Advanced Balisong Manual ((BETTER))
Title and Author Publication info Chuck's comments The Balisong Manual by Jeff Imada Know Now PublishingLos Angles, CA1984ISBN 0-938676-04-0Softbound The classic volume for beginning balisong artists. Hundreds of photographs illustrate the basic techniques. Some of the text is getting a bit dated, but a good start The Advanced Balisong Manual by Jeff Imada Know Now PublishingLos Angles, CA1986ISBN 0-938676-07-5Softbound An excellent continuation of Mr. Imada's first book. Hundreds more pictures illustrate dozens of additional tricks. There's also a nice collection of production balisongs in the back. Again, this book is getting on 14 years old and a lot of it is dated. The Manipulation Manual for the "Balisong" Knife by Tom Wei Ding and Tom Wei Toi Sunrider Corp.New York, NY1983Honeycomb bound Probably the first manual on balisong manipulation "published" in America, this little volume with its many clear pictures makes a fine start. It also illustrates a few tricks not found in Mr. Imada's books. The Butterfly Manual by Donald S. Bitanga Magazine style publication,1984 Illustrates a few basic techniques, but there's really not much here. Balisong Knife By Tai Jo Universal PublicationsLos Angles, CA1985Softbound With clear pictures but sparse, broken text, Mr. Jo teaches a few simple manipulations. Arnis Prasas Style and Balisong By Grandmaster Ernesto A. Prasas. Printed by the Author (though actually a hard-bound book), 1988 Considered a standard manual for Prasas-Style Arnis and an excellent book for any student of Filipino combative arts, this book also includes a brief chapter on the balisong. It includes some simple, combative openings and also a chapter on combative applications. The pictures are well-done and the text is clear. This book can be hard to come by, but it's worth the effort if you're interested in Arnis. (My current teacher, Guru Kurtis Goodwin, is actually pictured in this book). The Heart of the Butterfly By Nikolai Alexandrov and Dominick Galiyeva
Advanced Balisong Manual
And here are two typical pages. (The unique BM42 shown in the picture is not included with the book but is just what I had handy to hold the book open. It also proves that the picture is in focus.) Alexi PublicationsPismo Beach, CA1999ISBN 0-9701652-1-8Softbound I am not aware of a good,.comprehensive book about balisongs. There hasn't even been a single new book about balisongs in about twelve or thirteen years. So, since this project was first announced, I've been eagerly waiting for this book hoping that it would be the significant new volume that the balisong community really needs.
One chapter contains an incomplete list of manufacturers of balisongs including such famous brand names as Rostfrei and Soligen. There's also an incomplete list of some custom makers who have made or are making balisongs.
Les DeAsis is mentioned, once. But, when you really think about it, aside from having owned three of the largest American manufacturers of balisongs, aside from having brought us the modern, one-piece handle, aside from holding patents on the manufacture of butterfly knives, and aside from owning the trademark for the word "Bali-Song", what has he really done to deserve mention in a book about butterfly knives anyway?
In conclusion, I'm still waiting for a good new book about balisongs. Balisong -- The Lethal Art of Filipino Knife Fighting by Sid Campbell, Gary Cagaanah, and Sonny Upad Paladin PressBoulder Colorado1986ISBN 0-87364-354-2184 pages While this fine book contains some material on balisong manipulation, about 25 pages of mostly pictures, the techniques presented are primarily simplier, combat-oriented techniques that compliment the rest of the book's content. The bulk of this book is about Filipino-style knife fighting, a subject that these three respected authors are well-qualified to write about. This book is a serious, hard-hitting treatment of the subject. It's well-written and well-illustrated with many clear black-and-white pictures.
The Balisong Knife by Jeff Imada Tortoise Video I & I Sports Supply Co. Los Angles, CA, 198750 minutes. The Defacto Standard video for balisong manipulation. The video is very well produced with excellent production quality (what would you expect from a top Hollywood stunt man?). Most techniques are shown from multiple angles and in slow motion. His "over the shoulder" views are especially helpful because this is how the knife will look as you manipulate your own. Unfortunately, the more complex manipulations such as the Aerial techniques are only shown from one angle at full-speed.
On the other hand, Mr. Janich does give detailed verbal explanations of every technique including complex aerial manipulations. Mr. Janich's explanations of aerials are what I use to explain and teach aerial manipulations. If you're good with your balisong already but can't quite cross the bar into aerials (and that can be a hard bar to cross), then I'd suggest Mr. Janich's video.
