STICK COMBAT

Learn Doce Pares Eskrimas Most Painful Self-Defense Moves

PHOTOS BY BRUCE W. LEBAHN

by Dr. Mark Cheng, Senior RKC

Some definite perks come with my job as a contributing editor for Black Belt. Having the opportunity to meet and train with Christopher Petrilli is near the top of the list. The soft-spoken former Army Ranger is one of the highest-ranked students of doce pares eskrima headmaster Ciriaco Cacoy Caete, yet his skill with a stick has its own unique flavor. Petrilli is one of the most meticulous instructors of real-world stick combatives, and his stick-lock and compression concepts are destined to pave the way for a whole new take on baton training, especially for members of the police and military.
M.C.

hilippine stick fighting has firmly entrenched itself in the landscape of the American martial arts. For more than 30 years, the styles from that Southeast Asian nation have gradually gained wider acceptance and recognition, in no small part because of the efforts and skills of men like Dan Inosanto. Aikido expert Steven Seagal managed to work a Filipino-style stick battle with Inosanto as his opponent into 1991s Out for Justice. Nearly every martial arts video producer has at least a series or two of stick-fighting instructional tapes, and youd be hard-pressed to find a supply store that doesnt carry an assortment of rattan sticks. Despite the ubiquity of Filipino-style instructors who may teach baton techniques under labels as diverse as jeet kune do concepts, kali, arnis, eskrima and silat innovations are still being made to the science of the stick. Hard at work in the laboratory of hard knocks is Christopher Petrilli. He trained for years in the Philippines under the
DISCLAIMER

watchful eye of Ciriaco Cacoy Caete, the oldest surviving member of the Doce Pares Club, and he now holds an eighth-degree black belt in the doce pares system. Petrillis skills arent limited to eskrima, however. The Sedona, Arizona-based instructor has also trained in Aikikai aikido and silat, and his roster of friends reads like a Whos Who of Southeast Asian martial arts. However, his varied background hasnt conflicted with his loyalty to doce pares or his teacher, and his particular understanding of stick combat is recognized by Caete himself. Caetes background included judo, jujitsu and wrestling, making him a formidable grappler. That influenced his branch of doce pares eskrima and was reflected in the joint locks, throws and takedowns common in his demonstrations. Hes noted for being one of the few men who can skillfully and smoothly execute judo-style techniques and sweeps without having to drop his stick. Such knowledge, when combined with Petrillis aikido

BLACK BELT COMMUNICATIONS, an Active Interest Media Publication, as publisher, does not endorse and makes no representation, warranty or guarantee concerning the safety or effectiveness of either the products and services advertised in this magazine or the martial arts or other techniques discussed or illustrated in this document. The publisher expressly disclaims any and all liability relating to the manufacture, sale or use of such products and services and the application of the techniques discussed or illustrated in this document. The purchase or use of some of the products, services or techniques advertised or discussed in this document may be illegal in some areas of the United States or other countries. Therefore, you should check federal, state, and local laws prior to your purchase or use of these products, services or techniques. The publisher makes no representation or warranty concerning the legality of the purchase or use of these products, services and techniques in the United States or elsewhere. Because of the nature of some of the products, services and techniques advertised or discussed in this document, you should consult a physician before using these products or services or applying these techniques. Specific self-defense responses illustrated in this document may not be justified in any particular situation in view of all of the circumstances or under applicable federal, state or local law. Neither Black Belt Communications nor the author makes any representation or warranty regarding the legality or appropriateness of any technique mentioned or depicted in this document. You may be injured if you apply or train in the techniques illustrated in this document and neither Black Belt Communications nor the author is responsible for any such injury that may result. It is essential that you consult a physician regarding whether or not to attempt any technique described in this document.

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Punyo punishment: After deflecting Sherril Johnsons stick and trapping her wrist, Christopher Petrilli (left) sets the butt end of his weapon in the crook of her elbow and flexes her arm (1). He effects a compression lock by applying pressure to the bent limb with the stick in place (2). Petrilli then executes a quick clockwise spin (3), taking her down and exposing her to a face strike (4).

background, formed the perfect breeding ground for a new kind of stick fighting.

