On September 25, 2026, Grand Tuhon Supremo Leopoldo Tortal Gaje Jr. passed away in the Philippines at the age of 88. For those of us who trained under him, learned from his students, or simply grew up in the art he carried across the world, the news brought a quiet heaviness that is hard to put into words.

September is National Preparedness Month, and every year we use it to run Stop the Bleed. Uncontrolled bleeding is one of the leading causes of preventable death after injury, and most of those deaths happen before anyone reaches a hospital. The person already standing there is the one who decides the outcome. We train these skills annually, and we go beyond the standard course. If you spend your training life studying how a blade cuts, you should also know how to manage mass

Tranquil Edge Retreat 2026 is in the books. Four days and three nights at River Mountain with ten participants from Florida, Colorado, and the DMV area. This was our first four day retreat, and the extra day let us cover the widest range of weapon categories we have ever taught in this format. Advanced Pekiti footwork, then double sticks, single sticks, knife, karambit, and scarf, with a whiteboard session on Pekiti Tirsia Kali history and theory. This year's theme was Karmic

In Pekiti Tirsia, the empty hand is not a separate art. Pangamut and Dumog come out of the same footwork and the same angles as the weapons. We spent two days on that material with Grand Tuhon Rommel Tortal on August 29 and 30, hosted at Bellicose Martial Arts, Crofton, MD.

Filipino Martial Arts is built on angles. Where you stand, where you step, and the line your weapon travels. In Pekiti Tirsia the footwork follows triangles and the strikes are numbered because each one is a specific line. Combat Geometry 101 is our new one day workshop covering triangle footwork, single stick striking, and the basic logic of the blade, based on the principles in Visualizing Flow: A Pekiti Tirsia Kali Training Companion published in 2020.

We opened a new Pekiti Tirsia Kali training circle in Crofton, Maryland, meeting Thursday nights at Bellicose Martial Arts. It is called Kinaadman, from the Cebuano word for knowledge. It is led by Mandala Delores Johnson, a 5th degree black belt and former U.S. National Team athlete with 30+ years in martial arts. Beginners and experienced martial artists both welcome.