Sinawali Eskrima

Sinawali Eskrima is a foundational double-stick training method in Filipino Martial Arts (FMA)—especially Eskrima / Arnis / Kali.

The word “Sinawali” comes from sawali, a woven bamboo pattern used in walls and mats. That’s the key idea: weaving, crossing, and interlacing movements.

What Sinawali Is

At its core, Sinawali teaches:

• Coordination of both hands

• Rhythm and timing

• Ambidexterity

• Flow under pressure

You usually train it with two sticks, but the concepts transfer to:

• One stick + empty hand

• Knife

• Sword

• Panantukan (empty-hand boxing)

Common Sinawali Patterns

🥢 Heaven (High) Sinawali

• Strikes aimed at the head

• Great for beginners

• Builds symmetry and coordination

🌍 Earth (Low) Sinawali

• Strikes aimed at the body/legs

• Emphasizes power and structure

⚡ Standard (Heaven–Earth) Sinawali

• Alternates high and low strikes

• Teaches level changes and realism

🌀 Reverse Sinawali

• Backhand leads

• Develops non-dominant side and recovery

Why It’s Important

Sinawali is not just “stick twirling.”

It develops:

• Weapon familiarity on both sides

• Flow and transitions between offense and defense

• Timing for trapping and disarms

• Muscle memory that transfers to real fighting

Most instructors eventually break the pattern so students learn how to:

• Insert blocks

• Trap

• Disarm

• Counterstrike

How It Connects to Other Arts

• Panantukan → Hand strikes follow the same angles

• Knife work → Stick paths map directly to blade lines

• Empty hand → Same angles = punches, elbows, forearms

• Sparring → Pattern becomes instinct, not choreography

Beginner Mistake

A lot of people get stuck doing Sinawali as a dance. A Strickland’s Martial Arts its more than that.
Real training means:

Learn the pattern → break the pattern → fight from it.