Rushing is really good tactic that doesn't require much skill to pull off. It is what I would recommend a person who never trained before to do if they were to get into a fight.
However more skilled you become and more you practice against rushing type of situations less effective rushing becomes. That's because rushing does leave you open to counters and as you get better you'll be able to take advantage of those openings more and more.
Another thing I think that worked against you is that you were using a stick in the eskrima fashion. Correct me if I'm wrong because I'm not too familiar with eskrima, but most of the eskrima techniques, especially stick, is based on cuts. Isn't that so? The thing you want when dealing with a rush is a straight line attack which can stop the forward momentum.
The rush is effective, but I think in general you weren't trained enough to deal with such a thing yet. I would keep training and keep the rush in mind in your training and how to deal with them.
I don't practice Eskrima but it assumes a knife in the ideal situation correct?
The with proper distance and pressure a full commitment should be able to be stopped on the virtue that a thrust is an option.
It's like when you do an overhead swing with a two handed sword.. you don't move forward before your sword is lifted because then you'd just get stabbed.
It sounds like the same situation, he moves before he commits.. so can't you just have him run into the stab by attacking at that right moment?
I'm not sure if this is a legitimate strategy for the system though.
Well there are empty hand techniques and grappling techniques in Eskrima, but it takes a while to get there from my experience.
Also your uncle had a sheer physical advantage and a lot more experience in martial arts than you do.
I honestly believe that the person is more important than the martial art. A lot of Eskrima guys with lots of experience know how to defend against a rush but whatever.
In the end, if the fight does end up on the ground, it is a whole other ball-game. Why not supplement what you are currently learning with another art, or ask your uncle to teach you some Jujitsu or systema. It couldn't hurt.
Can Eskrima be "easily" defeated with a rush? If the person who does eskrima knows what they are doing and has experience then no, not "easily."
@Keyboard Warrior
You DO realize that Eskrima is not just stick fighting right? It also has knife-fighting and empty hand techniques which also include grappling.
In most cases it's all a matter of when you learn those techniques, and the transition isn't so bad either because the movements for stick are not that different from knife and hand to hand.
Where are you getting your information?
All styles have counters for such techniques. maybe not all students realize it, but they are there never the less. eskrima, has been around for thousands of years, in all that time does your uncle believe that not a single person though of the so called rushing attack. how lame does that sound.
its the persons flaw not the style.
unlike what some other people on here believe eskrima is a complete system cover all areas including grappling, weapons grappling, striking, stand up and ground. but some people on here are in denial of the truth
Your uncle is correct. Any fighter worth his weight will realize that all he has to do is either close the distance between you two and or take you down and then you're done. What grapplers and Jiu Jitsu fighters look for are timing. It takes time and energy to swing a stick. There are gaps in between when the stick is swinging and when it is not swinging. A grappler of any kind will look for that gap, and close in on you at the right moment. Even if they don't manage to take you down, which is unlikely, closing that distance negates the power of your swinging arm and stick. You no longer have the room to swing or get any traction. You'll be forced to throw short jabs that will do very little damage, and from there, the grappler will only be looking for openings to submit you.
Another thing is, do you really plan on carrying a stick with you everywhere you go? That seems a bit impractical. Your weapons escrima is useless on the street unless you regularly carry a stick of some sort.
@Clause: I'm very well aware, hence why I said the weapons portion of Escrima is useless. It's inconsequential whether it's armed or unarmed escrima. Like every other style that claims to have SOME form of ground fighting in their art somewhere, it means very little to a grappler, who only trains in the ground. So essentially you're pitting someone that occasionally trains in the ground vs. someone who only trains in ground fighting, and the ground fighter will win everytime. All a ground fighter does, is focus in on closing that distance. So it's silly to think a grappler wouldn't be successful against that.
I've been practicing eskrima for about a few months now and I am still learning but I like it.
My uncle practices Jujitsu and Russian systema and he has been doing so for 30 years. He is good.
He told me that many times, a fighter with a lot of skill can be beaten with a rush.
He demonstrated this by telling me to attack him with a stick. I picked up my foam stick and swung at him when I had the chance and tried using my footwork. He stayed out of distance and I usually just grazed him.
Eventually he rushed me like he said and overpowered me onto the ground where I was unable to learn how to fight back.
Yes my uncle is 6'-2" at 270 pounds and i am 5'-2" at 112 pounds, but that really scared me. Is my martial art useless if my opponent grabs me?
