Of bolo rush & bolomen

[migueldiaz]

During the Philippine Revolution (vs. Spain, 1896-1898) and the subsequent Philippine-American War (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine-American_War) (1899-1913), the "bolomen" comprised a large portion of the fledgling Philippine army, because of the sheer lack of firearms.

A rough statistic can be found in the excerpt below, from an article The Legend of the Colt .45 Caliber Semi-Automatic Pistol and the Moros (http://www.morolandhistory.com/Articles/4.%20legend%20of%20colt%2045.htm), from the same author (Robert Fulton) of the excellent book, MOROLAND 1899-1906: America's First Attempt to Transform an Islamic Society (http://www.amazon.com/MOROLAND-1899-1906-Americas-Attempt-Transform/dp/0979517303) (2007).

Here's an extended quote, to put things in context:

In the late 19th century, the U.S. Army’s Bureau of Ordinance, the U.S. Navy, and the Marines adopted the Colt Model 1894 .38 caliber double-action (DA) revolver as the standard sidearm .... The first test of the Colt .38 came with Spanish-American War of April to August, 1898, whose single land battle was fought in Cuba. But that conflict, with only two-days of actual combat, was far too short to provide any reasonable conclusion. However, the far more deadly and extended conflict which came out of that war, the Philippine-American War (known then as the Philippine Insurrection) soon proved that the fears about the smaller caliber had been entirely justified. In contrast to the Spanish-American War, one of the shortest conflicts in this nation’s history, the Philippine-American War lasted almost as long as World War II, from February, 1899 to July 4, 1902. It began as a “conventional” war but before its first year ended had morphed into a guerrilla war; in fact being the first of its kind and setting the pattern for the many “wars of national liberation” that would become a hallmark of the mid-20th century. It was what we would term today an “asymmetric” contest. It was also the U.S. Army’s first experience with jungle warfare and fighting against a full-blown insurgency in a foreign land.

The Filipino “Army of Liberation” (solely drawn from the northern Christian provinces of the islands) was poorly armed, with only about one rifle for every three-to-four of its soldiers. An even bigger problem for the rebels was lack of ammunition; due to lack of funds and the efficiency of the U.S. Navy in catching and deterring gun-runners. The Army of Liberation generally had to rely on making its own bullets, using home-made black powder and brass curtain rods. Many U.S. historians have belittled the military ability and leadership of the Army of Liberation, comparing it unfavorably to the Viet Minh and Viet Cong of more than fifty years later. But the fact is the Filipinos were as motivated, tough, and potentially as deadly as the Vietnamese, but unlike the NVA and Viet Cong they did not have the relative luxury of an unlimited stream of modern weapons, abundant ammunition, and foreign trainers, all provided gratis by a friendly superpower (the USSR). Otherwise there might have been a far different outcome. Even then 4,234 Americans killed out of 126,468 “cycled through” gave that war the dubious distinction of having one of the higher “death rates” for American wars, that is troops committed to troops dying, half-again higher than the decade-long Vietnam War.

Now I've been looking for photos documenting the types of bolos used by Filipino soldiers then.

So far I've only found two (below), and I wonder if some of us can identify all or at least most them? I've put numbers in the pics, for easier referencing.

Unfortunately the source (http://www.freewebs.com/philippineamericanwar/) of the pics did not indicate where the photos were taken.

Admittedly, identifying the bolos will be hard as the pics are small. The only that I can readily recognize would be a Samar garab (number 3).

[migueldiaz]

Just how effective is the bolo vs. firearms? ... as stupid as the question may sound ;)

While not efficient (casualty rate among bolomen was obviously high), just the same when employed properly tactically, the result can be effective.

Here's a continuation of Fulton's article (http://www.morolandhistory.com/Articles/4.%20legend%20of%20colt%2045.htm):
Like all good guerilla fighters, the Filipinos were improvisers. They took advantage of the tropical topography with its exceptionally high grasses (well over six feet tall), dense jungles, and winding, constricted trails, to mount ambushes using a tactic called “the bolo rush”. The Philippine bolo is a fearsome, short (16” to 18”), single-edged, razor-sharp cutting weapon. Every farmer had one and knew how to use it, whether for harvesting crops, hacking trails through jungle, or taking off a limb in a fight. A large force, often 100-200 “bolo men” would lie hidden near a trail. When a smaller American patrol came along in single-file, Filipino snipers would fire, forcing them to drop for cover. At a signal, the bolo men would rush the soldiers lying prone on the trail, inevitably losing many in their ranks to rifle fire but occasionally overwhelming the Americans with their sheer numbers and the ferocity of the charge. Commissioned officers and sergeants, armed only with the Colt .38 revolver, were a primary target.

Think about it! There you are, suddenly sprawled in the mud of a narrow jungle trail, scared as hell, hearing the thud of hundreds of feet and screams in a language you don’t understand. You can’t see more than a few feet because of the thick grass and vegetation. Suddenly several blurry shapes are running towards you. And all you have in your hands is this “little popgun”. It is not a question of getting off a quick shot or two. With the Colt .38, if you did not hit each attacker in a vital part, the head or heart, the bullet would go right through the man. For the attacker it was a terrible, sharp pain but a small, clean hole that would not slow his momentum. For you it could mean death in a few seconds. Understandably there was major anger from men in the field over the inadequacy of the Colt .38 (and sometimes the limited stopping power of the otherwise excellent Krag 30-40 rifle).

Complaints were made to the Army’s Bureau of Ordinance ...
As an aside, though the clamor for a higher caliber sidearm [.45] is more associated with the encounter with the Moros, as Fulton pointed out the origins can actually be traced back to the US military's earlier experience with the bolomen of northern (Luzon) and central (Visayas) Philippines.

[migueldiaz]

Here's a 1906 New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/nytarchive.html) article, describing a classical bolo rush tactic in action ... a trail, the few guns, the volley, and then the "rush" --

[Gavin Nugent]

Just how effective is the bolo vs. firearms? ... as stupid as the question may sound ;)

Knife VS gun, I beleive very effective and more so in days of old looking at that holster. I beleive there are police stats you could draw from here too, from memory a man with a knife could be 20 feet away and rush an officer an would be upon him before the officer could draw and shoot.....

Gav

[trenchwarfare]

A bit of a twist, on "Bolo Men". Only these guys were on the other side. ;) For those who may not know, their Model 1903 rifles are sporting the rare model 1915 bolo bayonet. Click on the thumbnail in the upper left-hand corner. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.usmilitaryknives.com/Images_6/Bolo%2520Bayonet-%2520Moro%2520Troops.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.usmilitaryknives.com/knife_knotes_12.htm&usg=__ErNt9hePrehqtc7CchIJSSjCz_o=&h=725&w=415&sz=128&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=qBy7Du5ubBqQZM:&tbnh=140&tbnw=80&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dus%2B1915%2Bbolo%2Bbayonet%26hl%3Den% 26rlz%3D1T4GWYA_enUS305US305%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1the

[migueldiaz]

Knife VS gun, I beleive very effective and more so in days of old looking at that holster. I beleive there are police stats you could draw from here too, from memory a man with a knife could be 20 feet away and rush an officer an would be upon him before the officer could draw and shoot..... Gav
That's a very appropriate analogy, Gav. Thanks :)

Here in Manila, there's a story about a rookie policeman who tried apprehending from a distance, a petty criminal armed with a knife. Long story short -- the criminal poised to attack, then the policeman fired several rounds with his pistol but wasn't able to make any hit due to extreme stress, and the policeman ended up being butchered by the criminal.

I think though that the story is apocryphal. But maybe it's not entirely fictitious either.

Here's a more factual recap about such firearm vs. blade encounters, from the last chapter of Vic Hurley's Jungle Patrol (http://www.bakbakan.org/junglep/jp-21.html) (1938) --

In summing up the campaigns of the Philippine Constabulary [its early officers pictured below, with Capt. Henry Allen (folded arms)], a discussion of the weapons at hand or the marksmanship of the men is not sufficient to explain the greatness of these jungle campaigners. The point involved is their terrain of battle.

The rifle and the revolver and even the machine gun lose much of their authority in dense jungle. The visibility is poor and the firing range exceedingly short. The number of rounds a man can fire is limited; too quickly, the combat reaches close quarters. With a Krag rifle and a .45 Colt revolver, every Constabulary soldier of the later days had a potential firing possibility of eleven shots without reloading. He was often outnumbered twenty to one, or more than twenty to one. The principle of the campaigns involved, not the destructive possibilities of the eleven shots at his command; to be considered most was that grim element of time. In the face of a sudden bolo rush, the police often had time, for but two or three shots before the action was man to man. And against impossible odds.

For bruising shoulder-to-shoulder work, the native weapons remain the best in that jungle scene that developed them. At close quarters, the Moro kris or the pulajan talibong have destructive qualities not surpassed by the modern automatic pistol or the sub-machine gun.

