Tuhon Rommel Tortal of Pekiti Tirsia Kali, Bloomington November 11th & 12th

[tradertator]

We will be hosting Tuhon Rommel Tortal in Bloomington Indiana on November 11th & 12th. Pekiti Tirsia Kali was founded in 1897, and is Rommel's family art. This man's resume speaks for itself, and this is an excellent opportunity to learn about edged, impact, and empty hand fighting. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Hope to see you there!

 

[Cpt Caveman]

Shame its in Bloomington. That place is just too weird for me.

 

[rhino]

Ugh, the last time I attended an Arnis/Kali seminar, I couldn't move for a few days. And that was when I was young and healthy!

I'll bet it will be a great seminar, though. FMA are very practical if you have the right instructor and attitude.

 

[ColdSteel223]

Tag for interest.

 

[tradertator]

Shame its in Bloomington. That place is just too weird for me.

They definitely keep it weird in this town, and it's too much for me too. Unfortunately, I work here and can't escape. I promise though, the liberal germs and cooties won't rub off on you if you come.

Ugh, the last time I attended an Arnis/Kali seminar, I couldn't move for a few days. And that was when I was young and healthy!

I'll bet it will be a great seminar, though. FMA are very practical if you have the right instructor and attitude.

That's no joke. I worked out with Grand Tuhon Leo Gaje over the weekend, and I am still sore from head to toe. Worked with Tuhon Michael Franciotti as well, and that was an awesome experience. And I agree about FMA, done right and it is very practical. But there is a lot of garbage out there sold as FMA too (without dropping names), and it should be avoided it at all cost. The more I see from Pekiti though, the more impressed I am. Very simply mechanics / movements / & principles, honed to perfection with endless repetition. And Tuhon Mel is smooth as glass, the man is simply incredible.

Tag for interest.

Awesome, hope to see you there.

 

[Jackson]

What kind of equipment do you need to bring? Sticks, training knives, pads of any sort?

 

[rhino]

That's no joke. I worked out with Grand Tuhon Leo Gaje over the weekend, and I am still sore from head to toe. Worked with Tuhon Michael Franciotti as well, and that was an awesome experience. And I agree about FMA, done right and it is very practical. But there is a lot of garbage out there sold as FMA too (without dropping names), and it should be avoided it at all cost. The more I see from Pekiti though, the more impressed I am. Very simply mechanics / movements / & principles, honed to perfection with endless repetition. And Tuhon Mel is smooth as glass, the man is simply incredible.

The seminar I attended in the early 1980s was with Manual Taningco from Ohio. At the time, he listed both Pekiti Tersia and Largo de Mano on his resume back then, but I don't know what he does now. We knew him through the karate tournament circuit and Doug Adamson started training with him and brought him to Indy for some seminars. Back then FMA in this part of the country was nearly non-existent. My dad knew some stuff, but he was not interested in showing or teaching me.

If I'd lived closer to him when I was young, I know I would have spent a lot more time learning from him. Then you get older and life goes in different directions!

 

[tradertator]

What kind of equipment do you need to bring? Sticks, training knives, pads of any sort?

1 pair of rattan sticks, 1 pair of training knives, and a karambit should cover it. We have a lot of extra stuff at the studio, so it's no problem if you don't have something. If you like to make hard heavy contact in training, Nok knives or an arm guard (Lameco, etc....) can be nice. Pads won't be necessary, as I believe there is no plan for sparring.

The seminar I attended in the early 1980s was with Manual Taningco from Ohio. At the time, he listed both Pekiti Tersia and Largo de Mano on his resume back then, but I don't know what he does now. We knew him through the karate tournament circuit and Doug Adamson started training with him and brought him to Indy for some seminars. Back then FMA in this part of the country was nearly non-existent. My dad knew some stuff, but he was not interested in showing or teaching me.

If I'd lived closer to him when I was young, I know I would have spent a lot more time learning from him. Then you get older and life goes in different directions!

I have never worked with Manual, but I have heard good things. Very cool that your dad knew some stuff, was he from the Philippines?

 

[rhino]

1 pair of rattan sticks, 1 pair of training knives, and a karambit should cover it. We have a lot of extra stuff at the studio, so it's no problem if you don't have something. If you like to make hard heavy contact in training, Nok knives or an arm guard (Lameco, etc....) can be nice. Pads won't be necessary, as I believe there is no plan for sparring.



I have never worked with Manual, but I have heard good things. Very cool that your dad knew some stuff, was he from the Philippines?

Manuel is the only person who got me to actually dive (sort of) and do a shoulder roll (sort of) while trying to catch something (a rolled-up towel). I know it was going to get ugly after that.

I wish I'd known about rattan back then. Doug recommended dowel rods for our first sticks. They were cheap, but they transmit a lot more energy to your hands/wrists/arms than something springy like rattan.

Yes, my father was from the Philippines. Curiously, so was obijohn's father! Coincidence? I THINK NOT.

 

[tradertator]

Manuel is the only person who got me to actually dive (sort of) and do a shoulder roll (sort of) while trying to catch something (a rolled-up towel). I know it was going to get ugly after that.

I wish I'd known about rattan back then. Doug recommended dowel rods for our first sticks. They were cheap, but they transmit a lot more energy to your hands/wrists/arms than something springy like rattan.

Yes, my father was from the Philippines. Curiously, so was obijohn's father! Coincidence? I THINK NOT.

That's funny about the dowel rods. I got tired of replacing broken rattan, so I purchased a set of the Cold Steel Escrima sticks. I really like them for tire work, but they vibrate horribly in your hand against another stick. Then I switched to bamboo paint extension poles from Lowes. I would cut them down to 28", soak them in oil for around 24 hours (to give them some weight), and then flame harden them on the ends. They last FOREVER, but still have some vibration back in your hands (not as bad as the Cold Steel ones though).

Then I played with a set of these at last years "Water and Steel":
SHOP ? SAND BOX SURVIVAL
After that, I was sold and placed an order for a 28" set of pin stripe suits. Expensive, but totally worth it if your into FMA for the long haul. Not to mention, the owner Daniel is a great guy (as well as a Worden Defense instructor). I can burn up a set of rattan sticks in one class if I go hard enough, these on the other hand are a totally different story. I've beat them against concrete, aluminum, etc.... without damaging them. Pretty impressive product.

 

[rhino]

That's a cool concept!

Are they useful only for practice?

 

[tradertator]

That's a cool concept!

Are they useful only for practice?

I wouldn't hesitate using them on someone. It's dorky, but they remind me of Nightwings from my old Batman comics, haha. What surprises me the most about them is how they don't eat up your partners rattan. I figured they would flat out destroy them.

 

[Jackson]

I looked at the website and didn't see it spelled out. Are these like a fiber reinforced urethane resin?

 

[tradertator]

I looked at the website and didn't see it spelled out. Are these like a fiber reinforced urethane resin?

They are made from a proprietary resin he designed, just for them. He calls it "eskrima-thene". I have no idea what it is, but I'm amazed at how tough they are. I work out with them 5+ days a week for the last 6 months, and they still don't show any wear.