Senkotiros Arnis
Basis and Highlights
Senkotiros Arnis is unique when compared to many forms of the Philippine martial arts in that it is taught and practiced to be a free-formed style of martial arts. In its purest form, the movements, counters and techniques are based on some very simple rules and concepts. These rules and concepts are the building blocks of our style, rather than the patterned or repetitious techniques taught in many other styles.
Free-Form, Non-Patterned
Senkotiros Arnis is unique when compared to many forms of the Philippine martial arts in that it is taught and practiced to be a free-formed style of martial arts. In its purest form, the movements, counters and techniques are based on some very simple rules and concepts. These rules and concepts are the building blocks of our style, rather than the patterned or repetitious techniques taught in many other styles.
Free-Form, Non-Patterned
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Many Philippine martial arts teach patterned movements as the method to respond to an attack. For example, if an attacker does a certain strike you respond with a certain counter. Then these responsive techniques are practiced continuously.
The Senkotiros practitioner is taught to respond differently. They do not respond to an attack with a single prescribed or predetermined technique. The Senkotiros practitioner views a counter attack as a response with an infinite number of possibilities. In any combat encounter, the interactions are unpredictable, complex and vary instantaneously. Senkotiros looks upon the response to an encounter as the ability to respond to anything, with anything. The actual movements are based more on the dynamics of the situation combined with what the practitioner senses at that given moment. |
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Sensitivity Concept
Our style is practiced in such a way as to allow the experienced practitioner to react and respond instantly to the situation presented by the actions and movements of his opponent. What the practitioner see’s, feels and hears is combined with the intuition he or she has developed over the course of their training. It is commonly referred to as the Sensitivity Concept.
This heightened level of awareness comes naturally as the practitioner comes to understand the complex interactions of his own and his opponent’s movements. The Senkotiros training helps the practitioner to integrate this with the physical techniques that one is taught in the Philippine martial arts. Such traditional techniques such as distance, angle of attack, hand position and footwork are best suited when combined with this high level of sensitivity that is gained when training in the Senkotiros. This enables the practitioner to respond in a way that is sudden and devastating.
Senkotiros Arnis Principles and Theory
Several of the more important principles and theories presented here are at the foundation of the style of Senkotiros. These are based on the teachings and philosophies of Great Grand Master Max M. Pallen.
Unique Aspects of Senkotiros
Fighting Style
All Filipino martial arts were ultimately developed to defend their homeland from invaders they encountered throughout hundreds of years. Many modern day styles of the Philippine martial arts have come to emphasize different elements of arnis. Some have come to stress elements of other martial arts such as jui jitsu. Senkotiros Arnis emphasizes fighting and is based on the traditional method of self-defense practiced in the Camarines of the Bicol region of Southern Luzon in the Philippines. The style represents a fighting stystem that addresses all aspects of combat (from all distances or ranges) between individuals with an emphasis on striking with a weapon or fist. As a testament to this, the Senkotiros Arnis system has produced several national and international fighters some of which have become World Champions.
The Five Angles
Senkotiros Arnis measures strikes different from other arnis styles. Strikes are measured by angle and direction. Striking areas are more simply illustrated. Senkotiros targets the most vulnerable areas of the body such as joints (fingers, wrist, knees, etc), shallow bones (forearms, shins), nerve endings or pressure points and vulnerable areas of the body (eyes, nose, ears,groin, solar plexus, etc).
Senkotiros Arnis measures all strikes by three factors:
1. The direction of the strike
2. The angle direction that the tip of the weapon is flowing
3. The motion of the strike created by the rotation of the wrist.
Senkotiros Arnis has only five strikes, each measured by the direction of their angle. Each can be delivered from the right or the left side of the striker’s body. They are referred to as the “The Five Angle of Strikes.”
Conclusion
Senkotiros Arnis is a simplistic approach to self-defense. Any motion or technique in the style is straightforward, short, and makes the simplest of motions. With this simplicity comes speed and power.