The passage of a high-velocity bullet through the body is killing but not immediately fatal; sometimes, in the heat of battle, men can remain on their feet, desperately wounded, for a lengthy period of time. But the last despairing swing of a bolo blade, in the hands of a dead man riddled with bullets, could be deadly ...

The other Hurley book on swords vs. firearms, is of course Swish of the Kris (1936). The entire book can be read from here (http://www.bakbakan.org/swishkb.html).

[migueldiaz]

A bit of a twist, on "Bolo Men". Only these guys were on the other side. ;) For those who may not know, their Model 1903 rifles are sporting the rare model 1915 bolo bayonet. Click on the thumbnail in the upper left-hand corner. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.usmilitaryknives.com/Images_6/Bolo%2520Bayonet-%2520Moro%2520Troops.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.usmilitaryknives.com/knife_knotes_12.htm&usg=__ErNt9hePrehqtc7CchIJSSjCz_o=&h=725&w=415&sz=128&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=qBy7Du5ubBqQZM:&tbnh=140&tbnw=80&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dus%2B1915%2Bbolo%2Bbayonet%26hl%3Den% 26rlz%3D1T4GWYA_enUS305US305%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1the
Thanks for the comment!

And I've always thought that such a huge bayonet must have meant that the Moro trooper used a barong! ;)

[migueldiaz]

The other way of implementing a bolo rush is by using the cover of darkness.

Here's another related New York Times article:

[migueldiaz]

Another article (same thing, use of the cover of darkness):

[Berkley]

Knife VS gun, I beleive very effective and more so in days of old looking at that holster. I beleive there are police stats you could draw from here too, from memory a man with a knife could be 20 feet away and rush an officer an would be upon him before the officer could draw and shoot.....

GavQuite correct:
take a common training scenario: an edged-weapon suspect charges toward an officer from a distance of 21 feet. Using averages, the attacker's first stride is at about 3 mph. But accelerating, he can reach a speed of 12 mph or more and cover 21 feet in about 1.7 seconds in about 5 steps. Considering that the average officer requires about 1.5 seconds to draw and fire one round from a Level 2 holster (not even allowing for his initial reaction time), his disadvantage in this situation is made crystal clear. -Force Science News (http://www.forcesciencenews.com/home/index.html)

[migueldiaz]

Quite correct:
-Force Science News (http://www.forcesciencenews.com/home/index.html)
Thanks! I love this kind of analysis ... quantified ... and thus very specific and can be conclusive :)

[migueldiaz]

By the way, in the modern Philippine military, poor shots in a marksmanship class are jokingly assigned the rank of "boloman"! :)

The idea of course is to move away from that informal rank as quickly as possible ...

Photo below shows Phil. Marines in Patikul, Sulu.

[migueldiaz]

Going back to the topic of blades used by bolomen as documented in old photos, so far I've not stumbled into other pics.

In John Foreman's "The Philippine Islands (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/22815/22815-h/22815-h.htm)" (1906), there's these two photos (below) of "Christian" and "Moro" blades. But it didn't say whether these are capture pieces.

Obviously though, the center Moro sword is not a capture piece -- the photo's caption is: Weapons of the Moros. (Left) “Bárong”; (right) “Kris”; (centre) The Sultan of Suluʼs dress sword, presented to the author by His Excellency.

The caption of the other photo is: Bowie-knives and Weapons of the Christian Natives. Central figure—“Talibon.” The others—Bowie-knives (Sp. Bolo, Tag. Guloc).

[KuKulzA28]

Just out of curiosity (I hope I'm not off-topic), are the majority of non-tourist Talibon made after the fall of the Spanish rule in PI? I am wondering because I remember reading of a Spanish law forbidding Filipinos from owning bolos with points to them, one of their measures to stamp out armed resistance. :shrug:

[trenchwarfare]

The "NO POINT" rule must have been in effect in all of Spains colonial holdings. The Collins Co. sample boards show many examples of all types of machetes, with clipped points. All are from Cuban, Central, and South American contracts. Don't know about the Philippines contracts. Most of that market was filled by Germany, and other European cutlers. I don't know why they bothered. Lots of African machetes are pointless, but they manage to work each other over pretty good anyway.

[Dimasalang]

Just out of curiosity (I hope I'm not off-topic), are the majority of non-tourist Talibon made after the fall of the Spanish rule in PI? I am wondering because I remember reading of a Spanish law forbidding Filipinos from owning bolos with points to them, one of their measures to stamp out armed resistance. :shrug:


One must keep in mind and make note, when Spain ruled the Philippines for +300 years, they DID NOT control the entire Philippine Islands(in reality it was close to 60%). If they did, the entire Moro population would of been wiped out and/or converted to Catholics; it was cannon law to convert everyone and Spain did not allow freedom of religion in their territories, well there were some exceptions but very few. Mindanao and Sulu were major hot regions of constant religious conflicts...these areas were never under full control and Spain never felt it priority to completely dominate such regions in timbuktu(prior to the opening of the suez canal). You will never see a Kris, Barong, Kampilan with the tip cut; these were weapons meant for warfare and not farming...and their wide availability(even today) shows how little Spain had in control of southern Philippines. It is mentioned that the ruling Spanish class only made up about 3% of the entire population. Other rural areas were also not controlled by Spanish authorities, this included areas in Christian dominated islands as well. Mountain regions and extreme tribal ethnic groups like the igorots and aetas in Luzon are examples(all were highlanders)...the Pulahan group for instance are categorized under the mountain region, and prospered well near the fall of the Spanish rule in the Philippines. Even today in this era, the Philippine government can not get full control of groups running around in the mountains or rural areas of the Philippines...the Abu Sayyaf and the NPAs are both prime examples of how tough it is to control military factions in their own country. If it is this tough today, imagine how tough it was 100 years ago. :D

By the way, nice work Miguel! Keep it coming! ;)

[Nonoy Tan]

Just out of curiosity (I hope I'm not off-topic), are the majority of non-tourist Talibon made after the fall of the Spanish rule in PI?

I suspect that there was hardly any so called "tourist" blades during the period of Spanish “rule” - because the tourist market and the "tourism industry" was not yet developed. Furthermore, almost every Filipino household probably owned a bladed weapon - pointed or not. And even if a pointed weapon was outlawed, it did not stop anybody (including the lowlanders paying tribute to the colonial government) from owning and keeping one at home (i.e. not brought out in public).

Thus, the likely answer to your question is "No".

[KuKulzA28]

Thanks guys, just a young novice gettin' his learn on :)

[migueldiaz]

The "NO POINT" rule must have been in effect in all of Spains colonial holdings ... Don't know about the Philippines contracts.
Thanks for the comment :)

Yes, as I understand it was mandated also by Spain then in the Phils. that pointed bolos are not allowed.

And that's why we have bolos like the one below I 'inherited' ;) from Fernando. [Fernando, that's a really very nice Visayan blade. Thanks again!]

But as to how effective that law was, even a casual survey of various Philippine swords (http://www.arscives.com/historysteel/philippines.swords.htm) will tell one that it wasn't quite followed.

[migueldiaz]

One must keep in mind and make note, when Spain ruled the Philippines for +300 years, they DID NOT control the entire Philippine Islands(in reality it was close to 60%). If they did, the entire Moro population would of been wiped out and/or converted to Catholics ...
Thanks for your usual very informative comments!

I learn something new whenever you make those exhaustive comments, you see :) So keep them coming, too!

I definitely agree that the entire country was not controlled then. Aside from the prolonged armed resistance by some (e.g., by the Moros), some areas were not controlled by the colonizers for the simple reason that they were simply too far flung (e.g., the Cordilleras where the Igorots and other highlanders were staying, and the uplands [e.g., "lumad"] of Mindanao, etc.).

Even in the lowlands and coastal areas (i.e., the areas mostly controlled by the Spaniards), I think the Spanish friars and rulers then told the locals that if they don't want to be under their rule, then all they have to do is to live far enough such that they cannot hear that church bells and that's it -- live and let live. Now I still have to find the source (reference) of that ...

By the way, I found the diagram below from a Filipino Muslim professor's lecture, at the Yuchengco Museum website (http://www.yuchengcomuseum.org/programs.html).

From said diagram it becomes even clearer why the Moros' blades continued to remain sharp and pointy! :)

[migueldiaz]

I suspect that there was hardly any so called "tourist" blades during the period of Spanish “rule” - because the tourist market and the "tourism industry" was not yet developed. Furthermore, almost every Filipino household probably owned a bladed weapon - pointed or not. And even if a pointed weapon was outlawed, it did not stop anybody (including the lowlanders paying tribute to the colonial government) from owning and keeping one at home (i.e. not brought out in public).

Thus, the likely answer to your question is "No".
Nonoy, thanks!

