Mailbag Again

Tuhon tells it like it is to Kuya Jamal

More questions from email:

Why are you so secretive about teaching these days?
People used to say that our group was like a ‘cult’. I say that we’re more like a Secret Society. My personal focus has shifted over the years. I am less concerned with teaching the public than I am in tending to my advanced students. The only way I get better is if they get better. I have a very well trained advanced group and several of them have their own students who are getting solid basics. I have my own teaching niche (which btw is none of your business!) That being said, we accept new students on a probationary basis as explained on my website. Anyway, I have more fun training students than teaching them. We have almost surgical precision in weeding out non-serious people.

Why don’t you promote your seminars/gatherings?
We generally don’t like to advertise when Tuhon Gaje comes to town because we rarely open his seminars to the public. Its just a lot better when everybody knows each other and we can pick right up from where we left off the last time. We make exceptions on a case-by-case basis. You wanna see what we’re up to? Join us!

Do I need to have martial arts experience or be in shape to train in Pekiti-Tirsia?
No. It is more important that you are serious about learning. If you have chronic injuries, it may be wiser to learn senaman tua for a month before you progress to harder training. You don’t have to be in good physical condition to learn how to defend yourself, but a good part of the martial arts lifestyle is being in shape - which I define in terms of strength, flexibility, and endurance.

Do you guys sponsor/participate in stick fighting tournaments?
No. If you want to train for tournaments, contact Philip Gelinas - he’s the best.

What kind of knife/gun do you/should I carry?
I haven’t been offered any pistol endorsement deals lately, and I don’t give free advertising. The only blades I endorse are those made by my student, Manong Panday.

Who should I study Pekiti-Tirsia with here in the States?
My personal opinion is this: Kuya Doug Marcaida has been our mentor for years, and I consider him to be the most well rounded Kali teacher this side of Bacolod. In Texas, there are a few guys I have had direct experience with: the most high profile is Leslie Buck. Leslie is about as clean and precise as they come and also a nice guy. Other Texans keep a lower profile: Ricky Rillera is a bona-fide fighting machine - to the extent that Tuhon Gaje gave him the nickname “Crazy Ricky” (note: do you realize how hard-core you have to be for Tuhon to call you ‘crazy’?); Robert Slomkowski is wiry, explosive, and brutal - when he moves on you, it’s like you’re suddenly fighting three people; and of course, few people have ever been able to dissect the Art and teach it from the inside out like Omar Hakim. In Oregon, Steven Slomkowski is who I recommend. We also have a promising group coming up in Florida.

There’s guys all over that do Pekiti-Tirsia. I make recommendations based on personal experience.

If I join your group, will I be able to learn the “Batangas” knife fighting? What is the formal name of that style?
The ultimate decision as to who learns it is up to Tito Jun. If you train with us long enough you’ll meet him one way or another. I simply follow his recommendation. As to the formal name of the style, if and when Tito Jun is ready to let it be known to the community at large, he will do so.

Fun Stuff

Kuya Doug, Guro Jun, Tuhon Gaje, Tito Jun in a moment of Levity


This is taken from an old thread on the Pitbull Discussion forum (private!)

YOU MUST BE AN FMA PRACTITIONER WHEN:

from Kuya Doug:

* Every girlfriend, wife, pillow, friends become a dummy to try techniques that you learned from class.

* Sweats and club t shirts become your regular attire from training to everyday casual wear ( like you never even change clothes cause it's all you wear)

* Wrestling shoes aren't for wrestling class or training.

* Equipment made for other sports become protective gear for sparring
( soccer shin guards as arm protectors, boxing headgear with a metal grate or fencing mask for head protection, "hockey" gloves ,)

* Vertical beer can holders , baseball bags, architect plan holders become stick bags.

* You find yourself carrying multiple knives and cammos or tactical clothing is ok to wear indoors as well as to Sunday church .

* Your kids hit each other constantly with sticks or training knives that seem readily found around the house.

* You walk around with a pen in pakal or sak sak grip

* You flip your keys as though you were flipping a balisong

* You like to roll up news papers or magazines to wave it around or use it like a stick

* You always look around the environment looking for possible weapons

* You get [aroused] when you see knives , swords or weapons

* You make sound effects when you hit things

* You constantly move your fingers in a sinalwai fashion or as if you were fighting when no one is looking around

* You find yourself talking with an accent sounding like your instructors.

from Me:

1) While your co-workers are busy surfing the net for porn, you're surfing for pics of knife wounds.

2) While your friends are spending their hard earned $ on the latest electronics gadgets and cell phones, you're buying expensive knives.

3) You pay $$$$ out of your pocket to go to the Philippines to be Tuhon's own bitch for 2 weeks.

4) Instead of taking the Victoria's secret catalog into the bathroom, you take the Cold Steel Special Projects Catalog (see #1)

5) Before going out for a night on the town, you spend an hour acessorising your carry knives to fit your wardrobe. ("Honey, is this kerambit too dressy?")

6) You practice your Tri-V, sinawali, etc. with the axe handles at the Home Depot.

7) You select your casual attire based on multiple pockets to conceal your knives (See #5)

8) And finally, you know you must be an FMA practitioner when some guy at work pisses you off, and you jab him in the neck with your balisong, then after breaking it off, you sweep him and decapitate him with your Force-Recon ginunting! (I'll write more when this annoying facial tic stops flaring - plus I gotta call my lawyer)

Club Kali

We are pleased to announce the formation of the official KALI CLUB at the Philippine American Cultural Community Center in Southfield. Since our weekly children’s class was such a hit last year, the good folks at the PACCM decided to let the grown-ups get in on the action. Here’s the class description:

KALI CLASS for ADULTS

This class will teach the fundamentals of the
traditional Filipino martial art of Arnis - also known
as Escrima and Kali. Learn techniques with single and
double baston, as well as empty-hand methods of
striking, kicking and grappling. The course of
instruction will accommodate students of all levels
from beginner to advanced.

The class is taught by Guro Jeff Davidson.
Guro Davidson is an instructor of the well known
PEKITI-TIRSIA system of Kali under Manong Leo Tortal
Gaje, Jr.of Bacolod.

Equipment needed:
* 2 rattan sticks
* Eye Protection
* Mouthguard

How is this different from our regular classes? Well, we’re extremely selective regarding who can join our Bothoan Batangas group. The Kali Club at PACCM is more for the general public. We’ll be teaching Pekiti-Tirsia, but anyone from any FMA is welcome. Contact me for day and time.

See you there!

Personal Inventory

Some guys are into cars. Some guys are into watches. Me and a few fellows I associate with are into weapons - specifically bladed ones. It helps to have a good lawyer or a doctor in your circle of friends. Lord knows that having a pharmacist in class is great during cold and flu season.

As the leader of an FMA group, it is a special perk of perks to have an in-house Panday. So, over the years we've been operating under a mutually beneficial Blades-In-Exchange-For-Training agreement, which has served us both very well.

Here's the collection so far (it's a bit lighter since Grand Tuhon Gaje's last visit to my home!)
From right:

* The Purple Heron Ginunting
* The Detroit Badik
* The Monkey Paw
* Kerambit 1
* Kerambit 2
* The Oak Park Jambiya
* Various Hardwood fist-loads
* The Maphilindo Stick
* The Pekiti Bowie
* The Anak-Heron
* The Combat Cleaver
* Veneno the Badik
* The Cochisero
* The Aswan (Vampire)
* Detroit Maphilindo Daga

These weapons have all been battle tested and carry my full endorsement. Please see the DETROIT PANDAY link to your right. I know he takes special orders!

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.

We're Baaaack!

Tuhon Gaje at the Detroit Headquarters

If you felt the Earth shake in Michigan over the past 5 days, it was because the greatest Pekiti Tirsia seminar in the history of the World took place here (and is still going on). We have just returned from our Higgins Lake training camp, and Grand Tuhon Gaje has announced that we will be having class again in a few hours.

So my friends, when all is said and done, you will have the complete story with pictures. For now, I leave you with this posting that The Master himself added to an FMA forum:

Pekiti-Tirsia Pitbull Brotherhood of the Blade

The gathering of the Pekiti-Tirsia Pitbull Brotherhood of the Blade was in Michigan (Houghton Lake Michigan ) in the lake property of Bassam, a pharmacist but devoted practicioner of the Pekiti-Tirsia Maphilindo Detroit.

