PTI Blog

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.

Disarms in Pekiti-Tirsia are not taught as “goal” techniques in a fight. The goal is not to disarm an opponent, but to safely move past him, after reducing (even temporarily) his ability to pose a danger to you. A disarm is simply one tool in your toolbox to help you get to your goal.

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.

The main factors that separate beginners from experienced fighters are the latter’s level of understanding of distance control and timing.
Distance control in striking arts is usually accomplished via footwork: while timing is the ability to use specific elements of fighting at the correct time.
Getting good at these skills helps you be in the right place, at the right time and using the right tools to accomplish your goals.

The main purpose of Pekiti-Tirsia hand vs knife training is NOT to end the fight against a knife with your bare hands. The purpose of any good hand vs knife system should be to buy you enough time to make the fight your weapon vs his weapon as soon as possible.

Here are two lesson plans for teaching the Pekiti-Tirsia system; the Classical way, which Grand Tuhon Gaje learned as a child in the Philippines (...

This essay will examine five methodologies of teaching techniques and principles for the martial arts instructor. The five methods we will discuss are:

1.  AUDIO-VISUAL-KINESTHETIC
2.  4 ACES
3.  3 SUPERHEROS,
4.  GO ASK SOCRATES
5.  STRESS TRAINING

The drills described in this article come from two sources. The first are the fighting principles found in the Pekiti-Tirsia system of Filipino martial arts. The second are the teaching methods I learned during my time as a defensive tactics instructor for my department.

I began training in Pekiti-Tirsia in 1975 and began teaching defensive tactics for the NY State Court system in 1987. Both of these have contributed to my understanding of how to teach this material to a wide variety of people. I have tried to structure this article so it can be adapted to any martial arts or defensive tactics program.

Grand Tuhon Leo Gaje used to tell us some interesting stories about his training under his grandfather, Conrado Tortal. Several of these were about Conrado’s teaching methods.

One of these stories that I found the most interesting was about the “Thought Provoking Process.” This was a somewhat Socratic method of teaching, in that a student was asked a question about a subject, rather than being given the answer from the start. It began like this:

The way I teach Pekiti-Tirsia advanced hand vs knife has evolved over the years.

When I first learned the system from Grand Tuhon Gaje, hand vs knife was divided into two stages:

A few techniques from the Sagang Labo drill of Pekiti-Tirsia. There is much more to this drill than what you commonly see at seminars. Sagang-Labo translates to “Block” and “Hack or Slash” in the Hiligaynon version of Visayan from the island of Negros.

Grand Tuhon Gaje would often tell the story of how he began Pekiti-Tirsia training at the age of six, under his maternal grandfather Conrado Tortal. Conrado began young Leo’s training with three long years of footwork. Conrado started Leo on a rickety old table in the home, moving in forward and reverse triangles, while his grandfather tapped his leg with a stick at the apex of the movement to get him to move faster. After a few weeks of this Conrado moved his grandson to training on the halves of three coconut shells, while stepping with only one foot at a time on each shell.