History
Early in the 20th century, the colonizing Spaniards left the Philippines, ending their 300-year rule. In their place, came the Americans. It was during this period of change that Venancio Bacon was born in 1912 in Carcar, Cebu. He grew up in San Nicolas town outside of Cebu City, he would become one of the Philippines’ most influential eskrimadors. He learned eskrima in the 1920s as a teenager from an old Katipunero called Teban Libis. His formation as an eskrimador began in San Nicolas. This would later lead him to death matches, attacks, and eventually jail.
Bacon's only teacher was Lorenzo Saavedra, of San Nicolas, who during this time had established the Labangon Fencing Club. At a time when many different styles of eskrima abounded, Saavedra’s was called the Corto Linear, although he was known to have mastered other styles. His best students were Teodoro Saavedra, his nephew, and Venancio Bacon. The Labangon Fencing Club, however, eventually dissipated into oblivion.
Read more about this topic: Balintawak Eskrima
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