Balisong is an Italian invention

The butterfly knife or balisong(also called butterfly knife or in English butterfly knife)is a knife of Filipino origin, so called for the peculiarity of the handle, which is opened in two parts longitudinally, to discover the blade.

Also called the power container, the balisong is a knife with incredible features.

As mentioned, the peculiarity of the knife lies in the handle that opens longitudinally allows you to discover the blade, almost always monofila.

The opening is made so that it can be performed with one hand, and with a little exercise you can do it very quickly.

In addition, the closed knife can be used as a Palm Stick or as a Kubotan.

Curiosity:

✔The Balisong is one of the traditional weapons of kali, a Filipino martial art,but it is a very widespread knife in Southeast Asia.

As you can see from the next image it is made by a few simple elements but requiring good accuracy for good balance.

✔ Given its blade masking capability and the danger of the blade, the use of balisong is illegal in Japan, Canada, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Hong Kong and the United States.

✔ The balisong actually comes from a knife of French-Genoese origin. (again the Italians ;-))

Although it is now a widely held view that balisong is a knife born in the Philippines, it is actually of French-Genoeseorigin.

It was in fact a knife employed by naval artillerymen since at least the 1700s.

On the handle there were several notches, useful for adjusting the rise of the cannons while its tip was used to prepare the ignition and to carry out other routine operations.

The design of the knife, designed to be opened and used with one hand, was particularly useful to be used in service on ships.

A specimen of this knife, dated 1791, is on display at the Musée de la Coutellerie in Thiers, France.

✔ The Butterfly Knife, Bow tie or Balisong or even Butterfly in English arose in the 16th century, in the Philippines.

Invented by a gun soldier on the occasion of the Spanish invasion.

The Spanish conquistadors had forbidden the population to carry weapons to limit the risks of rebelling.

This knife, which at first resembled a Castilian range, was easy to conceal and went unnoticed.

Gradually, manufacturing has evolved towards the form we know now.

✔ Balisong is made with different blade shapes and sliding systems to allow a fast and precise opening.

That’s why a lot of opening tricks have developed.

A feature of the balisong is that you can also use it as a kubotan by keeping it closed and if necessary open it.

A not insignificant feature in a self-defense context to have a versatile tool.

On the market there are training balisongs that do not have the blade thread to be able to practice in the various Tricks although it is necessary to use the real balisong because you have to be able to control and “respect” the blade.

At the beginning to avoid cutting yourself you can also put some nasto on the blade.

Below I list the countless techniques of opening and closing the balisong, one-handed, two-handed, with the body, etc.

They are divided by topics and are divided by difficulty level:

• Basic
• Intermediate,
• Advanced
• Professional
• Extreme.

There are real specialists in performing butterfly knife tricks.

I already warn you that there are quite a few.

OPEN OR CLOSED KNIFE TECHNIQUES (OPEN OR CLOSED KNIFE TECHNIQUES)

ONE HAND

• Slide
• Screwslide, New
• Open roll
• Balnce drill
• Half pivot-roll backward
• Pivots
• Mega-pivots inside
• Mega-pivots outside
• Table tops
• Pivot rolls
• The loop
• Index roll throw
• Thumb roll throw
• Backhand thumb roll throw
• Hyper drop half circle
• Hyper drop full circle
• Xtreme table top
• The twist
• Spine throw
• Double thumb roll
• Open roll throw – scissoring
• Open finger pass

TWO HANDS

• Distort
• Half pass
• Backhand pivot pass crossover simple throw pass
• Pivot throw pass
• Back hyper drop pass
• Roll pass
• Table tops pass

OPENING KNIFE TECHNIQUES

Beginners

• Snap partial
• Quick & quiet (!)
• Casper flips
• Backhand, New1001
• Backhand flip (!)
• Vertical (!)
• Horizontal i (!)
• Horizontal ii
• Vertical backhand
• Inside flip horizontal
• Inside flip vertical
• Out-to-in horizontal
• Out-to-in vertical
• Forward handle pinch
• Latch drop (!)
• 180th latch drop
• Windmill i
• Windmill ii
• Backhand windmill backward
• Backhand windmill forward
• Bite handle opening (!)
• Backhand bite handle opening (!)
• Bite handle horizontal
• Bite vertical handle
• Fanning
• Triangle, New10

INTERMEDIATE, New10

• Latch handle
• Bite handle windmill
• Double flip horizontals
• Double flip horizontal ii
• Backhand around half
• Backhand around full
• Flipping
• Basic twirl (!)
• Finger riochet twirl
• Finger twirl switch
• Single flip twirl
• Bite handle twirl
• Flip twirl
• Backhand flip out (!)
• Backhand double flip out
• Backhand bite handle to forward grip i
• Backhand bite handle to forward grip ii
• Backhand bite handle to forward grip iii
• False forward grip (!)
• False backhand
• False backhand flip
• Backhand circle
• Backhand to forward grip twirl
• Finger side flip
• The swirl
• Fix twirl
• Double flip fix twirl
• Finger twirl windmill
• Double flip windmill
• Triple flip windmill
• Double flip vertical
• Helicopters
• Thumb roll
• Thumb roll twirl
• Sinister’s roll