The Gathering was attended by the
PTK Pitbulls Saschatchewan under the leadership of Jay and Leon Saludo,
PTK Pitbulls Rochester, New York leadership of Douglas Marcaida,
PTK Pitbulls Maphilindo Detroit , leadership of Jeff Davidson,
PTK Pitbulls Florida leadership of Dino Martinez,
PTK Pitbulls Manila , Rommel Tortal

The gathering of the chosen PTK Pitbulls fighters provide an opportunity to learn the Advanced Dumpag and the advanced Knife Dagaso Tirsia and Qol Demama Dagga ( knife combat) Advanced Tri-V formula.

The special declaration of the celebration was highlighted in the bon fire ceremony held in the night of August 12, 2007 where the awards were presented and the demos on ginunting, knives, sticks and open hand entertained everyone.

The strength of the Brotherhood was extended to new members and an increasing number of PTK student added to the main Brotherhood will cover the major cities in the US.

GRAND TUHON LEO T. GAJE Jr.

TUHON GAJE IS COMING TO MICHIGAN!

You just can't keep a secret with this 'Internet' thing. Since the cat has already been let out of the bag by some folks who disobeyed direct orders to STFU...

We have a lot of heavy hitters coming in to Michigan for our Fall camp, including the heaviest hitter of them all. YES - Supreme Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje Jr. will be in Michigan for the Pekiti Tirsia Pitbulls Training Camp next month!

August 10-12, at our beautiful Higgens Lake training facility. This seminar is primarily for students of Pekiti Tirsia in good standing, and members of the law enforcement community. We will consider accepting the public on a case-by-case basis. We will be covering:

- Single and Double Stick
- Knife
- Tactical Pistol
- Dumog
- Pangamut
- Indonesian/Malaysian Silat

and some cool (and deadly) surprises. We intend to go 'Balls Out' on this one. I promise it will be unforgettable.

Contact me by phone or email for details.

SILAT KUNTAU TEKPI Family is Growing!

On behalf of the entire Silat Kuntau Tekpi family in Michigan, we wish to say CONGRATULATIONS to our dear friend and Brother Nor Azlan bin Abd Wahid (aka "Coach Lan") on the birth of his first son - Nor Iman bin Nor Azlan!

Coach Lan has been such a good friend to us over the years. We ask the Lord to bless him and his family with Health, Prosperity, Peace, and Richness forever.

(Now I know he'll be available at 3am for those chats on yahoo IM)

(Not) Coming Soon to a Bookstore Near You

From Tuhon Leo T. Gaje Jr.:

I was was asked many times " Tuhon you [should write] a book on Pekiti-Tirsia so we can have it" Some one asked Tuhon do you have the book now when do you write your book. Politely I responded, I am the book if you want to read , you study with me and I will make you a book.

The FMA was not written in a piece of paper for people to learn. The early forefathers were so conservative that they don't want to be seen, performing or swinging the stick or bolo. I remembered my Grandfather's training policy , for deeper and advanced techniques he waits for the full moon so he can train me in the middle of the night. I always asked him , why on moonlight night. He said two things important on moonlight night. When the moon gives his light to earth at night it drove all the evil spirits and for our training nobody will see what we do because they are afraid to be out during moonlight night.

Since the FMA was and is a Sacred art, the methods taught were and are not meant to teach for money or for other people to learn other than the very close member of the family. Those early days were as cruel as living in a place where people are killed every day anytime of the day . The Spanish influence of cruelty was still a paranoia for all the families living in a small town or barrios. Anything that they may have were always kept in a place so secret that in spite of sudden robbery or force entry as what the Spanish soldiers were doing they were prepared for it.The fighting system , the original kali was one of the treasures that the early families kept and treasured. This traditions is still fresh among the people in the hinterlands in Negros and in Panay and some provinces of Mindanao and Masbate.

The reason is simple. Every style or system had their own secret of fighting if that secret is known then the family is in danger because they had nothing to protect themselves in case of sudden attack because the secret was exposed to the enemy>

All those years that I was under my Grandffathers wing I had not heard him say you write what I taught you nor he said get a pen for you to write important techniques. It was a direct straight to the eye training discipline that youre only choice is to retained what you see and what you feel. Thiis is as true to the 300 Spartans or to the Pirates of the Carribeans or to the Gladiators and most of all the Katipuneros of the Philippine revolution.

Do you need the book ? or the book needs you to be you.

The pen is the ginunting, the book is the body of your enemy (emphasis mine - jd). You are taught to write the word . Peace on Earth and good will to men.

Where is the book? The BOOK IS YOU. JOIN THE CLUB OF THE BOOKLESS

Tuhon Gaje on 'Mixing'

Getting Scolded by Tuhon

Mixed Martial arts is a fad today. They mix because they want to learn how to respond to certain techniques. I want to learn too, I cannot blame these people. But if you mix your martial arts, you have a tendency to develop bad habits. Bad habit because what they give in one martial art may not be workable in another martial art. Why do you want to mix?

We follow the angles of attack; once you fall into the perimeter of the line of defense, whatever comes in we have to destroy. So why do you want to mix? If the system is equipped with combat technology, you have no reason to mix.

Many times the person that trains them has no concept of what combat is, he only has limited knowledge, or he is out there for sports and to make a living teaching. How long will you master each mix?

When you mix in ingredients, you have to know the elements of what you are mixing in.
I'll give you an example about mixing, you eat Thai food, American food, Mexican food, Filipino food, kosher food; your stomach will be fighting all night. Sometimes you can mix things that are not compatible.

So the same thing with the mixed martial arts, if someone pulls a knife you don’t know which martial art you are going to use. You hesitate; you can’t decide which technique to use.
Rolling stones gather no moss. Mixing is not a very sophisticated thing to do. You collect another bad habit here; you collect other bad habits there. All the bad habits put together is what you end up with.

I experience this in my seminars, I have mixed martial artists there, you tell them to relax and they tense up. From hard empty hands to weaponry is a very hard thing, they contradict.
Yin and yang, you have to learn how to be soft and when to be hard. One problem is that many teachers do not have sufficient experience in combat.

There is a big movement to mixed martial arts.. .it is ok...What is your common denominator, what is your target? You have to be accurate and you have to be precise, any mistake you commit during an encounter is a big problem. The game is lost.

If you are a soldier you have to accurate and precise. The same for a painter, sculptor, and carpenter. If you are making a doorknob it must fit in the door. Everything must be accurate and precise."

In Memorium...

With profound sadness I received the news from my friend Awo Baeza that Oloye Medahochi Kofi Omowale Zannu passed from this world on May 25th, 2007. He was a Spiritual giant that stood in place among the greatest Souls of our generation - loved and respected by so many people. He was humble and unassuming, yet his presence filled a room. He often spoke gently, yet his speech was clear and commanding, fueled by his burning Inner Light, infused with a timeless wisdom.

Many knew him as one of the oldest scholars of West African spiritual traditions in the United States. He was a pioneer, innovator, artist, cultural custodian, and Spiritual Grandfather to many families. I also knew Medahochi as a quintessential wizened and cagey Sufi teacher, whose extrapolations on traditional Yoruba ese'Fa were laced with examples and stories of Mullah Nasruddin and Rumi.

My first audience with Medahochi was sometime around the summer of 1993. On a dreamy summer day I set out on a drive to Chicago where he was staying at the home of a student. I had been granted some personal time with him, and in preparation I carried a notebook (filled with questions) and a small pocket tape recorder. As it happened, I sat beside him on a couch, where we drank coffee watched television, and made small talk. Two hours passed in this way. I never even took out my notebook, nor touched the tape recorder - but when I at last got up from that couch all of my questions (and more) had been answered, and I had a feeling like my soul was ‘vibrating’, as if set in motion by a tuning fork. From that day, over the next ten years - with Medahochi’s guidance - I followed that vibration until it finally came to rest in Ode Remo, Southwest Nigeria.

As I write this, I am listening to the tape of a lecture he gave at my school in Farmington Hills, Michigan. We will cherish those memories forever, and are thankful to have stood in midst of whom the traditional scriptures would speak of as Eniyan Atoto (The Perfected Man).

Journey well, Baba.

As he entered the cave, they heard a voice from inside:
“This is the man who shook the earth, who made kingdoms tremble!”
Happy is his portion above and below.
Many sublime treasures lie in store for him...
Go to the end and take your rest; you will rise for your reward at the End of Days.
Zohar: Idra Zuta

A Poem for Mother's Day

Dedicated with Love to my Mother.

