Escrima Concepts

The Escrima Concepts System is the second of our two primary martial arts. It has been developed over 30 years by Master Steve Tappin from the original Filipino styles.

His unique system is taught using the five generic concepts of Balance, Speed (Timing & Distance), Focus, Power & Transition. The training progressively incorporates all hand weapons, including sticks, knives, palm-sticks, machetes, staff, tonfa and many more besides, plus a strong unarmed component.

Western weapons influences have enriched this system far beyond the standard 'traditional' armed styles of Escrima, Kali & Arnis currently taught in the UK. We have yet to see a more complete, more correct or more practical armed system.

Striking Zones

All incoming attacks can be understood and classified according to this theory. Discover the five basic striking zones and how they are used to analyse the offensive movements of yourself & your opponent.

There are an unlimited number of attacking angles which you or your opponent may employ in your efforts to overcome one another. The nature of any given attack will depend upon the type of weapon used, the positions & movement of both fighters, the intended target (or tactical purpose of the attack) and whether the attack is straight or curving.

Rather than attempt to classify attacks by all the above criteria, we initially group them into five Striking Zones which are determined by where the attack, had it been successful, would have struck our body. Naturally enough, these zones are numbered Zone 1, 2, 3, 4, and finally Zone 5.

Incoming attacks are then classified by zone number. For example an incoming strike to any target within Zone 1 would be called a Number 1 Strike, regardless of the weapon used or any of the aforementioned criteria. This method makes training extremely simple and prepares the student for more advanced concepts later on.

The striking zones form part of the Basic Box Theory which you can learn more about in other parts of this site.

Zone 1

Zone One is the most common area to be attacked with a weapon and therefore the first zone we teach our students to attack & defend against. Statistically around 95% of people will favour their right hand for wielding their primary weapon, be it stick, knife, club or sword. A strike to this area is the simplest attack when holding a weapon in your right hand.

No matter what the weapon, an overhand downward swing or slash is a very natural, strong attack (gravity & bodyweight are easily used to gain power in such blows) and have been used to great effect in armed combat ever since our caveman ancestors picked up bones with which to club down other creatures. It is no accident that hospital A&E departments treat more wounds to the left side of the face, head & neck than any other.

In addition, the right hand of an unarmed combatant will usually be the stronger, preferred limb, and a punch into this zone (face, chin, throat etc) is perhaps THE most common attack in unarmed situations.

As shown on the striking zones page, there are an unlimited number of attacks which can be said to fall within Zone One, ranging from straight down, through a 45° arc, to an almost 90° arc. As our students soon discover, no two attacks within this zone are the same, even though they may be delivered by the same person, with the same weapon, and from the same position. If you think you can easily defend against a really good No.1 Strike from an experienced fighter - think again. It is simultaneously where the Escrima Concepts system begins & ends.

Zone 2

For the right-handed fighter, Zone Two usually represents a downwards, backhanded swing, slash or stab. Although it is still an extremely effective area to hit your opponent - containing as it does the right sides of the head, neck, shoulders and torso - it gains second-best status to Zone One due to the slightly less-natural, and often less-powerful movement involved.

All other characteristics of Zone Two are the same as for Zone One.

However after striking to Zone One, a strike to Zone Two is an extremely natural movement. Continuous attacks in rapid, fluid succession to Z1-Z2-Z1-Z2 form the basis of both the open & closed Figure-8, a concept which is introduced & trained with the basic student levels.

For left-handed fighters, Zone Two is really their Zone One. However by convention (and to avoid confusion in training) the striking zones are not reversed when training with a southpaw. This may seem silly & confusing at first, however when our student progresses to using a weapon in each hand, the reason for this sensible convention becomes clear.

Right-handed fighters are often at a disadvantage when facing a good left-hander. The orthodox person usually faces another orthodox person with the same strengths, however the southpaw is used to training against right-handers and gives powerful hits to their opposite, weaker side. Ideally a student should strive to become balanced with both sides of their body, however many people do often favour their strongest side. Try to train with a left-hander from time-to-time if you can

Zone 3

Zone Three is another common area for the right-handed fighter to attack, and thus is explored within the first student programme. As a guide, beginners are initially taught to aim for the opponents hip in a flat arc, however the zone extends down to around knee/mid-calf level, encompassing the pelvis & leg. For the left-hander, a strike to this zone would be on the backhand.

The zone does not extend all the way to the ground, as dropping to strike an opponents ankle is a sure way to offer your own head. If an opponent is out of balance or position enough for you to hit their ankle, there is probably a more effective target for you to consider hitting.

As with Zone One, there are an unlimited number of attack angles which can fall within this region. It is a prime area to set-up further strikes, as an opponent may successfully defend a No.3 Strike (i.e. an attack to Zone 3) only to be over-turned & out of position - wide open to the rapid No.1 strike which is already on the way.

