PTI Blog

An axe or machete, a small woodworking knife and a folding saw would serve you better if you have the room in your pack, but if you want to carry just one tool, a well balanced camp or bowie knife is a good option in many areas of the U.S.

If you do choose the One Tool Option, you will be in good company. Most indigenous peoples around the world carry just one blade and it is usually a big one, like a machete, bolo, parang, kukuri, etc. The men of these groups would traditionally go off on multi-day hunting trips with only one large knife. Remember, it's not the only thing they have to carry and weight carried equals calories used; so there is going to be a tradeoff between tools carried and ease of travel.

So yesterday I taught another Pekiti-Tirsia class and had a visiting guest take class.
To make a long story short, the guest didn't want their pic posted on FB for fear of being seen by their regular instructor…and then consequently being excommunicated for training with another instructor (me).

I am told that this is a common practice in the school they belong to.
I happen to know this is unfortunately a common practice among various martial art schools, not just FMA instructors.

I started training in the Pekiti-Tirsia system in February of 1975 and therefore, February of 2025 begins my 50th year in the system. In addition, I started PTI in July of 1995, so next July will be my 30th anniversary as President of PTI.
Here are some ideas I have to celebrate these events.

In 2019 I began planning a series of joint seminars I intended to start in 2020. The first was going to be a seminar focusing on the Pekiti-Tirsia system, with a look at the “classic” way I had learned the system in the 1970s and 80s, compared with the new methodologies being taught in the 90s and 2000s.

The instructor I chose to represent the newer methods was Jared Wihongi, based on several factors. He was a fellow law enforcement officer, a good family man and had a reputation for integrity and self disciple.

The 64 Attacks is a set that combined the first three years of basic training and timing drills Tuhon Gaje was teaching in the 1970s into one group of techniques and principles.

Here are my thoughts about advertising on social media, specifically Facebook.
I thought it might be helpful for those also advertising online to see my thinking on this subject, which is based on trial and error over many years. I would be interested in hearing how my experience compares to other instructors who advertise on social media and even more interested in hearing the advice of administrators of these on-line groups.

Grand Tuhon Gaje told us that he spent one full year as a child learning the Solo Baston Abcedario, learning one set of 12 attacks at a time, building up until he had all 144 techniques in the 12 sets. Let's say he started in January with the first set: 12 strikes learned and practiced over a month's time is not too much for most children to learn. In February, he would warm up with the first set and then begin learning the second set, which was a mirror image of the first set. (This is the general pattern for most of the Abcedarios, as the even numbered sets are the "lead" sets, with the next even numbered set its mirror image).

The Learning Through Comparisons principle: There are great benefits to be had for both students and instructors when they experience different ways of solving the same problem. I first saw this during my teacher’s joint seminars in the early 1980s with Eddie Jafri and Guro Dan Inosanto.

KNIFE TESTING (part 1) : GET THE POINT? Help me design a process to test a blade’s thrusting ability for use in self-defense blades.Note: My overal...

A discussion of the pros and cons of various materials for training in Filipino Martial Arts, by Tuhon Bill McGrath

LEARNING THROUGH COMPARISONS PT 4:
Comparing speed and power between the Bowie, the Kukri and the Tomahawk. 8 videos with text. Tools used in this essay:  Cold Steel Leatherneck Bowie, Laredo Rubber Trainer, Gurkha Plus Kukri, Rubber Kukri Trainer, Trail Hawk and an Axe Head Cane cut down to the length of a Trail Hawk.