rt of the art. Mid-high frontal kicks have been used lately by students trained in other kicking arts. It is used only if there is safety in delivery and not subject to dangerous counter-attacks. Eskrima however does teach counters to all forms of blows and attacks of all popular Asian fighting arts. Eskrima does not emphasize contortions or acrobatics, although stretching, warming up and cardiovascular conditioning, power punches and delivery of blows plus muscle and strength development certainly make good sense. Recent students trained in other kicking arts have incorporated their art into eskrima. The Balintawak style is not an ostentatious style. The deeper secrets are hardly displayed nor will it be likely seen in print. Even if displayed, the moves are subtle, inconspicuous and innocuous that it will go unnoticed by even sophisticated and trained martial artists. Even hands-on teaching to trained martial artists requires repeated and detailed instruction and demonstration of the finer points of the moves. Demonstrations of the Balintawak style is sometimes dull, as Bach and Mozart are dull to unsophisticated musicians. That is the reason that some Balintawak seminars are laced and embroidered with flashy stick twirling by the young masters. The showy "hollywoodized" and cinematic styles are ridiculed by knowledgeable purists of the Balintawak style as signature moves of rival clubs. It however, never fails to draw the attention of the half-baked and uninformed.
All martial arts have their strengths and weaknesses. Very often, its strength becomes its weakness. The hard arts with power delivery of punches and kicks often lead to rigidity and inflexibility in changes of direction. In contrast, the fluid and softer arts may not have the same power of the hard arts. It is embarrassing to purists that some eskrima styles unabashedly copy other fighting arts and even use terms such as eskrido to denote the combination of eskrima and judo. The term is unnecessary, since unrecorded history, fights progressed into holds, locks, grappling, wrestling, punching, kicking and throws when disarmed or unarmed. Undoubtedly, there is influence of other arts through infusion and osmosis by students with various backgrounds and training. Admittedly, it is a welcome part of growth. China built the Great Walls of China to keep out the “barbarians." By shutting out the cultures of the world, it stagnated in its growth and development. It must be emphasized that eskrima is not a rehash or imitation of other Asian arts. It is an art all its own.
Eskrima has been a very secretive art. It was often clandestinely taught from father to son or from a master to a trusted and loyal lifetime student. Until modern times, seldom were there large classes as it is predominant today in highly commercialized martial arts schools. It often takes years of detailed, hands on and individualized instructions. Some of the reasons for this are the detailed nuances of the moves as well as the intense club rivalries. Secrets of the techniques were kept so close to the chest. It took a lifetime before the deepest secrets were revealed by the master to his most loyal lifetime student. Even with the most unselfish master, personal virtuosity is a perishable commodity that tended to die with the master when not imparted or set to writing. That is the main reason for this attempt to preserve the style and secrets of Balintawak. So much, too much has been lost. This feeble attempt is a frail effort to salvage and rescue the genius of Cebu’s great Grandmaster Anciong Bacon and those who came after him. Needless to say that what ever is imparted here is a superficial glimpse of the reservoir of untapped and unrecorded knowledge that has been forever lost.
For more info about Grandmaster Sam Buot, please visit www.buot.net
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