How/Why did Balintawak gain popularity in the US?

[Carol]

After reading some threads on this site as well as FMATalk, I'm very deeply moved at how closely knit the Balintawak community is.

Mr. Ceniza posted a lot of interesting information about the origins of Balintawak, but I'm curious...how did the art come to the states?

What is it that has attracted people to the art? Or, if you train in Balintawak, what is it that has held your interest about the art?

I'm curious to see what you all have to share.

 

[DMartialArtist]

what kind of martial art is Balintawak

 

[Carol]

Balintawak is a stick fighting art from the Philippines. Its orgins are traced to a club on Balintawak street in Cebu City...which is how the art got its name.

 

[silatman]

I cant comment on that art in particular but I do study Kali Silat.
I don't know quite how to describe the feeling when you have the stick/s moving around with seemingly their own life only that when you have the sticks as a genuine extention of your body, that is that you can do everying that you can empty hand but you now also have the advantage of reach and the unbreakable strength of rattan without any noticable weight.
You need to move differently when armed with the sticks, that when you do put them down you move so much better than if you had never picked them up.
I guess that you really need to study this art ( as in many others I'm sure ) to understand what it is that sticks give you on the path to where-ever it is that you want to end up.

 

[Carol]

I cant comment on that art in particular but I do study Kali Silat.
I don't know quite how to describe the feeling when you have the stick/s moving around with seemingly their own life only that when you have the sticks as a genuine extention of your body, that is that you can do everying that you can empty hand but you now also have the advantage of reach and the unbreakable strength of rattan without any noticable weight.
You need to move differently when armed with the sticks, that when you do put them down you move so much better than if you had never picked them up.
I guess that you really need to study this art ( as in many others I'm sure ) to understand what it is that sticks give you on the path to where-ever it is that you want to end up.

Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow again.

What a great experience to share. I feel like I want to go train right now

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Hey Carol,

I do not train in Balintawak but several of my friends do. It is a pretty close nit group for several reasons.

A. There still are not alot of people training in Balintawak
(compared to other FMA's)
B. Most Instructors generally only teach one student at a time
(that keeps the quality up but limits the ability to spread the art)

Having said the above the system will continue to spread and grow in the next few years. (it is effective and their are more people training in it than ever before)

Hope that helps.

 

[Cruentus]

I know what I train and teach, but I don't pay much attention to what else is going on regarding this. But I have been around a little, so maybe I can answer.

But from what I remember, Balintawak was sort of at legendary status here in the U.S. when FMA was being popularized, and articles were being written and such. It was always mentioned with stories of the old Doce Pares Club. GM Bacon was always written about as a legend. Popular instructors here in the states in the 80's/early 90's (like Remy Presas for example) either trained in Balintawak or rubbed elbows with Balintawak people. It was generally spoken very highly of.

But here in the states, most people didn't have access to the system. Instructors who had trained in it who were here often were not teaching publically, or promoting their own thing.

Instructors were around if you were lucky enough to find them. For example, myself and others had access to Manong Ted Buot here in Michigan (who had been available in the 80's and taught a few people even then). But there were not widely publicized individuals.

I would have to say that people started getting wide access to Balintawak when Bobby Taboada came to the U.S. and promoted his version of the system. I remember him as being the first guy here to really promote the Balintawak name and do seminars, and was able to expose people here in the states (who previously had not been exposed to the system) to his version of Balintawak.

And now it is somewhat available where as it wasn't really before. You have different factions that have schools that teach it, individual instructors who teach it in the unpublicized fashion as it was traditionaly taught, and different instructors besides Mr. Taboada (like Tim Hartman for example) who have developed their curriculum and versions for the seminar format.

So now, it is more widely available, even though it is still only a small sliver of the martial arts community...

 

[Carol]

Hey Paul,

In addition to what you teach with your tactical training...do you also teach Balintawak? Just curious.

 

[Cruentus]

Hey Paul,

In addition to what you teach with your tactical training...do you also teach Balintawak? Just curious.

Yes.

But I only do so to preserve the tradition of the art (and because I like it). So it isn't something that is a commercial venture for me, or that I widely advertise. I only teach private lessons in the traditional format as I was taught by My teacher (Manong Ted Buot). I leave the seminar and classroom instruction to others who choose to go that route.

 

[Carol]

Yes.

But I only do so to preserve the tradition of the art (and because I like it). So it isn't something that is a commercial venture for me, or that I widely advertise. I only teach private lessons in the traditional format as I was taught by My teacher (Manong Ted Buot). I leave the seminar and classroom instruction to others who choose to go that route.

I keep hearing that Balintawak was traditionally taught one on one. How common is it for it to be taught in classroom settings?

 

[Cruentus]

I keep hearing that Balintawak was traditionally taught one on one. How common is it for it to be taught in classroom settings?

It appears that classroom or seminar settings are more common with the different versions of Balintawak out there then the traditional setting.

The traditional setting, from how I understand it, went like this:

People would gather in the lower level of the Watch shop on Balintawak street. Anciong Bacon would come in, grab a stick, and would pick someone to work with. He would work with that person for a couple of minutes while others watched. He would instruct them, then move on to the next person. After the training session was over, people could work with each other or play with each other if they wished. But during the "official" instruction, people either were working with Anciong or watching. The key to the "tradition" was that the instructor would always work with the students one on one. Also, the system did follow a specific format, or progression.

When Noy Anciong felt comfortable with Ted Buot teaching, Manong Ted would teach one-on-one in the same format in Anciong's absence, or if Anciong decided to take a break. Remember that this was not a commercial venture as it is today, so Anciong, Buot, and the other Balintawak players all had day jobs, and trained Monday-Friday after work.

When Manong Ted came to the states, he would only teach one-on-one in the same format under which he learned and taught at the Balintawak club in Cebu. He would not do a large classroom settings or seminar settings.

When I was given the O.K. to teach, I vowed that I would carry on the same tradition; which was to only work one-on-one with students for Balintawak. I will teach stick fighting concepts or blunt weapon tactics in a classroom or seminar format, as I have in the past; but this is not the same as Balintawak. I make this clear because I don't want people to be mislead. I feel that if I am teaching "Balintawak" under that name, that I need to give those students the benefits of the instructional format that I experienced.

The thing is, the only real way to learn Anciong's Original Balintawak is through the traditional format; this includes going through the Abecedario's, Seguida's, and Corrida's (and Cuentada if one gets there) following the specific format, one-on-one with the instructor so that the instructor can ensure that all of the nuances are correct.

Anything else is not Anciong's original Balintawak, even if it carries the Balintawak name. If it is taught as a grouping system, or in a seminar format, for example, then it is a hybrid of the original program. This is O.K., though, in my opinion. This is not a criticism of what others are doing. Even while Noy Anciong was alive, different Balintawak players who were very proficient eskrimadors in their own right were teaching Hybrid programs. Like Villisan's grouping system, or Maranga's system. Even Taboada's Balintawak is distinctly his hybrid.

There is nothing wrong with this as these instructors are very talented and have the rights to develop their own versions of Balintawak. These instructors deserve credit for developing good quality programs; especially those that can be presented in a larger classroom setting. But, just understand what they are. Anciong's original system is different then the other hybrid systems. I choose to teach Balintawak the original way because I had the benefit of learning that way, and I feel responsible to preserve that wonderful tradition. Yet, I am glad that others are out there doing the seminars and doing their own thing.

Hopefully that explains it...