# What`s the difference?



## David43515 (Jul 20, 2009)

Can somebody explain what the difference is between ABECEDARIO and SUMBRADA?


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## arnisador (Jul 20, 2009)

The way these words are used varies from style to style, but usually abecedario is a drill using the basic strikes in a format like person 1 strikes, person 2 blocks (and maybe follows-up), possibly striking in random order; sumbrada usually means a very specific 6- or 10-count drill in a fixed pattern that alternates high, middle, and low level strikes.


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## David43515 (Jul 21, 2009)

Okay, that sounds like a good place to start. Thanks.


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## ap Oweyn (Jul 21, 2009)

In our terminology, _abecedario_ is more one sided than _sumbrada_.  In abecedario, one guy "feeds" an attack to the other guy, who then works through his counters.  Similar to the one- and three-step sparring you might see in a karate dojo.  Though, in my experience, there tends to be more countering, giving the eskrimador time to work his flow.  But, basically, one person initiates.  But it's the other person, the defender, who then does most of the work.

Sumbrada, on the other hand, is a counter-for-counter (contra y contra) drill.  So the two participants are trading technique on a basically one-for-one rate of exchange.  A attacks, B counters, A counters the counter, B counters THAT counter, etc.  Sumbrada is scripted (with the understanding that you can introduce other variables as you learn), but it involves both people acting equally.  Whereas abecedario isn't necessarily as scripted.  (As people advance, their abecedario responses become more freestyle.)  But the feeder is pretty limited, lest it just turn into flat-out sparring.


Stuart


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## arnisador (Jul 21, 2009)

Ours is the same! Sumbrada, which we also call 6-count drill, is scripted but at higher levels you put in inserts; in abecedario there is a "driver" who feeds the angles of attack (initially in order, later random) and then the receiver blocks and counters; the purpose of the drill is again to provide a framework for later inserting disarms and other variations.


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## ap Oweyn (Jul 21, 2009)

arnisador said:


> Ours is the same! Sumbrada, which we also call 6-count drill, is scripted but at higher levels you put in inserts; in abecedario there is a "driver" who feeds the angles of attack (initially in order, later random) and then the receiver blocks and counters; the purpose of the drill is again to provide a framework for later inserting disarms and other variations.


 
Right on the money.


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## Blindside (Jul 21, 2009)

In Pekiti Abcedario is the basic first 12 strikes taught as a sequence.

The term "sumbrada" isn't used, but what other systems do as sumbrada is called "payong" or "umbrella."


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## lhommedieu (Jul 21, 2009)

Blindside said:


> In Pekiti Abcedario is the basic first 12 strikes taught as a sequence.
> 
> The term "sumbrada" isn't used, but what other systems do as sumbrada is called "payong" or "umbrella."


 
Abcedario is not necessarily taught as a two-person drill; it's generally the basic strikes of a system taught in a numerical sequence.  It's easy from this point on to feed a partner "Angle #1, Angle #2" etc. and get into two-person drills like Sumbrada.  

Sumbrada is generally a six-count counter-for-counter drill but the number-count can vary according to what kinds of strikes are thrown.  For example, I would count the following as a "sumbrada" even though it's a four-count drill:

A:  Pekiti Tirsia Angle #4 (backhand horizontal mid-level fluid [i.e. cut-through] strike; 
B:  reverse payong at mid-level (i.e. forehand, tip-down, palm-up parry - but not static:  more like an uppercut done at the right side at mid-level) while cupping A's elbow palm-up, then passing his strike from right to left; chamber left side by arcing stick high from right to left; Pekiti Tirsia Angle #4
A: Repeat drill from other side, etc.

Best,

Steve


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## arnisador (Jul 21, 2009)

lhommedieu said:


> Abcedario is not necessarily taught as a two-person drill; it's generally the basic strikes of a system taught in a numerical sequence.



Also called numerado in that context.


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