PTI Blog

  • 2025 LEARNING THROUGH COMPARISONS “BIG BLADES” WINTER CAMP

    by Tuhon Bill McGrath
    Train with six top instructors, including:
    Tuhon Bill McGrath, from Pekiti-Tirsia International.
    Punong Guro Marc Denny, from Dog Brothers Martial Arts.
    Coach Russ Mitchell, from the Winged Sabre School.
    Guro Bryan Cannata, from Kalis Americano.
    Dr. John Lennox, from the School of Two Swords.
    Sayaji David Daniel, from the American Bando Association.
    Posted in KNIFE TRAINING, Learning Through Comparisons, TEACHING METHODOLOGY

  • TIMING AND YOUR FIGHTING STYLE

    by Tuhon Bill McGrath
    Four fighting timing styles to help you understand what may work best for you.
    Posted in boxing, FOOTWORK, Learning Through Comparisons, sparring, TEACHING METHODOLOGY, Training

  • PEKITI-TIRSIA ESPADA Y DAGA OVERVIEW

    by Tuhon Bill McGrath
    Like most of the advanced work in the Pekiti-Tirsia system, Espada y Daga is taught in techniques grouped around core principles specific for that weapon or the fighting style of the practitioner. These are divided into three levels or “sets” with each having a specific grip of the dagger.

    Set 1: The daggers of both you and your opponent are held in Hammer grip.

    Set 2: You are switching between Icepick and Hammer grips, while your opponent remains in Hammer grip.

    Set 3: Both you and your opponent hold your daggers in Icepick grip.

    Each of these three sets has a subset of 12 Attacks, 12 Disarms, 12 Contradas (“Counters”) and 12 Recontras (“Recounters”). This gives us 144 total techniques in Pekiti-Tirsia Espada y Daga.
    Posted in Learning Through Comparisons, PEKITI, sword, TEACHING METHODOLOGY

  • LEARNING THROUGH COMPARISONS SEMINARS (1980 through the present)

    by Tuhon Bill McGrath
    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.
    Posted in Learning Through Comparisons, TEACHING METHODOLOGY

  • LEARNING THROUGH COMPARISONS PT 4: Bowie vs Kukri vs Tomahawk

    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.
    Posted in AXE & KNIFE DESIGN, Learning Through Comparisons, TEACHING METHODOLOGY

  • LEARNING THROUGH COMPARISONS: Part 3. Axe Head Design.

    by Tuhon Bill McGrath
    WHY LEARNING THROUGH COMPARISONS?  This course is based on comparing the use of three categories of tools as weapons, the bowie knife, the kukri and the axe/tomahawk. My goal is to show you how to recognize both the pros and cons of each design and how to use them effectively, taking into account their strengths and weaknesses.
    Posted in AXE & KNIFE DESIGN, Learning Through Comparisons

  • LEARNING THROUGH COMPARISONS PT 2 DRAWING THE WEAPON

    by Tuhon Bill McGrath

    The purpose of this series is to learn how to learn; ie the teachnique of learning something new. One way human beings do this (especially when young) is by learning through comparisons. In this essay we will examine the differences in drawing three categories of weapons; the bowie, the kukri and the hatchet/tomahawk.

    Posted in KNIFE TRAINING, Learning Through Comparisons, TEACHING METHODOLOGY

  • LEARNING THROUGH COMPARISONS: Part 1

    by WILLIAM McGrath
        Comparisons Based vs Rules Based learning methods (and how to combine them).   I read an interesting article several years ago on an experiment...
    Posted in Learning Through Comparisons, TEACHING METHODOLOGY