Ammara and Sinawali – Single Hand Striking – Open Position – Two Strikes – Exercise One – High Low

The Single Hand Striking Drills:

Two and Three Strikes, Open Position are the most simple striking or punching drills. One arm/hand executes a certain number of strikes, before the opposite arm/hand, executes in a mirror fashion, the same simple techniques. These first four posts, show a series of one–two, then one–two–three strikes, from the Open Position. The front and the back of the fists are used to strike with.

The Terms

Arnis/Escrima has been evolving into numerous different styles and schools, especially in the last one hundred years. The Filipino double sticks or double weapons are a major part of many of these schools curriculums and the same or similar drills can be seen in several of these schools.The terms ‘Ammara’, (Amara), ‘Pinki Pinki’, ‘Sinawali’ and ‘Redonda’or ‘Redondo’ are the most commonly used words for the double stick drills. In Cebu City and the majority of the Visayas, the Cebuano or Visayan terms for the use of double stick drills or exercises are generally, the words Ammara or Pinki Pinki. In Manila, and in the majority of Luzon, the Tagalog word Sinawali and the Spanish words Redonda, or Redondo are generally used, for the double stick drills or exercises used within an Arnisadors training.

Hitting’ of the sticks, during the training session. Sinawali drill is a corruption of the term ‘Sawalis’. Sinawali drill is used when referring to the intricate palm leaf criss cross weave patterns used to construct Nipa palm hut walls, ceilings, roofs and mats. The criss cross weave patterns of the Arnis double sticks movements are said to imitate or resemble these palm leaf weavings. Redonda or Redondo, as some exercises are often called, are Spanish terms meaning ‘Round’. The Redonda/o movements are a circling or rounded style of double stick exercises, more so when compared to other drills, hence the name.

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