Advanced

• Backhand helicopters
• Small throw
• Small throw to backhand
• Motion throw i (!)
• Motion throw ii (!)
• Motion throw to closed grip
• Motion throw to backhand
• Static throw (!)
• Static throw to backhand
• Vertical throw to backhand open catch
• Out-to-in throw
• Thumb roll aerial
• Bite handle throw
• Bite handle opening throw
• Back knuckle aerial
• Backhand bite handle throw
• Backhand open throw to forward grip closed
• Backhand open to forward grip open throw
• Reverse reverse throw
• Backhand static throw (!)
• Open to open throw
• Hyper throw
• Casper flips aerial
• Halo
• Seesaw, New
• Full twirl (!)
• Backhand bite handle full twirl backhand flip out twirl
• Bite handle full twirl
• Full finger twirl / riochet
• Twirl finger fix
• Backhand twirl
• Finger twirl throw
• Finger twirl toss
• Finger twirl trailing
• Backhand flip out finger twirl trailing
• Basic twirl backhand screwdriver
• Static throw twirl to backhand
• Rollover (!)
• Rollover opening
• Rollover to backhand
• Open pointer finger rollover
• Open middle finger rollover
• Thumbover, New1001
• Thumb rollover
• Backhand bite handle rollover
• Backhand twirl to thumbover
• Bite handle pointer finger rollover
• Bite handle middle finger rollover
• Fix twirl rollover
• 9 ball
• Rewind
• Euphoria
• The trapeze switchback
• Switchback reverse
• Double agent
• Double index rollover
• Full twirl throw
• Latch drop aerial
• Xtreme rocker drill
• The Rocker
• 5 finger twirl
• Toss & catch
• Pop-open aerial
• Trailing to halo
• Advanced thumbover
• Advanced pinwheel
• Advanced horizontal (!)
• The pinball
• Y2k rollover (!)
• Y2k aerial rollover
• Y2k rollover to closed
• Y2k rollover to backhand open
• Zen rollover
• Late y2k
• Rollover to y2k rollover
• Y2k rollover to rollover
• Behind the y2k
• Advanced y2k
• Fan rollover

Professional

• More y2ks
• Stopover
• Hellbent (!)
• Bender (!)
• Leela
• Fry
• Hellish (!)
• Middleindex i
• Middleindex ii (!)
• Ferris wheel
• Full twirl throw – scissoring
• 7 ball
• 8 ball
• Behind the 8 ball (!)
• Helix (!)
• Kball, New8.
• The blender
• Stoproller, New
• Around the world
• Clean indexthumb (!)
• Indexthumb to backhand open
• Indexthumb to forward open
• The reverswheel (!)
• The breaked reverswheel
• The closed reverswheel
• Shortstop
• Bustle, New1000
• Switchback to behind the 8 ball
• 8 ball reverse
• Finger change rollover
• Advanced horizontal double roll
• Double advanced horizontal
• Clean indexthumb double roll
• Indexthumb to backhand open double roll
• Indexthumb to forward open double roll
• Middleindex ii to i
• Middleindex ii to behind 8 ball
• Middleindex i to bender
• Middleindex ii to bender
• Bohemia
• Moravia
• Silesia
• Whip rollover
• Hell behind the bend
• Thumbroll combo
• Trailing rollover
• Rolling full twirl
• Y1k rollover
• Y1k rollover to closed
• Y1k to y2k
• Y3k rollover (!)
• Y3k aerial rollover
• Y3k rollover to closed
• Y3k rollover to backhand open
• Y3k to 8 ball
• Y3k to bender
• Rollover to y3k rollover
• Y3k rollover to rollover
• Behind the y3k
• Advanced y3k
• Y1k to y2k to y3k
• Around the galaxy
• Cherry picker
• Small dash
• Big dash
• Gyratory, New100
• Joker
• Horizontal throw
• Backhand horizontal throw
• Finger rolls
• More y3ks
• Polix, New
• Double helix
• Seasickness, New1
• Unlimited 8 ball
• Murnax, New
• Y4k rollover
• Y4k aerial rollover
• Y4k rollover to closed
• Y4k rollover to backhand open
• Y4k to 8 ball
• Rollover to y4k rollover
• Y4k rollover to rollover
• More y4ks
• Advanced finger change rollover
• Aerial rollover
• Rollover aerial to backhand
• Rolling aerial i
• Rolling aerial ii
• The real y2k aerial
• The real y3k aerial
• The reverswheel aerial
• Kick ass aerial i
• Kick ass aerial ii
• Middleindex i aerial
• Middleindex ii aerial
• Throw to rollover
• Late y3k
• Late y4k
• Behind the y4k
• Advanced y4k

