THE PHILIPPINES

Bayang magiliw.

"Land of the morning."

The Philippine Islands, located in the Far East, are separated from the Asian mainland by the South China Sea. The archipelago lies southeast of China, east of Vietnam, and northeast of Malaysia. Progressively to the north are the countries of Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. To the south are the islands of Borneo, Celebes, Sumatra, Java, and the other islands of Indonesia.

From north to south, the more than 7,100 islands are grouped into three main geographical areas: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The island of Cebu is centrally located among the other Visayan Islands as well as within the whole Philippines. Cebu lies along the sea lanes that lead from one end of the archipelago to the other. When sailing was the only way to cross the seas, travelers from surrounding islands would come across Cebu. Native tribal groups from all over the archipelago would have heard of Cebu's existence, if not set foot on the island itself for trade, exploration, pirating, and other reasons.

The ten Bornean Datus and their entourage came this way in search of a new place to settle so that they could have the freedom to continue and improve their chosen way of life. Sumatran seafarers—forebears of the Macabebe warriors—made the province of Pampanga home. Indonesian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indians, Malaysians, Borneans, Japanese, Korean, and Arabians came to visit or settle. Merchants, craft workers, religious and secular teachers, pirates, and conquistadors (Ferdinand Magellan amongst the first Europeans) came and left their mark on the Cebuano way of life and on the history and development of the fighting arts of Cebu and the Philippines as a whole.

The Philippines was referred to as the "Pearl of the Orient Seas" by the peace-loving and reform-oriented Philippine national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal, in his last poem "Ultimo Adios (Last Farewell)".

The following are some of the many events in the history of the Philippines.

Ferdinand Magellan, explorer, circumnavigator of the world, and alleged discoverer of the Philippines, led his crew across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain. He sailed south looking for a westward passage to India. He found the westward passage by going around the tip of South America, now called the Strait of Magellan. His ships continued westward and north to the equator. From there, they sailed west across the vast ocean they named Mar Pacifico. They reached the island of Homonhon in what is now the Philippines. Magellan was killed in battle by men led by the local chieftain Lapu-lapu of Mactan Island. One of Magellan's ships was able to return to Spain, the first to circumnavigate the world.

Philippine Independence Day was declared on June 12, 1898, in Kawit, Cavite, by President Emilio Aguinaldo after the end of the Filipino revolution against Spain. The Filipino revolutionaries were aided by Americans of the United States Navy.

At the Treaty of Paris, signed on August 12, 1898, and ratified on December 10 of the same year, Spain ceded the Philippines, as well as Puerto Rico and Guam, to the United States for twenty million dollars.

The Philippine war against the United States of America followed after the successful Filipino revolution against Spain. Hostilities lasted from the later part of 1898 to 1902. From 1903, the war of pacification by American forces against outlawed Filipino guerrillas of the Philippine-American War and against the freedom loving Moros of Mindanao continued on until the Battle of Bud Bagsak in 1913. America called this war the Philippine Insurrection, disguising the fact that it was the continuation of the Filipino revolution against a new colonizer. The revolutionaries lost the war, and the Philippines were colonized by America until the end of World War II and granted independence in 1946.

BALINTAWAK

Pana'uga in laiyag mo bang kumusog in hangin.

"Let the sail come down if the wind becomes strong."

The name Balintawak comes from a historical place in the suburbs of Manila. Here, the Cry of Balintawak occurred on August 26, 1896, when members of the Katipunan openly declared their desire to free themselves from the yoke of foreign domination under Spain.

Balintawak is also the name given to a street in Cebu City, honoring the Cry of Balintawak. On Balintawak Street stood the house of Eduardo Baculi. On the ground floor fronting the street was Eduardo's watch repair shop. A sign with "Balintawak Self-Defense Club" was at the second-floor level fronting the house. In the backyard was a small, cemented area where laundry was washed by hand and hung on lines to dry during the day. The floor was swept dry to remove the soapy and slippery water before the start of class in the late afternoon. On the left side next to the laundry area was a pigpen. Along the back wall of the house stood a bamboo bed where students sat and watched while instructions in eskrima were given. The instructor taught and demonstrated to a student while the others waited their turns. Progress depended on how observant and attentive a student was. The student's ability to remember, execute, and apply what he or she learned was of the utmost importance. In this lowly setting in the early 1950s, Anciong founded one of eskrima's great styles, the style now known by the name of Balintawak—in reference to the patriotic event of the Cry of Balintawak and the street where the club was located—the style that had flourished and been taught to anyone interested in learning it.

Delfin Lopez, acknowledged as a skilled and knowledgeable eskrimador by his Balintawak contemporaries, jealously guarded the uncommon and exceptional techniques of Balintawak.

He summed up his feelings when he said, "The less people know about it, the better."