Orun wara bi ina joko
Bomibata orisa ti gbo gbe re mo ile, pon mi ki o ma so mi obinrin sango
Oya ni o to iwo efon gbe
Iya nsaan nwon fu ne ni ida o ko pa eran
Iya nsaan nwon fun e ni ida o ko beri, o ni kini o yio fi idadida se
Oya a rina bora bi aso, efufu lele ti nda igi lokeloke
Okiki a gbo oke so edun, igan obinrin ti nko ida, oya iji ti bajo-bajo
A pa kete, bo kete.

Wife of Iron, Woman of the Crown of Honor who destroys worlds suddenly, like a fire
Strong-Willed Spirit who protects Her children on Earth, carry me on your back, great Woman, consort of Thunder.
The Tearer alone can seize the horns of a rampaging Buffalo
They gave a great Sword to Her, but she does not use it to kill animals
They should present a great sword to Mother that is not used for killing animals
They should give her a sword that is used for beheading people
The Tearer uses Fire as a body covering, like cloth...Strong Wind that knocks down trees in the forest
She kills suddenly, She enters suddenly.

translated from Yoruba by Jeff Davidson

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A LIVING LEGEND!

Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje Jr. has just celebrated another year in roaring good health, and an un-conquerable Spirit committed to leading Pekiti Tirsia to new heights of greatness.

This great man stands firmly as one of the most prolific martial arts Masters of our era. He is a consummate Teacher, Innovator, Warrior and a true Leader. We have literally travelled all over the world to have the honor of studying at his side.

Happy Birthday Tuhon! We love you and will continue to carry your banner for as long as we have strength in our bodies!

May You Live Forever.

Mabuhay!

From Jeff Davidson and all the Michigan Pekiti Tirsia Pitbulls

"You have been in the Presence of a Heavenly Lion. A Mighty Warrior, against whom Twenty Warriors are nothing!" - sefer Zohar

Pekiti Tirsia Pitbull Gathering 2007

It is with great pleaseure that I announce the 2nd Annual Pekiti Tirsia Pitbull Gathering in Michigan. Last year's gathering was a huge success, everyone learned a great deal. This year's event will be bigger and better. We have folks coming in from literally all over North America. The instruction will be divided into blocks that cover:

- Pekiti Tirsia Kali and other FMA
- Batangas-style Knife Fighting
- Indonesian and Malaysian Silat
- Tactical Shooting/Pistol CQB

The camp will be held at an ample facility up north in beautiful Higgens Lake, Michigan. Please make your arrangements ASAP so that we can coordinate logistics. In order to attend, you must already be a student in good standing with one of the Pekiti Tirsia Pitbull groups.

Not a student yet?

Then what the hell are you waiting for?!??!?!?!

Contact me via email or on the 'Pekiti Hotline' (248) 981 7495 for more details.


WHEN: Friday, August 10th- Sunday, August 12th 2007 (students travelling from outside of Michigan should arrange to arrive on Thursday evening)

WHERE: The Pekiti Tirsia Higgens Lake Training Facility

COST: Please consult with your instructor. We are making every effort to keep the cost to a minimum. We hold these gatherings as a gift to our students. Be sure to bring plenty of cool stuff to show of and/or trade!

New Weapons Drills for 2007

Kuya Doug Marcaida gives us a preview of things to come for the New Year of training.

So...Who Else Does Pekiti Tirsia?

I would like to welcome my Brother, Doug Marcaida and his students back from their recent training in the Philippines with Grand Tuhon Gaje. Doug and Tuhon are pictured above with a cadre from the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police. I had the pleaseure of meeting and training with these brave men, as well as their comrades-in -arms, the Philippine Force Recon Marines just about two years ago this very month.

Prior to Kuya Doug's arrival, Tuhon was typically busy training the elite GS-9 Commandos, who accompanied their 'local' instructor Uli Weidle to the Philippines for advanced training in Edged Weapons skills.

Also, in a very short time, Tuhon Gaje and his nephew Rommel will be teaching the entire Philippine Marine Corp.

Here on the homefront, my students and I have trained yet another suburban Detroit police department in Edged Weapons Defensive Tactics - in the very program designed by yours truly - thanks go to "The Wookie" and Cpl. Ungyo for assisiting me.

So, while the majority of FMAer's are doing their drills in the parks and dojos and arguing on the internet over who's style is better, and blah blah blah - we are busy teaching and training with the folks who actually LIVE this game!

Tekpi FAQ

Cikgu Sani, the Guru Utama of Silat Kuntau Tekpi

I steal so much info from Mohd Nadzrin Wahab that he should be credited as the co-author of this blog. Well, I didn't really steal this...he gave it to me. Some basic questions and answers about the Tekpi:

"Is it used individually or two? Is it used against specific weapons as a defensive tool?"

In Silat Melayu, the tekpi has mostly followed the temperament and ideals of the art, so much so that even while the origins of the tekpi is still hotly debated, the technique employed in Silat Melayu is not, since it is accepted as mostly (if not purely) Malay in thought and action.

The tekpi is used both as a singular and a double weapon. As a singular weapon, it is used paired with another bladed weapon. In Silat Melayu, the tekpi takes the place of the cumbersome shield in other cultures that don't employ it this way. Therefore, the dominant hand would hold a keris or a parang (I've been told) or in the case of Silat Kuntau Sendeng, a Pedang and a tekpi (this I've seen personally).

In cases where the tekpi is used as twin weapons, one tekpi held in the submissive hand, will act as the defensive (shield) while the other held in the dominant hand will act as the offensive.
In Silat terminology, this is termed Jantan (offensive position) and Betina (defensive position). In these positions, the Betina will be held in the reverse grip, parrying (not blocking) all incoming
attacks, while the Jantan will be held in the outstretched grip as a stabbing and pukulan weapon. In some cases, the Betina will be slightly heavier and the Jantan slightly lighter. It's not even a
perceptive problem since most of us have 'softer' left hands than our dominant 'hard' right.

The difference in weight is to balance out the abilities of the two hands, strengthen the left. However, this is an exception and very few silat arts employ this concept anymore. Most
arts use the Jantan and Betina positions interchangeably as in the case of Silat Kuntau Tekpi and Silat Kuntau Sendeng. Therefore, when one is defending, the other is attacking. This quick change is an extension of the hands' ability to slip between offence and defence,
unlike the Keris which depends on the different parts of the weapon to facilitate a defensive or offensive mode.

In very Chinese influenced arts such as the Yunnanese-originated LianPadukan (there's a great site on it at http://lianpadukan.com please do check it out), the tekpi is held in Jantan-Jantan position, rarely if ever receding to the Betina position. The weapons form is similar to the butterfly knife forms I've seen in Wing Chun (because they're both Southern Chinese styles). The tekpi is flexible enough to defend against any bladed or blunt weapon. However, its speed and versatility depends largely on the user himself.

Is it used offensively?

Yes, it is used offensively. The main methods used are Tumbuk (punch), Titik (whipstrike), Pukul (strike), Tikam (thrust), Sebat (whip), Tangkap (trap), Kunci (lock), Patah (break), Hentak (slam), Parang (slash) and so on. According to my Silat Kuntau Sendeng teacher, cikgu Jamaludin Shahadan, the Bugis people used to modify their tekpi for war, sharping the tip of the centre prong to a cone-like shape the length of one jengkal, while the rest of the tekpi remained an octagon shape.

In other cases, the last jengkal on the tekpi actually recedes into a proper blade. Both of these variations are used together with a leather armguard worn on the tekpi hand. Although he has never shown me a sample of this, a couple of years back (it's still around, I can probably get a picture of it to you) we discovered an old tekpi that had this conical shape. It was a small pair (even I could barely use it, couldn't execute a couple of moves), which seemed strange to me
because Buginese are huge-built people. This can only mean that this idea wasn't isolated to Bugis warriors, or there actually was a mini-Bugis warrior running around.

"Are the techniques similar to the use of a golok?"

I wouldn't know if Malaysian golok techniques are similar to Indonesian style golok techniques since as I understand it, only the Javanese use the golok. Malaysian styles generally resemble Sumatran in technique and temperament. Most Golok techniques in Malaysia conform to Arabic sword techniques. In Malay they're called Rencong Mengkuang (45 degree uppercut slash), Perpang Gantang (45 degree downward slash), Belah Pinang (a downward centre cut) and Baling
Lembing (the thrust). I could be mistaken since most silat use this, but there could also be those that I haven't seen.

