I know that Atillo is a man stuck in the past and is very stubborn, like most older GrandMasters, claiming that their art is the very best.
Maybe in other arts you've been around, but no Balintawak masters I'm aware of do this. They are humble, low profile, and always willing to compliment a good practitioner of any style or system. If they were hell-raisers in their youth, they matured out of it.
Atillos father was a member of Balintawak correct? He was in the class photo. If his father taught him, and I know he did for most of his life wouldn't you consider Atillos father to be Balintawak?
...but to say that Atillo's father basically didn't exist and that Atillo's father wasn't Balintawak I just cant agree. And Atillos father was Balintawak he has a right to teach his son which would make Atillo apart of the Balintawak history to a certain degree.
As I understand it, Inting Atillo (the father) was a well-respected escrimador and certainly was
around during the time that Balintawak was founded. However, I seem to recall being told that Inting didn't embrace Balintawak and maintained Saavedra's style. Nobody is claiming that he didn't exist or that he wasn't present at any time. I just don't get the impression that his participation in the development of Balintawak was as profound as it's being made out to be.
Besides, Atillo himself says on his website: "Atillo Balintawak is a powerful Filipino martial art developed by Grandmaster Crispulo "Ising" Atillo
based on the style of the legendary Grandmaster Doring Saavedra."
Atillo never claimed at least to me that he created Balintawak or that he was a member of the club, after all he was just a kid in the 50's.
Maybe he never told
you that but, he's telling the rest of the world that he was. Again, from his own website: "Ising Atillo was
an original member of that organization as well; he was the
youngest member at the age of 14" and "Ising Atillo
claims to be original Balintawak, because he was an original member when it was first established." There's a big difference between being
around and being
involved. I find it hard to believe that a 14 year-old boy would have had much influence or have been considered a founding member.
Again, it comes back to credibility. Specifically, a demonstrated lack thereof.
This topic about Atillo and Balintawak will probably last beyond our years...
From the way that it is being described, I would say that Balintawak is part of GM Atillo's history. But I can't see that GM Atillo is part of Balintawak history from what I'm reading sir.
I tend to think the controversy will likely die with him and he won't receive any measure of fame. (At least not in the Balintawak community) If he persists at all, it's likely to be only as a footnote somewhere.
Well said, Carol.
...it follows that there would be less confusion and perhaps less strife if he used a stylistic name that was indicative of his own accomplishments instead of someone else's.
Bingo! Several well-known people with roots in / ties to Balintawak have done exactly that: Remy Presas, Ondo Carburnay, Timor Maranga, etc. All of them are embraced as friends, cousins. People are happy for them and their accomplishments.
To quote John of Salisbury: "We are like dwarfs sitting on the shoulders of giants. We see more, and things that are more distant, than they did, not because our sight is superior or because we are taller than they, but because they raise us up, and by their great stature add to ours."
Robert