As much as I like these videos, I still suggest beginning with Jeff Imada's video (or a trip to balisongexreme) to learn the basics of manipulation and get comfortable with a balisong before you dive into these tapes as Guru Brennan and Mr. Miller move very quickly past simple manipulatons.
Jody Samson(California - USA)Famous blades-maker, Jody Samson is at the origin of the first high-quality balisong ("Bali-Song"). Now Jody Samson works for the movie industry, in Los Angeles, and creates swords and knives of a very particular style.Anyway, we owe him A LOT. [related]
Darrel Ralph(USA) American knife-maker, Darrel Ralph recently launched a small production of custom balisongs, in collaboration with Chuck Gollnick (see below). The name of the project is Gemini.
Scott Brennan(Friday Harbor, Washington - USA) Scott Brennan is a Kali/JKD expert, certified under Marangal Guro Teodoro Lucaylucay. He works as a sergeant for the San Juan County Sheriff's Department, and even teaches "Defensive Tactics" to the Police Enforcement. And mostly, he is the author of a 3 videos serie about balisong! [related]
Clay Groskranz(New Jersey - USA)Founder of [www.balisongxtreme.com], Clay Groskranz is an expert of balisong manipulations. "My first glimpse of a Balisong was in a movie. I'll never forget the rush of excitement I felt seeing that quick opening. Not long after, I found one, bought it, and stabbed myself in the leg trying to open it while driving home. Not the best way to start a relationship, but from that very moment I was hooked. That was 16+ years ago, and the obsession continues to this day. I learned everything I know using trial and error, and literally hundreds, (if not thousands) of hours of my life. Why so long? Well, after finding out there were no Balisong teachers listed in the phone book, I decided to let "Natural progression" take its course... and so it has. Now the mission has expanded to sharing my obsession, and inspiring others through my website BalisongXtreme.com."
Josh Zilla(Massachusetts - USA)Founder of [www.knifezilla.com], Josh Zilla launched this special website, where you can purchase many balisong models online, in 1998. Josh has always wanted to do "a just for balisong knives site". Indeed Josh has a strong souvenir of a balisong story : "I got in a fight in Jr High school 1984ish - there was a guy punching me in the face and 3 bigger guys moving in on me - it was outside after dark in a parking lot behind the school and I was cornered wearing tight cloths. I whipped out my china made 3" skinny handle butterfly and they backed right off and began to inventory their group for similar weapons to continue the battle - giving me enough time to move into a safe area and burn sneaker :) ". From that period, Josh Zilla has never left his balisong !
SniperBOYaka [Gunther Engel] or Johnny Holiday(Pennsylvania - USA) Founder of Urban-Legends website [www.rejectionist.com/balisong/balisong.html], SniperBOY has lived in the Philippines for most of her life where balisong are "very common and everyone has one as a toy". "My first balisong was the 2.00 china cheapie in the Imada Manual, and a FHM... it rusted and I threw it out cause I got tired of the one opening I figured out and was stuck with. People knew that I liked weapons when I came to the USA to study. One day after an exam I went with friends to the local knife shop that I always go to but never bought anything from. Someone dared me to play with a balisong - and gawked when I easily manipulated the BM48 I eventually bought and still have and love. (...) In my spare time I try to hunt down balisongs for other people looking for balisongs. (...) One of the great feelings I get out of being a bounty hunter is being able to admire balisongs that go thru my hands before i pass them on to others. Making people happy by finding the blade of their dreams is also a plus."
John "Payback"(USA)Founder of [www.clubbalisong.net], John explains: "As a kid, my dad and I watched a lot of martial arts movies. I was always intrigued by the different weapons used, but what caught my interest the most was the balisong. When I was 17, I saw another movie that had a balisong in it and I had to go buy one. From the minute I got it, I could not put it down. (...) A couple of years later, (...) I found www.balisongxtreme.com, www.balisongcollector.com and www.rejectionist.com. I spent most of my spare time reading about and researching the balisong as well as practicing the techniques from balisongxtreme. I soon purchased my first Benchmade Bali-Song and as my love for this art grew, I later decided to create Club Balisong."
Fresh out of the fryers, this crispy balisong is one for the collection. With crinkle cut handles for maximum jimping, a straight back steak knife blade, and quick as greased lightning bearing pivot, the Tatersong flips just like a master frycook at rush hour. Limited to 500 pieces, once these are gone, they're gone. 041b061a72