Balintawak NW

GM Bobby Taboada -”Chris you have a bald spot on the top of your head!”

Sifu Chris Strelau – “No Grandmaster, that isn’t a bald spot. It’s a solar panel so I can absorb energy for those 7:00 AM  knocks on my door to come train.”   Sifu Chris S. Strelau

This is the typical and wonderful type of conversation I enjoy with GrandMaster Taboada and Guro John Soriano. Despite the fact that GrandMaster Taboada is one Balintawak Escrima’s truly skilled masters, he remains the nicest and most humble man I’ve met in my 34 years of martial arts training. He treats his students like family. With greatest respect and appreciation to GrandMaster Bobby Taboada and teacher and close friend, Guro John Soriano, I give all credit. Thank-you.
–Sifu Chris Strelau

Balintawak training is part of the Integrated Combat Training Center (ICTC). Sifu offers skilled, consistent Balintawak training in group classes or individually. Check the Balintawak home page for an excellent video of GrandMaster Taboada teaching Balintawak.

Question: How can you tell an ICTC balintawak student from any other?

Answer: By their RED shoes!

ICTC Balintawak students will now be known for their red workout shoes. Balintawak is special, so the shoes should be special as well.

If you’re interested in being one of red shoe few, contact Sifu Dr. Strelau.

What is Balintawak?

Balintawak Arnis Cuentada is a powerful and very fast Filipino stick-fighting martial art (Escrima). Sifu Chris has been studying with Balintawak Seattle  instructor John Soriano, a private student of the famous Balintawak Grandmaster, Bobby Taboada. He has also visited the Philippines where he trained with John’s cousin Master Wilson Ceniza (Soncen FMA Academy) and also with John’s uncle, Grandmaster Piloy Roma, Chief Instructor of the Teovel’s Balintawak (Yellow Chapter).

Balintawak was created by Great Grandmaster Anciong Bacon in Cebu, Philippines. Known as the “Mozart of Eskrima,” Bacon was one of the greatest and most influential martial artists in Philippine history.

Grandmaster Bobby Taboada, a direct student of Bacon’s original Balintawak school, left the Philippines in 1979 to teach Balintawak in New Zealand. He moved to the United States in 1991 and now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he operates the Balintawak International Organization headquarters.

Since GM Taboada’s arrival in the U.S., he has been a self-defense instructor for the North Carolina Justice Academy. He also assisted in crime prevention programs locally sponsored by the North Carolina Sheriff’s Academy as well as programs located in England, Australia and Canada. In 2000 he was inducted into the World Head Council of Family Sokiship’s International Hall of Fame and was awarded the title of Millenium Grand Master. The same organization honored him with the title of Distinguished Grand Master in 2002.

Balintawak Training

The Balintawak training system is structured and specific, with forms and striking combinations that build on each other. Students go through seven levels of testing and promotion.