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The Origin of Dekiti Tirsia, begot Pekiti Tirsia begot SinaTirsiaWali.
Dekiti Tirsia, begot Pekiti Tirsia, begot SinaTirsiaWali - the truth be known, there is no other way to gain except in practice, start now and practice for the rest of your life, there's no other way.
In 1972, I was asked to be the President of Pekiti Tirsia, I refused but replied with, "Let someone else be president, I'll do what ever is necessary to promote these Filipino Martial Arts." As I was to marry a Filipina in September of that same year the teacher had good reason to ask me since I was part of the administrative team at the Jersey City Medical Center. Any way I began my training in classes with Leo Tortal Gaje, Jr., the nephew of Grand Master Jerson 'Nene' Tortal, whom I met in Bacolod City and trained with in Bago City Philippines in 1998.
It was a sad time we had when after my meeting people in Cebu City I realized that Cebu was the real heart of Eskrima, Arnis, Kali as the names have changed often because for the many Filipino that teach and train in these Philippine culture there are an equal number of names for this art and science of human life we call martial arts.
But it was in Cebu where it began, this was the place that the Spanish outlawed the carrying of blades in 1600 after the very bloody battle in Mactan. So, having been prompted by my teacher to visit Cebu, as was my duty, being a promoter back then for Leo. In June 1977 I met with 22 masters and grandmasters in Cebu City, at the famed Doce Pares Club. Including GM Tabota during this meeting I spoke about the film with Bruce Lee that introduced the double baston in the movie "Enter the Dragon" and suggested to everyone that Kali Silat was going to grow throughout the world. I recommended then, that the Filipino should get in front of the progress of these arts and sciences as they would be all over the world, and today it is so.
And from my last meeting with GM Dionisio Canete in Cebu 2008, I was told, "that of course I was not really teaching Doce Pares, but that they decided to adopt me because I was very famous." But it's not me that's famous it's the Filipino Art & Science that is now everywhere and from everyone that knows I continue, and have had lessons from every master and grand master that I met along the way. I remember on one such trip meeting the great grand master Padoy, wow de he ever tie me in knots. Anyway several years after my first meeting in Cebu I was told that those 22 masters and grand masters agreed with my suggestion and now at 63 I'm still practicing and witness to the growth of these Philippine Arts and Sciences throughout the world, regardless of what name it travels under. So I continue to enjoy training as always.
Despite the good and the bad that flows in every great culture being saddened by the death of Roland Dantes March 6, 2009, as I look to the future I recall the most important part of this training in Kali Silat, that if you train in this Philippine Culture seriously, there's one place on earth that you must go, sooner or later, and that's The Philippines. Make arrangements now, there is no better time then today.
Whether you call it Kali, Arnis, Eskrima, (as the Filipino spelling) or Escrima as the Spanish called it, or the name of your system or club, or just sinawali, what we do know is that every Filipino has a combination of weaponry from historical times in actual battle with the proficiency of two weapon techniques it clear the meaning of sinawli is to weave. Thus in calling what I do it was suggest in 1989 SinaTirsiaWali, to historically contain the beginning of my training from pekiti, meaning small, derived from dekiti* and check with the Tortal family for it's meaning to the path we now refer to as the tirsia in SinaTirsiaWali, meaning, "Do what ever is necessary to stop your opponent, do not fight, but finish! Oh, and follow the real rules in a knife fight. 1st, there are no rules, 2nd cheat, 3rd remember the first two rules.
Whatever we call it there's only one path, stay on it for the rest of your life! Go with God, in faith, practice, and serve by helping others to learn. As in any sport, start with the footwork, body mechanics, and sinawali. Even though one club I met with said they didn't have that drill, they did know it. You can only know it through practice and your visit to Mactan, and in Cebu City, the home of all the Philippine Martial Arts, you will see the truth.
