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(Deceased)
Few people have promoted the early Balintawak art as Teofilo Velez. He housed the club at his
residence where nightly workouts of the Villasin-Velez branch of the Balintawak club were held. His
senior instructors were Bobby Taboada and his sons Chito Velez and Eddie Velez.
After college, with the author's practice of law and business, martial arts fell in the back burner in
 matters of urgency. It was through Velez' invitation that the writer resumed his eskrima. The visit to
his club started to become nightly and intensity in interest built up. Villasin also came nightly for
workouts at Velez' backyard at the Parian District until Villasin resumed his classes in his own
backyard, also in the Parian District. Villasin later moved classes to his residence in Lahug.
Velez was a friendly and amiable fellow, quick to grab your hand and uncomfortably long in releasing
it. He was a loyal soldier and a faithful defender of the Balintawak name. In his humble means, he
often hosted get-togethers at his residence for the Balintawak members. He was a recruiter for and
promoter of the art. At his home he ruled with an iron fist, taming his three sons, his daughter and
Bobby Taboada.
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