Expert

• Automaticum, New
• Polymaticum, New
• Zygomaticum, New
• Extactor, New
• Revolver
• Helix Cherry
• Middleindex i aerial – more rolls
• Middleindex ii aerial – more rolls
• Gyratory aerial i
• Gyratory aerial ii
• Gyratory aerial iii
• Simple finger pass (!)
• Finger pass
• Y0k rollover
• Y5k rollover
• Y5k aerial rollover
• Behind the 8 ball aerial
• Double helix aerial
• Champagne narcosis
• The rolleggaerial (!)
• The rolleggaerial – more rolls
• Advanced rolleggaerial
• Advanced rolleggaerial – more rolls
• The rollinger
• Hurdles, New1000
• Middleindex i to hurdles
• Middleindex ii to hurdles
• Zero gravity finger rolls

GRIP CHANGES TECHNIQUES

Beginners

• Vertical pass (!)
• Horizontal pass (!)
• Backhand, New1001

INTERMEDIATE, New10

• Backhand pass
• Backhand under pass
• Single handle pass
• Quick pass twirl pass
• Backhand to forward open
• Backhand to forward grip
• Fix twirl pass motion pass
• Circle helicopters
• Back pass

Advanced

• Static throw pass
• Motion throw pass i
• Motion throw pass ii
• Open throw pass
• Backhand static throw pass
• Backand reverse throw pass
• Back throw pass
• Finger twirl pass leading
• Finger twirl pass trailing
• Invisible, New10
• Full twirl pass
• Full twirl throw pass
• Finger twirl toss pass
• Fix twirl throw pass
• Rollover throw pass
• Rollover pass twirl open
• Y2k rollover pass
• Y2k rollover aerial pass
• Y2k to pointer rollover pass
• Open rollover pass

Professional

• Finger rolls pass
• Van Gogh
• Horizontal throw pass
• Rollover aerial pass
• Double rollover throw pass
• Throw to rollover pass
• Y3k rollover aerial pass
• Y4k rollover aerial pass
• Rollover pass
• Full twirl throw pass – scissoring
• Bender pass
• Middleindex passes
• Middleindex ii pass

Expert

• Jumping
• Throw to finger pass
• Y5k rollover aerial pass double helix aerial pass

BODY PARTS

• Reception inside of the elbow
• Throw to elbow
• Rolling to elbow
• The rolleggaerial to elbow
• Under the leg i
• Under the leg ii
• Kick
• Kick pass

DOUBLE KNIFE HANDED

OPEN OR CLOSED KNIFE

• Open roll
• Pivots
• Full pivot pass
• Double hyper
• Hyper juggles

Beginners

• Quick & quiet
• Caster flips
• Backhand, New1001
• Backhand flip
• Vertical, New10
• Horizontal i
• Horizontal ii
• Vertical backhand
• Out-to-in horizontal
• Out-to-in vertical
• Latch drop
• Windmill i
• Windmill ii
• Backhand windmill backward
• Backhand windmill forward
• Bite handle opening
• Backhand bite handle opening
• Bite vertical handle
• Horizontal i & ii horizontal i & vertical
• Horizontal ii & vertical
• Backhand & horizontal i
• Backhand & horizontal ii
• Backhand & vertical
• Backhand flip & horizontal i
• Backhand flip & horizontal ii
• Bite handle opening & vertical
• Backhand windmill backward & forward

INTERMEDIATE, New10

• Latch handle
• Horizontal machine gun
• Vertical machine gun
• Double flip horizontal i
• Double flip horizontal ii
• Double flip vertical basic twirl
• Finger riochet twirl
• Finger twirl switch
• Bite handle twirl
• Backhand flip out
• False forward grip
• False backhand
• Fix twirl
• Double flip windmill
• Helicopters
• Thumb roll
• Double flip horizontal i & ii

Advanced

• 2 into 1
• Motion throw i
• Motion throw ii
• Static throw
• Motion throw pass i
• Motion throw pass ii
• Windmill – throw pass drill
• Full twirl
• Backhand flip out twirl
• Finger twirl trailing
• Double twirl transfer
• Rollover
• Open pointer finger rollover
• Open middle finger rollover
• Advanced horizontal
• The pinball
• Y2k rollover
• Rollover to y2k rollover
• Motion throw i & motion throw to backhand
• Motion throw ii & motion throw to backhand
• Y2k rollover & advanced horizontal

Professional

• Bender
• Behind the 8 ball
• Helix
• Indexthumb to backhand open
• Indexthumb to forward open
• Y3k rollover
• Middleindex i
• Middleindex ii
• Finger rolls
• Rolling aerial i
• Bender & Helix
• Hellbent & Helix
• Hellish & Helix
• Helix & behind the 8 ball
• Middleindex i & ii
• Finger rolls & helix

Now you don’t need to know all these tricks, these are skills that develop the ability to open quickly, control the parts of the knife, familiarize yourself with this tool.

Surely it is useful to learn the main extractions to one hand in order to be able to quickly extract the blade.

Good training with the “power container”.

Knife is not a game!

Andrea