Let's hear from the historians

Frank Jones · Mar 11, 2000

I, for one, am quite curious about the origin of the balisong. Like Gollnick, I am currently inclined towards the belief that it was invented in Europe and came via ship to the Phillipines, where FMA's had the insight to create an art around it.

In Jeff Imada's Advanced Balisong Manual, the author claims that the history of the balisong in the Phillipines has been traced back something like 900 years. Where is this history? I would like to see something, at least.

JohnR7 · Mar 12, 2000

My wife has a collage degree in Sociology from Davao University in the Southern Mindanao area of the Philippines. When I ask her about the history of the Philippines, she just goes blank. They just do not keep records over there, like we do here. It's an embarrassment to them, that they are as primitive as they are today. They want to be associated with the modern world, and do not really want to talk about their past.
But the next time I send one of the teenagers to Batanagas to pick me up some Bali's, I will have them check into it, and see what they can come up with in the way of some fresh history for us. Thanks, JohnR7

Dannyc · Mar 12, 2000

John,

It's an
embarrassment to them, that they are as primitive as they are today. They want to be associated with the modern world, and do
not really want to talk about their past.

Err... I don't know how to interpret this...
Perhaps you can explain it further?

Dan

MrG · Mar 12, 2000

When I was in college, I had to write a paper on my family history, which, to my amazement, I didn't know anything about. I mean, I had heard stories from my dad and grandfather about WW2, the Death March, the invasion by the Japanese...and that's about it. So while researching for the paper, I asked my parents, uncles and aunts, cousins, basically everyone I knew, about the history of my family, and the history of the Philippines in general. They also came up with a total blank. When they were in school, they learned about the history of the US, and about Jose Rizal, etc. Nothing before that. Weird.

My uncle told me that it was because the Spanish wiped out all traces of filipino history while converting them to the Roman Catholics. Hence the reason so many filipinos have Spanish surnames.

I'd personally like to know more about the history of the Philippines. Both books by Mark Wiley were very informative, but I want more! Anybody out there have more info??

sniperboy · Mar 12, 2000

I have asked iN batanggas and well they said that ofcourse it came from batanbggas.. but they ddn't sound convincing.. as if they were just spereadng gossip.. didn't get to ask on of those old grannies though so when I do I will report

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<A HREF="http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~soo/balisong/balisong.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~soo/balisong/balisong.html
</A> If you play with love you will be heartbroken; if you play with knives you will [bleed]

Dannyc · Mar 13, 2000

Sniperboy, I believe the best way to ask, is to let another local do it for you.

Dan

JohnR7 · Mar 13, 2000

>>Err... I don't know how to interpret this...
Perhaps you can explain it further?

The Philipines is s third world nation, it is still in a lot of ways, underdeveloped. But that is not the image they want people to have of them. They want people to see them as modern and just like every other country. If you look at the GPN, its $3000 per cap. in the Philippines, and its $30,000 per cap. in USA. They would rather not talk about things like that, as they do not want people to know how poor of a nation it is. In general though, they are very good loving people and extreamly friendly & hospitable.

JohnR7 · Mar 13, 2000

<<<My uncle told me that it was because the Spanish wiped out all traces of filipino history while converting them to the Roman Catholics. Hence the reason so many filipinos have Spanish surnames.>>>

I was using web ferret to search for Philippine history, and there was quite a bit on looksmart.com. Someone found a old rolled up peice of flat copper, with Tagalog written on it, that they feel goes back about 1000 years. It's was hard to decode, but when they figured it out, it was made up of four different languages that were popular at the time. It looks like the Philippine's has pretty much always been the way it is today, just a mix of a lot of different people, from a lot of different places. They feel that perhaps 30,000 years ago, there was a land connection and the people walked into the area that is now seperated and makes up the Philippine islands. So there is quite a bit of history to be found, but most of it was put together by people other than those who are native to the Philippines. My youngest son is a mestizo, and pretty much what they say is true, from what I see. When a Filipino get's married to someone from another country, the kids come out real good looking

Vlad the Impaler · Mar 16, 2000

My history teacher told me a little about the Philipines. Around the same time that the U.S. aquired Hawaii (by force) they also took control of the Philipines. The Philipines have been a conquered land, but never a conquerd people. First came the Spanish, the church just barly converted them, but spain never did. I think it was the Spanish American War were the U.S. took the Philipines off of Spanish hands. But still they did not surender themselfs. I do not know if they were in U.S. possesion untill WW2 or not, I think they were. Then the Japaness defeated the U.S. and sill no surender. This is when the americans were more accepted by Philipinos, not by force but by working together with them. I think they got there freedom soon after WW2. Within 50 years of freedom and more years than I know of oppresion they do not have the resourses of yet to become more than a 3rd world nation. If you wish to know more I could give you my professor's E-Mail adress, just E-Mail me, I am sure he would like to anser any questions to the best of his ability.

This is the best I could do, everything might not be exactly right, it is the best I can do off the top of my head.

Vlad

Amature historian.