If I may add a point or two in support of that, the Leyte-Samar sundang (also known as garab or talibon in some parts of those Visayan islands) is for instance configured that way for a reason.

Like the sagging (i.e., convex) shape of the cutting edge is supposed to split more efficiently a coconut nut :D

And then the pointy tip was designed to scoop out the copra [dried coconut kernel] efficiently ... like what the tourist in the pic below is trying to learn.

And then the (short) length of the sundang/garab/talibon was deliberate -- that was done so that the coconut farmer need not spread his arms farther apart than necessary, while extracting the copra from the shell.

And so even if pointed bolos were outlawed then, in many instances and for very practical reasons, the prohibition simply couldn't had been followed.

[migueldiaz]

Thanks guys, just a young novice gettin' his learn on :)
Thanks for your interest in this topic!

OT: By the way, your avatar is really cool. Would you mind sharing to us what the character means? :)

[KuKulzA28]

WOW! I did not know about the Talibon/garab sundang, that's very cool...
It's interesting when people, even historians and martial artists, make blanket statements like "Talibon were only weapons" or "all Filipino weaponry had a duality of purpose - war and work" or "weapons are an extension of the hand" or "all bladed techniques can have hand and stick techniques derived from them"etc.etc.:shrug: From life-experience it seems thing aren't always so clear-cut


________________________________________OFF TOPIC___________________________________________

Thanks for your interest in this topic!

OT: By the way, your avatar is really cool. Would you mind sharing to us what the character means? :)That's my family-name: Tseng, I am what's known as Huh-lwo, Hoklo, or Hokkien. I have the Chinese character and Aboriginal symbols to show my mixed ancestry. I'm Taiwanese American. Many of the Chinese in Indonesia, Philippines, SE Asia, India, etc. were from Hoklo traders/pirates/settlers/coolies. More than 80% of the Taiwanese Hoklos are estimated to have some amount of aboriginal blood. A Taiwanese Aborigine blade is resting on a skull - we can assume a headhunted skull ;). The diamond pattern is from the popular Paiwan/Puyuma/Ruaki motifs of the bai-bu-shuh or hundred paces snake.

I have a huge interest in Southern China, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia, India, Congo, and Latin America - cultures, history, canoes, climate, weapinry, martial arts, women, food - you name it. :cool:

----what does yours mean?

[Dimasalang]

----what does yours mean?


Miguels is Alibata/Baybayin script. It is old writing from the Philippines that is pre-Spanish. The first book ever published by the Spanish in the Philippines(Doctrina Cristiana in 1593, or Christian Doctrine) was written in Alibata in order to convert the natives. The writing in Miguels avatar looks to be the "La" character...both together I am guessing would be "Lala"...not sure what that means though, maybe his Filipino pet name. hehe Some Filipinos still signed their names in Alibata up until the mid-19th century...so it is not as if it all disappeared when the Spanish took over. The Katipunan also placed the "Ka" alibata symbol in the middle of some of their flags...not to represent "Katipunan" but for "Kalayaan"(independence). Today there are some tribes and places that still use that writing to communicate(Mindoro and Palawan being the two most recognized places). Many Filipinos now are understanding its importance and are embracing it...myself included. :D
Sorry Miguel, thought I'd help myself to your question. :o

http://fototime.com/F29D372E4A08121/standard.jpg

[Lew]

I found an old news reel from 1943 it shows Philippine troops being armed with bolos. It's about 5 minutes into the video.

http://ahivfree.alexanderstreet.com/View/526281

[carlos]

I found an old news reel from 1943 it shows Philippine troops being armed with bolos. It's about 5 minutes into the video.

http://ahivfree.alexanderstreet.com/View/526281


Could somebody put a picture of one bolo like the video? thanks
carlos

[KuKulzA28]

Thanks Dimasalang!

@ LOUIEBLADES:
Oh wow, that's wicked cool, I like how the text follows the video clip...
Interesting how the Filipino soldiers were issued bolos by the US Army...

I bet they would've brought bolos even if they weren't issued them ;)

This reminds me of Crossing the Sulu Seas where an old man relates of how he remembers Moro krismen ambushing Japanese forces. It seems a common theme with the Filipinos, Moros, Gorkhas, Chinese, Taiwanese, etc. to use a big native blade since guns and ammo were low.

[kai]

Hello Miguel,

To me #1 looks like a bat-head "bolo" (usually attributed to Batangas)...

Regards,
Kai

[kai]

Hello Miguel,

If I may add a point or two in support of that, the Leyte-Samar sundang (also known as garab or talibon in some parts of those Visayan islands) is for instance configured that way for a reason.

Like the sagging (i.e., convex) shape of the cutting edge is supposed to split more efficiently a coconut nut :D

And then the pointy tip was designed to scoop out the copra [dried coconut kernel] efficiently ... like what the tourist in the pic below is trying to learn.
Well, he's obviously playing with a freshly opened coconut not copra. Else he wouldn't smile that much anymore... :D

AFAIK, copra is really not that difficult to remove from the shell since most of it is already detached due to the drying process - wouldn't something like a spoon work much better/faster? I somehow have a problem imagining the thin tip of Bill's nice garab being used for working copra! BTW, isn't the copra trade a fairly recent (i.e. colonial) phenomenon? From my travels, ripe coconuts seemed to be of very little interest to any local population - they only utilized young coconuts (or, at least, still fairly soft ones for making coconut cream).


And then the (short) length of the sundang/garab/talibon was deliberate -- that was done so that the coconut farmer need not spread his arms farther apart than necessary, while extracting the copra from the shell.
That's definitely too much of a stretch for me... ;)

Regards,
Kai

[migueldiaz]

It's interesting when people, even historians and martial artists, make blanket statements like "Talibon were only weapons" or "all Filipino weaponry had a duality of purpose - war and work" or "weapons are an extension of the hand" or "all bladed techniques can have hand and stick techniques derived from them"etc.etc.:shrug: From life-experience it seems thing aren't always so clear-cut
I definitely agree that more often, things are not clear-cut.

In a spectrum where one extreme is "tool-only" and the other is "weapon-only", I think most ethnic blades would lie somewhere in between.

Occasionally you'll have the kampilan, etc. that's a weapon-only blade. At the moment I cannot think of a (Filipino) tool-only blade but I'm sure there's one.

But as you also said, the vast majority of ethnic blades would lie somewhere in between. And apparently that's true for the Samar-Leyte sundang as well.

Even the sinister-looking northern Luzon head-axe for instance, is used more often as a tool, rather than to smite an enemy, as noted earlier (http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpost.php?p=71798&postcount=40) ...


________________________________________OFF TOPIC___________________________________________

That's my family-name: Tseng, I am what's known as Huh-lwo, Hoklo, or Hokkien. I have the Chinese character and Aboriginal symbols to show my mixed ancestry ... ----what does yours mean?
Thanks for sharing the meaning of the uber-cool avatar of yours!

The script in my avatar harks back to my family history. The characters mean "tamer of the serpent bakunawa, protector of the seas, and rider of the storm". Ok, ok, I just made that up! :D As Dimasalang explained, it's the ancient Philippine script (and the characters refer to my real name's initials).

And said alibata script can still be found occasionally in old Philippine swords (e.g. below).

[migueldiaz]

It's interesting when people, even historians and martial artists, make blanket statements like "Talibon were only weapons" or "all Filipino weaponry had a duality of purpose - war and work" or "weapons are an extension of the hand" or "all bladed techniques can have hand and stick techniques derived from them"etc.etc.:shrug: From life-experience it seems thing aren't always so clear-cut
I've been thinking, in the olden times perhaps it's really the agricultural [work] design of a blade that heavily influences martial arts [war] style ...

Like in any agricultural society in which economic surplus is not that much, most people can afford only one bolo. And so it makes sense to design the bolo around its intended agricultural use, as the community is engaged in farming most of the time anyway rather than in hacking other people :D

On the duality thing while not always true, we also see on the other hand that there indeed exist instances where the duality is there (i.e., work & war application is seen on the same blade, like the Leyte-Samar sundang).

Thus, whereas the Full Metal Jacket grunts have to chant

"This is my rifle. There are many like it but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle I am useless ..."
for the typical Filipino farmer of old, when pressed into military service there would be no need for such mantra :)

[migueldiaz]

Miguels is Alibata/Baybayin script. It is old writing from the Philippines that is pre-Spanish ... Sorry Miguel, thought I'd help myself to your question. :o
Dimasalang, maraming salamat po [many thanks]!

Yes indeed, alibata is still very much alive. And per my earlier post we can even see alibata characters in some old Phil. swords ...

