After more than 20 years of faithfully representing Teovel’s Balintawak Group, under the White Chapter, Nick Elizar finally decided to establish his own club. In April, 2003 the World Nickel Stick Eskrima Club was established in Cebu City, Philippines.
Although under a new name, the teaching methods that Nick Elizar uses are still very much the same training methods employed by Jose Villasin and Teofilo Velez. Nick Elizar has been teaching Balintawak since the 1970s. He is known as both a fighter and a good teacher.
Nick Elizar has garnered respect from various eskrimadors in Cebu and throughout the Philippines. His establishment of the World Nickel Stick Eskrima Club has since been supported by many, friends and eskrimadors alike. It is the intention of Nick Elizar to continue to propagate the art of Balintawak in the Philippines and also to the rest of the World.
Who I'd like to meet: Balintawak is just one of many styles/groups from Cebu. There is also Doce Pares (the oldest organization), San Miguel, Combat Eskrima Maranga (from Pasil district), De Campo Uno Dos Tres, Kalis Ilustrisimo (from Bantayan Island, Cebu) and many others.
Then there are groups from other provinces, like Bakbakan (metro Manila), Sulite's LAMECO (from Kalis Ilustrisimo and Eskrima De Campo 1-2-3), Arnis Sikaran, Pekiti Tirsia (from Bacolod) etc. In the U.S. you have Serrada, Sayoc, Dan Inosanto's Eskrima (from Juan Lacoste, also from Cebu).
Filipino Martial arts (FMA) is what it is collectively known.
From the Muslim Filipinos are Silat and Kun Tao/Kuntaw (Chinese in origin--the same kun from Bruce Lee's Jeet Kun Do & the same tao from "the Tao of Pooh", since during pre-Spanish times Chinese traders were based in Tawi-Tawi and other Sulu towns in Mindanao, Philippines).
What sets FMA apart from other Asian martial arts (korean, japanese, chinese, etc.) is that it is weapon based. From the very begining the FMA student is given a weapon. Once he masters the weapon~either impact (stick) or edge (blade) she then progresses to empty hand. From there to ground fighting, called Dumog or Layug.
The student of FMA becomes faster first since he/she had to deal with a fast swinging weapon in the beginning. Footwork, understanding of range, reflexes, individual rhythm, fluidity in movement (flow), breaking the enemy's rhythm, timing, out fighting, in fighting, etc. is addressed in the very beginning of training.
Nickel Stick Eskrima BALINTAWAK's Friend Space (Top 33)
hi nick hope you are well , youre site is beautifully designed ,is there any way of me contacting neil, as i would like to if not say hi to him for me regards ross