More Than Just a Bludgeon

While teaching his students the doce pares method of eskrima, eskrido and pangamot (Caetes empty-hand-vs.-stick system), Petrilli doesnt skip over the impact capacity of the blunt weapon. Its obvious to most people that you can beat someone with a stick if you so choose, he says. What isnt always obvious, even to people with martial arts training, is how to do the joint locks, throws and grappling techniques you learned in empty-hand training while making the best use of the stick. Part of the secret lies in how Petrilli grips his sticks. Most practitioners hold their weap3 BLACK BELT

ons close to the end, creating a minimal punyo (butt end). Yet doce pares people tend to hold theirs with enough distance between their hand and the butt end to approximate the size of a dagger. That added length gives them an advantage in close-range combat for two reasons: It shortens the length of the forward end of the stick just enough to make it easier to maneuver in tight spaces without compromising too much of its striking length at long range; and it adds a striking, stabbing, pressing and hooking implement to the reverse end, allowing a variety of controls and manipulations to be executed. Indeed, close range is where most of Petrillis teaching takes place. During a backyard training session, hes quick to explain the relevant rationale: At long range, most people
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Compression choke: Christopher Petrilli (right) attempts a nikyo lock, but his opponent maneuvers to lessen the force (1). He abandons the wrist lock and shoots in to elbow her in the face and capture her neck with his stick (2). He then extends his left arm to grasp the far end of the stick and uses his forearm to complete the choke (3).

are just going to wave their sticks back and forth until someone makes contact, either with the other persons stick or somewhere on his body. Its at this point that the battle is joined. If I stay outside and continue to twirl my stick around, its pretty unlikely that Ill get past the other guys weapon and close enough to do any real damage to his head, vital organs or joints. But if I make use of the moment the sticks collide, I can use that information as a signal to crash the gate and get inside to do work.

Up Close and Personal

Once in close range, hubud-lubud training is conducted. Widely seen as the Philippines answer to wing chun kung fus sticky-hands drills, hubud can be employed with empty
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hands, sticks or knives unlike its Chinese counterpart. This is the range at which Petrillis real gift, stick locking, starts to shine. Watching him train with his students at long range, its anyones guess as to who has the advantage. Petrilli is of shorter stature, so in dealing with a taller, longer-limbed opponent, it doesnt make sense for him to stay outside and fence. However, when he crashes in on his adversary, the tables turn radically, and a loud slap emanates from the mat after a large blur goes airborne. After watching that take place a few times, I walk onto the mat to feel the techniques for myself. Starting from hubud range, Petrilli sets me up with a series of quick strikes that flow immediately into a grab, redirection, lock, throw and submission hold usually one of his trademark compressions. Conblackbeltmag.com

vinced by firsthand experience of the viability of his techniques, I ask him to explain the methodology behind them. Petrilli humbly points out that his understanding of things is nothing new: Plenty of martial arts have locking techniques involving sticks. Gene LeBell has grappling techniques with a club [see the July 2004 issue of Black Belt], traditional aikido has jo (medium-length staff ) techniques, hwa rang do has cane techniques, and everyone has seen some sort of locking techniques involving the Okinawan tonfa in the form of the PR-24 side-handle baton. Yet his synthesis of stick fighting and locking/grappling techniques is something original. To watch him work single-stick methods at close range is akin to watching someone operate with four arms, a pair of pliers, a baseball bat and a catapult all at the same time. His compression holds serve as the pliers in the arsenal. Imagine how pliers or a nutcracker works; thats a similar principle to how compressions work, he explains. Using the joint created by the meeting of his hand and the stick, he uses his forearm, usually the ulnar side, and the shaft of the stick to crush any unlucky limb. Anything the opponent leaves exposed is fair game, he says. Any part of the body that would be susceptible to pain from pressure is a perfect victim for compressions.

opponent into a different orientation, such as a throw or submission position. Thats one of the areas in which Petrillis stick work shines most brilliantly by implementing aikidostyle grips, turns, throws and locks without compromising the efficacy of the stick-holding hand. Indeed, his techniques capitalize on the stick as an extra limb or an added fulcrum, leading the opponent into an almost inescapable world of pure pain. Just when the adversary is thinking hes in a world of hurt, the extra punyo length comes into play. If he blocks your stick hand at the forearm, youre not confined to just using strikes; you can clamp down on his extended limb and instantly turn the tables, Petrilli says as he snags my wrist in a compression, dropping me to the mat with my arm bent as if its being tortured by an aikido-style nikyo lock. His locking techniques, which seemingly come at me from all angles, have the feel of aikido gone tropical as his burn-decorated

Feel the Pain

To illustrate his point, he takes my arm and applies compressions from my wrist up to my neck, causing me to tap or scream in agony when my other hand cannot react quickly enough to tap. Much like the way pliers are used not only to grip but also to twist, compressions can give rise to manipulations. Theyre used to lead an
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In the hands of a doce pares eskrima practitioner, the stick can be used for grappling as readily as for bludgeoning.
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Stick lock into reverse drop: After seizing his adversarys wrist and placing his stick in the crook of her elbow, doce pares eskrima expert Christopher Petrilli (left) sets the end of it over his left forearm (1). He then switches his right hand to the opposite end of the weapon (2), which allows him to torque the stick upward (3). Next, he releases her wrist as he circles away from her stick hand (4), after which he grabs it again with his left hand to create a compression lock (5). The pain causes her to fall to the mat (6).

