Blackbird Martial Arts Training Group

The Blackbird Martial Arts Training Group focuses on the development of effective protective skills through training in the combative systems of Pekiti Tirsia Kali and BTG Kenpo.  

Pekiti Tirsia Kali is a traditional family system of Filipino martial arts that traces its existence back to a time and place when the carry and use of the bladed weapon was common and required among most men.  It is primarily a technology of combat fighting with the blade, but also includes flexible and impact weapons, empty hands, and firearms in its curriculum.  The system originates from the provinces of Panay and Negros Occidental in the Philippines where it was formulated and perfected by the Tortal family.  The system has been popularized worldwide by the head of the system, Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje.

Defense against an opponent skilled in the use of edged weapons demands technical excellence, as a result training in Pekiti begins with edged weapons on day one, rather than year three as found in many other arts.  Beginners in Pekiti Tirsia Kali focus on three main categories; bladed weapons, impact weapons, and empty hands.  Training consists of solo and partner drills that build speed, power, timing, fluidity, and tactile sensitivity.  Practical application and effective use of these techniques is tested through regular sparring.

An overview of the different aspects of the Pekiti Tirsia System, demonstrated by Mandala Leslie L. Buck of the Texas Kali Association.

 An excellent demonstration of how different weapons utilize the same lines of attack, demonstrated by Kuya Doug Marcaida.

Kenpo is an eclectic American system originally synthesized in the Hawaiian Islands and drawing from a diverse mixture of Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and native Hawaiian systems.  While primarily an empty hand self defense system, the training is designed to transfer into weapon studies.  The art was brought to the mainland, popularized, expanded, and organized by Senior Grand Master Edmund K. Parker.  BTG Kenpo , the system taught here, follows the traditional Kenpo format with the addition of Filipino unarmed (pangamot and dumog) concepts and training methodologies.  

Kenpo uses a combination of idealized self-defense techniques, formalized movement patterns, partner drills, and freestyle sparring to develop a complete range of protective reactions.