[migueldiaz]

I found an old news reel from 1943 it shows Philippine troops being armed with bolos. It's about 5 minutes into the video. http://ahivfree.alexanderstreet.com/View/526281Thanks Lew for the link! That's a very cool find :)

For quick reference, the narration went:

Narrator: A regiment of Filipino infantry in the United States army receives the one weapon they know best, the Philippine bolo knife. Used in cutting through jungles, the bolo is equally effective in hand-to-hand combat. Filipinos, young and old, have a long and outstanding score to (inaudible ) with the Japanese invaders of their native land. Today, armed with native weapons, augmenting their modern equipment, they are eager to meet the enemy.
Below are some stills from the video.

[migueldiaz]

Could somebody put a picture of one bolo like the video? thanks
carlos
Hola Carlos! :) I don't have one but I posted some video grab as can be seen above ... Hope somebody can post a pic from his own collection ...

[migueldiaz]

Interesting how the Filipino soldiers were issued bolos by the US Army... Certain elite units of the present Philippine Marines are still issued bolos (e.g., ginunting), even up to now.

On where to buy them, kindly check out this post (http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=7896).

[Dimasalang]

Certain elite units of the present Philippine Marines are still issued bolos (e.g., ginunting), even up to now.

On where to buy them, kindly check out this post (http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=7896).

I actually bought a ginunting from Buddy last Dec. It was a Xmas present to myself. :D Buddy makes them for the Philippine Marine elite unit. They practice pekiti tirsia under Leo Gaje...and this is their weapon of choice and it is made to their specs.

http://fototime.com/9FF470485BA8BA2/standard.jpg
I just have to add...it is extremely well balanced and light. The Kamagong handles make it look heavy but it is not. Very easy to swing, chop, hack, thrust, etc... And Buddy is a great guy to deal with.

[migueldiaz]

To me #1 looks like a bat-head "bolo" (usually attributed to Batangas)...Thanks for the info, Kai! :)

Well, he's obviously playing with a freshly opened coconut not copra. Else he wouldn't smile that much anymore... :DThanks for pointing that out ... yes indeed, copra's smell is an acquired taste :D

But yes, as you noted the photo shows a freshly opened mature coconut. And thus to scoop out that fresh kernel, you really need a sharp and pointed bolo, as at that point the kernel still sticks very much to the shell.

AFAIK, copra is really not that difficult to remove from the shell since most of it is already detached due to the drying process - wouldn't something like a spoon work much better/faster?Actually, I made the mistake in my earlier post by saying the tourist is scooping out copra.

The process of making copra is as follows: you split a mature coconut in two, then you scoop out the fresh thick & hard kernel with a bolo and you throw away the shell (for some later other use), and then you dry that kernel (without the shell), and after some time, the kernel becomes copra.

So one will really initially need that sharp and pointed bolo to separate that fresh kernel from the shell :)

BTW, isn't the copra trade a fairly recent (i.e. colonial) phenomenon? From my travels, ripe coconuts seemed to be of very little interest to any local population - they only utilized young coconuts (or, at least, still fairly soft ones for making coconut cream).Copra's mass production would date back to at least the mid-1800s I think.

As to which is used more, young or old coconuts, in the Philippines the latter would have much many more uses. Young coconut (i.e., buko, pronounced BOO-koh) is commonly used merely for dessert as buko salad. Mature coconut however would have a host of domestic, commercial, and industrial applications, and copra would just be one of the many :)

[migueldiaz]

In studying the story of the bolomen, I have yet to read Muddy Glory: America's Indian Wars in the Philippines (http://www.amazon.com/Muddy-Glory-Americas-Indian-Philippines/dp/0815804024) (1981) and Bullets & Bolos: Fifteen Years in the Philippine Islands (http://www.amazon.com/Bullets-bolos-Fifteen-Philippine-islands/dp/B0008636IE) (1928).

I've read several times however, Vic Hurley's Jungle Patrol (http://www.bakbakan.org/junglep.html) (1938) and Swish of the Kris (http://www.bakbakan.org/swishkb.html) (1936).

Can anybody please comment on whether Hurley has romanticized too much his accounts of the antagonists and protagonists? :D

For instance we read of this account by Hurley about the famous Lt. Leonard Furlong:

Beyond doubt, the most romantic figure of the entire American-Moro conflict, was this same Furlong. His career as a fighting man was so remarkable that to this day the Moros of Cotobato bow their heads when his name is mentioned. Furlong has become an undying tradition to these fierce Moros who respected, more than anything else, the terrific valor displayed by this man. Furlong had a strange and tragic history, the details of which were supplied to the writer by men who knew him well and who fought beside him in Mindanao. After an unfortunate love affair which made life futile to him, he came to Mindanao to seek death on the krises of the Moros. He was in the thick of the Moro fighting for several years and it was said by his associates that no odds were too great and no charge too forlorn for this soldier seeking death. His reckless disregard for his own life often took him alone across open country to the very walls of cottas swarming with hostile Moros. It is said that it was his habit to enter the cottas, far in advance of his men, and that the Moros gave way before him, denying him the death he sought. Furlong seemed to lead a charmed life. To the Moros he was supernatural, and he came through the campaigns without a scratch. When the period of cotta warfare came to and end Furlong resigned his commission and sailed for Manila. There in the capital city, he took is own life, accomplishing that which the Moros had been unable or unwilling to do.
Poetic license (i.e., the underscored portion above) or the plain truth? :rolleyes:

But let us not miss out on the most important lesson here -- any man can survive a lot of battles and hardships, but nothing is as lethal as unrequited love :o :D

[trenchwarfare]

Hola Carlos! :) I don't have one but I posted some video grab as can be seen above ... Hope somebody can post a pic from his own collection ...
The Bolos in the video are not locally made. They are of US mfg., made by the US Spring & Bumper Co. Los Angeles Ca. They have molded green rubber handles with co. logo cast in, and star pattern grip. Blades, and guards are plated. Came with a very flimsey canvas scabbard, but the standard 18" machete scabbard fits perfectly. I sold one on ebay a while back. Will try to find pictures. Couldn't find one, back when I was collecting WWII US edged weapons. :(

[carlos]

The Bolos in the video are not locally made. They are of US mfg., made by the US Spring & Bumper Co. Los Angeles Ca. They have molded green rubber handles with co. logo cast in, and star pattern grip. Blades, and guards are plated. Came with a very flimsey canvas scabbard, but the standard 18" machete scabbard fits perfectly. I sold one on ebay a while back. Will try to find pictures. Couldn't find one, back when I was collecting WWII US edged weapons. :(


Thank you very much !! this information is very fine to me!1
Thanks again
carlos

[Rick]

In studying the story of the bolomen, I have yet to read Muddy Glory: America's Indian Wars in the Philippines (http://www.amazon.com/Muddy-Glory-Americas-Indian-Philippines/dp/0815804024) (1981) and Bullets & Bolos: Fifteen Years in the Philippine Islands (http://www.amazon.com/Bullets-bolos-Fifteen-Philippine-islands/dp/B0008636IE) (1928).

I've read several times however, Vic Hurley's Jungle Patrol (http://www.bakbakan.org/junglep.html) (1938) and Swish of the Kris (http://www.bakbakan.org/swishkb.html) (1936).

Can anybody please comment on whether Hurley has romanticized too much his accounts of the antagonists and protagonists? :D

For instance we read of this account by Hurley about the famous Lt. Leonard Furlong:

Beyond doubt, the most romantic figure of the entire American-Moro conflict, was this same Furlong. His career as a fighting man was so remarkable that to this day the Moros of Cotobato bow their heads when his name is mentioned. Furlong has become an undying tradition to these fierce Moros who respected, more than anything else, the terrific valor displayed by this man. Furlong had a strange and tragic history, the details of which were supplied to the writer by men who knew him well and who fought beside him in Mindanao. After an unfortunate love affair which made life futile to him, he came to Mindanao to seek death on the krises of the Moros. He was in the thick of the Moro fighting for several years and it was said by his associates that no odds were too great and no charge too forlorn for this soldier seeking death. His reckless disregard for his own life often took him alone across open country to the very walls of cottas swarming with hostile Moros. It is said that it was his habit to enter the cottas, far in advance of his men, and that the Moros gave way before him, denying him the death he sought. Furlong seemed to lead a charmed life. To the Moros he was supernatural, and he came through the campaigns without a scratch. When the period of cotta warfare came to and end Furlong resigned his commission and sailed for Manila. There in the capital city, he took is own life, accomplishing that which the Moros had been unable or unwilling to do.
Poetic license (i.e., the underscored portion above) or the plain truth? :rolleyes:

But let us not miss out on the most important lesson here -- any man can survive a lot of battles and hardships, but nothing is as lethal as unrequited love :o :D

I think the truth may be somewhat clouded in the mists of the past yet the deeds go down in history . I would suspect that Furlong with many of his contemporarys in the Constabulary found that leading from the front inspired the ranks .\

People will always follow those who lead .