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The key to executing many doce pares eskrima techniques is to hold the stick so that part of it protrudes below the gripping hand.

rattan stick switches effortlessly from striking to locking to throwing.

Tip of the Iceberg

The throwing aspect of Petrillis science is another selling point. Just like every grappling art relies on leverage to pitch an adversary into the air or onto the ground, he makes maximum use of the natural lever that the stick is using it to draw his opponent in by virtue of its greater reach, to grind against pressure points with its hard surfaces, to clamp down unforgivingly on a limb like an extra arm and to flip him like a catapult. Petrilli relates a story about how he came to learn these secrets from Caete, who has been frequently photographed flipping adversaries while engaged in stick work: When I was living in [Los Angeles], I asked around, trying to see who people thought the best guy to train under in the Philippines was. People in the know told me a bunch of different things, but if I wanted to learn how to really fight, [they said] I should go to Cacoy Caete.

So I packed up, headed straight for his place and lived there with him for a few years. Hes one of the few guys whos really been there and done that, so I know what comes from him is real. He isnt afraid to show you that his skills work with incredible versatility. He can whack you on the side of the head, knock your stick out of your hand, crank your wrist and hurl you across the room in one smooth flow. Not many guys alive have [reached] that level. Petrillis special brand of doce pares eskrima may well be the best tool for police and security personnel who cant afford to use excessive force because of the legal implications. It gives them effective alternatives to the traditional percussion-only methods of dealing with resisting suspects. It blends the smooth locks, throws and submissions of aikido with the well-rounded striking and grappling skills of Caetes combat-proven art. If it works for people who are limited by law as to how they can defend themselves, imagine what it can do for you.

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Books and DVDs from

MODERN ARNIS
by Remy Presas

Remy Presas integrates various forms of Filipino martial arts to teach sticks and unarmed methods of self-defense. Volume 1 (Approx. 50 min.)
DVD Code 7709 Retail $29.95 Volume 2 (Approx. 60 min.) DVD Code 8019 Retail $29.95 Volume 3 (Approx. 56 min.) DVD Code 8029 Retail $29.95

MODERN ARNIS: THE FILIPINO ART OF STICK FIGHTING

by Remy Presas

TONFA
by Fumio Demura

TONFA: KARATE WEAPON OF SELF-DEFENSE

by Fumio Demura

An expert in arnis, Remy Presas teaches stances, the 12 zones, trapping, flow practice, patterned drills and disarming. 160 pgs. (ISBN: 978-0-89750-089-0)
Book Code 426 Retail $16.95

Tonfa authority Fumio Demura teaches proper grips, strikes, stances, defense moves, attacks and other techniques that will improve your overall skill and coordination. (Approx. 46 min.)
DVD Code 7719 Retail $29.95

Fumio Demura explores the full range of tonfa tactics, including stances, karate and tonfa similarities, tonfa striking techniques and selfdefense applications. 144 pgs. (ISBN: 978-0-89750-080-7)
Book Code 417 Retail $16.95

NUNCHAKU: KARATE WEAPON OF SELF-DEFENSE

by Fumio Demura

FUNDAMENTALS OF NUNCHAKU
by Fumio Demura

BO: KARATE WEAPON OF SELF-DEFENSE

by Fumio Demura

NUNCHAKU: KARATE WEAPON OF SELF-DEFENSE

by Fumio Demura

Students are taught to use the nunchaku in a traditional manner. Topics covered: how to grip, stances, blocking, striking, calisthenics, karate and nunchaku similarities, as well as whipping, applied attacking, and applied block and counter. (Approx. 60 min.)
DVD Code 1019 Retail $29.95

Fumio Demura sensei teaches proper grips, stances, swings, strikes, blocks and a basic beginners kata. (Approx. 52 min.)
DVD Code 8009 Retail $29.95

Fumio Demura, who studied under Taira Shinken, covers stances, striking, blocking, combinations, sparring and an entire kata. Demura is considered among the finest bo experts of the modern age. 184 pgs. (ISBN: 978-0-89750-019-7)
Book Code 124 Retail $14.95

All-Japan karate champion Fumio Demura demonstrates the movements and fighting applications of the nunchaku. This book features gripping stances, blocking, striking, footwork, nunchaku and karate similarities, and more than 20 defenses against other weapons. 144 pgs. (ISBN: 978-0-89750-006-7)
Book Code 111 Retail $10.95

PHILIPPINE FIGHTING ARTS

by Julius Melegrito

Master Julius Melegrito founder of the Philippine Martial Arts Alliance and the Philippine Combatives System demonstrates the practical application of these martial arts techniques. Volume 1 (Approx. 90 min.) DVD Code 9569Retail $29.95 Volume 2 (Approx. 110 min.) DVD Code 9609Retail $29.95 Volume 3 (Approx. 100 min.) DVD Code 9619Retail $29.95

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