PTI Blog

Four fighting timing styles to help you understand what may work best for you.

One of the attributes that the original NYC Pekiti-Tirsia group from the 1970s was known for was our speed. Here are some tips to show you how we got so fast.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.