Gaffer-Tying a knife

Video credit: Melcim Kanal Tutorial

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In our last gaffing post, Pareng Jeck-Jeck showed the full package: sukat, sapin, kalang, asinta and bid-bid. But many beginners said the same thing: "Ang bilis, nalilito ako sa bid-bid."

Melcim Kanal Tutorial heard the same request from his followers. So in this 7-minute reel, he did something simple but very helpful: he put the camera behind the leg, so you see the tie from the same side as your own hands, and he went dahan-dahan while counting every turn out loud.

His promise: "Simple 'yung bid-bid lang, pero matibay."

(Names come from the audio and the page name, so spellings may differ slightly.)

Step 1: The Base, 10 Below and 10 Above

• Start with 10 turns at the bottom, then 10 turns on top.
• Lock after the tenth turn before moving on.
• Tip: wherever you start your bid-bid, keep it in that same spot every time. "Para maganda siyang tingnan, hindi kalat."

Step 2: Check Your Asinta Before Going Further

• He pauses here to set the asinta while the base is still adjustable.
• For a normal foot, he keeps it simple and straight, the easy setting for a baguhan.

⚠️ This part of the audio is unclear, so I can't confirm his exact angle. If you're new, use the preset from the blade maker or your mentor.

Step 3: Five on Each Garol

• 5 turns on the left garol, then 5 on the right.
• "Tamang hila lang." Pull firm but not hard, or the thread will snap.
• Use your thumb (malaking daliri) to guide and hold each turn.
• He says these counts are a starting point: "Kung marunong na kayo, bahala na kayo sa sarili n'yong bilang."

Step 4: The Side Wrap, Repeated to 8

This is the part beginners get lost in, and the back view makes it clear:

• First go around the puno (base) 3 times.
• Then run the thread along the very edge (pinakagilid) of the garol, cross to the other side's edge, and come back.
• Repeat until you reach 8.
• His memory trick: "Basta dito sa gilid, tapos dito sa kabila, dito rin sa gilid."

Step 5: Five Locks at the Front

• Put 5 locks at the front, near the tip of the kalang. Don't lock at the back.
• Pull to the right tension again so the tari doesn't shift.
• Count check: 8 side wraps, 5 and 5 on the garol, 5 locks.

Step 6: Finish and Mark Your Untie Point

• Use up the rest of the thread on top and bottom. No more counting needed.
• Finish with a lock on the garol. That way, after the fight, "alam n'yo kung saan tatanggalin."

My Takeaways for Pinoy Breeders

• Learn from the back view. If a tutorial confuses you, find one filmed from the gaffer's side, like this one. Your hands will copy it faster.
• Practice on a dummy first. He says it himself: "Magpumilit muna kayo." Expect to snap some thread before you get the right pull.
• Count out loud. It sounds basic, but it's how you make the tie the same every time. Consistency wins.
• Compare teachers, then make your own recipe. Pareng Jeck-Jeck locks 7–8 on top; Melcim uses 5 locks at the front. Both work for them. Test both, then write down yours.
• Good thread is cheap insurance. A thread that snaps or slips can cost you a fight and a bird.

Like Learning to Tie Your Necktie in the Mirror

Remember your first necktie for graduation? Tatay showed you, facing you, and everything looked backwards. You got lost every time. Then he stood behind you in front of the mirror, guided your hands, and said, "Over, under, around... dahan-dahan." Suddenly it clicked. That's what this reel does for bid-bid. Same steps, but finally seen from your side of the hands.

— Sabungero

Source: Melcim Kanal Tutorial, "Nag-request lagay camera sa likod, dahan-dahan lang pag-bidbid" (Facebook reel, 6:50), https://www.facebook.com/reel/1136853199291543. Tagalog narration, summarized and translated by me. The counts are the creator's own method and not a universal standard. This post covers gaffing only for legal, licensed cockpits in the Philippines.