Alicaway Combat Knife System (A.C.K.S).

The Alicaway Combat Knife system is named after Grandmaster Jun Dacayana’s Grandfather – Grandmaster Dalmacio ‘Insyong’ Alicaway,

who was Instrumental in teaching Grandmaster Jun in his formative years as a young martial artist.

Grandmaster Alicaway served in the Philippine Police Bantok regiment and the Anderson Guerillas who were charged with, and were successful in, hunting Japanese soldiers during their occupation of the Philippine Archipelago during the second world war.

The knife fighting techniques of Dalmacio’s style were key to him surviving the war.

The style originated from the Island of Negros Occidental one of the islands that make up the Philippines.

The Alicaway Combat Knife System is founded on the experience and teachings of Grandmaster Alicaway and has been modernised through the addition of drills, non-lethal targeting and principals from GM Jun’s own Dacayana Eskrima System.

It also includes the unique flow and footwork that is the trademark of GM Jun.

The system is taught through a weapons first approach (as with the Dacayana Family system of Eskrima) before Empty Hand techniques are introduced.

The system combines elements of both the Knife fighting and the Combat Judo systems found on the higher levels of the Dacayana Eskrima syllabus.

Combat Judo is the term used for empty hand defence against an untrained knife attacker, whereas knife fighting assumes both combatants have and are prepared to use a knife.

The emphasis has been adapted to the modern day with non-lethal targeting as the priority to protect both the defender and the attacker.

However by understanding the more lethal targeting of the Combat Judo form we have a complete picture of the knife in combat.

Using contemporary targeting combined with the trademark form and flow of the Dacayana Knife system we have developed this unique approach.

The three overriding principles of the system are as follows;

1/ The overriding aim is to protect life.

2/ Defender should use muscular and structural targets as the Priority

3/ Defender should only use lethal targets as a last resort

All A.C.K.S qualifications are awarded by Dacayana UK & Europe – making them an Internationally recognised and respected Martial Arts Certification.

The Alicaway CKS is designed as a fast response, easily learnt and effective system for use both offensively and defensively.

“I would like to thank GM Jun Dacayana for the opportunity to assist in development of this system and to help in my continual development as a martial artist and John Devereaux Dacayana UK & Europe Associate Coach & Europe Representative who developed and pressure tested the programme with me.” Marcie Harding October 2015