Biñan is a town about one and a half-hour's drive from Rizal's own town, Calamba. Rizal's father was born in Biñan and he wanted his son to go there to continue his Latin studies, which were cut short upon the death of Rizal's teacher. He was sent over to Biñan one Sunday in the care of his brother. This parting from his family was tearful on the side of his parents and sisters, but young Jose was nine years old and managed to hide his own tears.
Arriving at Biñan
He and his brother reached Biñan at nightfall. They went to an aunt's house where Rizal was to live. When the moon came up, a cousin showed him the town, which appeared to him large and wealthy but neither attractive nor cheerful.
Rizal's brother presented him to the schoolmaster and then left the young boy on his own. The schoolmaster was a tall, thin man with a long neck and a sharp nose and whose body leaned slightly forward. He wore a shirt of sinamay woven by the women of Batangas. He knew Latin and Spanish by heart, but was extremely severe. His classroom was in his own house, which was only some thirty meters from Rizal's aunt's home.
A Brawl on the First Day of School
When Rizal entered the classroom for the first time, the schoolmaster said to him:
"You, do you speak Spanish?"
"A little, sir," Rizal answered.
"Do you know Latin?"
"A little, sir."
Because of these answers, the schoolmaster's son, who was the worst in the class, started to make fun of Rizal. The boy was older and taller than him, and they had a tussle. Somehow, Rizal got the better of him and bent him down over the class benches. Then he let him loose, having hurt only his pride. After this incident, possibly because of his small size, Rizal's schoolmates thought him a clever wrestler. On going from the class, one boy challenged him. He offered Rizal his hold, but Rizal lost and came near breaking his head on the sidewalk.
Ruler Blows vs. Successes
Rizal used to get ruler blows on his hand for some misdemeanor or other. He used to win in competitions, for no one in class happened to be better than him. He made the most of these successes, but despite the reputation he had of being a good boy, rare were the days in which his teacher did not call him up to give him five or six blows on the hand.
When he went out with his friends, Rizal was frequently called nicknames for fun. But individually, his friends used to be so kind to him that he thought little of their teasing. A few of them were very good and treated him well, one of whom was a cousin of Rizal's. Years later, some of them became his schoolmates in Manila and then it became Rizal's turn to tease.
Introduction to Painting
Near his teacher's house lived the man's father-in-law, Juancho. Juancho was an aged artist who let the young Jose help him with his paintings. He'd already had such a liking for Juancho's art that his schoolmates called him and two other boys from his class, the class painters.
Source: Rizal's Own Story of His Life