HISTORICAL LANDMARKS
of the
PEKITI-TIRSIA KALI SYSTEM

1922 - Grand Tuhon Conrado B. Tortal, Supreme Grandmaster of the Pekiti-Tirsia Kali system is appointed the first Chief of Police of Victorias, home of the largest Sugar Central in Negros Occidental province.

1928 - Grand Tuhon Conrado B. Tortal defeats two brothers of the ruling family of Talisay, Negros Occidental. Grand Tuhon Tortal armed with hardwood Espada Y Daga and the brothers both armed with Bolos engage in the town square over an attempted takeover of Tortal owned land in Barangay Conception, Talisay. Grand Tuhon Tortal effectively disarms both brothers of their blades with multiple attacks but spares their lives.

1933 - Grand Tuhon Conrado B. Tortal defeats the famous Tansiong Padilla of the Aldabon style from Panay in a match arranged by Don Gregorio Araneta, Mayor of the town of Bago, Negros Occidental.

1938 - Leo T. Gaje, Jr., grandson of Grand Tuhon Conrado B. Tortal and heir to the Pekiti-Tirsia Kali system is born in Legaspi City, Albay.

1972 - Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje, Jr. pioneers the teaching of the Filipino Kali Arts in the eastern region of the United States from his base in New York City.

1977 - Pekiti-Tirsia opens its formal school at the Philippine Consulate, New York City.

1977 - Grand Tuhon Gaje featured on the cover of Official Karate magazine. Cover article features Pekiti-Tirsia as the “New Crime Fighter” in recognition of successful law enforcement training programs with the NYPD.

1978 - Grand Tuhon Gaje is recognized by the Philippine government as an official representative and Master of the Filipino martial arts.

1979 - The First National Tournament of Arnis (Kali) in the Philippines is sponsored by NARAPHIL. Guro Tom Bisio wins as Grandchampion, Pekiti-Tirsia against all systems.

1979 - Pekiti-Tirsia senior instructors and students led by Tom Bisio and Eric Knaus dominate full-contact stickfighting tournaments across the United States for the next decade.

1980 - Grand Tuhon Gaje appointed Commissioner for North and South America by The National Arnis (Kali) Association of the Philippines (NARAPHIL).

1980 - Pekiti-Tirsia conducts the first professional demonstration of full-contact competition at the Playboy Club, Great Gorge, New Jersey.

1981 - Grand Tuhon Gaje begins promotional tour of the Filipino cultural and Kali arts in Central and South America.

1981 - Grand Tuhon Gaje featured on the cover of Inside Kung-Fu magazine. Cover article features “Leo Gaje, his art is based on the knife, and may have more street realism than any other”.

1981- Grand Tuhon Gaje develops the law enforcement Defensive Tactics Safety System featuring the Safety Baton System and Edged Weapon Awareness/Strategic Knife Defense programs. These systems revolutionize use of force training for law enforcement and are adopted across the United States. Grand Tuhon Gaje is appointed National Training Director for the Justice System Training Association and the United States Police Defensive Tactics Association.

1982 – Grand Tuhon Gaje featured on the cover of Warriors magazine. Cover article features “The Deadly Art of Knife Fighting” assisted by Eddie Jafri, Pencak Silat Master.

1984 - Grand Tuhon Gaje continues promotional tours of Filipino cultural and Kali arts across Asia and the European continent.

1987 - Pekiti-Tirsia is officially adopted as a system of the United States Karate Association (USKA) by Grandmaster Robert Trias. Grand Tuhon Gaje is nominated as the style head of the Filipino martial arts for the USKA.

1988 - Grand Tuhon Gaje serves as technical advisor, and is featured in the Calibre press video SURVIVING EDGED WEAPONS, critically acclaimed as “The finest law enforcement training video ever made”.

1988 - Grand Tuhon Gaje inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame and Karate Hall of Fame.

1990 - Grand Tuhon Gaje establishes the Kali-Kalihan Festival in Salvador Benidicto, Negros Occidental.

1992 - Grand Tuhon Gaje conducts special training programs for government agencies of former Soviet republics in Eastern Europe.

1994 - Grand Tuhon Gaje, assisted by Mataas na Guro Tim Waid, begin a nationwide promotional and development program for the Kali arts in the Republic of the Philippines by conducting cultural, educational, and sports training programs at the local, provincial, and national government levels.

1997 - Mataas na Guro Tim Waid, Director of Survival Edge Systems/Pekiti-Tirsia Tactical Training Institute and Lieutenant Erwin Ballarta (Mataas na Guro) of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) establish a formal agency alliance between the Philippine National Police and Texas DPS.

1998 - Pekiti-Tirsia is recognized by the Commandant, Philippine Marine Corps as the official Close Quarters Combat/CQC System of the Philippine Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance Battalion. Instructors Certification Course conducted by Timothy D. Waid, Director of Survival Edge Systems/Pekiti-Tirsia Tactical Training Institute marks Pekiti-Tirsia as the only Filipino combat system utilized as official combat doctrine by the Armed Forces of the Philippines since World War II.

1998 - Pekiti-Tirsia conducts the First Centennial Celebration of Pekiti-Tirsia held at Subic Bay, Zambales, Philippines and Kali World Congress in conjunction with the Republic of the Philippines Centennial Celebration.

1998 - Grand Tuhon Gaje featured on the cover of Svenska (Sweden) Fighter magazine. Cover article features Grand Tuhon Gaje’s introduction of authentic Filipino bladefighting across Europe.

2001 – Grand Tuhon Gaje leads CQC training programs for joint Philippine and US military units conducting joint training exercises and combat operations against terrorists in the southern Philippines.

2002 – Pekiti-Tirsia Kali system is adopted by the Philippine Marine Corps Service Schools as the official close-quarter combatives program for all Enlisted Basic Training and the Officer Basic School.

2003 – Grand Tuhon Gaje receives Exemplary Achievement Award from Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for worldwide promotion and instruction of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali, and instruction of Philippine and US Marine forces through 2003.