VENANCIO "ANCIONG" BACON

Founder and Grandmaster of Balintawak Eskrima

Minsan mabagbag na in agong matanug, mabantug mayan.

"Even if a resounding gong be broken, it will still be renowned."

In the early 1920s, Lorenzo (Tata Enso) Saavedra formed the Labangon Fencing Club in the Labangon area of Cebu. Before that time in the Philippines, no known Eskrima organization existed. The Filipino fighting arts were usually only taught among relatives, close friends, or members of a village, to be used for self-defense against invading outsiders and between rival individuals, families, and groups. When self-esteem and honor were put to the test, they were settled or prolonged by winning or losing a fight. Courageous and skillful practitioners of eskrima traveled from place to place to teach their knowledge, although they exposed themselves to many dangers from constant challenges.

Due to misunderstanding among its members, the Labangon Fencing Club was dissolved. The Doce Pares Club was formed in 1932 by some members of the Labangon Fencing Club, primarily the Saavedra family and the Canete brothers. The Doce Pares, with members from many different styles of eskrima, became well-known throughout the area.

Venancio "Anciong" Bacon was a member of both the Labangon Fencing Club and the Doce Pares Club. According to reports, Anciong knew several styles of eskrima, but his only known instructor was Tata Enso, who taught him a style different from what other members knew. It was said that Anciong was exceptionally skilled in using the left-hand knife that he was barred from using it in order to prevent him from inflicting injury to training partners. That led Anciong to develop his left hand for functions other than knife use, making his moves different and distinct from other practitioners. After World War II, Anciong separated from the Doce Pares and eventually formed his own group, known today as Balintawak.

Bacon, founder and grandmaster of Balintawak, was born on October 15, 1912, in Carcar, on the island of Cebu. He moved to San Nicolas on the outskirts of Cebu City, where the poor working class and newcomers from many parts of Cebu and the adjacent islands settled to start new lives and find livelihoods.

Anciong's eskrima training started early in life. Over the years he developed lasting friendships with Lorenzo "Enzong" Saavedra, Teodoro "Doring" Saavedra, Frederico Saavedra, Filemon "Momoy" Canete, Eulogio "Yoling" Canete, Vicente "Inting" Atillo, Jesus Cui, Delfin Lopez, Lauren Sanchez, Johnny Chiuten, Isidro "Sidro" Bardilas, Felipe Abella, Teotimo "Timor" Maranga, Eduardo Baculi, Arnulfo Mongcal, Jose "Joe" Villasin, Jose "Jogo" Millan, Edion dela Cerna, Tinong Ybanez, Ationg Abella, Teodoro "Ted" Buot, Teofilo "Pilo" Velez, Arturo Sanchez, Octavius "Jimboy" Hife, Sergio Arcel, Sam Buot, and many other practitioners of Balintawak.

In paying tribute and showing his admiration, Sam Buot, an ardent student, knowledgeable elder instructor, researcher, and historian of Balintawak, said, "Anciong preached balance and was the master of psychological warfare. He called this `taking the power' away from your opponent."

TEODORO "TED" BUOT

In lambung lumambung ha katan, sagua' di' kalumi'an na mayan.

"A shadow reflects only the external, not the internal qualities of a person."

Teodoro Buot was sweeping the driveway of his garage and cleaning around the yard. He had on a straw hat to shade his eyes and protect his head from the hot rays of the early-afternoon sun. He looked like a typical Filipino farmer working the ground around his house. He was expecting me. I approached him and introduced myself. He was tall, dark, well built, and fairly good-looking. He had the look of someone used to manual labor. I got the feeling there was power and strength somewhere within him. Perhaps it was his voice or his directness in conveying authority and finality that gave me an impression of someone who was sure and confident of his statements, and without disdain or condescension.

After some cordial conversation, the time came to demonstrate. He gave me the familiar number one strike. The strike came in easy and had the right angle. The delivery was simple with nothing confusing about it. My response was block, check, and counter. The block went well, and so did the check, but something went wrong after that. My counterstrike didn't happen at all; instead, I saw a killing blow coming toward my forehead. Was something wrong with the distancing, the delivery, or the speed and timing of my counterstrike? Something got mixed up during that exchange of blows, and I was a bit confused.

We continued. Here came his strike number one again. I executed my moves very carefully, but just like the first time, the result was the same.

"Can we repeat that move?" I asked him. I told myself, Try to relax and focus on what's going on. His strike was coming in, so I blocked and checked, and I delivered a counterstrike—again without success. I got hit again, but with a difference. I got hit with two simultaneous blows, one from his stick and the other from my own stick. Here came strike number two. Again I blocked, checked, and was again the recipient of a counterstrike. It was frustrating and embarrassing, and I was becoming aware of the pain in my arms from getting hit there.