Attacks to Zone Three can often be effective if your opponent holds their guard too high, protecting their head. However beware the experienced fighter who may be setting a trap for you. (Remember: Things that look too good to be true usually are!) However, an opponent who poorly defends a good No.1 or No.2 may be wide open to a strike to this zone, as they struggle to regain balance & drop their guard to defend the left side of their body

Zone 4

Zone Four covers the right side of your own body from around the hip down to below the knee. It has exactly the same characteristics as Zone Three but on the opposite side. Just like Z3 the region does not extend down to the ground, for exactly the same reasons.

For the right-handed fighter, an attack to Zone Four usually means a backhanded strike. It is perhaps the most difficult area for the orthodox fighter to generate power to at first, although with practice a good No.4 strike is a great addition to the arsenal. Care must be taken when striking to this zone as (with a right-handed weapon) the closed backhand pre-strike position often causes beginners to be at the wrong range or easily jammed. Left-handed weapons have no such problems, and indeed are treated like Zone Three.

When using a weapon in each hand, a common, effective ploy is to strike to opposite sides of the body in turn, i.e. Z3-Z4, or Z1-Z4. Although easily defended in theory, when such attacks come with speed, power & intention the defender is often caught flat-footed and unable to move. With experience, a good attack to Zone Four at the right time can create all manner of problems for your opponent.

Zone 5

Zone Five is perhaps the most misunderstood area by many students, encompassing as it does almost all the vulnerable areas of the human body. At first glance only the extremities are exposed and many areas are covered by the other four zones. However when considering linear attacks such as stabs or thrusting movements, Zone Five covers almost all the possibilities available to your opponent.

Initially, students are taught to deliver a No.5 Strike (i.e. an attack to Zone Five) by thrusting straight along the centreline towards the chest or belly, and defending the same by moving inside or outside this line accordingly. Both left & right hands are used right from the start.

As with the other zones though, there are an unlimited number of incoming angles with which to deliver a No.5 Strike. This seems simple at first, however a stab to the thigh or groin will force the untrained fighter to move in a totally different way than a stab to the face or throat. Try it and see (but please be careful!) If you then consider multiple strikes from more than one weapon, such as Z1-Z2 with the right, then Z5 with the left, you'll quickly see how tricky Zone Five can be to handle.

Fortunately the Escrima Concepts system has many training programmes devoted to this region. Basic attacks & defences to Zone Five are taught from the second student programme onwards, and indeed our intermediate levels explore a huge range of stabbing possibilities at various ranges & with different lengths of weapon. As always, movement is the key to success with Zone Five.

Overlapping Zones

At first each striking zone is explored as a separate concept, however our student quickly discovers that some attacking angles may contain the characteristics of multiple zones.
Rather than set hard & fast rules as to how such attacks should be defended, it is much more effective to understand that all striking zones overlap each other, and the manner of defence in such cases is chosen by the defender according to their situation.

To put it another way, an incoming attack to the right side of your body may be treated either like a high Zone Four, or a lower Zone Two strike. A stab or thrust from an difficult, unexpected angle may potentially be defended according to Zones One-Four, rather than the usual Zone Five defences.
Initially this concept may create confusion in a beginner, however as they become more comfortable with a range of attacks within each zone, the concept begins to generate freedom of movement. The student becomes free to choose the best defensive option for their strategic goal.

The Basic Box

The theory used to start defending against attacks to any of the Striking Zones. Discover how the Basic Box is structured, how it develops and how it adapts to handle ambiguous attacks.

The Basic Box

The Basic Box is a construct designed to create confidence & control when first training against weapon attacks. Once the Basic Box (or 'the Box') is understood & mastered one can progress on to more advanced theories, however all are built upon this essential foundation. The Box is taught from the very first lesson in Escrima Concepts.

Use of the Box gives a person time to analyse movement and avoid being hit. It enhances reflexes and improves peripheral vision, whilst at the same time teaches recognition of angles whilst under random attack. Your reaction time to threats improves, as does the time taken to select your own attacking option. As confidence & control increases, so can the power & speed of incoming attacks.

The basic box is made up of four components. These remain the same regardless of which weapon is being employed, your movement, or whether you are using one or two weapons. In the case of using only one weapon (i.e. a stick in your right hand) your empty hand or live hand is used to complete or reinforce the box as needed.

Roof/Top

The Top or Roof of the Box is usually the first defence taught in Escrima Concepts training. Combined with correct application of footwork, balance, power & timing, it is initially the standard defence against a No.1 Strike (i.e. an attack to Zone 1), however as our student progresses through the system they discover many other facets to this deceptively simple idea.

A common mistake is to consider the Roof as either a passive or a defensive concept. Although deployed to defend against an incoming strike, the Roof is forward-moving and aggressive in nature, and should be aimed as to attack the opponent, rather than to meet their incoming weapon.

The Roof of the Box may be performed with either right or left handed weapons, or even with both weapons simultaneously, a situation known as the Double-Roof. It can also adapt to tricky, ambiguous angles of attack via the Floating Box concept, and thus covers multiple striking zones. When using a single weapon, the Roof may be reinforced or backed-up by an empty live-hand, or augmented with a shorter weapon (blade, palm-stick) in the secondary hand. A skilled student can use the Roof extremely tactically, placing their power at different angles & points of their own weapon so as to disrupt the attackers balance or interfere with further attacks. These concepts are explored in later student programmes within the system.

