Majapahit Kalis - Kilat

History, Lineage, & Principles

 

            Pekiti Tirsia Kali is a Filipino martial art from the Provinces of Panay and Negros Occidental, where the Tortal family developed and practiced it.  The word “Pekiti” means ‘close’ in the Illongo dialect spoken in Negros Occidental, and “Tirsia” means ‘thirds’.  Kali is one of many names for the Filipino martial arts in general.  In the west, our idiomatic expression ‘Close Quarters’ would be the best translation of Pekiti Tirsia.  Pekiti Tirsia was officially founded in 1897.  The art has its start with Norberto Tortal, who taught his son Segundino Tortal.  Segundino taught the art to his five sons; Balbino, Tedorico, Francisco, Quirino, and Conrado.  These five went on to train in and/or fight against many of the prevalent styles of combat in the Philippines.  They then took what they learned and formulated counter and re-counter techniques and principles to round out their family art.  This ‘process’ is what gave us the large breadth and depth of Pekiti Tirsia as it exists today.  Conrado Tortal was chosen as the principal heir, and he taught his grandson Leo Tortal Gaje, who inherited the art upon Conrado’s death.  Tuhon (a title in Pekiti Tirsia which best translates as ‘system heir or system master’) Leo Gaje came to the United States in 1972 and began teaching Pekiti Tirsia in New York.  Tuhon William McGrath began studying with Tuhon Leo Gaje in 1975 and was promoted to Tuhon in 1994 – completing the entire system of Pekiti Tirsia and becoming the first person outside of the Tortal family to achieve this rank.

 

            Pekiti Tirsia contains the following categories of training –

 

• Footwork
• Single Stick / Single Sword
• Double Stick / Double Sword
• Sword & Dagger / Stick & Dagger
• Spear / Staff
• Single Knife
• Double Knife
• Empty Hands

 

            Pekiti Tirsia has three sets of three principles that drive its strategies, techniques, etc. –

 

1 – Three Ranges:  A practitioner is taught drills, techniques, principles, and strategies that address the three main ranges of combat – long, medium, and close.  Close range is often taught first as this is the most difficult and dangerous.

 

2 – Three Levels:  After one is taught a particular drill, technique, principle, or strategy – one is taught a counter to that technique, and then a re-counter to that counter.  This trains the individual to always be aware of possible counters and to always think at least three moves ahead.

 

3 – Three Opponents:  The techniques, principles, and strategies within Pekiti Tirsia always assume you may be facing at least three opponents.  Therefore, techniques etc. that concentrate too much on a single opponent are avoided – and one’s awareness is increased.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I – Footwork

 

Ø      Sidestepping (90 and 180)

Ø      Ducking (squatting, kneeling, and low-work)

Ø      Forward Triangle

Ø      Reverse Triangle

Ø      Wave-in/wave-out

Ø      Take-offs

Ø      Ranging

Ø      “L” Pattern

Ø      “M” Pattern

Ø      “N” Pattern

Ø      “W” Pattern

Ø      Complex Patterns (open diamond, closed diamond, hourglass, box)

 

II – Solo Baston

 

Ø      Abcedario (12 sets of 12 striking sets)

Ø      64 Attacks (form plus associated drills and applications)

-         Abcedario / Sabay Sabay nga Sugod (12 strikes / 6 basic strikes)

-         Apat na Paligid (four wall counter-offensive techniques and drills)

-         Payong (umbrella counter-offensive techniques and drills)

-         Dakup Y Puno / Chekete / Echekete (direct and indirect thrusting counters and timing drills)

-         Limang Sugod (five attacks, diagonal attacks, entries, counter to counter drills)

-         Pasok Lo’ob Pasak Labas / Segang Labo (break-in and break-out entry drills / close quarter engagement drill as a platform for close quarter techniques)

-         Pitong Sugod (entry slashes with off-balancing and takedown techniques)

-         Orasson (clock system, using the flat of the blade strikes known as “witiks”)

-         Florete (circular doubling attacks used to clear or re-direct opponent’s attack)

Ø      Florete (form with applications)

Ø      Seguidas I (set of 12 techniques that bridge the gap from long range)

Ø      Seguidas II (set of 12 techniques that bridge the gap from medium range)

Ø      Seguidas III (set of 12 techniques that bridge the gap from close range)

Ø      Contradas I (set of 12 techniques that utilize quick hits and footwork)

Ø      Contradas II (set of 12 techniques like the first set, only expanded for multiple opponents)

Ø      Contradas III (set of 12 techniques countering Seguidas set I)

Ø      Recontras I (set of 12 techniques utilizing entries into arm breaks etc.)

