Espada Y Daga is Spanish for "sword and dagger", and is one of the most advanced techniques in the Filipino Martial Art of Escrima. It consists of one long weapon, usually a stick or a sword, and a short weapon such as the knife. The long weapon is often used for the first attack or defense move, so that the person can open up the opponent's defences and come close enough to stab with the knife.
You can find this technique in many of the major styles of escrima, such as Lightning Scientific Arnis, Modern Arnis, and Lameco Eskrima. But this is only taught much later in the training of the fighter, after he has become fluent in the basics of pure stick fighting. And usually it is taught first with just a stick and an open palm. The last stage of training may include training with live blades which could injure the person wielding them if he's not careful.
Once mastered, one will be able to do a beautiful succession of alternating attacks, which also has an aesthetic, spiritual quality to it. The master will learn to do without any predetermined combinations but make his strikes spontaneous, and react quickly to any counter-attacks the opponent might try to make. One can imagine the opponent being literally "chopped to pieces" by the two blades.
Though some have claimed that espada y daga reveals Spain's influence in the Filipino Martial Arts, it has been conceded that Spanish sword fighting is very different and could not have been the origin of this technique. Rather, the espada y daga has its roots much further back, perhaps in the native warrior clans that lived in different islands of the Philippines. Only the name was changed, which is understandable given the almost three-hundred years of Spanish colonization. In fact, many escrima moves were also given Spanish names, such as "serrada" (closed fighting), "kambio" (angular footwork), and "segida" (linear footwork).
Of course, some may ask whether this technique is still practical today since it is illegal to carry a knife in many countries, let alone a sword and a knife combination. And also, this technique might not be effective when confronted with a firearm. To that our usual answer is it really depends on the practitioner. Some may see the espada y daga as just a relic of the past which needs to be preserved for the sake of tradition, while others might actually be able to use it in a real fight, say with police implements such as a baton and a spray bottle.
Whatever the motivation, a constant reminder is that one should be a responsible individual when learning such an art. The best way to win in a fight is to just completely avoid it in the first place. However, when unsought danger threatens your life or the people you love, then such a technique may come in handy for effective self-defense.
You can find this technique in many of the major styles of escrima, such as Lightning Scientific Arnis, Modern Arnis, and Lameco Eskrima. But this is only taught much later in the training of the fighter, after he has become fluent in the basics of pure stick fighting. And usually it is taught first with just a stick and an open palm. The last stage of training may include training with live blades which could injure the person wielding them if he's not careful.
Once mastered, one will be able to do a beautiful succession of alternating attacks, which also has an aesthetic, spiritual quality to it. The master will learn to do without any predetermined combinations but make his strikes spontaneous, and react quickly to any counter-attacks the opponent might try to make. One can imagine the opponent being literally "chopped to pieces" by the two blades.
Though some have claimed that espada y daga reveals Spain's influence in the Filipino Martial Arts, it has been conceded that Spanish sword fighting is very different and could not have been the origin of this technique. Rather, the espada y daga has its roots much further back, perhaps in the native warrior clans that lived in different islands of the Philippines. Only the name was changed, which is understandable given the almost three-hundred years of Spanish colonization. In fact, many escrima moves were also given Spanish names, such as "serrada" (closed fighting), "kambio" (angular footwork), and "segida" (linear footwork).
Of course, some may ask whether this technique is still practical today since it is illegal to carry a knife in many countries, let alone a sword and a knife combination. And also, this technique might not be effective when confronted with a firearm. To that our usual answer is it really depends on the practitioner. Some may see the espada y daga as just a relic of the past which needs to be preserved for the sake of tradition, while others might actually be able to use it in a real fight, say with police implements such as a baton and a spray bottle.
Whatever the motivation, a constant reminder is that one should be a responsible individual when learning such an art. The best way to win in a fight is to just completely avoid it in the first place. However, when unsought danger threatens your life or the people you love, then such a technique may come in handy for effective self-defense.
About the Author:
The author has been practicing the martial art of escrima for more than six years, and is a certified instructor (third-degree black belt). One of his main goals is to provide ordinary people with only the most practical knife fighting techniques. You can learn escrima knife fighting now.
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