There will be overlap in what one conceptual motion does as compared to another

NOTE:

1. Open is with the arms spread open away from the body; close is with the arms closed across the body.

2. The angles of attack are constant. The attacking hand is variable: therefore a #1 strike with the right hand comes from the open side WHILE a #1 strike with the left hand comes from the close side. Left- right / right – left, IS NOT MIRROR IMAGE.

3. Open means the open side of the body. Close means the close side of the body.

4. These patterns of motion are just that “Conceptual patterns” They need to be applied to have meaning other than a conceptual motion. Application becomes Conceptual usage.

5. There will be overlap in what one conceptual motion does as compared to another.

6. The actually name of the motion is not as important as what the conceptual motion teaches. If you know it as something else, don’t get hung up on the name! A rose is a rose by any other name.

SINAWALI: weaving of the arms or planes of motion

Single Sinawali: Covers the basic and “principle” motion of “open-close”. Close high- open low, open high -close low. Single arm weaving. When both arms are used to do advanced single Sinawali it still is sequential single arm weaving. (One arm weaves, other arm follows at end of motion) An outward, forward cone of defense is formed. The strikings are the basic diagonals covering all Four Corners, from open and close positions. Example: #1 striking downward diagonal from the open, #8 striking upward diagonal from the close, #2 striking downward diagonal from the close, #9 striking upward diagonal from the open. (Both low strikes retract rather than follow through.)

Single Sinawali can be done as simple, as shown above, it can be done as Single Sinawali with a fold, where the arm folds underneath after the low strike, or as Single Sinawali Three count. In Single Sinawali Three count the hands strike high –low-high and then change to the opposite side.

Double Sinawali:

High count: Covers the motion of open-close on a high horizontal plane. The conceptual motion used is double arm weaving in an alternating pattern. Close -open –open/close. Or Forehand to close, backhand to open- backhand to open / close. The strikings are horizontal circles or straight line intersecting motions. Example: starting with right hand open, left hand close (under right) Right hand strikes a high #3 horizontal strike from open, the left strikes a high #3 from close, the right strikes a high #4 from close and retracts to close on left side under left arm. Left hand strikes a #4 from open, right hand strikes a #4 from close, left hand strikes a high #3 from close and retracts to close on right side under right arm.

High –Low count: Covers the basic motion of “open-close” Close high- open low, open high -close low. Single arm weaving is done alternately with both arms. Sequential single arm weaving.

(One arm weaves, other arm weaves at end of motion, both individually doing single arm weaving on intersecting planes.) an outward , forward cone of defense is formed. Forehand – backhand – backhand is still used as format. Example: starting with the right hand open, the left hand close

(under right). The right hand strikes #1 from open, the left hand strikes #9 from close, the right hand strikes #2 and retracts to close (under left), The left hand strikes #2 from open, the right hand strikes

#8 from close, the left hand strikes #1 from close and retracts to close (under right)

Low count: Covers the motion of open-close on a low horizontal plane. The conceptual motion used is double arm weaving in an alternating pattern. The initial close motion is low/Close – low/open –low/close. Or Forehand to close, backhand to open- backhand to open / close. There are a couple of variations to do Low Count.

Example #1: starting with the right hand in an open position, the lefts hand in a close position (over the right). The right hand, from underneath the left, strikes a number #9 from open - close. The left strikes a number #9 from close- open. The right strikes a number # 8 and retracts to close (over the left), The left strikes from underneath the right, a number # 8 from open, the right strikes a number

#8 from close, the left strikes a number # 9 from close and retracts to close (over the right)

Example #2: starting in left hand in close under the right hand. The right hand strikes a number

#1downward low diagonal strike from open – close. The left hand strikes the same number #1 strike from close- open. The Right hand then strikes a number # 2 low downward diagonal strike to open then close under the left. The left hand strikes a number # 2 low strike from open –close. The right hand which was under the left, strikes a number # 2 low strike from close – open. The left hand strikes a number #1 low strike open to close under the right.

Reverse Sinawali: covers the motion of open- close on an upward diagonal, with body rotation.

The format is still forehand open- backhand close with rotation (step through umbrella)- backhand close. The strikings cover vertical to upward diagonal circles or straight-line interceptions.

Example: Starting with the right hand open (under the left) the left hand close (over the right). The right hand strikes a #9 underneath the left, from the open, the left hand strikes a high #9 from the close and retracts in an umbrella motion, the body rotates/ steps into the umbrella motion. The right hand strikes a #8 and retracts to close (over the left). The left hand strikes a #8 underneath the right, from the close, the right hand strikes a high #8 and retracts in an umbrella motion, the body rotates/

steps into the umbrella motion. The left hand strikes a #9 and retracts to close over the right.

SINAWALI: motions of weaving that have a point attack to them. If, one has a pyramid of defense coming out of ones’ personal space, the base on ones’ body and the point going out towards the opponent, then Sinawali hand / arm motions will follow any one of the four triangular sides to the point. Even if Sinawali is done within a circular plane of motion, the impact of the hand is at a tangent to that plane of motion or comes through that circular plane of motion like the radius of that particular circle.

REDONDA

Redonda: Is a repeating circular motion that maintains the singular plane. The edge orientation of the weapon is always towards the opponent. Redonda can be done on ANY angle and any size circular plane.

Redonda X: Is double arm weaving on a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal plane of motion. Redonda X does not have to contain only one type of motion any combination of the three is possible. All circular motions are done forehand with the edge orientation toward the opponent.

