First, watch this video on whether Arnis works in the street.

From David James’ perspective (as well as mine), it depends!

I believe Filipino martial arts (FMA) are a powerful asset for street self-defence. FMA empty-hand techniques and weapon training can be seamlessly applied to any situation.

Training in Filipino Martial Arts sharpens fluid movement, situational awareness, and striking effectiveness, enabling individuals to react quickly and decisively in high-pressure environments.

That said, as David James pointed out in the video above, not every weapon technique or concept translates well to empty-hand techniques. For example, abanico double action does not translate well to viable empty-hand self-defence techniques.

Check out this video from 2021 to learn how to translate stick fighting techniques into viable self-defence techniques. Otherwise, what is the use of training in Filipino martial arts if one does not understand the empty-hand translations?

Common FMA drills and techniques such as the sinawalis, figure 8s, banda y banda and many others translate pretty well to their empty hand equivalent. Understanding the connection between weapons techniques and the empty-hand version takes a fair bit of practice.

All that said, essential skills such as avoidance, awareness, and de-escalation must be part of your self-defence toolbox, as I will discuss further in the next post. The need for these soft skills was driven home as a result of a 14-year-old boy murdering an 80-year-old woman in broad daylight, 20 minutes from where I live.

Back to the post. What do you think? Do you think FMAs are useful for street self defense? Let me know what you think!


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