Grandmaster Nick Elizar

Grandmaster Nick has been practicing in Balintawak for over 50 years. He is a student of the founder of the Kali system, Venanshio Bacon.

Cebuano Guru Nick Elizar was born and raised on the island of Cebu in the Philippines. At age thirteen he took up boxing and by the late 1960s, he was training in martial art styles such as Karate and Tae Kwon Do. In 1972 Guro Nick began training in the Kali stick fighting art of Balintawak at the recently opened school of Balintawak International Self Defense Club. He completed his training in 1976 and was given authority to teach Balintawak and represent the club, which he did for many years. Eventually he established his own school of Balintawak on the 27th April 2003, with the name 'World Nickelstick Eskrima Club'.

The term 'world' is associated to the various instructors around the world representing his style of Balintawak and 'Nickel' refers to Guro Nick's name.

In 2012, Guru Scott McQuaid attended Grandmaster Nick's school in Cebu where he began his tuition in Balintawak stick combat to help aid his own Silat Tongkat studies. Guru McQuaid continues his visits to Cebu and training under Grandmaster Nick Elizar.