Additionally, cikgu Jamaludin also mentioned that the Maduranese (very hot-tempered Malays from Madura) have very high skill in the cabang. I read once that the late Donn F Draeger once commented on the Indonesian cabang skill (I don't remember which clan he was referring to) surpassed those of Japanese origin. From the way my teacher tells it, I would suspect it
surpasses Malaysian skill as well.

The Rapier Tekpi!

My New Tekpis and Tengkolok Headwrap!

For the past several days, my constant companions have been two battle-ready Malaysian Tekpis - expertly forged by the hand of Cikgu Jamaludin Shahadan - president of Pertubuhan Seni Silat Sendeng Malaysia.

One of the most interesting aspects of this pair is that they are not identical. While one is more or less standard for Malaysian tekpis, the heavier of them could accurately be described as a “Buginese War Tekpi” having a unique belimbing (“Star Fruit”) shape to the blade. More descriptive photos will follow later. Cikgu Jamal renders it in English as the "Rapier Tekpi".

The certificate which Cikgu Jamal issued along with these superb blades reads thus:

THIS WEAPON IS CRAFTED BY ME USING BASIC TOOLS. THE BLADE IS FASHIONED FROM HIGH CARBON STEEL AND SO ARE THE PRONGS. IT HANDLES BETTER, STRIKES AND BLOCKS QUICKER, CUTS LIKE A SWORD AND STABS LIKE A DAGGER. I HEREBY TRANSFER THIS PAIR OF TEKPI TO JEFF DAVIDSON

My undying gratitude to Cikgu Jamal for forging these weapons, and to Cikgu Lan for going so far out of his way to help a "junior brother".

On the term KUNTAU

Cikgu Jamal - Master of Silat Sendeng and Panday

There is some confusion here in the West surrounding the term 'Kuntau' in Silat Melayu. I asked my dear friend, the incomparable Saiful Azraq, to provide a brief explanation for the edification of us Westerners. Below are Saiful's words:

The word Kuntau itself means many things to many different people in many different areas. This has been expanded and discussed in other forums as pertains to the Chinese origins of the word and art, which later spread to Indonesia. I won't pretend to even understand that aspect.

However, what I can do is tell you what the word means to many Malaysians.

As far as my surveys go, the word Kuntau in Malaysia can refer to one of three core ideas: A) a purely or mostly Chinese-originated style b) a syncretic Chinese-Melayu style or c) a purely Melayu style with mostly hard aspects.

The first core idea refers to any Chinese style now popularly known as Kung Fu. Before the word was popularised in Malaysia, Kuntau or Koontow was the norm. Because of the relative hardness (to silat) of the styles that came to the country via immigration, all Chinese art became known by the blanket term Kuntau.

The second core idea refers to any Chinese style absorbed into a Melayu silat style. One example is Silat Sendeng Malaysia. According to guru Jamaludin Shahadan, President of Pertubuhan Seni Silat Sendeng Malaysia, the present day Sendeng style promoted by the organisation is a marriage of many different hard styles by its founder, the late Haji Abdul Hamid Hamzah.

Of Bugis descent, the founder's own family were inheritors of a version of Kuntau, a Chinese art modified by the Bugis long ago (and its seems, many other cultures within Nusantara as well) into an accepted silat style. He studied and reclaimed Sendeng, a traditional Bugis silat style which fights with a lead shoulder, which was a natural complement to his Kuntau studies, which fights with no lead.

However, Silat Sendeng Malaysia, to this day, is known by only its Melayu name, since the Kuntau aspect is only taught as the beginner phase while Sendeng is meant to be the final objective of the studies.

(It's interesting to note that there are manu Sendeng styles today that pride itself on being 'authentic' in that they still only fight off the vertical rather than the horizontal, and Silat Sendeng Malaysia was regarded many years ago as being unauthentic).

The third core idea is related to the Melayu's idea of the hardness of kuntau. Thus, any silat style that bears very little softness as the Melayu are used to seeing, is labelled Kuntau, even though the art itself was not born of Chinese elements.

One example is Silat Kuntau Tekpi (SKT), which shares some technical and historical background with Silat Cekak (of Ustaz Hanafi fame) and Silat Kalimah. The word 'Kuntau ' in SKT, is according to present Pak Guru, cikgu Sani Zainol Abidin refers to the hardness of the techniques and not its origin. This was a decision made in the 1960s, when he was forced to register the art as such, because another art was already using the moniker 'Silat Tekpi'. Otherwise, the original intention was to call it Silat Tekpi too.

The original Silat Kalimah syllabus and the present Silat Cekak syllabus both contain buah which have the word Kuntau in it. When Ustaz Hanafi was asked as to why this was and whether the art absorbed Chinese influences, he replied that all it meant was that these techniques contain hard forms. The word implied this.

Video Review - part 1

From time to time I’ll be reviewing videos/dvd’s relating to various subjects discussed in this blog. The material will tend to be of an instructional or documentary nature, although once in a while I’ll throw in something of a more mainstream genre if I feel it has something to offer beyond just entertainment value.

The first review is something I’ve received a lot of emails about. This is basically a reprint from our private Pekiti Tirsia forum for the benefit of those who do not have access to that forum.

The ‘Combatants’ dvd is a Compare-the-Styles piece featuring the following teachers:

Bill Kipp - FAST Defense
Michael Casey - Wing Tzun
Moni Aizik - Commando Krav Maga
Leo T. Gaje - Pekiti Tirsia Kali

For a detailed description of the content, please visit this website:

http://www.comparestyles.com/

which offers the following synopsis:

“The Combatant DVD contains an objective look at 4 different approaches to self defense by 4 Masters of the martial arts. If you are interested learning the martial arts or self defense but don't know which art to study then buy Combatant Extreme Self Defense.

If you are an experienced martial artist, you'll want to see how each art handles the same situations differently and WHY. These arts are very popular arts for cross training and are known as being focused on the street.

Four Masters of some most street effective martial arts show you their different theories and techniques on defending yourself from common attacks.”

Now keeping in mind that most of the emails I’ve received are from folks who have already seen the video, and want to know my opinion of it, here it is:

I was not particularly impressed by the Wing Tzun and "Fast Defense" presentations.

The only thing notable in my opinion about Commando Krav Maga is that whereas most of the Krav Maga that I've seen looks like bad 3d-rate Muay Thai, this stuff looks like bad 3d rate Japanese jujutsu. I'd rather learn those exact same moves the correct way from a good Jujutsu teacher. But I did indeed get the sense that the teacher could handle himself in a fight.

I have mixed feelings on Tuhon Gaje's presentation. The thing I've noticed about Tuhon and "demos" like this is that he's too self-conscious in front of the camera. When he does a combination where he has to explain the moves in English- like in the first part of the dvd - he's not only thinking about what he's doing but also thinking about how to explain what he's doing, and the technique gets lost in that process. His later presentation where he just flows and lets loose on Tim Waid is a lot cleaner and more fluid.

On the positive side: It’s a rare and wonderful thing to see teachers of different backgrounds collaborating on a project. I also think this is a great concept for a dvd, and I wholly respect the efforts of everyone involved in the production.

I'm sure the next offering will be a lot better.

Ode Remo

Visiting an "Old Friend" in Ode Remo

Yoruba hunters are an "interesting" bunch. The only time I have seen them in the village has been during the early, early morning hours when I accompanied Araba Adesanya's daughter to get water from the communal well about an hours walk from Ogunti Compound.

The Hunters...you can see one coming a mile away, and they carry themselves as if they would just as soon tear your head off as say 'Good Morning'. On the last trip we were fortunate enough to be able to spend some time with them under almost normal conditions on the outskirts of town. It was a night that none of us will ever forget.

"Gba mi, gba mi" ko yeegun
"Ibi ogun le mi de ree" ko yode
"Gba mi, gba mi" ko yoosa
"Ibi eran le mi de ree" ko yode

It is a paradox for Ancestral Masqueraders to call for help from human beings
For a Hunter to say "This is how far War drove me" is unbefitting
It is a paradox for a Deity to call for help from a human being
For a Hunter to say "This is how far the Prey drove me" is unbefitting

The Most Fun Demo Ever

Last weekend we gave a demo at a huge banquet hall in St. Clair Shores. I would love to post some pictures here, but my crappy digital camera malfunctioned* Being that there are no pics from our demo, I decided instead to post this cool shot of Tuhon Gaje in "High Priest" garb (the Discovery Channel is filming a documentary on FMA in the Philippines which will feature Pekiti Tirsia prominently - this photo was taken during that filming).