"Denying him the death he sought " ....... well, there's maybe the Journalist .. ;)


I have both the books you mention above Miguel; both are worthwhile reads along with MYSELF AND A FEW MOROS by Cloman from the same era; all of the titles are fairly affordable . :)

Rick

[Dimasalang]

I think the truth may be somewhat clouded in the mists of the past yet the deeds go down in history . I would suspect that Furlong with many of his contemporarys in the Constabulary found that leading from the front inspired the ranks .\

People will always follow those who lead .

"Denying him the death he sought " ....... well, there's maybe the Journalist .. ;)


I have both the books you mention above Miguel; both are worthwhile reads along with MYSELF AND A FEW MOROS by Cloman from the same era; all of the titles are fairly affordable . :)

Rick
More on Leonard Furlong.
http://www.bakbakan.org/furlong.html

Given the era, I have no doubt that Furlong would have led in the front of his men. The Phil-Am War is the last war where US generals and colonels actually rode on horseback in to battle with their troops. After the Moro/Pulahan uprisings and prior to WWI, looking back on the deaths of both Gen Lawton and Col Stotsenberg makes me believe the US Military now required high ranking officers to stay in the rear or back at HQ. :)

[trenchwarfare]

Couldn't find mile file photo. Image at top of page depicts both the US Spring & Bumper Co. Machete (bright blade) and the one mfg by Creuver Mfg. Co. The second, reported to be dropped by air, to guerillas fighting the Japanese. In reality, it was part of aircraft emergency bail-out kits, in tropical areas. M.P.http://www.lulu.com/content/1253892

[migueldiaz]

I think the truth may be somewhat clouded in the mists of the past yet the deeds go down in history . I would suspect that Furlong with many of his contemporarys in the Constabulary found that leading from the front inspired the ranks .\

People will always follow those who lead .

"Denying him the death he sought " ....... well, there's maybe the Journalist .. ;)


I have both the books you mention above Miguel; both are worthwhile reads along with MYSELF AND A FEW MOROS by Cloman from the same era; all of the titles are fairly affordable . :)

RickThanks for the comments, Ric :)

And the "Moros [giving] way before him" reminds me of Moses parting the Red Sea ;) :D

Thanks also for the book referral ... I just ordered a copy!

[migueldiaz]

Couldn't find mile file photo. Image at top of page depicts both the US Spring & Bumper Co. Machete (bright blade) and the one mfg by Creuver Mfg. Co. The second, reported to be dropped by air, to guerillas fighting the Japanese. In reality, it was part of aircraft emergency bail-out kits, in tropical areas. M.P.http://www.lulu.com/content/1253892Thanks for the info, and let's put that image here for reference ...

[migueldiaz]

I actually bought a ginunting from Buddy last Dec. It was a Xmas present to myself. :D Buddy makes them for the Philippine Marine elite unit ...Which reminds me, I've been meaning to get one for myself, too!

[migueldiaz]

I just have to add...it is extremely well balanced and light. The Kamagong handles make it look heavy but it is not. Very easy to swing, chop, hack, thrust, etc... And Buddy is a great guy to deal with.By the way, would you know if the Phil. Army (with US troops below, in the 2008 joint exercise in Luzon) would also have a standard issue bolo? Thanks.

[Dimasalang]

By the way, would you know if the Phil. Army (with US troops below, in the 2008 joint exercise in Luzon) would also have a standard issue bolo? Thanks.

Hi Miguel, I wouldn't know if the regulars in the Phil. Army have an issued bolo. :shrug: Im now curious to know if they do. My guess would be yes, considering the environment they have to deal with most of the time. I'll try and find out. :)


In studying the story of the bolomen, I have yet to read Muddy Glory: America's Indian Wars in the Philippines (http://www.amazon.com/Muddy-Glory-Americas-Indian-Philippines/dp/0815804024) (1981) and Bullets & Bolos: Fifteen Years in the Philippine Islands (http://www.amazon.com/Bullets-bolos-Fifteen-Philippine-islands/dp/B0008636IE) (1928).

I've read several times however, Vic Hurley's Jungle Patrol (http://www.bakbakan.org/junglep.html) (1938) and Swish of the Kris (http://www.bakbakan.org/swishkb.html) (1936).



You can read Bullets and Bolos online at a secret location. I'll PM it to you. ;)
I have yet to read Muddy Glory also...tough to find that one. I also read through Jungle Patrol and Swish of the Kris a couple times. A copy of Swish of the Kris sold on ebay a few months back...if I remember right it went over $100. I got my copy of Jungle Patrol on ebay for ~$40. :o

[migueldiaz]

Hi Miguel, I wouldn't know if the regulars in the Phil. Army have an issued bolo. :shrug: Im now curious to know if they do. My guess would be yes, considering the environment they have to deal with most of the time. I'll try and find out. :)

You can read Bullets and Bolos online at a secret location. I'll PM it to you. ;)
I have yet to read Muddy Glory also...tough to find that one. I also read through Jungle Patrol and Swish of the Kris a couple times. A copy of Swish of the Kris sold on ebay a few months back...if I remember right it went over $100. I got my copy of Jungle Patrol on ebay for ~$40. :oThanks! :)

In searching for old books, you may also want to try these:

[1] BookFinder4U (http://www.bookfinder4u.com/)

[2] UsedBookSearch (http://www.usedbooksearch.co.uk/)

[3] Univ. of the Phils. library (http://ilib.upd.edu.ph/servlet/action/IntegratedSearch), in case you have relatives here in the Phils. who are enrolled at UP at the moment ...

[migueldiaz]

From the Wikipedia article on Bolo knife (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolo_knife), the photos below were described as:

Early 20th century Cebuano Police officers armed with a pinuti (left) and a sundang (right)
and

An assortment of bolos and related implements include:

1. The all-purpose bolo: Used for all sorts of odd jobs, including breaking open coconuts.

2. The haras: Similar to a small scythe, it is used for cutting tall grass.

3. The kutsilyo: The term comes from the Spanish word cuchillo, meaning knife. Generally used to kill and bleed pigs during slaughter.

4. A smaller bolo.

5. The bolo-guna: A bolo specifically shaped for digging out roots and weeding.

6. The garab: Used to harvest rice.

7. A large pinuti: Traditionally it is tipped in snake, spider or scorpion venom and used for self-defense.

8. The sundang: Supposedly used mainly to open coconuts. The sundang, also called "tip bolo" or itak, was a popular weapon of choice in the revolution against the Spanish colonial government and during the Philippine–American War.
There are about 170 dialects in the Philippines, by the way. Thus, it's very likely that the same term may refer to a different blade type in another locale (or vice versa).

[KuKulzA28]

Just to liven up this topic once more (I like it very much), what was historically the most successful bolo-rush?
I am intrigued by these near-suicidal rushes being made by native people against colonial powers. Some of them were part of native war-doctrine. Others didn't usually engage in a wild rush unless circumstances necessitated it - the normal warfare was traditionally ambuscades, raids, counter-raids, and very few open engagements. How successful were they? Would it have been easier just to form small groups and ambush with traps and pits with bolo-men closing in afterwards? Or was it paramount to attack with masses of bolo-men? In some cases, maybe fewer bolos would've been better ratio-wise? Masses do inspire courage however...

And also, what's the level of martial training for these bolo-men? Were they simply familiar with their blades or were they familiar and particularly skilled?
I know, for examples, that gurkas didn't traditionally train with khukuris, but rather, the kora, tulwar, etc. were more important weapons. With the introduction of modern firearms, the utility and fighting capabilities of the khukuri shown greatly as bows and koras were replaced by assault rifles. I don't know if many Chinese Da-dao-men were well trained or simply given basic techniques, but they performed admirably... as did the Chileans with their corvos...

[migueldiaz]

Just to liven up this topic once more (I like it very much), what was historically the most successful bolo-rush?
I am intrigued by these near-suicidal rushes being made by native people against colonial powers. Some of them were part of native war-doctrine. Others didn't usually engage in a wild rush unless circumstances necessitated it - the normal warfare was traditionally ambuscades, raids, counter-raids, and very few open engagements. How successful were they? Would it have been easier just to form small groups and ambush with traps and pits with bolo-men closing in afterwards? Or was it paramount to attack with masses of bolo-men? In some cases, maybe fewer bolos would've been better ratio-wise? Masses do inspire courage however...Earlier we saw how the cover of vegetation and the cover of darkness yield successful bolo rushes.

The third "cover" and this time employed in urban warfare is the use of artifice and cunning.

And under this mode we see the most successful bolo rush ever. The incident was described as the United States Army's worst defeat since the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876.

It was the Balangiga massacre of 1901 during the Philippine-American War. "Balangiga" is pronounced BAH-lung-hee-gah (not sure where the accent is, and I just presumed it's in the first syllable).

