The single dagger has many uses, typically thrusting, slashing and
hooking. It can be used offensively or defensively in a variety of ways against different weapons. It can be used as a supplementary weapon to the stick or sword to rake or disarm the opponents' weapon, or
as a close quarter thrusting weapon. The dagger can be held in an earth grip (point down) or heaven grip (point up) in either the front or rear hands. The term Balaraw or simply Baraw is often used in the
Visayas to refer to a dagger.Balisong
The Balisong is also a peculiar weapon. It is more commonly known to the uninitiated as the "butterfly knife". The word
literally mean, "broken horn", and is derived from the words bali (to break) and sung (horn). Many traditional balisong knives were carved out of animal horns. Its birthplace is the barrio Balisong
in Batangas province, Philippines. It is not clear whether the barrio took its name from the knife or if the knife took its name from the barrio.
Kris
The Kris deserves a
special mention since its shape makes it distinct from other single edged and double-edged daggers. Its blade is double edged, and is wavy, allowing for easy blood flow from an inflicted wound. The dagger
was traditionally sacrificial, and although it was used in the Southern Philippines, its origins are believed to be Malay. In the Philippines, there are many different kinds of Kris, each region producing a
Kris with a different number of waves in the blade.
Double dagger
Double dagger can be employed in a variety of ways offensively, either by thrusting with the front dagger
and raking with the rear dagger or by adapting amara (stick twirling) to suit the daggers. It has some parallels with stick and dagger and the multiple combinations of grips and a stance provides the user
with a plethora of options in a combat situation. Empty hand defence against an assailant armed with double daggers is indeed difficult, if not impossible.
The Spanish brought many things to the
Philippines, but didn't leave many things behind. Of the few long lasting cultural and martial influences the Spanish conquistadors left with the Filipinos, one of them was the sword and dagger fighting
style, so popular in Spanish Esgrima (fencing). This combination utilizes the complimentary attributes of a short thrusting weapon with a longer cutting weapon. The combination is traditionally known as
Espada y Daga. The Filipinos refined the Spanish fencing methods to suit their own fighting methods and developed their own long and medium range sword and dagger fighting.
Today, stick and
dagger, also known as Olisi y Baraw, is used as a training tool, and includes tie-ups, locks and takedowns with both weapons, techniques that were made impossible with the use of a blade. Transitions through
short, medium and long ranges are trained with this weapon combination.
The Sword, not such a common weapon anymore, is still taught to students of many different Arnis and Eskrima styles.
Styles such as Balaraw-combat are completely blade based, and their students train extensively in bladed weapons. Drills, which include swords, are usually medium to long range, and can focus on sliding to
an opponent hand, or controlling an opponent's bladed weapon. As a cut and thrust weapon it provides students particular insight into the subtleties behind several stick drills.
The world of
Filipino bladed weapons is a diverse and interesting one, with so many different names for the same weapons that it is difficult to categorise them all.
Kampilan
The Kampilan
is probably one of the most famous Filipino weapons, since one of these weapons struck the intrepid explorer Ferdinand Magellan shortly before his death. It is easily identified by its forked handle, which
represents the gaping jaw of a crocodile. It is a single edged weapon, with a blade approximately 30 inches long, with a small flared spikelet near the tip. It was made famous by the Iranun and Maguindanao
pirates and warriors of Mindanao and it is the longest weapon the Moros used. The Kampilan can be held with one or two hands.
Golok
The Golok is actually a machete, with a
large wide blade, almost like a butcher knife, with a single cutting edge. The word Golok is actually the Indonesian word for Machete, and is said the weapon is believed to have originated on the island of
Java. However, it is also referred to in the Philippines by this name.
Pinuti
The Pinuti is a Visayan weapon, favoured by warriors of the Visayas as a weapon of war. It has a
simple design, and only a single cutting edge. The Bolo is another Visayan weapon, but it is larger, machete like, although it is still single edged. In Luzon,
the designs of the Bolo and Kris
have led to hybridised weapons, which have both the properties of the Kris and the Bolo. Another term, not used, as often anymore, is Tabak, which is a Tagalog term for cutlass or curved sword. It is ideal
for close range fighting.
Sundang
The Sundang is yet another Moro weapon, based on the Kris, and is also doubled edged. It is longer than the Barong, with a blade length of
about 20 inches. The term Sundang is Visayan for any large single or double-edged weapon.
Barong
The Barong is another Moro weapon, although the term Barong is a Tagalog term
for a leaf shaped blade. The Tausugs from Tutle Island and Taganak favoured it in close combat. The blade is approximately 15 inches long and nearly 3 inches wide in the middle. It is a double-edged weapon.