Anyway, for this particular demo Kapatid Damon Mitchell was arguably the Star of the show, if not the entire night. After nearly killing us all with his homicidal driving on I-94, then antagonizing the waitstaff and house security to the point of a near confrontation, he performed a breathtaking sayaw with a single bolo, followed by Contradas and an excellent rendition of Kali De Leon's "Tic-Bang" double stick drill - which turned out to be a real crowd pleaser.

Congratulations Damon. And as always, thanks for keeping it real.


* Its Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanzaa time...a new digital camera is on my list!

Pekiti Tirsia in the Military

Supreme Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje Jr. and Col.Cardell of the Philippine Marines


A more detailed article on Pekiti Tirsia’s relationship with the U.S. and Philippine Military is presented in the article below from www.pt-go.com Experts from the following branches of the Armed Forces agree that Pekiti Tirsia is the best option for personal and national security!

* United States Marine Corp.

* Philippine Force Recon Marines

* Special Action Force (SAF) Commandos of the Philippine National Police

* Crisis Response Group (CRG) Counter-Terrorism Task Force of the Philippines

1998 was a historical landmark year for the Pekiti-Tirsia system in the Philippines. In the history of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Pekiti-Tirsia was to be the first authentic Filipino combat system and martial art adopted as official warfighting doctrine. For three years previous, the Force Reconnaissance Battalion of the Philippine Marine Corps researched the different Filipino combat systems/martial arts being practiced in the Philippines to specifically find the knowledge and essence of Bladed weapons combat. The marines of the Force Recon Battalion completed several combat skills courses and interviewed numerous instructors, but found none that taught combat with the live blade and that could teach a system to special operations forces applicable to their operational environment and requirements. Combat marines and soldiers are armed with an array of edged weapons including the bayonet, bolo, entrenching tool, fighting knife, and the multitude of improvised weapons found on the battlefield. As the recognized elite of the elite, the Force Recon Marines sought to set the standard for skill and instruction in close quarters combat. The battalion commanding officer, Major Natalio C. Ecarma, met with Mataas na Guro Tim Waid who had been residing in the Philippines and training with Grand Tuhon Gaje since 1993. As the Director of SURVIVAL EDGE SYSTEMS / Pekiti-Tirsia Tactical Training Institute, and himself a former marine, Guro Waid introduced the unit to the history, training methodologies, and effectiveness of the combat bladefighting system of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali. Guro Waid detailed the unparalleled, international professional recognition that Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje had brought to the field of military and law enforcement tactical training and demonstrated the use and employment of combat edged weaponry carried by operators on special operations missions. Guro Waid conducted an intensive six-month instructor’s candidate course in the Military Edged-Impact Weapon System for Close Quarters Combat/CQC graduating thirty (30) students in June of 1998.

The Commandant, then Major General Ponciano s. Millena, recognized the Pekiti-Tirsia system as the official Close Quarters Combat/CQC doctrine of the Philippine Marine Corps. Grand Tuhon Gaje and Guro Waid presented a framed Ginunting / Combat Bolo to General Millena forging the brotherhood of Pekiti-Tirsia and the Philippine Marines.

The Force Recon Marines have reinstituted and revitalized the historical use of authentic Filipino Bladefighting technology within the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Today, they are recognized as the leaders and subject matter experts (SME) in the use of Edged-Impact Weapon Strategy and Tactics within the AFP and now train all foreign special operations forces and ground force military units conducting joint training exercises and combat operations against insurgents and terrorists groups in the Philippines. Since 1998 they have proven the superiority of the Pekiti-Tirsia system against other military close quarter combative methods including the US Marine Corps Martial Art Program (MCMAP), SCARS method of US Navy SEALS, and the LINE method of US Army Special Forces. As in yesteryear when the Filipino instructed famous US military units of WWII including the Marine Raiders, Army Alamo Scouts, and led a successful guerrilla warfare campaign against the Japanese invaders by battalions armed with the Bolo, the Filipino fighting man is again recognized as the military Master of the Blade.

The Heritage of the Past and the Legacy of the Future

Article first appeared in the November 1998 issue of Citemar6. Official publication of the Philippine Marine Corps.

In this year of the Republic of the Philippines National Centennial Celebration, 1998, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reclaims it true martial heritage with the Philippine Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance Battalion designation as the modern BOLO BATTALION. The Filipino Bolo has been the trademark combat weapon for generations of Filipino warriors and heroes from Datu Lapu Lapu to the founding fathers of the Katipunan and now of the Force Recon Marines. Today, the Force Reconnaissance Battalion is the only unit in the Armed Forces of the Philippines that trains, equips, and operates utilizing the traditional combat weapons, tactics, and skills of Kali. Kali, the true and authentic martial art of the Filipino is a systematic art of combat bladefighting based on the science of strategy and tactics.

The chronicles of Philippine history have recorded the victories of the Filipino Fighting Man in the defense of freedom, independence and democracy. Victories achieved by the use of the weapons and tactics of Kali. Kali prevailed against the finest European steel when Datu Lapu Lapu, the first Filipino hero, felled the famed Spanish conquistador Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. The Filipino Bolo was feared throughout the history of the Spanish occupation and the art of Kali brought many regional victories in the revolts against Spanish subjugation. Generals Artemio Ricarte, Gregorio Del Pilar, Antonio Luna, and other heroes of the revolution against Spain lead their troops to battle with Bolo in hand. The Bolo of Andres Bonifacio, hero of the Katipunan, symbolizes that gallant struggle that lead to the declaration of the first Philippine Republic. The American era brought respect for the fighting tenacity of the Filipino in such great measure that it influenced the adoption of the .45 Caliber automatic pistol for the U.S. Armed Forces. During World War II the American military recognized the superiority of Kali for close quarters combat. In 1942 the United States Marine Corps enlisted Filipinos to teach combat bladefighting with the knife, bayonet, and other hand-to-hand combat skills to the elite Marine Raider Battalions that spearheaded the war against the Japanese in the central Pacific. Most significantly, the First (1st) Filipino Regiment of the US Army became recognized as the original BOLO BATTALION. This unit, along with others such as the Philippine Scouts and other guerrilla units established the modern military legacy of Filipino Kali during the liberation of the Philippines when they fought blade to blade and blade to rifle and defeated the finest units of the Japanese Imperial Armed Forces armed and trained in the art of the Samurai.

From this heritage of the past the Marines of the Force Reconnaissance Battalion continue the Kali legacy of the future. The battalion, under the command of Major Natalio C. Ecarma III officially adopted the Pekiti-Tirsia Kali system as the unit’s formal doctrine for close quarters combat. Approved by the Commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps, Major General Ponciano S. Millena, the Pekiti-Tirsia Military EDGED-IMPACT WEAPON SYSTEM marks the first time in more than fifty years that the indigenous fighting art of Kali has been formulated for modern combat and officially recognized as tactical warfighting doctrine.

The Pekiti-Tirsia Military EDGED-IMPACT WEAPON SYSTEM is a combative skills program in Close Quarters Combat (CQC) tactical doctrine specifically formulated for military special operation forces. This system provides the operator complete strategies, tactics and skills for the use of combat weaponry in the entire operational continuum of modern combat from high intensity conventional war through the full spectrum of unconventional warfare.

The Military EDGED-IMPACT WEAPON SYSTEM/CQC parallels military combat doctrine to locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire (Edged-Impact weaponry offensive and counter-offensive strikes) and maneuver (footwork and mobility) or repel the enemy’s assault by fire and close combat.

The Military EDGED-IMPACT WEAPON SYSTEM is comprised of:

1. Combat Bolo /CQB/ Close Quarters Bolo

2. Combat Knife /CQK/ Close Quarters Knifefighting

3. Combat Empty-Hands /CQE/ Close Quarters Empty-Hands

4. Combat Bayonet /CQB/ Close Quarters Bayonet

5. Tactical Weapons Disarming /CQD/ Close Quarters Disarming

6. Tactical Weapons Retention /CQR/ Close Quarters Retention

Trained in this complete system of Close Quarters Combat/CQC and armed with the Combat Bolo, the Force Reconnaissance Battalion leads the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in tactical operational capabilities. Tasked with the missions of conducting air, ground, and amphibious reconnaissance for the three Marine Brigades and Regional Commanders as well as direct action operations such as raids, counter-terrorism, and hostage rescue, all Force Reconnaissance Marines are qualified combat parachutists and divers and are graduates of the Force Reconnaissance Qualification Course, Army Special Forces Qualification Course, or the Scout Ranger School.