Here's the rest of the bits of info from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balangiga_massacre):

more than forty American soldiers were killed in a surprise guerrilla attack and Filipinos regard the attack as one of their bravest acts in the war

the attack was made between 6:20 and 6:45 am of September 28, 1901

the leader of the attack was the Balangiga police chief, Valeriano Abanador (standing sixth from right, with Company C, 9th US Infantry Regiment, taken in Balangiga)

the attack commenced when Abanador, who had been supervising the prisoners' communal labor in the town plaza, grabbed the rifle of Private Adolph Gamlin, one of the American sentries and stunned him with a blow to the head

this served as the signal for the rest of the communal laborers in the plaza to rush the other sentries and soldiers of Company C, who were mostly having breakfast in the mess area

Abanador then gave a shout, signaling the other Filipino men to the attack and fired Gamlin's rifle at the mess tent, hitting one of the soldiers

the pealing of the church bells and the sounds from conch shells being blown followed seconds later

to mask the disappearance of the women from the dawn service in the church, 34 men from Barrio Lawaan cross-dressed as women worshipers

these "women", carrying small coffins, were earlier challenged by Sergeant Scharer of the sentry post about the town plaza near the church

opening one of the coffins with his bayonet, he saw the body of a dead child, whom he was told, was a victim of a cholera epidemic

unbeknownst to the sentries, the other coffins hid the bolos and other weapons of the attackers

some of the Company C troopers were attacked and hacked to death before they could grab their rifles; the few who survived the initial onslaught fought almost bare-handed, using kitchen utensils, steak knives, and chairs

one private used a baseball bat to fend off the attackers before being overwhelmed

of the 74 men in Company C, 36 were killed in action, including all its commissioned officers; Captain Thomas W. Connell [USMA graduate], First Lieutenant Edward A. Bumpus and Major Richard S. Griswold

twenty-two were wounded in action and four were missing in action; eight later died of wounds received in combat; only four escaped unscathed

the 500 attackers suffered 28 dead and 22 wounded

Company C had to flee the garrison immediately for fear of being wiped out

in the process, they left about 100 rifles and 25,000 rounds of ammunition (which is another devastating loss, as these much needed firearms and ammo prolonged the struggle in Samar, first by the soldiers of the Philippine republic, and later by the Pulajanes and other groups)


The other photo shows Abanador in his old age, while the Balangiga memorial marker says in English:

BALANGIGA MASSACRE: In this town, on the 28th of September 1901, Filipinos armed with bolos attacked Company "C", Ninth Infantry of U.S. They killed almost all the American soldiers. In revenge the Americans launched a six-month "kill-and-burn" [campaign]. The town became like a "howling wilderness." Because of their cruelty, Brig. Gen. Jacob H. Smith and Major Littleton W.T. Waller were tried by court martial and cashiered.
Years ago, there were a lot of conflicting accounts about this encounter as a whole.

Much studies have been made since then. By this time almost all of the points have been harmonized (and as reflected in the Wikipedia article on the subject).

[migueldiaz]

In some cases, maybe fewer bolos would've been better ratio-wise?Yes indeed.

In fact there's a method to the madness ;) :D

Gen. Miguel Malvar is popularly known as the last general to surrender during the Philippine-American War.

Malvar for instance ordered that bolomen should not exceed 30% of company strength, as he was more after quality than quantity of troops. That can be read from Brian Linn's book (http://www.google.com/books?id=-5WOrmt_VxcC&pg).

[KuKulzA28]

Wow, that's a well-executed massacre... damn :eek:

Reminds me of the Wushe Rebellion, but that didn't end so well for the native fighters.... :mad:

__________________________

Yes I figured... otherwise you'd have a lot of young men losing their lives as krag-fodder, instead of training them or using them as scouts, or reserves, or whatever...

Thanks for the link! :)

[migueldiaz]

And also, what's the level of martial training for these bolo-men? Were they simply familiar with their blades or were they familiar and particularly skilled?Looks like most of the Balangiga natives are familiar with martial arts.

We can glean that from the fact that aside from baseball, the US soldiers whiled their time away watching arnis demonstration.

Also, the leader of the attack [Abanador, Balangiga police chief] is known to be a tournament-caliber escrimador. And Abanador was a good chess player, too (his sparring partner in chess is the surgeon Major Griswold, one of those killed in the attack).

And one survivor [Private Gamlin] recounts coming face to face with a native armed with a bolo on one hand and a dagger in another hand.

According to UP Professor Rolando Borrinaga [the person who has done research on this encounter the most], Mariano Valdenor [Balangiga assistant police chief] fitted best this person's description.

Thus it looks espada y daga (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espada_y_daga) was another technique well known to the Balangiga natives.

[Dimasalang]

while the Balangiga memorial marker says in English:

BALANGIGA MASSACRE: In this town, on the 28th of September 1901, Filipinos armed with bolos attacked Company "C", Ninth Infantry of U.S. They killed almost all the American soldiers. In revenge the Americans launched a six-month "kill-and-burn" [campaign]. The town became like a "howling wilderness." Because of their cruelty, Brig. Gen. Jacob H. Smith and Major Littleton W.T. Waller were tried by court martial and cashiered.
.

The memorial marker needs to be corrected. The atrocities ordered by Smith and performed by Waller made national news in America. The trial of both was carefully watched. The end result is atrocious…Smith was found guilty and was to be court-martial…his punishment was to be decided by the review board…their punishment for Smith, simply to turn in his resignation paper and retire from the military(with his present rank). And in the case of Waller “the Butcher of Samar”, he was acquitted of his charge. Waller would later make the rank of Colonel a couple years after the his alleged crime(if the case meant anything, this promotion would have never happened). His overall service in the Marine Corp is defined as exemplary, honorable, well respected, and a model Marine...he would retire in 1920 as a full fledge Major General. I HIGHLY doubt this trial made any type of dent or impact on his military career. Both are buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

One other interesting thing about Waller. He led the famous Marine expedition through Samar 1901. It is considered by far to be the most dangerous and toughest expedition track of that era…estimated at 250miles, all the while battling Pulahans, Insurgents, bolo attacks, sickness, lack of food, and the rugged dense jungle terrain. It is also after this expedition where Waller gave the orders to execute the 11 native guides. In the long run, the expedition elevated the Marine toughness lore to great proportions throughout all the military branches of the US. Even several years after, the Marines from this expedition were still recognized through out the Marine Corp...regardless of rank, when a Marine from Wallers expedition walked in to a room, his presence would be acknowledged by a shout, “Stand gentlemen, he served in SAMAR!”, and all Marines would rise and salute.

[KuKulzA28]

Heroic people on both sides of the conflicts, that's for sure...

Was Samar a major hotbed of resistance? If so, how was it compared to... say Luzon or the Moros?


This is slightly off topic, but...
The "Talibon" was widely used in Samar if I'm not mistaken... and the "Sansibar" in Leyte... Pulahans were said to have used Talibons. However the Pulahan-Derobio eskrima group (claims to have martial arts from the Pulahan fighters) has "sansibars" as their principle bolos. What does that mean? Means different bolos used by the Pulahan? Means different bolos developed by the Waray-waray people of both islands? :confused: :shrug:

[Dimasalang]

Heroic people on both sides of the conflicts, that's for sure...

Was Samar a major hotbed of resistance? If so, how was it compared to... say Luzon or the Moros?


This is slightly off topic, but...
The "Talibon" was widely used in Samar if I'm not mistaken... and the "Sansibar" in Leyte... Pulahans were said to have used Talibons. However the Pulahan-Derobio eskrima group (claims to have martial arts from the Pulahan fighters) has "sansibars" as their principle bolos. What does that mean? Means different bolos used by the Pulahan? Means different bolos developed by the Waray-waray people of both islands? :confused: :shrug:

Definitely heroic people on both sides of the coin thats for sure...this is why I study accounts on both sides of the war. I have more favorite American war heroes of this era then any other time. I know many people here are collectors of Philippine artifacts, but taking in to account American artifacts of this era, it is just the same. Some people are floored by Barongs and Kris's selling for near $2k...a Krag rifle bayonet of this era just sold for $2,650...and thats the typical price. And a Philippine Krag Carbine from this era is seen as the ultimate prize of all Krags in the Krag world...they are almost nonexistent.

On the major hot regions. Between 1899 and 1913, all 3 regions had their time and place as being the major hotbed. First in Luzon, then in Visayas, and finally in Mindanao...all 3 over lapped one another but they all had their turn at being major hotbeds. From 1899-1903 Luzon was the major hot region...but Sakay and his group still roamed and threatened Luzon up until 1906. Then from 1902-1907, Visayas took over as the major hot region...the turning point came after the capture of Papa Ablen in 1907...the last major Pulahan to be killed was in 1911. And lastly, resistance in Mindanao went from 1904 to 1913...peaking from the disarmament act of 1911, which inevitably lead up to the Battle of Bagsak in 1913. By 1915, all major resistances in all 3 regions was extinguished. Looking at the annual war reports from 1915 on, there is almost nothing reported. It is difficult to say which is the worst out of all 3...but for me personally, I believe Samar-Leyte was the worst area...following in a very close second, Mindanao...with Luzon being last.

