Latigo y Daga ("Whip and Dagger" in Spanish) is a Filipino martial art which focuses on the use of flexible weapons, particularly whips. It combines elements from a number of martial arts found in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
The Latigo y Daga system was formulated in 1987 by Tom Meadows. Through his research and experience working with various whips in conjunction with multiple martial arts systems and styles, he formed Latigo y Daga and developed a standardized vocabulary for whip techniques. The primary aspects of Latigo y Daga are the use of the 4-ft. whip, the combination of using a dagger with whip, and using the empty hand with a whip.
Some of the more prominent practitioners of Latigo y Daga are Dan Inosanto, Ron Balicki and Anthony De Longis.
Latigo y Daga is also a term for a form of martial arts defense that loosely translates as "Harness the Rat". Latigo is a piece of tack, and daga is Tagalog for rat. In this form one blunts an attacker's charge by deftly wrapping him or her (or it) in a constricting web of leather belting, which practitioners carry with them, often highly decorated assemblies handed down from generation to generation.