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WABUKAN Arsenal · Knives and blades · Southeast Asia

Bolo

The Filipino farm machete. Eskrima teaches that the same movements work with a stick, a bolo or empty hands.

Bolo
Bolo WABUKAN illustration

Also known as

itak · itak; bolo knife

Origin and history

The bolo is the Filipino working blade, used to clear vegetation and harvest crops. During the Philippine Revolution (1896) and the Philippine–American War, bolo-armed fighters became symbols of resistance; it remains a central blade in Filipino martial arts.

Martial arts that use it

Arnis · Eskrima · Kali

Construction

A single-edged blade of about 30–50 cm that widens towards the tip for chopping, with a wooden or horn handle; many regional types exist.

Basic techniques

Training

Short-blade training starts with trainers made of wood, aluminium or rubber. Students drill angles of attack, grips (forward and reverse), checking the opponent’s arm and footwork, then flow drills with a partner. Live blades are kept for solo forms by experienced practitioners, if at all.

Safety

Use training knives for all partner work and eye protection for fast drills. Never mix live and training blades in the same session, store blades sheathed and out of reach of children.

Legality (general information)

Swords, knives and other edged weapons are regulated very differently from country to country (and sometimes from region to region): owning one at home is often allowed, while carrying it in public, buying it under a certain age or importing it may be restricted or banned. Practitioners usually transport them cased, out of reach and straight between home and dojo. This is general information, not legal advice: check the law where you live.

Did you know?

Filipino martial arts teach that empty-hand and stick movements come from the blade: the stick (baston) is often treated as a bolo.

More weapons

Katar Khanjar Tanto Sai Kama Butterfly swords

Sources

Original WABUKAN text, written from these cross-checked sources (facts, not sentences).

  1. Wikipedia — Bolo knife
  2. Wikipedia — Eskrima