Presently, the Battalion is composed of a Headquarters and Service Company and three (3) Force Reconnaissance Companies, the 61st, 62nd, and 63rd. Each company is composed of three (3) recon platoons and one (1) sniper platoon. The battalion is headquartered at Marine Barracks, Naval Station, Fort Bonifacio in Metro Manila, where the H&S Company and two recon companies are stationed. Each company is deployed on a rotational basis to Cotabato City, Mindanao in support of the Second (2nd) Marine Brigade. The Philippine Marine Corps maintains the majority of their forces in Mindanao and the Sulu Sea due to their continued victories against the numerous enemy forces and organized criminal elements that remain active in this historically war torn region.

Today, the Marines of the Force Reconnaissance Battalion enter the arena of warfare trained in the strategy and tactics of Kali and armed with the Combat Bolo, the symbol of victory, heroism, and excellence of the Filipino Fighting Man.

Arere, Arere'ooooo!

Ogun Fumito vs. Abiodun Ogunleye -
Jakadi Match Ode Remo, Ogun State 2006
(in the background is Jeff Davidson and Oluwasina Kuti)

Ogunda-Wonrin!
Ija ti ngo jayi ki'mi niyi-sii
Ajagbuye niti ekun
Ajagbuye niti Aara
Ogunda!
iwo lo nda won ni'jakadi lojogbogbo nilekile
Ija ti ngo ja ki'mi niyi-sii, Ajagbuyi

Let the Fight I will Fight be to My Honor
Victory After the Fight Belongs to the Lion
Vitory After the Fight Belongs to Aara
Like Ogunda,
All Day, You Hurled Them Down Everywhere
Let the Fight I will Fight be to My Honor

Odu'fa 152:1
translated by Jeff Davidson

Pistol CQB Seminar - Comes Off with a Bang!

A Blank Canvas

I am very happy to report that the Pistol CQB seminar was an outstanding learning experience for all who attended.

Cpl. Ungyo presented a concise, challenging and very engaging (pardon the pun) class on the essentials of drawing, moving, target acquisition, malfunction drills, legal considerations, and just about everything else relevant to a concerned citizen facing down multiple aggressors with his pistol in his home, or on the street. After laying a solid foundation in the basics, we moved on with confidence to some very realistic scenario training, dealing with the tactics necessary to survive such volatile situations as armed robberies, home invasions and car jackings (this becoming somewhat of a sport in our inner city these days.)

I have always stressed the point that seminar material is only as good as the person teaching it. I have attended quite a few tactical shooting classes, and in some ways they are like any other martial arts seminar - meaning there is usually a high bullshit factor. In a typical martial arts seminar, the bullshit factor is usually found in the material itself ie. unrealistic techniques/tactics being taught by someone who has obviously never applied them in real life (in a T’ai Chi seminar this might not be an issue.) In a tactical shooting class, the bullshit factor is quite often the instructor. On the positive side, since most CQB instructors are seasoned law enforcement or military folks, they’ve actually “been there and done that” so there is a certain level of credibility when they teach. On the negative, even the guys who are not all macho Rambo types with war stories are often so very dogmatic in their approach that whatever does not fit into their rigid mentality is automatically discounted. I’ve even seen this in students when Tuhon Gaje has done his law enforcement seminars. When Tuhon tries to show how an officer can think outside the box with regard to his primary weapon, some of them just shut down.

Ungyo however, takes a very Tuhon-esque artistic approach to pistolcraft. He has a rock-solid, unquestionable understanding of the fundamentals, and can clearly communicate where and when there is room for personal interpretation. His own informed innovations seamlessly compliment the playbook, and clearly demonstrate how one can formulate a personal style of gun-fighting based on body mechanics and inter-personal dynamics, just as can be accomplished with edged and impact weapons. And as far as credibility goes, Ungyo has been there and done it. If there was ever a CQB class taught by instructor that could be called a Pekiti Tirsia Gun Seminar - this was it. It was a proud moment for me as well to be able to learn from someone who is usually my student. Truth be told, I have probably learned as much from him as he has from me over the years.

Now for a final word...

Pekiti Tirsia is always far, far ahead of the proverbial curve. Tuhon Gaje was teaching gun techniques to cops and the military before most of the MA community has ever even seen a knife drill. And today most of the foremost “knife experts” are teaching nothing more than sloppy re-hashes of Pekiti knife work from the 1970's. I predict that soon, we will see these same buffoons trying to fake their way through tactical shooting seminars by copying us. What will we be doing then? Difficult to say.

Maybe lasers.

Pistol CQB Seminar

The long-awaited pistol Close Quarter Battle (CQB) seminar will be held on Sunday, October 8th. Please call or email for details on location and time.

Here are some updates:

- We will meet at the training hall at 10:45am on Sunday and caravan to the location of the seminar.

- Equipment needed:

* Airsoft pistol and holster (CCW holders may bring their unloaded carry pistol.)
* Eye Protection
* Extra t-shirt or bandana
* Wear your street clothes

Band of Brothers (and Uncle)

Here's a photo I just received from our 'Superbowl of Pekiti Tirsia' seminar a few months ago. From left: Ka Jay Saludo; Jeff Davidson; Tito Jun Saludo; Kuya Jamal Hakim Abdullah.

First Tekpi Instructors in the U.S.

The First (and arguably the Best)

From left: Robert Slomkowski; Omar Hakim; Steve Slomkowski; Ricky Rillera; Jeff Davidson

Silat Melayu on the Move

Cikgu Mohd Nadzrin Wahab

For an outsider coming to Silat Kuntau Tekpi (or any Silat Melayu) it is not sufficient merely to learn the physical techniques of buah, tapak, kuncian, pukulan, etc. In order to truly grasp where the Art “is coming from” both historically and conceptually, one must endeavor to understand the culture which spawned it. For one who is so far removed from the Source - namely Malaysia - this is can be a daunting and often frustrating task.

Without a doubt, the greatest blessing on this journey into the hermetic world of Silat Melayu has been to make the acquaintance of a generous and enthusiastic teacher, practitioner, and eminent scholar of Silat Melayu named Mohd Nadzrin Wahab, known to many as Saiful Azraq. Any foreigner who has done even the most cursory research into Malaysian martial arts from the available resources in English knows this young man - primarily because Nadzrin is personally responsible for translating and making the information available to us!

It is no cliche to say that this young man is a veritable encyclopedia of information on the history, customs, traditions, lineages, masters, people, places, events, milestones and just about anything else significant to Silat. Luckily for us, he is a painstaking and patient guide. If by chance he doesn’t have the answers...he knows the folks that do.

I invite you to his blog: http://silatmelayu.blog.com/

Tell him ‘JD Tekpi’ sent you!

The Knife's Milonga (dedicated to Ungyo)

It came to me at Pehuajo
from some generous hands.
It is better not to know
the return of Rosas’ bands.
On the leather and wood no mark
of rood lies on its haft.
With dreams tiger dark
the steel dreams its tiger craft

The knife dreams of a hand
to deliver it from oblivion.
But all depends on what the man
with the hand decides.

The Pehuajo dagger owes
not a single death.

For a tremendous
fate the forger forged its breadth.
Beholding it I can only forsee
a future filled with daggers
as well as swords and sabers
and other deadly forms
so many that the world draws
near the point of death,
so many that death knows
not which to choose.

Dream your easy dream
in this tranquil state
Be not impatient, blade,
Rosas returns to his estate.

- Jorge Luis Borges

Pekiti Tirsia in the Bible(!)

Remember the 'Bible Code' that was all the rage before the 'DaVinci Code' made the scene? A friend of mine has a Bible Code software program where you type in a word or phrase, and it gives the chapter in scripture (parasha) from where your term or phrase is said to "emanate". This has to do with Kabbalistic concepts such as Gematria and Tzeruf which are beyond the scope of this blog to explain. Well, we typed in the phrase PEKITI TIRSIA and what we got back is the story of Pinhas ben Yair, summarized below. Maybe there's something to this after all...