Ø      Recontras II (set of 12 techniques utilizing two hands on the stick for hits etc.)

Ø      Recontras III (set of 12 techniques utilizing takedowns and strikes with the left hand)

Ø      Alphabito (set of 26 techniques based on the shape of letters attacking the opponent’s left arm)

Ø      Numerado (set of 10 techniques based on the shape of numbers attacking the opponent’s knees)

Ø      Offensa-Defensa—Defensa-Offensa (set of 12 techniques to counter the opponent’s attacks to weapon arm in mid-strike)

Ø      Pekiti Disarma (set of 30 disarms, 30 counters, and 30 re-counters – broken down into empty hand, knife, or single stick vs. single stick)

 

III – Doble Baston

 

Ø      Dirty Dozen’ (set of 12 warm-ups for coordination and intro to doble baston)

Ø      12 Attacks (set of 12 attack patterns)

Ø      12 Drills (set of 12 drills and applications of the 12 attacks)

Ø      12 Disarms (set of 12 doble baston vs. doble baston disarms)

Ø      Contradas (set of 12 techniques utilizing footwork and quick-hits etc.)

Ø      Recontras (set of 12 techniques utilizing power hits and grappling)

 

IV – Espada Y Daga

            (sak-sak = hammer or forward grip.  pakal = ice pick or reverse grip)

 

Level I (both you and your opponent have dagas in sak-sak)

 

Ø      Level I Attacks (set of 12 attacks w/ daga in sak-sak)

Ø      Level I Disarms (set of 12 disarms for stick and 12 for knife)

Ø      Level I Contradas (set of 12 techniques emphasizing counters, footwork, and multiple striking)

Ø      Level I Recontras (set of 12 techniques emphasizing power hits and direct counters)

 

Level II (you have daga in pakal while your opponent has daga in sak-sak)

 

Ø      Level II Attacks (set of 12 attacks w/ daga switching from sak-sak to pakal)

Ø      Level II Disarms (set of 6 disarms for stick and 6 for knife)

Ø      Level II Contradas (set of 12 techniques emphasizing counters, footwork, and multiple striking)

Ø      Level II Recontras (set of 12 techniques emphasizing power hits and direct counters)

 

Level III (both you and your opponent have dagas in pakal)

 

Ø      Level III Attacks (set of 12 attacks w/ daga in pakal)

Ø      Level III Disarms (set of 6 disarms for stick and 6 for knife)

Ø      Level III Contradas (set of 12 techniques emphasizing counters, footwork, and multiple striking)

Ø      Level III Recontras (set of 12 techniques emphasizing power hits and direct counters)

 

V – Solo Daga

 

Ø      Empty Hand vs. Knife Level I (empty hand vs. sak-sak)

Ø      Level I (sak-sak vs. sak-sak)

Ø      Level II (pakal vs. sak-sak)

Ø      Empty Hand vs. Knife Level II (empty hand vs. pakal)

Ø      Level III (pakal vs. pakal)

Ø      Finishers (daga vs. empty hands)

 

 

VI – Doble Daga

 

Ø      Level I (double sak-sak vs. double sak-sak)

Ø      Level II (pakal sak-sak vs. double sak-sak)

Ø      Level III (pakal sak-sak vs. pakal sak-sak)

Ø      Level IV (double pakal vs. double sak-sak)

Ø      Level V (double pakal vs. double pakal)

Ø      Doble Baston Applications (doble baston disarms done with doble daga vs. doble baston)

 

VII – Sibat Lanab (spear)

 

Ø      Set I (12 techniques based on Seguidas set I)

Ø      Set II (12 techniques based on Seguidas set II)

Ø      Set III (12 techniques based on Seguidas set III – vs. sword & counter grabs etc.)

 

VIII – Pangamut (empty hands)

 

Ø      Tempering & Kickboxing (basic conditioning and striking with footwork)

Ø      Abcedario De Mano (12 sets of 12 strikes and applications)

Ø      Pekiti De Mano (12 sets of five entries with 12 finishing breaks and throws)

Ø      Pekiti Disarma (set of 30 disarms, 30 counters, and 30 recounters for empty hand vs. baston)