes
Totsada
- a drill composed of thrusting your partner or opponent to the different parts of the body.
Trangka
-lock
Hanot trangka
- a locking strike
Totsar
-To thrust quickly
Tuhod
- knee
Tuhuda
- A Hiligaynon word for a knee kick or to deliver a knee kick
Tungkod
- a long stick
Ulo
- head
Uloha
- Means to head butt your opponent.
Yantok
- Stick, cane
Wedo
-Formlessless; A style of arnis founded by GM Jesus Pallorina popularized by GM Frank Sobrino
Waswas
- Relentless determined beatings; barrage of strikes.
Prepared by: Guru Melecio O. Balberde