Senkotiros Arnis is also based on the natural movements of the human body. For instance, bringing the hands up to block an attack is an instinctive action and one that comes naturally to us all. Senkotiros simply uses this instinctive motion, in much the same way, to achieve the same goal. In many instances students need not learn new techniques, but give in to the instinctive motions they already possess.
This also makes the basics easy to learn and quick to understand. The real challenge exists where one must put all of the small simple movement together as one. Many times every part of the body will have a different job to do, or a different technique to execute, all simultaneously. This is what makes the style so challenging and interesting. To many, it becomes addicting.
Our students train twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday at 7:45pm
Our style is practiced in such a way as to allow the experienced practitioner to react and respond instantly to the situation presented by the actions and movements of his opponent. What the practitioner see’s, feels and hears is combined with the intuition he or she has developed over the course of their training. It is commonly referred to as the Sensitivity Concept.
This heightened level of awareness comes naturally as the practitioner comes to understand the complex interactions of his own and his opponent’s movements. The Senkotiros training helps the practitioner to integrate this with the physical techniques that one is taught in the Philippine martial arts. Such traditional techniques such as distance, angle of attack, hand position and footwork are best suited when combined with this high level of sensitivity that is gained when training in the Senkotiros. This enables the practitioner to respond in a way that is sudden and devastating.
Senkotiros Arnis Principles and Theory
Several of the more important principles and theories presented here are at the foundation of the style of Senkotiros. These are based on the teachings and philosophies of Great Grand Master Max M. Pallen.
Unique Aspects of Senkotiros
Fighting Style
All Filipino martial arts were ultimately developed to defend their homeland from invaders they encountered throughout hundreds of years. Many modern day styles of the Philippine martial arts have come to emphasize different elements of arnis. Some have come to stress elements of other martial arts such as jui jitsu. Senkotiros Arnis emphasizes fighting and is based on the traditional method of self-defense practiced in the Camarines of the Bicol region of Southern Luzon in the Philippines. The style represents a fighting stystem that addresses all aspects of combat (from all distances or ranges) between individuals with an emphasis on striking with a weapon or fist. As a testament to this, the Senkotiros Arnis system has produced several national and international fighters some of which have become World Champions.
The Five Angles
Senkotiros Arnis measures strikes different from other arnis styles. Strikes are measured by angle and direction. Striking areas are more simply illustrated. Senkotiros targets the most vulnerable areas of the body such as joints (fingers, wrist, knees, etc), shallow bones (forearms, shins), nerve endings or pressure points and vulnerable areas of the body (eyes, nose, ears,groin, solar plexus, etc).
Senkotiros Arnis measures all strikes by three factors:
1. The direction of the strike
2. The angle direction that the tip of the weapon is flowing
3. The motion of the strike created by the rotation of the wrist.
Senkotiros Arnis has only five strikes, each measured by the direction of their angle. Each can be delivered from the right or the left side of the striker’s body. They are referred to as the “The Five Angle of Strikes.”
Conclusion
Senkotiros Arnis is a simplistic approach to self-defense. Any motion or technique in the style is straightforward, short, and makes the simplest of motions. With this simplicity comes speed and power.
Senkotiros Arnis is also based on the natural movements of the human body. For instance, bringing the hands up to block an attack is an instinctive action and one that comes naturally to us all. Senkotiros simply uses this instinctive motion, in much the same way, to achieve the same goal. In many instances students need not learn new techniques, but give in to the instinctive motions they already possess.
This also makes the basics easy to learn and quick to understand. The real challenge exists where one must put all of the small simple movement together as one. Many times every part of the body will have a different job to do, or a different technique to execute, all simultaneously. This is what makes the style so challenging and interesting. To many, it becomes addicting.
Our students train twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday at 7:45pm
Serving the fine communities of San Leandro, Hayward and Oakland, CA
