Puget Sound Eskrima Combat Balintawak Club 3.11

THE HISTORY OF BALINTAWAK ESKRIMA

By Sam Buot, Sr.


Eskrima, arnis, kali, kalirogan or garote as it is variously know in a polyglot country like the Philippines, is an art indigenous to the Filipinos. It is not copied, rehashed or borrowed from anything foreign. It was developed. by ancient Filipinos, who fought with rattan sticks, balisong, kris, pinute, kampilan and bolo knives. That was before the advent of gun and European cannons. Its history is imbedded deep way back into the pre-historic Philippines.


Eskrima was used to repel early Spanish invaders including battles with Ferdinand Magellan's forces, as recorded by Magellan historian and chronicler Pigafetta. It was a sport of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal and other heroes like General Gregorio del Pilar, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Antonio Luna and Andres Bonifacio. In Bobby Taboada's exposure to the Masters, he learned the history of the BALINTAWAK CLUB in relation to the other eskrima clubs in Cebu. That it was the Great Grandmaster "Ansiong" Bacon who was the acknowledged master of the art way back in the 1930's and that the latter-day masters were his students.