On the Talibon and Sansibar topic. I tend to believe both types of swords were used and found in either area, both regions are so close to one another they are typically grouped together when spoken of (Samar-Leyte)...this is because the groups living there share such cultural similarities. Kind of like saying San Jose and San Francisco...two different cities but so close you just call the entire region the Bay Area since everything going on there is essentially the same. The Waray people(who typically made up a huge majority of the Pulahan group) can be found in both regions...and the Pulahans traveled everywhere. But more then likely a larger majority of each sword were found in their respective region due to their origination in those areas. I wouldn't necessary restrict any sword to one region...the Philippines has 7100 islands, traveling by boat was typical. I know many may think, 100 years ago these groups were isolated, thats not true...mode of transportation by boat was infact easy and was an everyday occurrence.

[migueldiaz]

Here's an artist's interpretation of what happened on that fateful morning of Sept. 28, 1901, in Balangiga, Eastern Samar.

This plate came from the 10-volume Filipinas Heritage series published in the 1970s.

I'm not quite sure whether the depiction of the bolos is accurate.

[migueldiaz]

the pealing of the church bells and the sounds from conch shells being blown followed seconds later

to mask the disappearance of the women from the dawn service in the church, 34 men from Barrio Lawaan cross-dressed as women worshipers

these "women", carrying small coffins, were earlier challenged by Sergeant Scharer of the sentry post about the town plaza near the church

opening one of the coffins with his bayonet, he saw the body of a dead child, whom he was told, was a victim of a cholera epidemic

unbeknownst to the sentries, the other coffins hid the bolos and other weapons of the attackersFrom the same series, here's another color plate.

This painting interprets the contingent that disguised themselves as early morning women churchgoers.

Or perhaps they just want to crossdress, that's all ;) :D

[migueldiaz]

Still from the same series, we find this painting by Remington, obviously inspired by the bolomen of those days.

[migueldiaz]

Definitely heroic people on both sides of the coin thats for sure...Indeed! :)

Like on the American side, Prof. Borrinaga in his The Balangiga Conflict Revisited (http://www.amazon.com/Balangiga-Conflict-Revisited-Rolando-Borrinaga/dp/9711010909) (2003) devotes one chapter to the heroism of Pvt. Adolph Gamlin, a survivor of the encounter.

On a related matter, Jean Wall (Gamlin's daughter) who has visited Balangiga several times described to Borrinaga the profile of the soldiers of Company C. She said that most of the soldiers were actually very young boys from the Midwest who had never been away from home before and did not have the benefit of good education.

[Of course the officers were well educated. Capt. Connell is a West Point graduate. Lt. Bumpus (second-in-command) studied in Harvard. And Maj. Griswold is a surgeon.]

In fact just a few days before the encounter, one soldier committed suicide apparently due to depression, while another deserted.

Just the same, when the surprise attack came, the soldiers fought valiantly, as exemplified by Gamlin's courage.

The survivors apparently also did not take things personally against the Filipinos. Three of the survivors were sergeants. One of them was Frank Betron. After his discharge from the army, he married a Filipina and settled in the Philippines.

Betron was also the only soldier cited by Abanador (the Balangiga police chief who led the attack, and who's also a tournament-caliber arnis master) as having truly learned arnis. Abanador apparently earlier tutored interested American soldiers arnis ...

[KuKulzA28]

The survivors apparently also did not take things personally against the Filipinos. Three of the survivors were sergeants. One of them was Frank Betron. After his discharge from the army, he married a Filipina and settled in the Philippines.
Interesting how at the end of war, bloodshed, and oppressive times people can still look at each other and love. It's a very comforting thought.

Betron was also the only soldier cited by Abanador (the Balangiga police chief who led the attack, and who's also a tournament-caliber arnis master) as having truly learned arnis. Abanador apparently earlier tutored interested American soldiers arnis ...
Now that is an interesting thing to note. Any examples of other US soldiers learning Filipino/Moro fighting arts?

[migueldiaz]

Interesting how at the end of war, bloodshed, and oppressive times people can still look at each other and love. It's a very comforting thought.Not to be mushy here, but Sgt. Barton's first love (in PI) was apparently a Balangiga lass. Unfortunately, our lovers were overtaken by events (and in the subsequent punitive expeditions to Samar, that lady's mother was one of the casualties). The sarge's crush died a spinster. These are all in Borrinaga's books.

Now that is an interesting thing to note. Any examples of other US soldiers learning Filipino/Moro fighting arts?Do the pics below (http://www.morolandhistory.com/Photo%20Galleries/Chapter%208/8%20A%20-%20Life%20at%20Vicars/8-A-5%20Vicars%20scenes.htm) count? :D

On a more serious note, let me find out if I can dig up info on that. My impression is that the Moro warriors were secretive about their martial arts ..

[migueldiaz]

In imagining the blade the Balangiga bolomen used, the following passage from Borrinaga's The Balangiga Conflict Revisited would be relevant:

He [1st Lt. Bumpus, the second-in-command] noted the "great many coconut trees along the lowlands near the seacoast." He added that the "meat of the coconut and its milk are highly prized by the natives, and they get a good price for the oil." ...

It could be inferred from the above observation that, unlike western Samar towns around Catbalogan and Calbayog that engaged in hemp production [thus abaca instead of coconut would be the main crop], Balangiga in the south was more into coconut oil production for export. [p. 43]

Earlier (http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpost.php?p=82373&postcount=21), we saw that the Leyte-Samar coconut farmers' bolo of choice would be the talibon (also known simply as sundang among the natives).

So that must be it ... the Balangiga encounter would be a talibon vs. Krag encounter, if we may wrap up the type of weapons used in the Balangiga incident.

[migueldiaz]

Capt. Leonard Furlong is part and parcel of the story of the bolomen and the krismen. This morning, I went to the Manila North Cemetery (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_North_Cemetery) to look for his grave and am pleased to have found it.

After clearing the debris and dirt on Furlong's tombstone from last night's rains, I took the photos below.

From Vic Hurley's Jungle Patrol, on Furlong's last days --
"On detail as Senior Inspector of Lanao, Furlong demonstrated the old fighting genius that had made him one of the most powerful figures of the Constabulary. But his old vitality was gone, and he was gnawed by thoughts of his trial and the attendant publicity. Always a strange, sensitive figure, he broke at last under the strain of the years of jungle campaign. He was sent to Manila for observation and treatment, arriving there on June 21. 1911.On the evening prior to Furlong's death he dined with the officers at the mess, and during the meal gave no sign of depression. At nine o'clock in the evening of July 9 he passed two officers on his way to his quarters. A moment later a shot was heard; and when they entered his room, Furlong was found dying on the bed from a gunshot wound."

[Dimasalang]

Awesome! Thank you for taking these photos! Very much appreciated. :D

[migueldiaz]

dimasalang, glad you liked the pics.

then of course the bolomen's leaders were buried just a few paces away. below are some pics. i'll also upload to flickr the pics of the individual crypts, as well as the separate tomb of gen. pawa -- then i'll send you the link.

[KuKulzA28]

Migueldiaz, thanks for posting these pictures up!

[Dimasalang]

Thanks for those extra photos also. Yes and please post up the pics of Gen Pawa's tomb. I also tracked through Manilas North Cemetery back in 2005. At the time I didn't know Furlong was buried there, and I didn't know about the mousoleum of the revolution...biggest regret not seeing those two. I was also looking for Gregoria de Jesus's tomb as well but ran out of time...let me know if you seen hers! :D This cemetery is extremely huge!..along with people living there, it can literally be its own separate town. You can spend two days in there and not see everything. Too many famous people buried there. :)

[Battara]

Wow. Great pictures all. And amazing pictures of the Americans practicing with kampilan and kris. :eek:

[Rick]

Wow. Great pictures all. And amazing pictures of the Americans practicing with kampilan and kris. :eek:

Aye, looks like they've been disencumbered of Western garb . :o :D :rolleyes:

Shades of Conrad . ;)

[nacho]

Miguel,

Thanks for the pictures of the North Cemetery. I saw the name of my great grand father, Gen. Emiliano Riego de Dios. All the while I assumed he was buried in Maragondon, Cavite, his hometown. He was Aguinaldo's Secretary of War.

[migueldiaz]

thanks everyone, for the comments.

nacho, no wonder the name sounded very familiar (i've heard you mention the name to us before). i'll post then the pic of his crypt.

dimasalang, yes i was also able to take pics of the grave of the wife of andres bonifacio (will also post them here).

[Dimasalang]

I saw the name of my great grand father, Gen. Emiliano Riego de Dios. All the while I assumed he was buried in Maragondon, Cavite, his hometown. He was Aguinaldo's Secretary of War.

