Symbols Of Senkotiros

     Many times, simple symbols or shapes or can trigger a level of understanding in the mind of an individual, where it could not otherwise be achieved. A complex idea or an abstract concept can be understood by relating it back to a simple shape, common to all people, ingrained in the mind. The simplicity of the shape can somehow soothe the mind and trigger the comprehension of the complex interactions of the martial arts.
The movements in Senkotiros can be broken down into several simple shapes. They are presented here to assist the beginning practitioner with their understanding of the basic concepts of the style.

Circle - The circle symbol represents the circular movement of Senkotiros. Movement in an encounter follows a circular pattern as one maneuver around an attacker. This circular pattern of movement is called the Tayada. Many times, the hands working together follow circular patterns as well, and the body often torques with a circular movement.

Triangle - The triangle represents the footwork of Senkotiros. Many times the footwork patterned to defend or attack follows a triangular pattern.

Cross - The cross symbolizes the defense applications of Senkotiros. The style teaches that there is only one method of defense: to cross the baston with the opponent's. This is explained in greater detail later.

Star - The star represents the five angles of attack and defense. These five angles are represented in each line of the star.

Senkotiros, Basis and Highlights
      Senkotiros is unique when compared to many forms of the Philippine martial arts in that it is taught and practiced to be a free-formed style of martial art. In its purest form, the movements, counters and fighting techniques of the style are based on some very simple rules and concepts. These rules and concepts are the building blocks of the style, rather than the patterned or repetitious responses and techniques common to many other styles. The response to an attack is based on what the Senkotiros practitioner feels and senses in response to what is presented by the attacker.

Free-Form, Non-Patterned
      Many Philippine martial arts teach patterned movements as the method to respond to an attack. If the attacker does this, you do that, is often the way encounters are dissected. The responsive techniques are practiced over and over. The Senkotiros practitioner, however, does not respond to an attack with a single prescribed or predetermined technique. The Senkotiros practitioner views a counter attack as a response with an infinite number of possibilities. In any combat encounter the interactions are unpredictable, complex and varied instantaneously. Senkotiros looks upon the response to an encounter as the ability to respond to anything, with anything. The actual movements or techniques are based more on the dynamics of the situation and combined with what the practitioner senses at the given moment of the response.

Sensitivity Concept
      The style is taught and practiced in such a way as to allow the experienced practitioner to react and respond instantly to the situation presented by the actions or movements of his opponent. What the practitioner sees, feels (with the hands, arms and arnis stick) and hears is combined with the intuition he has developed over the course of the training. It is commonly referred to as the Sensitivity Concept.
      This heightened level of awareness comes naturally as the practitioner comes to understand the complex interactions of his and his opponent’s movements. The Senkotiros training helps the practitioner to integrate this with the physical techniques that one is taught in the Philippine martial arts. Such traditional techniques such as distance, angle of attack, hand and foot position, footwork, etc., when combined with this high level of sensitivity, enables the Senkotiros practitioner to respond in a way that is sudden and devastating.

Senkotiros Principles and Theory
      Several of the more important principles and theories presented here are at the foundation of the style of Senkotiros. These are based on the teachings and philosophies of Professor Max M. Pallen.

Unique Aspects Of Senkotiros

Fighting Style
      Senkotiros is a fighting style. All Filipino martial arts were ultimately developed to defend their homeland from the many invaders they encountered over hundreds of years. Many modern day styles of the Philippine martial arts have come to emphasize different elements of arnis. Some have come to stress elements of other martial arts such as locking and jujitsu type moments. Further confusing this, the Philippine martial arts has been integrated into other martial arts styles and presented as a part of those styles.
Senkotiros emphasizes fighting and is based on the traditional method of self-defense practiced in the camarins of the Bicol region of Southern Luzon, in the Philippines. The style represents a fighting system that addresses all aspects of combat (from all distances or ranges) between individuals with much emphasis on striking (with the baston or hand).
      As a testament to this, the Senkotiros system has produced several WEKAF World Champions and its practitioners are always competitive in national and international competition.

The Five Angles
Senkotiros measures strikes different from other arnis styles. Strikes are measured by angle and direction. Striking areas are more simply illustrated. Senkotiros targets the most vulnerable areas of the body such as joints (fingers, wrist, knees, etc), shallow bones (forearms, shins), nerve endings or pressure points, and vulnerable areas of the body (eyes, nose, ears, groin, solar plexus, etc.).

Senkotiros measures all strikes by three factors:

1. The direction of the strike (from the right or left side, or from overhead).
2. The angle of the path of travel of the tip of the baston (horizontal, angled downward or angle upward).
3. The motion of the strike created by the rotation of the wrist.

     Senkotiros has only five strikes, each measured as described, by direction and angle.  Each can be delivered from the right or the left side of the striker’s body. They are referred to as.
 
The Five Angles of Strikes

- Angle One Strike: Horizontal angle at a plane parallel to the ground.
- Angle Two Strike: Downward at an angle (plus/minus 30 degrees).
- Angle Three Strike: Upward at an angle (plus/minus 45 degrees).
- Angle Four Strike: Any thrust with the tip of the weapon.
- Angle Five Strike: A witik strike (a very fast whipping motion with the wrist) from either side, or from overhead downward.

     This is how the Senkotiros striking techniques, both offensive and defensive, are measured and taught. These are the base techniques and much of the methodology and terminology is built from The Five Angles.

The Cross Section Defense
      There are many methods of defense in the Philippine martial arts. Many styles emphasize force-to-force blocks or defecting blocks, checking to the hand or arm, etc. Senkotiros uses all of these types of blocking techniques, but there is an emphasis on one aspect of defense: the Cross Section Defense.
      The Cross Section Defense involves using an object placed perpendicular to the force of an attack, and placed between the strike and its target.
      The Cross Section Defense places the center of the blocking object at the center of the force of the attack. If the attack is with a baston, the Senkotiros practitioner will place his baston at a perpendicular angle where each baston meets in the approximate center, thus forming a cross. This cross, when properly applied and supported (or braced), intercepts the strike and shields the Senkotiros practitioner from the force of the blow.

Shielding
      Shielding is the combat application of the Cross Defense. Senkotiros uses many different ways to counter an attack. Sometimes a check is used, or an intercepting strike to the hand. Other methods can be used as well. But the retraction to place the weapon between an attack and its target in the form of a cross is the most common technique of defending and setting up for a counter attack. Senkotiros teaches to use this technique as the best method to respond to an attack, if no better options are available. This is referred to in Senkotiros as Shielding.

The Second Hand Concept
      The philosophy of dealing with a follow up attack of the second hand is called the Second Hand Concept. The Senkotiros practitioner’s training is geared to developing the ability to instantly deal with a follow up attack by the second hand of an opponent. In the Philippine martial arts, this is often the open hand (the hand without the baston) performing some type of control technique in the form of a punch, grab, trap, etc. Many times the second hand contains a long or short knife, a baston or some other type of weapon. The Senkotiros practitioner is taught to see, feel or sense this attack. They are taught to instantly respond to the second hand with some kind of defense such as a block, intercepting strike with a baston, check, grab, etc. Senkotiros Practitioners are trained to do this quickly and with authority, without breaking the rhythm or the flow of their actions.