Balintawak

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Balintawak

Nick Elizar & Ruben Rana of
Nickel Stick Balintawak Eskrima
Also known as Balintawak Eskrima
Focus Stick fighting
Country of origin Flag of the Philippines Philippines
Creator Venancio Bacon
Parenthood Doce Pares, others
Famous practitioners Timoteo Maranga
Arnulfo Mongcal
Jose Villasin
Teodoro Buot
Teofilo Velez
Bobby Taboada
Olympic Sport No
Balintawak Street in Colon Street, Cebu City, Philippines
Balintawak Street in Colon Street, Cebu City, Philippines

Balintawak, also known as Balintawak Eskrima, is a style of Filipino martial art developed by Venancio Bacon in the 1950s from earlier Filipino styles such as Doce Pares. It is named after Cebu City's Balintawak Self Defense Club, where it was originally taught. In turn, the club took its name from the street of its location, Balintawak Street.

Contents

[edit] History

Early in the 20th century, the colonizing Spaniards left the Philippines, ending their 300-year rule. In their place, came the Americans. It was during this period of change that Venancio Bacon was born in 1912 in Carcar, Cebu. He grew up in San Nicolas town outside of Cebu City. Bacon would become one of the Philippines’ most influential eskrimadors. He learned eskrima in the 1920s as a teenager. His formation as an eskrimador began in San Nicolas. This would later lead him to death matches, attacks, and eventually jail.[citation needed]

Bacon's only teacher was Lorenzo Saavedra, of San Nicolas, who during this time had established the Labangon Fencing Club. At a time when many different styles of eskrima abounded, Saavedra’s was called the Corto Linear, although he was known to have mastered other styles. His best students were Teodoro Saavedra, his nephew, and Venancio Bacon. The Labangon Fencing Club, however, eventually dissipated into oblivion.

[edit] Doce Pares influence

In 1932, the Doce Pares Club was formed. Headed by Lorenzo Saavedra, the club was composed of three Saavedra eskrimadors and nine from the Cañete family. This constituted the original twelve needed to symbolically actualize the title Doce Pares, which was named in honor of the Frenchman whom Saavedra befriended and who he shared combat techniques with while in jail. Doce Pares also symbolized the Twelve Peers mentioned in the Matter of France - the knights or paladins of Charlemagne. Venancio Bacon was among the first members in the club.

[edit] World War II

World War II broke out in the Philippines in the early 1940s. With the onset of Japanese occupation, many eskrimadors became guerrilla fighters, employing their art for the defense of their nation. It was during this time that Teodoro Saavedra died at the hands of Japanese soldiers.

After the war, in 1952, along with Vincente Atillo, Delfin Lopez, Jesus Cui, Timoteo Maranga, Lorenzo Gonzales, Isidro Bardilas, Andres Olaibar, and a few others, Bacon established a new club, calling it Balintawak. The newly formed club started training in the backyard of a watch shop owned by Eduardo Baculi, one of Bacon’s students. This shop was located in a small side street in Colon, called Balintawak Street.

[edit] Golden age

The 1950s and 1960s saw the "Golden Age" of eskrima in Cebu. Eskrimadors from various camps, mainly the two already mentioned, tested each other’s skills in all-out challenges. These resulted in injuries and sometimes deaths. Some were under honorable circumstances, while others treacherous. Vincente "Inting" Carin of Doce Pares found himself attacked by multiple assailants, incurring various injuries, while reciprocating lethal injuries on his attackers.[citation needed] Delfin Lopez was knifed from behind, resulting in his death.[citation needed] Venancio Bacon was ambushed in the dark while walking to his home in Labangon. He killed his assailant.[citation needed]

[edit] Incarceration and parole

Bacon was incarcerated for killing the attacker, who was armed with a knife, in self-defense. The judge ruled that Bacon’s martial arts skills could be considered a lethal weapon and should have been used with restraint. Bacon was paroled from prison in the mid-1970s. When he returned to Cebu, he continued to check on students, making sure the quality of Balintawak was still up to his standards since he left. Bacon regularly attended training sessions conducted by Jose Villasin and Teofilo Velez. A few years after, Bacon died.

[edit] Curriculum

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Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

Balintawak principally teaches single stick fencing, in a dueling format. Sometimes a small second stick is used to simulate a dagger. Bacon developed single stick techniques, as during his work-outs and training with other members of the Doces Pares Club before World War II, he would stab people with his wooden training dagger. Some say his dagger was taken from him by Saavedra, while others say he was simply asked not to train with it. Either way, Bacon developed and optimized his techniques based upon single stick work.


Balintawak is composed of twelve basic stikes because the human body is limited in movement. These twelve strikes form the basis for which a practitioner can develop, basic, semi-advanced and advanced movements.[1]

There are only two formal ranks awarded by GM Bobby Toboada in the Balintawak Arnis Cuentada. He has further expanded the techniques in these ranks into eight levels:.[2]

  • Completion of the Art
Level 1 - 12 basic strikes
Level 2 - Defense and counter
Level 3 - Grouping Systems
Level 4 - Butting Techniques
Level 5 - Disarms
Level 6 - Semi-advanced Techniques

All techniques must be demonstrated with power, control, and body mechanics. A student will automatically fail the "Competion of the Art" test if they drop their stick, swear or make accidental contact with their partner.[3]

  • Fully Qualified Instructor
Level 7 - Advanced Footwork
Level 8 - Fully Qualified Instructor

Generally, a practitioner would need to teach for two to three years to achieve a fully qualified instructor status because a student of their teaching would need to pass the "Completion of the Art," and they need to develop twenty four techniques that both unique and effective[4]

[edit] Notable practitioners

Many Balintawak eskrimadors have become notable. These include Timoteo Maranga, Arnulfo Mongcal, Jose Villasin, Teodoro Buot, Teofilo Velez, and Bobby Taboada. They would also be responsible for spreading Balintawak around the world. The two most prolific teachers, as well as fighters, of Balintawak were Jose Villasin and Teofilo Velez.

Some of the better-known current instructors are Sam Buot, Sergio Arcel, Ted Buot, Arturo Sanchez, Bobby Tabimina, Nick Elizar, Chito, Monnie and Eddie Velez, Nene Gaabucayan, Bobby Taboada, Crispulo Atillo, and Henry Jayme.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Thurston, B. (2007). Curriculum Guide for Balinatwak Arnis Cuentada: level-1 (p.3) Balintawak Arnis Cuentada-Canada
  2. ^ Thurston, B. (2007). Curriculum Guide for Balinatwak Arnis Cuentada: level-1 (p.4-5) Balintawak Arnis Cuentada-Canada
  3. ^ Thurston, B. (2007). Curriculum Guide for Balinatwak Arnis Cuentada: level-1 (p.5) Balintawak Arnis Cuentada-Canada
  4. ^ Thurston, B. (2007). Curriculum Guide for Balinatwak Arnis Cuentada: level-1 (p.7) Balintawak Arnis Cuentada-Canada

[edit] External links

[edit] Gallery