The Balintawak System of Arnis-Escrima: Close Combat the Filipino Way (Filipino Martial Arts - Close Combat the Filipino Way)

This book and training manual, is about one of the most deadly Filipino Martial Arts forms of baton, knife, sword and empty hand self defence, Balintawak.
Balintawak is an all range fighting system, that was continuously being refined by the Great Masters: Venancio Bacon, Jose Villasin and Teofilo Velez, throughout their lives.
This book contains many of the techniques that make up the Grouped Method of Balintawak, as taught in the Visayan Martial Arts School by John Russell.
With over 1300 photographs this book features: Basic Arnis-Escrima - Principles and Exercises. Balintawak Arnis-Escrima - A Brief History. Basic Balintawak - The Basic Foundation. Intermediate Balintawak - Grouping Method. Advanced Balintawak - End Plays Finishing Techniques.

From the author:
Most Martial Arts are similar and tend to look the same, as they all have the purpose of teaching a human being to defend themselves against other humans. They use the human body’s basic physical movements or principles of movement in both attack and defence. Arnis styles also share these basic principles in their motions.
While most fighting styles are similar for humans, they usually evolve to suit depending on those that organise, teach and learn. With this evolution some styles can also specialise and develop their own particular qualities and attributes, even teaching methods that are different to other styles.
This evolution is true for Balintawak. It has gone it’s own course in many directions both in it’s teaching/training methods as well as in it’s geographical dispersal.
This book shows the ‘Grouped Method’ of Balintawak as it has come down to me from my instructors, with a few new variations of my own thrown in.
It shows the basics that has many similarities with other styles. It then shows some of the intermediate and then some of the advanced techniques of the Grouped Balintawak style of Escrima, which often is greatly different and sets it apart from most styles of Escrima and from other styles of Balintawak as well. I
t's my hope and intention that this book will in some way enhance the knowledge of Escrima to it’s readers.