Teddy Buot is the oldest son of Ricaredo Buot and Remedios Abellana. He was born on July 1, 1931, at Cebu City. Although trained as a mechanical and electrical engineer, he too has been fascinated by the deep sophistication of the art of eskrima. He, in great probability, has spent more time in eskrima than in engineering. Today in his retirement, he is deeply engaged in teaching the art. Aside from eskrima, he kept himself fit playing basketball with young Filipinos until his devastating stroke in 2006.
     Teddy studied under Anciong Bacon starting in 1959 and was his head instructor until his departure for the United States in 1974. I know the old man had a tender spot in his heart for Teddy. Out of respect for the grandmaster, he does not call himself Grandmaster; neither have Villasin and Velez. His students call him “Manong Ted”. (Manong is a term used in respect for an older brother.) Teddy now lives with his wife the former Denny Sanchez in Southfield, Michigan. After his departure for the US, Ted’s brother-in-law Arturo Sanchez had since taken over as head instructor of Bacon’s school. Sanchez is now in the US and occasionally returns to the Philippines.
     Ted was like an older brother to the author. Sam followed in his footsteps in the art of eskrima. Both were fascinated by the high bars, both lifted home made weights from concrete molded in clay pots and both graduated from the foul-smelling boxing gloves that were available in the deprived Labangon neighborhood. The writer remembers him riding his motorcycle in a slow, confident and proud rumble down Katipunan Street. Family disagreements (which none of the kids remember), age difference, studies outside the province of Cebu for Sam and Teddy's eventual move to the US, kept them apart. Even being in the US still keeps them apart. Ted lives in Michigan while Sam lives in the greater Phoenix area. Eskrima is proving to be the bond bringing them together. If there is anyone who can claim himself as heir to Anciong’s style, Teddy can rightfully claim himself as the standard-bearer of the purist Balintawak style eskrima. He disapproves of any teaching different from Anciong’s teaching, thus he dismisses Villasin’s “grouping method” as non-original and a departure from Bacon’s teachings.
     Unfortunately for the art, Teddy is not a mass media hog to promote him and the art. He has been mostly reclusive, withdrawn, and inaccessible and has accepted only personalized students - strictly by recommendation.