• Variation #1: Starting with right hand open, left hand close (under the right). The right hand strikes #1 from the open. The left hand strikes #1 from the close. The right hand strikes

#1 from the close and retracts to the close under the left. The left hand strikes #2 from the

open. The right strikes #2 from the close. The left hand strikes #2 from the close and retracts to the close under the right.

• Variation #2: Starting with right hand open, left hand close (under the right). The right hand strikes #1 from the open. The left hand strikes #1 from the close. The right hand umbrellas, then strikes #1 from the open and retracts to the close under the left. The left hand strikes #2 from the open. The right strikes #2 from the close. The left hand umbrellas, then strikes #2 from the open and retracts to the close under the right.

• Variation #3: Starting with right hand open, left hand close (under the right). The right hand strikes #1 from the open. The left hand strikes #3 from the close. The right hand strikes

#12 from the close and retracts to the close under the left. The left hand strikes #2 from the open. The right strikes #4 from the close. The left hand strikes #12 from the close and retracts to the close under the right.

• Variation #4: Starting with right hand open, left hand close (under the right). The right hand strikes #1 from the open. The left hand strikes #3 from the close. The right hand umbrellas, then strikes #1 from the open and retracts to the close under the left. The left hand strikes #2 from the open. The right strikes #4 from the close. The left hand umbrellas, then strikes #2 from the open and retracts to the close under the right.

• Redonda can be done in REVERSE. The arms cross with the same set up as reverse Sinawali. The lead attacking arm starts from underneath. The strikes come at an upward diagonal angle. The right hand is under the left on the right side. The right strikes a #9 upward diagonal from the open side all the way through and comes to a stop on the close side. The left in a closed position strikes a high #9 and upon contact, follows through to the open side. The right hand strikes a #8 strike and stays on the closed side. One is now in mirror image of one’s starting point. The right arm is in closed position OVER the left arm, which is now in open position. The strikes make cutting not percussive motions at first to understand the conceptual pattern! One learns about edge orientation through Reverse Redonda!.

REDONDA X: Is done within a circular motion usage. Unlike Sinawali it is not a point impact usage. Redonda X impacts with a circular strike, just as a point rotating around the circumference of a circle. I have seen some people become sloppy while executing REDONDA X movement and their strikes are actually slaps or back-handed strikes that in a real combative situation would have little or no practical value. Redonda is a full striking motion.

NOTE: REDONDA, REDONDA X, SINAWALI, and DOUBLE SINAWALI are not restricted to application against one specific target zone. Any of these conceptual patterns when in conceptual USAGE, may cover many target zones such as covering from limb to limb to body to limb again.

The common mistake is to use Sinawali on a target zone, all on one plane of motion or with several planes of motion converging on that one zone to the exclusion of any other variation, making the pattern a technique rather than a concept.

EXAMPLE: Sinawali done to the outside of any attacker’s limb, is generically called “brush, trap and strike”. If the attack is with alternating limbs, instead of expanding the conceptual usage of Sinawali, the defender usually tries to REPEAT the whole conceptual motion on the next attacking limb. This type of thinking / responding to an attack violates principle #4 of Combative Reality:

Combat MUST be simple. The conceptual usage of Sinawali is inclusive not exclusive. As a concept of motion it is designed to handle variables, unknown and spontaneous. That is the advantage to learning conceptual patterns of motion with conceptual usage because they are based on principle #1 of Combative Reality: Combat itself is mutable and cannot be contained or structured. These conceptual patterns when used allow for dealing with principle #2 of Combative Reality: One cannot learn a pre-recorded response to a spontaneous situation. In Modern Arnis

this conceptual usage is learned through Anyo or Forms practice; conceptual forms. Check out the chapter on Forms: Empty Hand.

An interesting physical reality based on principle #3 of Combative Reality: Human combative actions and reactions must be within the bounds of actual – natural physical response.

Situation: attacker strikes with right hand. Defender has both hands up in open ready position. If the defender strikes a closing motion with the defender’s right hand, towards the inside of an opponent’s attacking right arm, and steps with body rotation or just body rotates, the defender’s left hand naturally comes across the body to the close position. The defender’s left hand is in proper position to open against the attacker’s right arm. The process of opening the defender’s left hand / arm puts the defender’s right hand / arm into a natural position to open. With natural body rotation or counter rotation to drive the defenders right hand / arm, the defender counter attacks with an open motion, returning to the original ready OR with retraction to the close position brings a continuation of the alternating arms: SINAWALI or REDONDA X

Florette: is related to Redonda in that the “conceptual usage” motion is one of constant repeating circles. Florette’s difference is that it travels ACROSS or WITHIN several planes of motion with its’ repeating circles, while traveling on its own plane of motion and Redonda’s repeating circles stay within the SAME plane of motion. Florette’s circles just like Redonda’s have no size restriction but usually Florette is ever decreasing circles / circular motion following a single plane of motion across other planes. Florette uses the wrist to twirl the weapon but the power comes from the arm motion. Cirkulos are a type of Florette that use ONLY wrist power and generally stay within one plane of action. Cirkulos are usually seen as the set up to ready positions or to move the arm from preparatory position to ready position, rather than just move the arm.

Double Zero actions are in a class of Florette. Double Zero has a circle within a circle to build speed and power. Double Zero can be offensive or defensive. Double Zero striking allows one to have a build up in speed by twirling the stick, then launching the attack off of the momentum gained. It can also be used as an immediate counter to a blocked strike.

Variation #1 A: Strikes #1 at D