Sports Eskrima, also known as Full-contact Filipino Stick-fighting, is a points based fighting sport, scored in a similar way to boxing.  Sports Eskrima is very explosive, with fighters capable of striking up to a rate of 6-7 times per second.  Either full body armour is worn using a rattan cane stick or minimal body protection is worn, using a slightly padded stick (also known as kulata challenge).  Participants are relatively safely protected and are able to learn how to react under pressure, developing accuracy while hitting allowed target areas, rapid reflexes/speed, good footwork and evasive / defensive skills as well as the ability to disarm the opponent.  While this sport may not represent a real-life battle situation, many important skills and lessons can be learned. Fight rounds are 3 x 60 seconds, with 30 seconds rest allocated between rounds.  In a tournament situation, up to 7 fights may be had in one day.  Extreme fitness is required to participate in Full-contact stick-fighting.

Formerly, in the Philippines challenge matches did not involve any body or head protection.  These matches were known as "death matches" due to the risk of serious injury or death which was ever present in these matches. This kind of dueling became illegal in the Philippines just after World War Two, but was actively practiced into the 1980's.