The above video shows another practice session of an Escrima Filipino stick fighting drill using the Ratan Escrima sticks. This is the third Escrima drill that we practice in the kobudo program I run at The Academy of Traditional Karate, after the High/Low drill. This Escrima drill is composed of a simple three step combination repeated on both sides for a total of 6 steps.
The basic pattern is:
- Slash across body to opposite shoulder
- Slash across body to opposite shoulder
- Bounce returning to same side bottom
The Heaven 6 drill can be practiced in different ways such as stationery, moving, high, low, etc. In the above video we show a basic stationery high variation as a starting point to learn the drill.
This drill allows you to practice two different types of strikes. The first two are slashing strikes where you handle the sticks as if they were machetes by leading with the wrist and slashing across the body to the opposite shoulder. This is followed by a bouncing strike where the sticks are handled more like clubs and bounce off each other before returning to the same side of the body in the bottom position. Then the sequence repeats on the other side and continues to flow back and forth.
We videoed this practice session in our backyard on 07/10/22 along with the previous two drills; Cinco Teros and High/Low. Stay tuned for upcoming posts and videos.
Heaven 6 Step by Step Breakdown of One Flow Sequence
[NOTE: These freeze frame images are from the middle of the practice video and show a sequence from the sticks being held on the left side. Though we actually start the drill on the right side, these images were the cleanest in the video to show the step by step breakdown. The flow is the same on both sides alternating back and forth. Please keep in mind that these are freeze frame images from the live action video. So, they are not as clean as they would be if they were intentionally posed photos for each step.]
3A) Simultaneously bounce the top stick (L hand), striking in the center.
4A) Both sticks are now on the opposite side (R side) and ready to repeat the sequence in the other direction. Continue repeating the sequence and alternating sides with a smooth flow as long as desired.
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