The story of Pinhas actually began at the end of the previous Parashah. While the Israelites were encamped at Shittim, they were induced to having sexual relations with the Moabite women, who also invited them to the sacrifices for their god. The Lord was incensed with Israel and commanded Moses to have all the ringleaders publicly impaled. Just then one of the Israelites came and brought a Midianite woman over to his friends. When Phinehas, a priest, saw this he took a spear in his hand and stabbed both of them, the Israelite and the woman. Then the plague against the Israelites was checked. This episode of valiant behavior seems to end the rift between God and the Israelites.

Get 'Yer Guns!

Rommel Tortal Covers Guro Jun at the PNP Training Headquarters
Photo by Jeff Davidson


As a TRUE combat system, Pekiti Tirsia has an extensive firearms/tactical shooting/pistolcraft curriculum in place since the 1970's - once again putting GT Gaje far ahead of the curve in terms of realistic martial combatives. It was after all Tuhon Gaje that opened the eyes of many in the Law Enforcement community to the dangers of edged weapons in the legendary Surviving Edged Weapons film. Well, he’s as crafty with a pistol as he is with a ginunting.

As a matter of record, the pre-Marcos Philippines was as much a gun culture as a knife culture. It is therefore not surprising that the Filipinos developed sophisticated systems of personal combat focusing on the pistol as a necessary and pragmatic complement to their bladed arts. And in case you hadn’t noticed, guns happen to come into play during many crimes committed here in our land.

Earlier this year, we had the privilege of learning Pekiti Tirsia’s unique GUN SEGUIDAS directly from Tuhon Gaje during a SWAT seminar in Rochester, New York. In February, we learned the Batangas style of gun fighting as was common on the streets of Lipa City in the turbulent pre-Marcos days. Judging from the tales that our Tito Jun related, the streets of Batangas back then made the ‘67 riots in Detroit look like a tipsy gay-pride parade in Ann Arbor.

We take the concept of self-defense very seriously. Although the discipline of Kali is most certainly a bladed Art, the fact remains that blades can be legally prohibitive to carry on one’s person. Pistols are as tactically viable as blades in most close quarter combative situations, and in many cases are more legally viable than knives. Luckily for us, Michigan is a “shall issue” State with regards to concealed weapons permits, meaning that unless you’re a convicted felon - or nuts - you can carry a pistol almost anywhere. I encourage you all to take full advantage of this while you can. Instead of getting that silly plasma screen TV, get a good handgun and learn how to apply your Kali training to this weapon. It will serve you in good stead.

Over the past few years, many of the Detroit Maphilindo Pitbulls have in fact become avid ‘gunners’. So it is with great pleasure that we will be adding a TACTICAL PISTOLCRAFT module to our gameplan beginning in the fall, under the direction of Cpl. Ungyo - who is a seasoned Patrol Officer, SWAT Operator, and Certified Assistant Instructor in our much-in-demand Edged/Impact Weapons Defensive Tactics for Law Enforcement program.

The first class(es) will be presented in seminar format. The dates will be announced in class. You will need: eye protection, a training gun (either a red gun or an airsoft pistol), holster, and street clothes. Email me for further details.

More on Pendekar Banten

Gorka Echarri with Pak Rusdi


Now that our Brother Gorka Echarri has returned from yet another successful journey to West Java - including Banten and Tari Kolot - we are grateful to him for taking the time and effort to translate some history of the Pendekar Banten organization and its esteemed founder Pendekar Hassan. - JD

The PPPSBBI (Persatuan Pendekar Persilatan Seni Budaya Banten Indonesia) is a regional organization created in 1971 by Pendekar H. Tubagus Chasan Sochid. This organization has been created to unify all the old schools from the Banten area including Cimande Macan Guling, Jalak Rawi, Macan Paku banten, Satri Muda Indonesia, Terumbu, Bandrong, Gabak Lumayung.
Before the PPPSBBI, in Banten, there were Jago (or jawara) that were some kind of strong fighters, with also often strong ilmu and they were working for their district, for a group of villages. They were assuming the security of their group, sometimes by fights with
other jago or sometime by playing the bully with citizens from an other district. Pendekar H. Tubagus
Chasan Sochid succeeded in joining most of this jagos under one single organisation, under his authority for the benefit of everyone. That's why some people are calling Pendekar H. Tubagus Chasan Sochid, Jawara of the jawaras. Their action became the promotion of their specific style of Pencak Silat, also assuming the security in some gatherings, some city parties, for the youngest, working as security in supermarkets, assuming the security of the political party "Golkar"... The PPPSBBI, is officially recognized by the Indonesian governement.
There are actually 90 different styles under the supervision of the PPPSBBI,
500 000 silat players under this organization in the Banten area. Some students came from Malaysia and from Australia to learn Pencak Silat under the PPPSBBI. Gorka Echarri is officially the PPPSBBI "ambassador" for international promotion of the PPPSBBI and has the official right to support any schools that want to learn traditional Pencak Silat styles from Banten (Cimande Macan Guling and Terumbu Gajah Putih). This organization has a very strong influence in Banten and you can feel its influence in the everyday living in the streets of Serang and surrounding areas.

Pendekar H. Tubagus Chasan Sochid was born in 1930 in the village of Kadu Berem, Pabuaran in the district of Serang, Banten area. He sudied in a dutch school (Ver Volk), Pendekar H. Tubagus Chasan Sochid then continued his studies of the muslim religion in the
Pondok Pesantren Pani school were he became a famous muslim scholar. Kyai Cholil recognized Pendekar H. Tubagus Chasan Sochid bravery and intelligence. Pendekar H.
Tubagus Chasan Sochid then started to be renowned in the business world in his area.

In addition to academic studies, Pendekar H. Tubagus Chasan Sochid also studied different spiritual schools from Banten (for healing and Pencak Silat) and gained a high level in
them. He has been recognized as a true Jawara (strong man from inside and outside).

As a regional organisation, the PPPSBBI is renowed and has a strong reputation. The organization is promoting all the traditionnal schools and help their improvements. For competitions, each school within the PPPSBBI is free to join the competition or not.
Some schools play in this IPSI competitions by joining in Sumatra, other parts of Java.
The schools are free to join or not and there is no judgment from the ones who joined to the ones who
doesn't want t join. They live all together in a good
intelligence.

...And At Long Last!

Sorry it took soooo long to make this announcement - and there's more to come - but we have officially joined one of the oldest and most respected martial arts Organizations in West Java:

Persatuan Pendekar Persilatan Seni Budaya Banten Indonesia

Our next posting will contain something of the history and mission of this venerable Society, as well as choice exerpts from the book written by its current President Hassan Chosib (translated by our own Mas Reno Notojardjo)...and our official ijazah, or letter or authorization. We are also pleased to add to our schedule of class two unique Arts: Cimande Macan Guling and Terumbu Gajah Putih.

Many people in the "Inner Circle" of Pekiti Tirsia are aware of the fact that this same Organization officially recognized our own Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje Jr. as a Master of Silat in his own right!

So thanks for your patience, and keep staying tuned!

Guro Jun De Leon and the Problem with FMA in the U.S.A.

Guro Jun De Leon working with Pitbull Kelly Hadin
Maryland, 2005

Try to imagine if you will, a leopard in human form. Smooth...relaxed....fluid...and incredibly explosive, the precise human equivalent of a jungle cat - with equal ferocity. Now imagine this human/leopard wielding double bastons, unleashing an utterly furious barrage of whirlwind attacks - with the sticks sounding like ‘light sabers’ from Star Wars as they cut the air...every cut precise and powerful enough to split you in half. The sticks move with such speed and such raw force that you feel intimidated even observing it from 10 feet away.

That is my impression of Guro Jun De Leon.

