A new technique for the direct determination of state-to-state rotational energy transfer rate constants in the gas phase is presented. It is based on two sequential stimulated Raman processes: the first one prepares the sample in a single rotational state of an excited vibrational level, and the second one, using the high resolution quasi-continuous stimulated Raman-loss technique, monitors the transfer of population to other rotational states of the same vibrational level as a function of the delay between the pump and the probe stages. The technique is applied to the odd-J rotational states of v2=1 acetylene at 155 K. The experimental layout, data acquisition, retrieval procedures, and numerical treatment are described. The quantity and quality of the data are high enough to allow a direct determination of the state-to-state rate constant matrix from a fit of the experimental data, with the only conditions of detailed balance and of a closed number of states. The matrix obtained from this direct fit is also compared with those obtained using some common fitting and scaling laws.