Wow! :eek: Always read about your great-grandfather. Not only Emiliano but his two brothers as well. All three led the revolution out of Maragondon. Mariano was also a general and Vicente was a colonel during the Fil-Am War. Great family history Nacho! :D
Got any family memorabilia from back in the days?

[migueldiaz]

here's are pics of the tomb of gregoria de jesus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregoria_de_Jes%C3%BAs), wife of the philippine national hero, andres bonifacio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9s_Bonifacio).

bonifacio is always portrayed with a bolo as his prominent weapon. but historians say that his favorite weapon is actually his revolver.

here are the pics of the crypt/tomb of the phil. revolution and phil-am war officers buried at the same cemetery: 1 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/4702693041_49b17fd77c_b.jpg), 2 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4702692683_7c23803857_b.jpg), 3 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4703328830_6993c08544_b.jpg), 4 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4703328448_7e87bfb601_b.jpg), 5 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4703328198_d544fe3273_b.jpg), 6 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4702691505_04bcedab04_b.jpg), 7 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4702691167_1a109fe7b6_b.jpg), 8 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4702690857_83a26ef1f8_b.jpg), 9 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4703326944_9b74baf597_b.jpg), 10 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4703326622_ac13904c8b_b.jpg), 11 (http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1283/4702689941_958795dcc4_b.jpg), 12 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4702689779_bb45d3ae85_b.jpg), and 13 (http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1303/4703325878_0757f2cdbc_b.jpg).

[migueldiaz]

if anybody is interested in the pics of the tombs of american 'philippine constabulary' officers buried with leonard furlong at manila north cemetery, please click this link (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3272381/phil%20constabulary%20american%20officers.zip) to download the pics.

perhaps somebody can also find out if some of the names figured in hurley's swish of the kris, and jungle patrol :)

[nacho]

Wow! :eek: Always read about your great-grandfather. Not only Emiliano but his two brothers as well. All three led the revolution out of Maragondon. Mariano was also a general and Vicente was a colonel during the Fil-Am War. Great family history Nacho! :D
Got any family memorabilia from back in the days?

wow, Dimasalang, you know your history. Few people know about Vicente and Mariano Riego de Dios. The Riego de Dios ancestral house in Maragondon has been declared a National Heritage site.

No memorabilla. Just funny stories by my grandfather about the Bonifacio trial. According to him, his father was not in there when they voted to arrest Bonifacio. He had a bum stomach -- so he had to go home (which was just a block away).

I asked him once how his father and uncles became top officers of revolution. He said in those days, a person can be a officer if he had a ready "army". They had a ranch and a farm. They gathered their farm hands -- and presto, they had an "army". One of the top officers from Maragondon was a school principal -- he just gathered his former students and was commissioned "Colonel". Interesting.

[Dimasalang]

here's are pics of the tomb of gregoria de jesus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregoria_de_Jes%C3%BAs), wife of the philippine national hero, andres bonifacio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9s_Bonifacio).

bonifacio is always portrayed with a bolo as his prominent weapon. but historians say that his favorite weapon is actually his revolver.

here are the pics of the crypt/tomb of the phil. revolution and phil-am war officers buried at the same cemetery: 1 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/4702693041_49b17fd77c_b.jpg), 2 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4702692683_7c23803857_b.jpg), 3 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4703328830_6993c08544_b.jpg), 4 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4703328448_7e87bfb601_b.jpg), 5 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4703328198_d544fe3273_b.jpg), 6 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4702691505_04bcedab04_b.jpg), 7 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4702691167_1a109fe7b6_b.jpg), 8 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4702690857_83a26ef1f8_b.jpg), 9 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4703326944_9b74baf597_b.jpg), 10 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4703326622_ac13904c8b_b.jpg), 11 (http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1283/4702689941_958795dcc4_b.jpg), 12 (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4702689779_bb45d3ae85_b.jpg), and 13 (http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1303/4703325878_0757f2cdbc_b.jpg).

WOW!!! Maraming-maraming salamat for these photos! Awesome to see these graves since they are never really visited or photographed. I swear, Manilas North Cemetery is an unknown spot...to me, it is a must see location for anyone who is in to Philippine history. So many heroes buried there, many of them can have their own shrine, monument, or memorial park! Can't believe Gregoria de Jesus's tomb..how could I have missed that! Wish I saw it in person...and not just for her, the Nakpil-Bautista family as well. I visited their ancestral house in Quiapo. Amazes me.
Gen Pawa's tomb is also very interesting, being it is not extravagant or some huge monument. Most Chinese tombs are huge off the wall architectural structure. And most well known famous people of the Philippines are buried around marble...Pawa's looks to be ordinary slabs of concrete like the average common citizen...interesting. Was he buried in a regular location?..I know there was a chinese section of the cemetery. Gen Pawa was the only non-native full blooded Chinese general of Aguinaldo. He was also known for being one of the arresting officers of Andres Bonifacio...it is said he was the one who stabbed Bonifacio in the neck with a dagger. Maybe Gen Pawa was buried with that dagger. :eek:
Thanks again for sharing!
:D

[Dimasalang]

wow, Dimasalang, you know your history. Few people know about Vicente and Mariano Riego de Dios. The Riego de Dios ancestral house in Maragondon has been declared a National Heritage site.

No memorabilla. Just funny stories by my grandfather about the Bonifacio trial. According to him, his father was not in there when they voted to arrest Bonifacio. He had a bum stomach -- so he had to go home (which was just a block away).

I asked him once how his father and uncles became top officers of revolution. He said in those days, a person can be a officer if he had a ready "army". They had a ranch and a farm. They gathered their farm hands -- and presto, they had an "army". One of the top officers from Maragondon was a school principal -- he just gathered his former students and was commissioned "Colonel". Interesting.

Thanks Nacho. Reading and researching Philippine History is a personal hobby of mine. When I am doing nothing else, I am reading our history. My favorite section being the Revolution, the Philippine-American War, and up to the end of the Moro rebellion. :) Thanks for sharing those family stories. Funny, your family stories are actual apart of Philippine history! Not to many Filipinos can say that. And what you shared brings a new perspective to the table...never knew that was how most officers came to be, farmers with the most property and ranch-hands most likely meant a higher rank during the revolution.

I attached a document from the annual War Report of 1901 sent to the US President. It states the capture of your great-grand uncle Col Vicente Riego de Dios, which took place at your ancestral house in Maragondon. Hope you don't mind me sharing this. hehe Just thought it was interesting and funny at the same time. Again, not to many people can say their family was once at war with America and US Soldiers came and attacked my family's house. :D

[Dimasalang]

if anybody is interested in the pics of the tombs of american 'philippine constabulary' officers buried with leonard furlong at manila north cemetery, please click this link (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3272381/phil%20constabulary%20american%20officers.zip) to download the pics.

perhaps somebody can also find out if some of the names figured in hurley's swish of the kris, and jungle patrol :)

Glad you posted the link to these extra pics too. :)
Two of the men are really worth a mention.
William Harris was killed at an engagment at Corral Na Bato, which is located in Mariquina(name and spelling changed to Marikina). This was actually the first engagement with General Luciano San Miguel and his force in Rizal province. San Miguel was one of the few generals that never gave up to American forces, and at the time was now #1 on the US Military's Most Wanted List. Interesting enough, Inspector "Geronimo" of the PC was also present along side Harris at this battle...this is the same Licerio Geronimo who was a General of Aguinaldos and whos filipino force was accredited with the killing of US Gen Henry Lawton at the Battle of San Mateo. Geronimo later became a PC inspector, his jurisdiction being his home province. Only two PCs were killed in this engagement, Lt Harris being one, the other being a private. A second battle occurred at Corral Na Bato a month later on March 28, which resulted in the death of the young Gen San Miguel.

Capt Thomas Hayson was killed at Siasi, Sulu where he was stationed. Reports state he was killed in his sleep by one of his own men who was a Moro PC. 7 were later apprehended with the death of Harris. 5 being PC officers, 2 were Moros...all were said to be associated with Pala. Two were sentenced to death by hanging, and the other 5 were jailed up to 10 years.

[nacho]

Dimasalang, thanks. I heard of this story about a grand uncle escaping arrest by American soldiers by hiding under a pile of bananas. All the while we thought it was a joke.

[migueldiaz]

dimasalang, am glad you liked the pics. and thanks too for making these people come 'alive' once again via those stories behind them!

nacho, there's a 'camp riego de dios' in cavite. maybe they have a small museum there or perhaps a nook where some memorabilia are kept? :) and that was a nice try, attempting to hide under a pile of bananas ;)

[migueldiaz]

Forgot to mention that Gen. Pawa's [Paua's] tomb is outside the veterans' mausoleum. But the general's tomb is right outside the mausoleum.