About Us
Eskrimadors Gym
The System
Eskrima (also known as Kali or Arnis) is a martial art from the Philippines. You may have heard of it referred to as FMA (Filipino Martial Arts) in recent years as it has gained popularity, showing up in films and TV shows such as The Bourne Identity, John Wick, Quantum of Solace, Mission: Impossible 3, The Equalizer, and Daredevil.
The system of Eskrima that we teach is known as Doce Pares. This system was founded in 1932 when the twelve best fighters of the time, along with their number one students, came together to share their skills and knowledge with each other. This combined knowledge brought together expertise in a variety of weapons including sticks, knives, long staff, and empty hands to form a system that was intended to make a fighter (known as an Eskrimador) truly versatile no matter what combat situation they encountered.
Over the years since, different Grandmasters have favoured their own developments, which has led to several Doce Pares styles being found around the world. Unlike in many other martial arts, this breaking away is expected and encouraged as it ensures that Eskrima continues to develop and grow, becoming more effective. Most of these styles are still linked closely with the original Doce Pares Club in Cebu. The Doce Pares practiced at Eskrimadors Gym has come via legends in the art, including Dionisio Cañete ODL (of the renowned Cañete family) and Danny Guba. It is now of its own very distinct flavour, although it is deeply rooted in the original system which we have refined to suit the advances of today.
We teach a structure that consists of several different weapons, focusing on striking, disarming, and destructions at three different ranges: long, medium, and close. We make sure that you understand the principles of what you are doing, rather than just giving you a collection of techniques, so you can use what you’ve learned no matter what is in your hand: a traditional weapon, an improvised one, or nothing at all.
The Weapons
We teach the following weapons, as well as improvised versions of them, including things you may be carrying with you every day:
STICKS:
Single Stick; Double Stick; Staff
BLADE:
Dagger; Double Dagger; Karambit; Tomahawk
EMPTY HANDS:
Dirty Boxing & Grappling
ESPADA Y DAGA:
Stick & Dagger
Eskrimadors Gym
Classes
Classes are relaxed; there are no expensive uniforms, no push-ups, no constant bowing and no titles. You’ll often find music playing and a friendly group of people training hard to bring each other up to the highest possible level. Don’t be fooled by the atmosphere; we just embrace the concept that ‘play’ is one of the best ways to learn. You’ll have a great time but Eskrimadors Gym will still strive to make you one of the best Eskrimadors around.
ADULTS
Mixed ability and mixed gender for age 16 and over. In these classes we teach sticks, blades, and empty hands. Classes consist of the art, practical defence, and sparring for those who wish to do so (not required).
LADIES
Ladies Only sessions for mixed abilities aged 16 and over. These sessions teach the art of Eskrima but with a strong focus on self defence. We cover sticks, knifes, and empty hands.
JUNIORS
Mixed ability sessions for Juniors aged between 10 and 16. These sessions cover both sticks and empty hands.
For venue details and time, please take a look at our classes page.
For more information, please take a look at our FAQ page.
Get in Touch
To find out more, register interest in upcoming classes, or to enquire about coming along to a session, please get in touch via the Contact page: