Sinawali
Sinawali
Rhythmic two-stick drills in Filipino martial arts. The strikes interweave like the strips of a woven mat.
Quick Facts
Term typeTraining method
LanguageFilipino
Formnoun
Pronunciation[see-nah-wah-lee]
Alternative Namesweaving, two-stick drill
Readings and romanizations
IPAsinaˈwali
Definition
Sinawali derives from the word sawali, a woven mat of bamboo strips. It is a drill with two sticks (doble baston) in which the strikes of both hands interweave in a regular rhythm, often in a pair with a partner whose strikes meet one's own. Sinawali develops coordination of both hands, rhythm, angles of strikes and reaction. It is a typical drill of arnis, eskrima and kali, and the individual patterns differ by school.