A kata is not fixed or immoveable. Like water, it's ever changing and fits itself to the shape of the vessel containing it. However, kata are not some kind of beautiful competitive dance, but a grand martial art of self-defense - which determines life and death.
Kenwa Mabuni
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Buno Unbound: The Ancient Filipino Wrestling Art

Category:
Guest Blog Post

Buno—literally “to throw” in Tagalog—is a close-quarters wrestling system created by the Aeta and Mangyan peoples long before colonial contact. Fusing battlefield pragmatism with ritual sport, it endures today as a pillar of Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) and a testament to the archipelago’s warrior heritage.

Overview of Buno

Buno is characterized by explosive standing throws, limb-cranking joint locks, off-balancing sweeps, targeted strikes, takedowns, and a surprisingly sophisticated ground game. Unlike purely sport grappling, Buno assumes weapons may appear at any moment; practitioners learn to integrate knives, spears, and the four-foot lubid rope for binding, choking, and disarms.

Historical Roots

Indigenous Origins

  • Aeta lineage: The nomadic Aeta, considered among the archipelago’s earliest inhabitants, used wrestling to hunt, feud, and survive the mountainous interiors of Luzon.
  • Mangyan refinement: Mindoro’s Mangyan groups absorbed Aeta grappling, crystallizing it into stylized combat rites performed during feasts and head-hunting expeditions.

Warrior-Era Development (900–1898)

Pre-900 Proto-Buno wrestling for hunting & tribal warfare | No formal ranking

900-1500 Integration with blade culture; rope (lubid) added for restraints | Matches staged at harvest festivals

1500-1898 Spanish rule pushes art inland; guerrilla fighters retain | Buno for ambush tactics Allied with bolos & spears

20th-Century Revival

Grandmaster Felipe “Garimot” Baet (1918-2014) systematized Harimaw Buno (“Tiger Wrestling”) after studying with Hanunó’o Mangyan masters from 1946-1950. His son, Gat Puno Abundio Baet, later codified the curriculum inside Garimot Arnis, preserving the art for modern students.

Core Principles & Techniques

Grappling Arsenal

  • Limb locks targeting elbows, shoulders, knees
  • Off-balancing pushes, pulls, hip shifts, and sweeps (Agaw Patid Buno)
  • Neck cranks, chokeholds, and head manipulation for rapid incapacitation
  • Ground controls that favor quick disengagement to address multiple attackers13

Weapons Dimension

Lubid rope Whipping, tripping, choking, limb ties

Knife/BoloSlash-grab combos, disarms

Spear/BowHunting roots, range control

Unorthodox Training Methods

Mud wrestling - Balance under slip conditions

Log sparring on water - Footwork & core stability

Tamaraw (water-buffalo) clinch - Grip endurance

Tree climbing - Pulling power & agility

Variations & Related Styles

Harimaw Buno

A Mangyan/Aeta hybrid that emphasizes predator-like limb trapping before the throw; signature “bow-and-arrow” and “crossbow” locks showcased by Gat Puno Baet.

Modern Practice & Applications

  • Included in police defensive-tactics modules for its standing control options.
  • Integrated into FMA schools worldwide; Garimot Arnis, Elite Training Center, and guerreroarnis.com all feature Buno modules.
  • Competition formats are being revived by the U.S. Harimaw Buno Federation to foster rules-based tournaments.

Cultural Significance

Buno’s rituals—pre-match chants, earth-pounding footwork, and warrior yells—mirror the ambahan poetry and gong rhythms of Mangyan ceremonies. Practitioners view the art not merely as combat but as a living archive of tribal identity, resilience, and respect for nature’s terrain.

Pillar Links & Further Exploration

Conclusion

Buno personifies the Philippines’ indigenous ingenuity: a wrestling art forged in forest mud yet adaptable to modern mats. Its blend of raw grappling, weapon awareness, and cultural ritual secures its place among the world’s most uniquely holistic martial systems.

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