Tweet
History Channel Presents Doce Pares and Pekiti Tirsia Kali Eskrima
Both GM Dionisio 'Diony' Canete and GM Leo T. Gaje, Jr., were recognized on the special program series, "Human Weapon" aired on the History Channel July 27, 2007.
Did I know something back then? It was 1972 when I first met Tuhon Gaje, Jr., at an introduction program in the Jersey City Medical Center. And believe it I am the first individual with permission to teach Pekiti Tirsia by Tuhon since 1974. My first student was a detective's detective, hence I can not divulge his name and I may be the only instructor of Kali that have trained in both these systems in the 70's and in addition I continue to teach material from Pekiti Tirsia since then and from Doce Pares since 1977 with pemission by Grand Master Canete.
By 1996 my Master Certification was signed by GM Gaje, Jr., and ratified by GM Tortal and to my knowledge I am the only recognized individual receiving this certification in the Philippines and special recognition in Doce Pares, by Grand Master Dionisio 'Diony' Canete, and other members of Doce Pares in 1977 also in the Philippines with several visits to Doce Pares in Cebu City.
For over 30 I have been training and teaching Doce Pares and 34 years in Pekiti Tirsia, I was among the first of several Americans to have visited Cebu City's elite Doce Pares Club in 1977 when I encouraged 22 board members of Doce Pares to share their system of training in America. Furthermore, I may be the only person alive that has experience in Doce Pares with the privilege of special training by the Canete family and elite members of Doce Pares and by other masters and grand masters that have shared their system(s) in addition to my introduction to systems by Grand Masters Illustrisimo, GM Ben Lema, among other well known Kali Masters and Grand Masters in the Philippines.
To my knowledge I am the first American to provide training in these systems with over 34 years in Pekiti Tirsia and 30 years in Doce Pares, it's no wonder that these systems abound in the US, Sweden, Finland, Brazil, South America, Germany, United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, Japan, and many more countries where I initiated training by personal instruction and videos. I actually remember Tuhon Gaje, Jr., saying, "Greg, Kali will travel the world", what I didn't know is that these two systems would be the forerunners of Kali throughout the world. What I did know back then was that this art had more street realism then any other. See Inside Kung-fu Magazine, cover photo circa 1984 with Tuhon Gaje, Jr.
The real reason I've made this post is because if you train in any martial art and have not visited the country of origin, you really don't have the knowledge and understanding of those that have, period. And believe it, you haven't really begun to train as indigenous people have of their respective country's science and art. I have conducted several training tours to the Philippines since 1974 and Indonesia since 1991 so mark my words, "If you have trained there, you really know what this is all about, and to know yourself is the beginning in these arts and sciences of human life we call 'Martial Arts'."
Did I know something back then? It was 1972 when I first met Tuhon Gaje, Jr., at an introduction program in the Jersey City Medical Center. And believe it I am the first individual with permission to teach Pekiti Tirsia by Tuhon since 1974. My first student was a detective's detective, hence I can not divulge his name and I may be the only instructor of Kali that have trained in both these systems in the 70's and in addition I continue to teach material from Pekiti Tirsia since then and from Doce Pares since 1977 with pemission by Grand Master Canete.
By 1996 my Master Certification was signed by GM Gaje, Jr., and ratified by GM Tortal and to my knowledge I am the only recognized individual receiving this certification in the Philippines and special recognition in Doce Pares, by Grand Master Dionisio 'Diony' Canete, and other members of Doce Pares in 1977 also in the Philippines with several visits to Doce Pares in Cebu City.
For over 30 I have been training and teaching Doce Pares and 34 years in Pekiti Tirsia, I was among the first of several Americans to have visited Cebu City's elite Doce Pares Club in 1977 when I encouraged 22 board members of Doce Pares to share their system of training in America. Furthermore, I may be the only person alive that has experience in Doce Pares with the privilege of special training by the Canete family and elite members of Doce Pares and by other masters and grand masters that have shared their system(s) in addition to my introduction to systems by Grand Masters Illustrisimo, GM Ben Lema, among other well known Kali Masters and Grand Masters in the Philippines.
To my knowledge I am the first American to provide training in these systems with over 34 years in Pekiti Tirsia and 30 years in Doce Pares, it's no wonder that these systems abound in the US, Sweden, Finland, Brazil, South America, Germany, United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, Japan, and many more countries where I initiated training by personal instruction and videos. I actually remember Tuhon Gaje, Jr., saying, "Greg, Kali will travel the world", what I didn't know is that these two systems would be the forerunners of Kali throughout the world. What I did know back then was that this art had more street realism then any other. See Inside Kung-fu Magazine, cover photo circa 1984 with Tuhon Gaje, Jr.
The real reason I've made this post is because if you train in any martial art and have not visited the country of origin, you really don't have the knowledge and understanding of those that have, period. And believe it, you haven't really begun to train as indigenous people have of their respective country's science and art. I have conducted several training tours to the Philippines since 1974 and Indonesia since 1991 so mark my words, "If you have trained there, you really know what this is all about, and to know yourself is the beginning in these arts and sciences of human life we call 'Martial Arts'."
Comment