Kali De Leon is not a household name in FMA the way some systems have become. This is a calculated move, because Guro Jun was more than happy to keep a low, almost secretive profile for many years, until my own mentor Doug Marcaida convinced him to share his treasure with a select few worthy outsiders. Even so, he is certainly in no great rush to add to his student body. Guro Jun is more likely to ask a prospective student: "Give me a good reason why I should teach you anything" and the acceptable answer is not dollars (or whatever that funny-looking currency that they use is Canada is)

Anyone in the U.S. who has ever attended just one weekend FMA seminar has learned the drill commonly known as sinawali - also called ‘Heaven Six’ etc. They hunker down in the horse-stance, chopping and hacking the air (or their partners sticks) with all the grace and fluidity of an Oldsmobile with four flat tires. Even the majority of so-called advanced escrimadors, who can at least fake a reasonably fluid sayaw with solo baston, don’t understand even how to practice sinawali the correct way, let alone being able to fight with it. Its safe to say that most FMAer’s are equally deficient across the board when it comes to doble baston. Some have turned to ‘alien’ double stick methodologies from Thailand, for example, in their attempt to fill the gap of non-understanding so prevalent in the world of FMA.

Now, the speciality of Kali De Leon happens to be the double stick. Guro Doug Marcaida has been a student of Guro Jun for several years now, and when Doug first described him to me, I admit that I was initially a bit skeptical. After all, I thought "Gee, I’ve already seen every f*ing variation of sinawali under the sun, what can this Guro Jun possibly have?" Well, when I first saw him in action a few years ago, I realized that he did indeed have something which is light years ahead of 99% of FMAer’s here.. And furthermore, it had very little to do with techniques.

THE PROBLEM WITH FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS IN THE UNITED STATES

The Filipino martial arts in general are taught all wrong on this side of the shore. A pragmatic, and effective method of weapons and empty-handed combat has been reduced to an odd collection of techniques and flow-drills. As a result of this, Western practitioners have become very proficient in a particular technique like redondo or abaniko, and also in pass-check-pass-tapping flow drills, while never developing the speed, power and body mechanics to necessary to become fighters as opposed to pretty flow-drillers. Like so many other martial artists who look great doing kata in the air, but lack the crucial understanding to make their techniques work against a opponent in real time.

Grand Tuhon Gaje never taught Pekiti Tirsia this way, but some PTK practitioners who have learned from 3d and 4th generation teachers have watered it down to that extent. If you ask them "What is Pekiti Tirsia?" they will say that it is 64 attacks, or knife tapping, or Break-in/Break-out. They don’t even realize that REAL Pekiti is body mechanics, timing, and mindset.

Back to Guro Jun. When I finally experienced the way he teaches Kali, many questions were answered. He does not base his method on anything but the most elementary of techniques; and his drills are far from being overly complex. Rather, Guro Jun teaches from the perspective of innate body mechanics. My students and I have found Kali De Leon to be more about physical culture than anything else. In other words, Guro Jun doesn’t teach you how to use a stick (or two), he teaches you how to use your body in the most efficient and explosive manner possible. And that’s what he looks for in evaluating other practitioners as well (I am speaking from experience!) Its common for traditional teachers of Chinese martial arts to take this approach; it is very rare to see Kali taught this way. Is it effective? Let me put it to you this way: witnessing a demo by any ‘intermediate’ level Kali De Leon practitioner will forever change the way you view Kali.

Maraming Salamat Guro!

(be sure to check out http://www.kalideleon.com/)

Legends of Kali II Seminar

Grand Tuhon Gaje & Guro Jun De Leon

Awesome...Incredible...Magnificent...Exhausting...Monumental...Inspiring...

Just a few adjectives to describe the utterly sensational weekend in Rochester, New York that we had the honor of attending! What could be better than a full weekend of Kali training with Supreme Grand Tuhon Leo Gaje Jr. of Pekiti Tirsia - and Guro Jun De Leon of Kali De Leon?!?!?!

Our legs are dead from the endless footwork; our hands are torn with blisters and bruises; our sticks have been beaten to shreds; and our minds have shorted out from the overload of fighting knowledge imparted by these two living Legends of the Filipino martial arts. Tuhon Gaje broke and twisted us beyond recognition with Dumog and Pangamut, only to then puncture us with his Kol De Mama Daga double knife techniques. Guro Jun took us to the outer limits with the blazing speed and precision of his Largo Mano.

Capable support staff included Guro Doug Marcaida and Guro Burton De Souza of Toronto who thankfully translated the language of the Gods to words that us mere mortals could understand. It is a rare thing indeed to have the opportunity to share so much practice, wisdom and Brotherhood with such a dedicated group of practitioners who live and breathe their beloved Art.

MABUHAY!

Updates!

QCB

Sorry we haven't updated in a while, it's been a very busy month indeed! Among our accomplishments in the past few weeks:

- We trained over 50 recruits in the current class at the Wayne County Regional Police Training Academy in Pekiti Tirsia Edged/Impact Weapon Control Dynamics.

- We have officially incorporated Tuhon Gaje's unique method of pistol QCB/Tactical Shooting into our training cirriculum.

- We have developed a syllabus for teaching the Batangas-style of knife fighting to advanced students (with the full support of our mentor "Tito Jun" Saludo.)

- We have established a Batangas-style knife fighting affiliate club in Europe.

- We are in the process of establishing two Pekiti Tirsia club affiliates in the Saginaw/Flint area.

- We have forged strong bonds of Brotherhood with our Silat Melayu extended family in Malaysia, including members of Silat Kuntau Tekpi, Silat Cekak Hanafi, and Silat Kalimah.

- We are expecting some exciting news from our Indonesian family very, very soon!

In the next few weeks, we'll be hitting the road again to train with Supereme Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje Jr. and all of our good friends at Rochester Kali. On the homefront, we are just about at capacity with regards to accepting new students. The good news is that several of our senior members will be starting clubs of their own in the near future. One thing you can be sure of, if it has the "stamp" of the Detroit Maphilindo Pitbulls - you will receive nothing less than the finest training in the Malay fighting arts (the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia) available in the midwest!

Mabuyhay!
JD

Superbowl of Pekiti Tirsia!

Ka Jay Saludo, Ka Jeff, Tito Jun, Kuya Doug - 02/2006

Sorry for the late update! In early February 2006, the Motor City was host to a monumental international event of epic proportions - the 1st annual Pekiti Tirsia Pitbull Brotherhood Gathering! Four days of intense training, advanced research and development, and solid friendship for the students and teachers of 3 Pekiti Tirsia groups from Detroit, Rochester New York, and Saskatchewan, Canada all under the auspices of Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje Jr.

The tone of the weekend was the refinement of Pekiti Tirsia to its highest level. Each instructor presented a unique interpretation of Pekiti knife (Kol Demama Daga, Dagaso Tirsia) and Stick (Contradas) based on his own field studies with Tuhon Gaje. In addition, in keeping with the spirit of "open exchange" each instructor presented a special instructional block of complimentary disciplines:

- Guro Doug Marcaida of Rochester, New York taught a fast and furious knife-fighting module followed by some of the most powerful doble-baston training methods from Kali DeLeon.

- Manong Leon Saludo (aka "Tito Jun") of Saskatchewan presented a bevy of frightening knife applications based on the rare "Vientenueve" knife style of his home province of Batangas.

- Guro Jay Saludo gave an incredible teaching block of HIGHLY UNORTHODOX handgun QCB based on the Batangas style of gunfighting, which addressed carry, draw, target aquisition, and shooting against multile opponents. This was an excellent counter-point to Tuhon Gaje's presentation of the legendary Pekiti Tirsia Gun Seguidas earlier last year. After Guro Jay's portion of the seminar, it was off to the gun range to "field test" some of the principles covered at the seminar, where Detroit Pitbull Damon Mitchell 's outstanding performace with the .40 calibre will be remembered for generations!

- Guro Jeff Davidson introduced the visiting students to some of the finer applications (pecahan) from the Malaysian Art of Silat Kuntau Tekpi, demonstrating SKT's explosive and economical entries, full body locks, and lethal throws.

A full report/photo essay of the weekend events is in preparation along with plans for the next Pitbull family gathering...

Stay Tuned!

Abre Kutu...

"When the hot blood of the town still left its panting print in the flagstones of the entrance of the Castle of San Severino, the shots of the troops alarmed the population again; in one of their corridors applied the brujos the Law of Flight"
-La Caricatura, Havana

Kongo mio
ven de lo monte
yo te llamo a laborar
cuando venga, ven despacio
paso a paso a trabajar

yo te llamo y tu respondes
yo te llamo de verdad
yo te llamo con tu mbele
yo te llamo pa jugar

yo te veo en la malesa
trabajando material
con tu cazuela de barro
y tu mpaka pa mirar

tu te llamas “Como Quieras”
tu nombre no quieres dar
lo que querio congo mio
no nos dejes de ayudar...