PTI Blog

  • HOW TO HIT HARD

    by Tuhon Bill McGrath
    ( In this article I will discuss how to train using equipment such as the tire stack, heavy bag and focus mitts and which weapons are best trained on each training tool )
    Posted in TEACHING METHODOLOGY, Training

  • PTI FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENTS

    by Bill McGrath

    Several PDFs and JPEGs of important PTI documents did not make it over to the new web service when we had to change services this September. Here are some of them all in one spot for ease of viewing. 

    Posted in Organization

  • PEKITI-TIRSIA INTERNATIONAL MISSION STATEMENT

    by WILLIAM McGrath
    There are No Secret Techniques in PTI: If all techniques are listed in the course outline it keeps the instructors honest. An instructor cannot say to a student “Do this for me (pay for private lessons/bring a large group to my seminar/etc) and I will teach you these secret techniques.”
    Posted in Organization

  • HOW TO AVOID BECOMING A “KNIFE CULT”

    by Tuhon Bill McGrath
    Knife work is inherently "dark" and it is all too easy for your students to go over to "The Dark Side" while training in it. While I want my students to take their training seriously (and the consequences of their actions VERY seriously), I don't want them to take themselves or even me too seriously. Here is the danger I am trying to avoid. What should be a defensive tactics class that simply focuses on one practical defensive tool, can easily be turned into "The Cult of the Knife.”
    Posted in KNIFE TRAINING

  • KARAMBITS & MAGIC SWORDS (Crazy Eddie stories part 1)

    by Bill McGrath

    “Smell the blade.” said my Indonesian Penchak Silat instructor, Suryadi “Crazy Eddie” Jafri.

    “Why?” I replied, not understanding what this had to do with the question I had asked him.

    “Billy, just smell the blade.”

    Eddie had given me a small Indonesian knife, with a pistol grip and a 3 inch, leaf shaped blade of black damascus steel. It had a strange, elongated hole that looked to be deliberately forged into the center of the blade. The whole thing was small enough to fit into the palm of my hand.

    Posted in AXE & KNIFE DESIGN, karambit, KNIFE TRAINING, silat

  • SURVIVAL DRILLS – BEYOND SPARRING

    by Tuhon Bill McGrath

    Basic symmetrical sparring, with two evenly matched opponents, each using the same evenly matched weapon, is a great way to introduce students to many of the skills they need for combat. They can even stay in this symmetrical mode their whole martial arts careers, if the only place they will ever fight in are tournaments.

    Things are different in a real fight though.

    Posted in sparring, 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

  • EDC Knives for Women’s Self Defense

    by WILLIAM McGrath
    Here are some of the knives I’ve chosen for my wife to carry for daily use as well as her protection, based on my 40+ years teaching Filipino martial arts and 30+ years in law enforcement.
    Posted in AXE & KNIFE DESIGN, KNIFE TRAINING, Survival

  • TUHON BILL’S 2018 EDC KNIVES

    by WILLIAM McGrath
    I was asked recently for my recommendation for an Every Day Carry knife (a.k.a. EDC). The parameters were that this knife should be capable for sel...
    Posted in AXE & KNIFE DESIGN, KNIFE TRAINING, Survival

  • NEW TUHONS!

    by Tuhon McGrath
    TWO NEW TUHONS FOR PEKITI-TIRSIA INTERNATIONAL This week I promoted Guros Scott Faulk and Jack Latorre to the rank of Tuhon Guro “Chief Instructor...
    Posted in Organization

  • Please think before you post videos teaching knife attacks

    by Tuhon Bill McGrath
    I am writing to ask all my fellow edged weapon instructors who have knife videos on the internet, for them to remove any of their videos that teach knife attack techniques or strategies specifically against an unarmed opponent.
    Posted in KNIFE TRAINING

  • PEKITI-TIRSIA INTERNATIONAL KNIFE OUTLINE

    by Tuhon McGrath
    The following structure closely follows the way I learned Pekiti-Tirsia knife work from Grand Tuhon Gaje in the 70’s and 80’s.
    Posted in KNIFE TRAINING, Training