Right Side

When considering the right & left sides of the Box, all references are from the users point of view, not that of the opponent. The simplest way to visualize this is to consider a stick in each hand, and have them both pointing vertically upwards. Your right stick forms the right side of your Basic Box.
The right side is sometimes called the outside of the box. This reference is commonly used when one hand holds a weapon and the other is empty. For example when defending an attack to the right side of your body (e.g. a strike to Zone Four) it would be advisable to defend with your (weapon-holding) right hand. The body moves to bring the Right Side of the Box into the correct position - in effect, your right arm is simply creating the outside of your defensive Box. For these reasons, the above example is often known as an Outside Four.

When using the outside of the Box as a defence, a common beginners error is to reach out for an incoming strike - meaning that elbow discipline is lost, and the Box would collapse under greater pressure. It is also very simple to take advantage of such a positional error, either by changing the incoming strike's direction & target or, once contact has been made, softening the wrist & flowing around the too-long defence to strike the arm. As with the other components, the Right Side of the Box may also be performed with two weapons in various combinations as needed.

Left Side

When considering the left & right sides of the Box, all references are from the users point of view, not that of the opponent. The simplest way to visualize this is to consider a stick in each hand, and have them both pointing vertically upwards. Your left stick forms the left side of your Basic Box.
The left side is sometimes called the inside of the box. This reference is commonly used when one hand holds a weapon and the other is empty. For example when defending an attack to the left side of your body (e.g. a strike to Zone Three) it would be inadvisable to defend with your (empty) left hand. The weapon hand (here the right-hand) moves across the body to become the Left Side of the Box - in effect, your right arm is striking out from the inside of your defensive Box. The above example is known as an Inside Three, as a strike to Zone Three is defended with the Inside of the Box.

When using the inside of the Box as a defence, care must be taken not to over-turn, thus facing the incoming weapon instead of your opponent. This common mistake catches many students out of position and unable to defend the next incoming attack. The error is easily avoided, however as speed & power increase with experience the same simple mistakes often re-occur.

As with the other components, the Left Side of the Box may also be performed with two weapons in various combinations as needed.

Base/Bottom

The Bottom or Base of the Basic Box is introduced within the third student programme via the Universal Low Blocks concept. This covers all manner of strikes entering at the extreme low edges of Zones Three and Four, such as strikes to the knees or shins.

The movements necessary for completing the Base of the Box have already been introduced in the first two programmes via the double-stick Sinawali exercises, so it is a simple matter to teach a student to apply these movements against low attacks. The most common defence is simply to strike the incoming attack down into the ground using a dropping of the bodyweight, however other effective possibilities exist depending on the tactical needs of the encounter.

Like the Roof/Top of the Box, the Base is also able to adapt to ambiguous & tricky incoming angles of attack via the Floating Box concept.

Unlike the other components, it is extremely unusual for the Base of the Box to be performed with two weapons, as one should easily be adequate when coupled with movement, plus the second weapon is usually loaded for a strike of it's own, taking advantage of the opponent's low vulnerable position. However a student should ideally be able to deploy the Base effectively with either hand at will.

Areas Of Doubt (Box Corners)

At certain angles at or very near the corners of the Box, it is often not immediately obvious as to which Box component the defender should employ. For instance a No.1 Strike (an attack to Zone One) entering at exactly 45° could potentially pass between the top and the left-side of the box. A similar ambiguity can occur at each corner of the Box, creating what is known as the Areas Of Doubt.

In such cases the defender often reacts with a weak side defence, a reverse roof defence, or even allows their Box to collapse completely. The Escrima Concepts system can easily handle such attacking angles, however care is taken to develop a strong, workable Basic Box before examining these areas of potential weakness.

The theory used to close down these areas of doubt is known as the Floating Box, which is introduced from the second student programme & beyond. This concept allows the Basic Box to move & adapt to tricky angles of attack whilst remaining strong. Study of the Floating Box also greatly improves the use of the students live hand, as in many cases it must reinforce & back-up the defensive power of the primary weapon.

Floating Box

Once the Basic Box has been understood & mastered, a student becomes aware of certain areas near the corners of their Box which seem to be more difficult to cover. These are known as the Areas Of Doubt and can initially be a source of concern. However the Basic Box is not a static construct and is capable of adapting or 'floating' to cover these areas.

As shown in the diagram, once the Roof of the Box has been floated to either the right or left, the corner is now well within the range of a standard defence. However as this position is now less than optimal, the defence must be reinforced with either the live-hand, the secondary weapon, and/or pressure & body movement.

When a standard Box component adapts in this way, it is commonly known as a Floating component. For example a Floating Roof defence, or Floating Base defence. Although it is theoretically possible to float ALL the components of the Basic Box, in practice it is usually the Roof or the Base which adapt most.