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The definitive book on balisong wizardry has just seen print. It is authored by none other than Amante P. Marinas Sr, who teamed up with his son Amante Jr. to produce this latest book. It is published by Unique Publications, with Dave Cater as editor. Amante P. Marinas, Sr. is one of the most respected Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) masters in the world, the founder of his own FMA style called Pananandata, a prodigious author and a future inductee to the International Knife Throwers Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement. The latest recognition was for his two books on knife throwing, for the nine articles he wrote on the throwing of weapons and for the VM Bulalakaw, a knife that he designed that was marketed by United Cutlery.
As a grade school kid growing up in the Philippines, I was already flashing and twirling a balisong, albeit amateurishly. But the first Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) master that I saw demonstrate the balisong at a seminar here in the USA was Punong Guro (PG) Amante “Mat” Marinas, Sr. way back in the ‘80’s somewhere in California, USA. He was doing double balisongs with aerial flips. I remember him mentioning that he rarely got to demo the balisong because it was considered a deadly weapon in New York, where he was residing and teaching FMA at that time.
The balisong is a weapon that has been identified with FMA. Although its origins are at best disputed and its image slightly stigmatized by Hollywood movies, there is no question that its widespread use and notoriety have been identified with the Philippines and Filipino martial arts and its practitioners. By now, there have been several books, videos and articles written about the balisong. One that comes readily to mind that is part of my library is Jeff Imada’s book, “The Balisong Manual.” I decided to dig up my copy of Jeff Imada’s “The Balisong Manual” and see if I could pick up any differences or similarities. Jeff Imada’s book was published in 1984, but as I have pointed out earlier, PG Mat was already conducting FMA seminars all over the United States around this time. Simply put, Jeff Imada’s book is a more comprehensive book, whereas the Marinases’s book, as the title declares, focuses on balisong openings. On this particular topic, Jeff Imada presents no more than twenty basic opening with closing techniques. Some of these techniques, though, include thirty to thirty-five pictures to illustrate the technique, from opening to closing. The Marinases claim to have documented 169 openings, and by extension, slightly less as many closings, assuming you can close the balisong the same way you opened it, except for aerial openings. The number seems daunting but the book groups the openings into twelve distinct groups, from the most basic and obvious (two-hand openings) to the seemingly suicidal (aerial), where the balisong is tossed and rotated in the air in such a way that it is caught opened. The twelve groups will help you remember most of the openings. As a further aid to memory, most openings have twins. Twins result from the opposite of an action—clockwise or counterclockwise, forward or backward, right or left, upward or downward, and so on. There are 69 openings illustrated in this book, accompanied by 425 photographs, averaging about 6 photographs per opening. Appendix A lists these 69 openings by group and by opening names, including the initial thumb position and completed grip.
As a how-to-book, it is the easy enough to follow, the directions succinct and the photographs relevant and helpful. Of course, it is one thing to understand and be able to follow the technique in the book, another thing to actually perform the technique the way it was meant to be—fluidly, confidently, with all your fingers intact. This book is obviously for the serious student of the balisong, as well as the novice. If you thought you knew all the possible openings of a balisong, or if you are a basic user of the balisong and are now ready to move into the big leagues of serious balisong performers or prestidigitators, or you are now ready to include aerial openings in your balisong repertoire, this is the book for you. If you are a novice who has just discovered the balisong and has gotten addicted to the sound and feel of cold steel being manipulated by your fingers, you can obviously start with the most basic openings, and happily spend a few more years, or the rest of your life, learning all the techniques in the book.
Writing this review has given me an idea. Every year, I hold a FMA training camp and expo called the Tipunan. Next year, it will be called Tipunan sa Palawan 2008. It will also be the lead-off event for the 4th FMA Festival sponsored by the International Modern Arnis Federation of the Philippines (IMAFP) to be held in the beautiful resort island of Palawan in the Philippines. I will hold a contest called the “Mat Marinas Balisong Contest” where contestants will have an opportunity to showcase their skills with a balisong. Cash prizes will be awarded. Who knows, in one of the upcoming Tipunans, PG Mat can hopefully make a royal appearance and be the sole judge of the winner of the “Mat Marinas Balisong Contest.” To purchase a book, email PG Mat at pananandta@aol.com and tell him I sent you.
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