Some years ago, I took a couple months of Pekiti Tirsia (PT), which is a system of Escrima generally ignored by even hardcore martial arts enthusiasts. In part, this is because PT, like Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, has a closely regulated advancement system. Unlike Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, however, it lacks a large instructor pool, and is practically non-existent on the west coast. When relocating from the northeast United States (where there are a lot more PT instructors available), I had to give up any PT training I intended to pursue, and briefly went back to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ).
The recent discovery of a PT group practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area has reinvigorated my interest in PT. Escrima is slowly gaining more interest, but its growth is slowed because unlike the many martial arts that make up the quickly growing mixed martial arts (MMA) phenomenon, it is largely weapon-based. It’s streetwise practicality, however, makes it an interesting system to adapt, despite its inherent “violence” when practiced in a more realistic setting. The famous Dog Brother’s letter, for example, illustrates that even the UFC thought that full-contact stickfighting, albeit practical experience, was too touchy for public display.
Nonetheless, the Dog Brothers maintain a strong reputation, and have formed a style that might be considered the “first” MMA blend that includes weapons:
The three principal FMA systems from which Dog Brothers draw are Inosanto Blend (Dan Inosanto), Pekiti Tirsia (Leo Gaje), and Lameco (the late Edgar Sulite). It is also important to mention Silat and the Indonesian system of Bukti Negara Pentjak Silat of Paul de Thouars. They have also trained under the Machado brothers in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu…
PT may be unique among the aforementioned styles because its followers are able to stand alone in their admiration of a “pure” and still practical fighting styles, as indicated in a Dog Brothers-like gathering:
In the year 1998 Pekiti-Tirsia Philippines, Inc. organized the “Battle of Grandmasters”. A tournament following the Total Submission Policy – fighting without any protection gear (no glove no helmet!) with unpadded sticks, no referee, no time limit, no rules. Fighting was done on challenges (Master and Grandmaster division) and as a challenge tournament (advanced students). The tournament was open to all styles, and Masters and Grandmasters from more than 15 styles have been personally invited – but only Pekiti-Tirsia fighters were willing to fight under the said conditions.
For most of us, this type of challenge isn’t going to urge us to tackle bone-crushing combat events, but neither are most BJJ practitioners going to jump into the BJJ ring to get their faces smashed. Both styles are a significant testament to their effectiveness, however, and both can be learned and practiced in much more controlled environments.
In any case, I’d love to see how PT fighters or the Dog Brothers stand up to melee aficionados of other combat systems, especially the more famous systems that hail from China and Japan.
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