Backstabbers Finland: Baraw Sugbo -style knife defense

Markku and Juan have been working through the core fundamentals of Baraw Sugbo during the past two Wednesday sessions. Great to see both the instructors and the trainees developing steadily and building a solid foundation together.

The final session of this intro course takes place next Wednesday. After that, all participants are warmly welcome to continue training in our regular sessions and keep progressing along the Baraw Sugbo path.

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Check out our seminars in Helsinki and other cities from our website, link in bio!
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Disclaimer: Pictures and videos are not choreographed demonstrations and don’t represent self-defense situations.
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Backstabbers Finland: Baraw Sugbo | Arnes Diablo | Kutsilyo Cebu knife defense, as taught by Eduardo Ceniza, Cronnie Cabatingan, and Venson Villamala. | Knife related combatives. Based in Helsinki. We strictly adhere to lawful and ethical guidelines, and do not condone any unlawful or extreme practices.

Another glimpse from the Aikido Unlimited training day, this time focusing a bit more on knife retention training.

In Baraw Sugbo, techniques are not treated as single fixed solutions. The knife retention skills of the attacker/feeder are trained simultaneously, constantly shaping the defender’s options, timing, controls, and possible disarms.

Without proper understanding and skill in agak; the Cebuano concept of guided attack simulation and adaptive feeding; training easily turns into choreography instead of functional learning.

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Check out our seminars in Helsinki and other cities from our website, link in bio!
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Disclaimer: Pictures and videos are not choreographed demonstrations and don’t represent self-defense situations.
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Backstabbers Finland: Baraw Sugbo | Arnes Diablo | Kutsilyo Cebu knife defense, as taught by Eduardo Ceniza, Cronnie Cabatingan, and Venson Villamala. Libre Fighting | Piper knife combatives. Based in Helsinki. We strictly adhere to lawful and ethical guidelines, and do not condone any unlawful or extreme practices.

Great to teach skilled practitioners and exchange ideas at the Baraw Sugbo seminar hosted by Aikido Unlimited in Tampere. Especially valuable were the discussions regarding the role of the attacker in training; how feeding, pressure, intent, and structure shape the defender’s learning process.

Excellent questions and plenty of thought-provoking material also for the instructors of the seminar!

Big thanks to Mikko and Sarita from Aikido Unlimited for the arrangements and hospitality! 🙏

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Check out our seminars in Helsinki and other cities from our website, link in bio!
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Disclaimer: Pictures and videos are not choreographed demonstrations and don’t represent self-defense situations.
——————————
Backstabbers Finland: Baraw Sugbo | Arnes Diablo | Kutsilyo Cebu knife defense, as taught by Eduardo Ceniza, Cronnie Cabatingan, and Venson Villamala. Libre Fighting | Piper knife combatives. Based in Helsinki. We strictly adhere to lawful and ethical guidelines, and do not condone any unlawful or extreme practices.

🔥 Grandmaster Eduardo Ceniza is coming again to Finland this August to instruct the International Baraw Sugbo Trainee & Instructor Summit 2026!

Join us in Helsinki & Hämeenlinna for an intensive week of Baraw Sugbo training, seminars, workshops, and instructor development directly under GM Eduardo Ceniza.

📝 Full details, schedule, and registration from our website — link in bio!

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Check out our seminars in Helsinki and other cities from our website, link in bio!
——————————
Disclaimer: Pictures and videos are not choreographed demonstrations and don’t represent self-defense situations.
——————————
Backstabbers Finland: Baraw Sugbo | Arnes Diablo | Kutsilyo Cebu knife defense, as taught by Eduardo Ceniza, Cronnie Cabatingan, and Venson Villamala. Libre Fighting | Piper knife combatives. Based in Helsinki. We strictly adhere to lawful and ethical guidelines, and do not condone any unlawful or extreme practices.

🔪 The attacking style and knife retention method of the attacker always affect the defender’s options. They directly influence the mechanics of possible controls, disarms, positioning, timing, and overall response.

In Baraw Sugbo training, understanding the attacker’s structure, pressure, and intent is essential. Different grips, angles, and retention behaviors create different tactical problems—and therefore require different solutions.

Good knife defense training is not about memorizing fixed answers, but learning to adapt to changing mechanics and pressure.

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Check out our seminars in Helsinki and other cities from our website, link in bio!
——————————
Disclaimer: Pictures and videos are not choreographed demonstrations and don’t represent self-defense situations.
——————————
Backstabbers Finland: Baraw Sugbo | Arnes Diablo | Kutsilyo Cebu knife defense, as taught by Eduardo Ceniza, Cronnie Cabatingan, and Venson Villamala. Libre Fighting | Piper knife combatives. Based in Helsinki. We strictly adhere to lawful and ethical guidelines, and do not condone any unlawful or extreme practices.

🔪 Knife retention training is just as important as defense training. Without it, productive and progressive knife defense training quickly becomes limited.

In Baraw Sugbo, retention work develops timing, pressure awareness, grip dexterity, and the ability to function under resistance and disruption. Better retention training creates better defenders—and better feeders.

Retention and defense are not separate skills. They are part of the same process.

——————————
Check out our seminars in Helsinki and other cities from our website, link in bio!
——————————
Disclaimer: Pictures and videos are not choreographed demonstrations and don’t represent self-defense situations.
——————————
Backstabbers Finland: Baraw Sugbo | Arnes Diablo | Kutsilyo Cebu knife defense, as taught by Eduardo Ceniza, Cronnie Cabatingan, and Venson Villamala. Libre Fighting | Piper knife combatives. Based in Helsinki. We strictly adhere to lawful and ethical guidelines, and do not condone any unlawful or extreme practices.