I tried to change my execution, going for flashy striking, but instead it was the old man's moves that became unpredictable, though still simple in form. I could not tell what was going to happen and hesitated to increase the tempo, because whenever I did, his counterstrikes returned faster and with much more sting to it.

In that short period of strikes and counterstrikes, I realized that the old man's eskrima was very different from the one I knew. I asked myself, Should I discard the use of the checking hand?

Years after that incident, after training in the old man's style, I realized his eskrima was the result of continuous and diligent practice combined with inspired study. His eskrima is still block, check, and counter but at a higher and more sophisticated level.

According to accounts, Anciong chose Ted from among his many dedicated and aspiring students to succeed him at the helm of Balintawak and to continue the way he taught. Ted's love for the art and his promise to Anciong kept him true to the way Anciong taught, kept the art alive, and even grew it by sharing it to others. In a way, he proved wrong a world-renowned arnis instructor from the Philippines who said of him in 1984, "He wants to keep the art to himself."

Teodoro "Ted" Buot was born in Cebu on July 1, 1931. He was the oldest son of Ricaredo "Ricar" Buot and Remedios Abellana. His study of Balintawak eskrima under Venancio "Anciong" Bacon started in 1959 at the Balintawak Self-defense Club that was housed on Balintawak Street in Cebu City. Chosen from among Anciong's more senior students, he was designated head instructor of the Balintawak Self-defense Club. For many years he taught at the club until he left for the United States of America in 1974; he settled with his wife and children in Southfied, Michigan. In late 2006, he had a stroke that sadly forever kept him away from his beloved Balintawak. He passed away on July 4, 2013.

Ted Buot was 29 years old when he was introduced to the unique style of eskrima called Balintawak by a cousin who was a martial arts student looking for someone to practice with. Ted earned two Engineering Degrees (Mechanical and Electrical) from the prestigious Cebu Institute of Technology. A busy man with everything on the roll, Ted had very little idle time to indulge in philosophical ruminations about life's subtleties. By nature a man of calm and reasoned opinion, he would not even remotely consider the possibility of involvement in any physical confrontation.

A cousin was persuasive enough to convince Ted that martial arts was a good form of exercise that could be done by starting with a few bold strikes using a pair of specially designed rattan canes. Ted asked his cousin to show him a few basic techniques. He was impressed by the simplicity, effectiveness and practical application of the techniques. His first impression became a lifelong and lasting love affair.

Balintawak is a rare form of Filipino martial art quite different from the better known styles of Arnis, Eskrima, and Kali. Its roots date back to the 1930s style of Eskrima popularized by the Doce Pares masters. It was named after the twelve pairs of thrust and strike which could inflict great damage to the vital parts of the body. After WWII, Venancio "Anciong" Bacon, a Carcar native and one of the Doce Pares masters, started searching and innovating better and highly effective eskrima techniques. He opened a martial arts club housed on Balintawak Street in downtown Cebu City. There, he would practice his new and innovated style of self-defense which he subsequently named Balintawak. Anciong's reputation as a master and good teacher attracted the most avid martial arts students, among them, Ted Buot.

Ted never forgot the day he met Anciong Bacon. "He was soft spoken, unassuming, yet there was something in him that earned your respect if not reverence," Ted recalled. Anciong shared his philosophical base to teach discipline of the mind, body and spirit along with the smooth and balanced movements of Balintawak. Ted absorbed everything that Anciong taught him like a sponge. He practiced long and hard to develop strength and quick reflexes. Under Anciong's watchful eye, Ted developed his talent to its fullest. He was the best and most admired protégé in the clubhouse. The big day came when Ted was asked by the master to start teaching to the curious converts of Balintawak. "It was an honor to be finally recognized for my ability," he said.

In sharp contrast to the commonly held view of martial arts, Balintawak is not primarily for peaceful resolution to any conflict. It is simply the use of force against force, a counterstrike against any strike, without any ground rules. Thus, there are no tournaments held for demonstration of abilities. Nor are belts given or trophies awarded. There was a time, it was said that if Balintawak gave a public demonstration, it would be booed by the crowd. Balintawak practitioners however hold on to the principle of nonaggression. They would rather just walk away to avoid physical engagement, but once unleashed, Balintawak's defensive techniques are devastating if not deadly.

Ted taught Balintawak only to selected students in the basement of his house. He prided himself that on the very few situations his ability was nearly put to the test, he remained calm, confident and collected, proving each time, that even when emotions run high, to the disciplined mind, reason can still prevail. At the United Technologies, where he worked as an engineer for the past twenty years, he was known as a quiet and hard working man. He loved to play basketball and spent time with his family and grandchildren and remained very active in all Ang Bisaya affairs. Always affable with a good sense of humor, he was "game" at anything. In his heart however was a peacefully asleep Balintawak warrior.