Classes introduced in Bradenton-Sarasota Florida 8:00 am to 1:00 pm every Saturday G.T. Bray Park 51st Street West, in Bradenton (646) 571-4182 for details.
In 1972, I was asked to be the President of Pekiti Tirsia, I refused but replied with, "Let someone else be president, I'll do what ever is necessary to promote these Filipino Martial Arts." As I was to marry a Filipina in September of that same year the teacher had good reason to ask me since I was part of the administrative team at the Jersey City Medical Center. Any way I began my training in classes with Leo Tortal Gaje, Jr., the nephew of Grand Master Jerson 'Nene' Tortal, whom I met in Bacolod City and trained with in Bago City Philippines in 1998.
It was a sad time we had when after my meeting people in Cebu City I realized that Cebu was the real heart of Eskrima, Arnis, Kali as the names have changed often because for the many Filipino that teach and train in these Philippine culture there are an equal number of names for this art and science of human life we call martial arts.
But it was in Cebu where it began, this was the place that the Spanish outlawed the carrying of blades in 1600 after the very bloody battle in Mactan. So, having been prompted by my teacher to visit Cebu, as was my duty, being a promoter back then for Leo. In June 1977 I met with 22 masters and grandmasters in Cebu City, at the famed Doce Pares Club. Including GM Tabota during this meeting I spoke about the film with Bruce Lee that introduced the double baston in the movie "Enter the Dragon" and suggested to everyone that Kali Silat was going to grow throughout the world. I recommended then, that the Filipino should get in front of the progress of these arts and sciences as they would be all over the world, and today it is so.
And from my last meeting with GM Dionisio Canete in Cebu 2008, I was told, "that of course I was not really teaching Doce Pares, but that they decided to adopt me because I was very famous." But it's not me that's famous it's the Filipino Art & Science that is now everywhere and from everyone that knows I continue, and have had lessons from every master and grand master that I met along the way. I remember on one such trip meeting the great grand master Padoy, wow de he ever tie me in knots. Anyway several years after my first meeting in Cebu I was told that those 22 masters and grand masters agreed with my suggestion and now at 63 I'm still practicing and witness to the growth of these Philippine Arts and Sciences throughout the world, regardless of what name it travels under. So I continue to enjoy training as always.
Despite the good and the bad that flows in every great culture being saddened by the death of Roland Dantes March 6, 2009, as I look to the future I recall the most important part of this training in Kali Silat, that if you train in this Philippine Culture seriously, there's one place on earth that you must go, sooner or later, and that's The Philippines. Make arrangements now, there is no better time then today.
Whether you call it Kali, Arnis, Eskrima, (as the Filipino spelling) or Escrima as the Spanish called it, or the name of your system or club, or just sinawali, what we do know is that every Filipino has a combination of weaponry from historical times in actual battle with the proficiency of two weapon techniques it clear the meaning of sinawli is to weave. Thus in calling what I do it was suggest in 1989 SinaTirsiaWali, to historically contain the beginning of my training from pekiti, meaning small, derived from dekiti* and check with the Tortal family for it's meaning to the path we now refer to as the tirsia in SinaTirsiaWali, meaning, "Do what ever is necessary to stop your opponent, do not fight, but finish! Oh, and follow the real rules in a knife fight. 1st, there are no rules, 2nd cheat, 3rd remember the first two rules.
Whatever we call it there's only one path, stay on it for the rest of your life! Go with God, in faith, practice, and serve by helping others to learn. As in any sport, start with the footwork, body mechanics, and sinawali. Even though one club I met with said they didn't have that drill, they did know it. You can only know it through practice and your visit to Mactan, and in Cebu City, the home of all the Philippine Martial Arts, you will see the truth.
Classes introduced in Bradenton-Sarasota Florida 8:00 am to 1:00 pm every Saturday G.T. Bray Park 51st Street West, in Bradenton (646) 571-4182 for details.
There is no historic record, verbal or otherwise of DTS prior to 1996.
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