Placido yambao biography of martin

20th-Century Arnis

The Reemergence of a Warrior's Art

By Mark V. Wiley

Filipino martial arts have existed, been suppressed, and reemerged as a subculture within Philippine society for centuries.

Placido yambao biography of martin

For over three hundred years, practice of the arts was outlawed by the Spanish colonizers. However, the popularity of the arts of arnis and eskrima began to resurface on the island of Cebu during the 1920s, whereon a number of martial art practitioners began to openly teach their arts.

In 1920 the late Venancio "Anciong" Bacon, the founder of Balintawak arnis, opened the Labangon Fencing Club-the first commercial arnis club in Cebu.

Following Bacon's, lead Johnny Chiuten, Pedring Romo, and the famous Cañete brothers also began openly teaching their respective styles of stickfighting. The 1920s also found the Philippine Olympic Stadium promoting full-contact arnis tournaments.

Placido Yambao reigned as champion in a number of matches held in the late 1920s and e