The name of the Filipino sword and dagger technique is “espada y daga”, which is sometimes also practiced with a stick and dagger instead of a sword and dagger combination. It is one of the more advanced techniques taught in escrima, and is very effective once the user is able to close the distance and enter the vulnerable zone of the opponent. At such close range the technique becomes almost unstoppable.
This technique is reserved only for the more advanced students of escrima, and is often taught first with just a stick and an open hand. It requires a mastery of the basic principles of single weapon combat, and it also requires more coordination and concentration. It is a mainstay in most of the major styles of Escrima, such as Kalis Ilustrisimo, Lightning Scientific Arnis, and Modern Arnis. In fact, some styles consider it to be the “crown jewel” of their system.
Though it may be difficult at first, eventually those who master the espada y daga can perform alternating attacks at breathtaking speeds, attacks which can no longer be anticipated by the opponent. Also, the master of espada y daga no longer has to rely on predetermined combinations but can completely improvise, targeting different parts of the opponent’s body at his choosing. In this way the opponent is literally “chopped to pieces.”
Scholars have shown that the technique itself is not borrowed from Spanish fencing. The name is Spanish only because of the more than three-hundred year Spanish colonization of the Philippines. But it is likely that the movements can trace its roots back to the pre-hispanic warrior clans that roamed the various islands of the Philippines. It may have even been used against the Spanish colonizers themselves!
Of course, some may ask whether this technique is still practical today since it is illegal to carry a knife in many countries, let alone a sword and a knife combination. And also, this technique might not be effective when confronted with a firearm. To that our usual answer is it really depends on the practitioner. Some may see the espada y daga as just a relic of the past which needs to be preserved for the sake of tradition, while others might actually be able to use it in a real fight, say with police implements such as a baton and a spray bottle.
In any case, one should be very responsible in learning the espada y daga and not use it for illegal purposes. Centuries before, the espada y daga was probably used to defend the “barangay” (community) against tribal invaders. It is a technique used for protecting other people, not threatening or intimidating them. Hopefully that aspect of the art can still be continued today.
