Testimonials
“I was introduced to Pekiti Tirsia in the Inosanto world in 1986. I am familiar with all the old players. I am not at all new to FMA, as they say. For my money there is no one that knows the art like Bill McGrath, except Leo of course, and on that note, Bill is sane, smart, reliable, consistent and easy to work with. He has dedicated his life to this since the 70s, and for my money he's best Pekiti person you'll find on the planet.”
-Hock Hockheim
"Tuhon Bill McGrath has taken the art of Pekiti Tirsia to a much more organized stage. The seminar was easy to understand and incredibly valuable to any martial artist. The material was absolutely combative and yet presented in a safe environment. He covered details from head to toe. His understanding of applications and motions is phenomenal. His personality was friendly and helped to encourage even the beginners to work hard for him. The whole weekend was a pleasure. I recommend him highly. (watch out for his sense of humor – he fit in perfectly around here!)"
-Rick Faye (Minnesota Kali Group)I recently attended your seminar at the Minnesota Kali Group in Mpls, Mn. The topic of the seminar was Knife & Advanced Single Stick Overview. I must say it was an eye opener, the turn out of people was incredible. With this being your first time at the MKG, there were close to 100 people there over the 2 days. I was looking forward to seeing the single stick system, but it was so crowded that didn’t happen. But the 2 days of empty hand vs. knife was a real education. Your teaching style made it fun to learn the techniques and drills. I think you opened a lot of eyes of those people who carry knives for self defense. A lot of people haven’t been exposed to what it takes to apply this weapon in a real situation. The information that was presented was very well organized and easy to understand. This is a system that I would recommend people to take a look at and learn. There is a ton of information in Pekiti-Tirsia that would blend very well with a number of different systems. Tuhon McGrath, keep up the great job and I’m looking forward to attending another one of your seminars.
-Tim H. (Minneapolis, MN)I have as yet to see any other martial art of any type address the very real aspect of multiple opponents in a combat environment. Pekiti-Tirsia training has prevented the physiological effect of tunnel vision in the situations I have been faced with in my line of work ( L.E.O. ). I always look for more than one threat, and never focus too much time on any single threat ( if possible ). The P-T training I have received from you is first rate. The curriculum is well presented, direct, and focused towards the techniques you are teaching. You are never hesitant about showing the students a knife variation, hand variation, etc. One word sums up Pekiti-Tirsia and your teaching methods: EXCELLENT.
-Ken J. (Dyersburgh, TN)Your seminar in Houston was well worth the time I spent there. I learned more than I thought possible in the two days that you were there. The relaxed atmosphere that you created during the seminar made it much easier for the participants to absorb the techniques. I am continually impressed by your seminars, your instructors (one of which trains me), and the caliber of the people in your organization. I am a state police officer and, unfortunately, am in violent situations more than most people. I would like to say that any law enforcement officer would be well advised to seek out training in your system. I have had training in traditional Japanese martial arts and defensive tactics training associated with law enforcement. Unfortunately, as many martial artists and police administrators will not admit, this type of training is not always effective. The training I have had with one of your instructors and at your seminars is entirely effective and has served me extremely well in actual situations on the street. My only regret is that I did not begin my training in your system much earlier than I did.
-Michael B. (Houston, TX)I would like to thank you for the seminar at MKG (Minnesota Kali Group). I had a BLAST!! Your sense of humor was a definite bonus, my gut still aches. The Pekiti-Tirsia system as you taught it was a real eye-opener. Fortunately for me, the few encounters that I have been in, never got to cutting anyone (the threat was enough). I have spent a lot of time working on knife tapping, but it is now apparent that I have a lot more work to do. We have worked on the primary and secondary, but most of the tertiary moves that you showed us are new to me. As far as the quadrary motions from ice-pick, it is all new. Also, I am totally used to a really light touch. The person with the dagger leads, and the touch is very light, as opposed to what you taught us on Sunday. Before I saw you, my attitude was to give a slash and wait for my opponent to weaken, it is now apparent that that is not enough to ensure that I will survive the encounter. Although I was disturbed by it, I believe that the reality of the knife that you brought to us is very important.
-Mike L. (Minneapolis, MN)Thank you for your seminar at the MN Kali Group. I was so impressed -that I would say it is a mistake for any serious martial artist to pass an opportunity to train with you. I’m just glad you’re a “Good Guy”. Real glad.
-Steve (Eagan, MN)“Thank you for hosting Tuhon Bill.. Tuhon’s delivery was most enjoyable. The teaching method enhanced the learning process. His use of examples, stories, and experiences led me to things I never thought about regarding situations one might find himself confronting one day.”
“The round robin approach was something different for me. I found it to be a very good way to train with persons of so many different sizes and strengths.”
“I was slightly nervous at first, being the least experienced there. However, the training provided was in such a manner that even a beginner could get a grasp of what was taught and the application necessary to deliver.”
“WOW!! That is the only word that comes to mind. I was blown away. Wow!! I have trained with weapons for several years, or at least I thought I had been. Tuhon’s presentation and training made me realize I had no idea what I was doing. His level of knife makes the years of what I had been doing a waste of time. What an eye opening experience!”
“Tuhon has a great attitude. He is enthusiastic, encouraging and very helpful. I really felt like I was a part of the family. I also realized how much more practice I need. The best part is, after the seminar I realized how much more I now want to learn.”
“I learned a lot by simply playing with so many people. Some who knew what they were doing, some who like me did not. All different body types and energies. Tuhon make it a lot of fun and a true learning experience. When did you say he is coming back?”
“First off – Thank you for coming Tuhon Bill. I have tried to attend seminars and classes with an open mind. Due to over 30 years of martial art training I do tend to be unimpressed by most of what is being taught. To say that wasn’t the case at the beginning of this seminar would be untrue. However, as the day went on I began to realize how good of an instructor Tuhon is. The amount of information he presented can keep us busy for a couple of years. By the end of the seminar I was yearning for more. I look forward to the next time he has a seminar here.”
“This is the first seminar I have attended that the higher level people actually helped the instructor fine tune the participants. I just couldn’t believe how helpful everyone was. What a wonderful experience. All other seminars only the instructor helped. It was like being a part of a family with everyone helping each other. Tuhon is a great instructor. I hope to be able to attend future seminars with him.”
-Various Seminar AttendeesSincere gratitude to the instructors Bill, Jack, Scott and Danny.
-Yvon R. Canada