‘Certainly brimming with passion and fighting on the side of justice, the Katipuneros pulled off a stunning upset against a waning but still dangerous trans-continental power. In the run-up to the 100th Bonifacio Day, we must find out.’
HOW do you fight for freedom? Against a narcissistic bully, it will have to be mortal combat. Using machetes, sharpened stakes and arnis sticks, if need be. As the Katipuneros did:
“Ano ang inilalaban ng mga kasapi sa Katipunan? Ilang itak, bukaweng tinulisan, palasan, mga revolver na kinuha ng mga Katipunan sa Maestranza, dalawa o tatlong baril na naagaw sa mga sundalo ng pamahalaang kastila.” [Hermenegildo Cruz. Mga Tanong at Sagot Ukol Kay Andrés Bonifacio at sa KKK. Maynila, S.P., 1922]
Alone against the ruling sociopath? Best to unite together to destroy the intimate veil that is blind to the mind and to discover the true path of righteousness and enlightenment.
“Pagsama-samahin ang kalooban ng mga pilipino sa isang layunin.” System change, not self-care. But the process is not automatic, not self-executing. You really have to work the ground. Do it unarmed and the autocrats will simply imprison you. Maim you. Ostracize you. Torture you. Frustrate you. Kill you.
Enlightenment does lead to peace. But on Earth, you have to defend yourself physically from the Totalitarian. And win. With the following:
1. “Spear. A stave with a pointed end for thrusting or throwing. An ancient wooden weapon that could have just a sharpened and hardened end. Stone and bronze were used in prehistoric times for the head… anything from 6 to 12 feet long. It was the quintessential infantry weapon. It could be held and used in defense, for example against cavalry, or for thrusting, the basis for the pike. It could be hurled as a missile like a javelin. The missile spear would normally be lighter. It could be used from horseback and was the origin of the lance… Spearheads for thrusting often had wings to prevent the spear penetrating too far, so that it could be retrieved.” [The Routledge Companion to Medieval Warfare]
2. Knife and some of the basic strikes. Upwards right-to-left slash. Turn your wrist so that the blade is facing upwards. This slash goes from 4 to 10. Strike 4. Upwards left-to-right slash. After the third slash, rotate the point of your knife around so the tip is down. Strike 5. Thrust to the chest. Keep you knife chambered at your right shoulder after the fourth slash. Stab it straight out (into an opponent’s chest). [https://blackbeltmag.com/filipino-martial-arts]
3. Why the Revolver? “A revolver doesn’t need just the right grip to keep it running; there is no ‘limp wrist’ malfunction with a wheel-gun. Shooting from disadvantaged positions or while injured won’t stop the gun from operating. During an actual defensive encounter, the revolver is more resistant to induced failures. The revolver isn’t jammed by clothing or incompletely ejected casings… A revolver has a simple manual of arms, meaning that it is easier to handle and operate: no confusing buttons or levers, and a direct and unambiguous loading and unloading procedure… Anyone can pick up a revolver and shoot it.” [Grant Cunningham. Gun Digest Book of the Revolver. 2011]
4. There were many revolvers like the caliber. 45 Single Action Army Artillery Model and the .38-caliber Colt Model 1892 double action that were in existence during the Philippine Revolution. “During the brief Spanish-American conflict of 1898 the issue revolver for the US cavalry was the Model 1892, but the fact was that some men — in particular the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry (the Rough Riders) — clearly felt that being separated from their venerable Colts was a bad idea, and there is some evidence that they carried the .45 Artillery Model.” [Martin Pegler. Colt Single-Action Revolvers (Osprey Weapon 52). Oxford, 2017, p. 63]
Yes, the KKKs carried sidearms. “Itinatag na rin ang Tatlong Baytang ng Katipunan. Naitó: Katipunan ang pamagat ng unang baytang… Revolver, sandata o gulok ang tinataglay ng mga nagsisidaló sa pulong ng baytang na itó.” Other weapons of the period?
1. Long firearms. “The primary sharpshooting rifles fell into two categories: breechloaders, such as the Sharps, Henry, and Spencer, and muzzleloaders… By 1892, the US Army had to move with the times and adopt a bolt-action magazine-fed rifle, the .30-40-caliber Springfield Model 1892.” [Martin Pegler, Johnny Shumate and Alan Gilliland. Sharpshooting Rifles of the American Civil War. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd,. 2017, pp. 70-71]
2. More brands. “The Enfield rifle in various forms saw service in a variety of conflicts, notably the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny and the American Civil War.” Then, on 18 September 1866 the Snider rifle was introduced followed by the Martini Henry rifle in 1874. [Peter Smithurst. The Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd,. 2011]
3. Pump action. “The Model 1892 was produced in a vast number of variants: sporting rifle, carbine, musket, and a novel take-down model that unlocked at the breech… The Model 1894 became synonymous with the .30-30 caliber and some measure of its success is that even today it is still the most widely used rifle for hunting in the Americas, and it is still in production… the Model 1895 featured a box magazine that held, depending on the caliber of ammunition, four or five rounds; it was produced in a number of popular calibers, including .30-40 Krag, .30-03, .303 British, and several specific Winchester loadings, including the most powerful ever chambered by a lever-action, the fearsome .405.” [Winchester Lever-Action Rifles. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd,. 2015]
4. The one that is the one. “The Spanish Model 1891 Rifle is almost identical with the Turkish Model 1890 Rifle, and is also in caliber 7.65 x 53mm. The rifle is fitted with a straight wrist stock, with a short upper hand guard running from in front of the rear sight base to the lower barrel band. The lower barrel band has a swivel on the bottom, and there is another on the bottom of the buttstock. The simple nose cap incorporates a bayonet lug on the bottom… The Spanish Model 1892 Rifle incorporates improvements made during the troop trials of the Model 1891 Rifle… Spanish model 1893 Rifle: Probably one of the best known Mauser rifles of all time, this veteran has seen service in the jungles of Mindanao and Cuba, the mountains of Morocco, and the length and breadth of Spain. Adopted on 7 December 1893, it was the first Mauser rifle to have a clip-loaded magazine entirely within the stock.” [Robert W. D. Ball. Mauser Military Rifles of the World. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2011]
The quality of the firearms was not the issue because these were all good guns. The quantity in the KKKANB arsenal was a shortcoming. The problem was training the Revolutionaries in the proper care and use of the deadly weapons. Fire discipline, combination of arms, small unit tactics. Certainly brimming with passion and fighting on the side of justice, the Katipuneros pulled off a stunning upset against a waning but still dangerous trans-continental power. In the run-up to the 100th Bonifacio Day, we must find out.
