Changing Hands in Modern Arnis

One of the key elements in Modern Arnis is the ability to switch the stick from one hand to the other seamlessly. The late Professor Remy Presas emphasized this skill to us. He was a natural left-hander but often had to practice right-handed while growing up in the Philippines. As anyone who trained with him knows, he became equally adept with both hands. One couldn’t tell which hand was his dominant hand.

Check out the Abanico section of the video below. One could not tell that his right hand was not his dominant hand.

Anyway, somewhere along the way, he developed the ability to change hands. If you were playing with him, you never knew which hand his stick would end up in. As I said above, he was amazingly good with both hands. I remember asking him a question at a Detroit seminar. I forget what the question was. Anyway, he answered it by playing with me, effortlessly switching from left to right and back to his left hand. I felt completely helpless!

This skill, known as changing hands, offers several advantages:

1. Ambidexterity Development

Changing hands helps practitioners develop ambidexterity, enabling them to use both hands effectively. This is theoretically crucial in combat situations where an injury to the dominant hand could leave one vulnerable.

From a training perspective, once you’ve learned to switch sticks to your non-dominant hand, what will you do? I’ll tell you what…you’ll become motivated to train more with your weak hand!

My left hand initially sucked.

26 years later, it’s pretty decent. But am I as ambidextrous as Professor Presas was? No. He was a once-in-a-generation talent. That said, I am pretty pleased with my left hand nowadays.

2. Tactical Flexibility

Switching hands provides tactical flexibility, especially when you engage in free play with a training partner. There’s nothing like exploiting an opening by switching hands!

3. Surprise Element

Changing hands can serve as a deceptive maneuver. By frequently switching which hand holds the stick, you can create confusion and unpredictability, making it harder for your opponent to anticipate your next move. Let’s go back to my brief play with Professor Presas at that Detroit seminar (which probably lasted less than 30 seconds). He switched hands two or three times during that brief encounter. As I said before, I was helpless and couldn’t defend myself. It was such a jaw-dropping display of skill that I laughed in awe.

Switching hands will let you stay in the driver’s seat and control the action.

4. Balanced Development

Practicing with both hands ensures the balanced development of your Arnis skills. It just makes sense to train both sides of the body.

5. It’s Great for Demos!

Switching hands is beautiful to observe, more so in the hands of a skilled practitioner. Professor Presas always included several switches when doing public demonstrations. Ditto for Professors Chuck Gauss and Ken Smith. When switching hands takes place in the middle of a rapid fire tapi tapi exchange….hoo boy, it’s a sight to behold!

Conclusion

Changing hands in Modern Arnis is a foundational skill that enhances ambidexterity and the awesomeness of your techniques. Through consistent practice, practitioners can master this concept, adding another skill level to their Modern Arnis knowledge base.

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