Espada y daga. The capstone of
Escrima mastery. Blade and dagger to the less informed. In Serrada Escrima we
defend against the blade and dagger with just our sword. If you have never
faced an Escrimador with good espada y daga skills, you have no idea what
you've missed. You have not been under the pressure of having an almost
simultaneous two sided attack. You have not had a pesky dagger cutting your
arms and hands while you are dealing with the sword. A hand check is now lethal
when they have a dagger in their hand. Blades seem to come at you from out of
no where and at the wierdest times and angles. Sometimes you only feel the
blade and never know how you got hit. Espada y daga makes you feel like a girl
on her first date with a sixteen year old boy. Your are constantly getting
touched, because they want you to lay down right away. I am always tickled at
the comments that I get by other Escrimador's outside of my system regarding
the Espada y daga footwork of Serrada Escrima. They watch our feet and marvel
at the switch stepping. They want to know why we do what we do, when we do
Espada y Daga. Historically Serrada is an Espada y Daga art. Our system is
based upon Espada y Daga. Angel Cabales taught our system as a dueling system.
Our system was designed to fight other good Escrimador's. Many Filipino
system's were originally 3 or 5 strike systems and that is all that they
needed. Our system is a 12 angle of attack system. Angel Cabales prepared us
for any attack under the harshest conditions. Espada y daga was the principle
way that he prepared us for battle. Serrada Escrima is a complex system and it
takes many years to really understand and especially Espada y Daga. It should
be taught one on one to a student. My system cannot be taught properly in a group
setting. Many people misunderstand my complaints about needing student's. I
could give a shit about teaching numbers of student's. I want 2-4 devoted
students at all times to really teach the old ways to. Most students cannot
survive my teaching methods. I am not harsh or cruel. I simply demand
excellence and it is hard to find this type of student. I don't want to hear
too many excuses. I only want to help make you the best that you can be. I'll
do my damndest to help make you one bad mother fucker. Many people talk the
talk, but just can't walk the walk. Pussies need not apply. The whole basic
concept of "basic" Serrada Espada y daga is to put you in the lion's
den. You square up with your training partner. He has a blade and dagger and
you just have a blade. He comes at you from both sides and you must defend
against his blows. It requires that you constantly switch your foot work,
without changing the distance between you and your deliverer. Keeping the
proper distance insures that neither training partner gets hit. It also makes
the reciever feel extreme pressure, because he has to remain in front and
center of his deliverer. It is a bad place to be. Remaining inside is dangerous
when facing a double bladed attack. This is basic Espada y Daga. In real life
you want to go outside as soon as possible, but we train our student's to be
able to survive front and center long enough to get outside. Espada y Daga can
grow from there. Both men holding blade and dagger? A knife against a blade and
dagger? Hands alone against blade and dagger? I've done all of it. I must tell
you that going against a good blade and dagger man is lunacy with just your
hands. I have had really good goose sized eggs put on my skull for trying it.
But I am a nut. But, I believe that this type of training can really increase
someone's abilities as Escrimador's. Would I try it in real life? In a word
"yes", if I had to. I might at least be able to poke your eye out and
make you walk around the rest of your life a one eyed cock-sucker. I just
wanted to explain the foot work of basic Serrada Espada y Daga. I watch the
video of Serrada on Youtube and wondered if most people understood what we were
doing. We do not ever see advanced Serrada Escrima Espada y Daga on Youtube. I
really don't know why? But, what the hell. I don't put any up myself. Maybe
some things should stay in house.
