Monday, August 20, 2007

Cutting Thoughts


I am still putting together the seminar review. In the meantime, consider the following Thought of the Day.

Saturday night: following a grueling day of training, we built a roaring bonfire at midnight. Within a circle of torches, the groups from Detroit, Rochester, Florida and Canada assembled and drew close. After a rousing speech from Tuhon Gaje, each one of us spoke briefly about our individual and collective journeys to- and within this Art of Pekiti-Tirsia. One of our newer members from Florida, Dino Martinez, spoke about how some of Tuhon's words had touched him. We were all moved.

Here is a brief excerpt of Ka Dino's speech:

"Look at your knife, hold it in your hand and say...save my life before I die."
GT Gaje - 2006

Save my life before I die...that I might not perish from this earth a small and meaningless thing, without having touched greatness, without the siren call of destiny to guide me to something greater than myself; that my searching was not in vain but that I, in the end, walked with Titans.

5 comments:

Panday said...

Nice knife you're holding there, Guro.

guro jeff davidson said...

I was going to mention that, oh impatient one...

I would like to point out that BOTH knives in this photo were made by our very own panday Ungyo.

Tuhon Gaje is sporting the companion knife (Anak Heron) to the infamous ginunting known as The Purple Heron (also forged by Ungyo)

I am proudly holding Ungyo's brilliant interpretation of the classical jambiya as I try to look tough next to Tuhon.

Note: During the camp, the Purple Heron was passed around from hand-to-hand by Tuhon, Kuya Doug, and Tito Jun - with me as the proud father.

Tuhon Gaje did take quite a shine to a particular double-edged dagger that I was forced to "gift" to him. There was no way in hell I was going to ask for it back! That knife was also forged by Ungyo!

Anonymous said...

Where is the goddamm seminar review already?

guro jeff davidson said...

Be quiet! I'm working on something right now you couldn't even imagine.

Panday said...

I'm anxious to see what you're working on. Ought to be good, with this kind of foreshadowing.