In 1938 in Legaspi, Albay, Grand Tuhon Leo Tortal Gaje was born to Feliza G. Tortal (the daughter and only child of Conrado Tortal) and Leopoldo P. Gaje, Sr. Shortly after his birth and the subsequent death of his twin sister and his mother Feliza, Leo was taken into custody and raised by his grandfather Conrado. From the age of six years old Leo was trained in the system of Pekiti-Tirsia. From the ages six to nine he was trained exclusively in footwork. Daily he was placed on top a wooden table with Conrado striking at his feet as he mastered the strategic maneuvering patterns that remain one of the signatures of the Pekiti-Tirsia system. Leo was then trained in the Doce Methodos, Contradas, and other advanced combat methods twice a day beginning in the mornings before school and continuing late into the evening throughout his secondary, high school, and college studies.
At the passing of Tay Dadoy, Leo Tortal Gaje, Jr. inherited the treasure and legacy of Pekiti-Tirsia. At this time, family combat systems in the Philippines were closed to only those that shared genetic history and chosen for their discipline to keep and protect the family secrets. For the next decade Tuhon Gaje kept this promise and soon entered business where he served as President of the Confederation of Free Trade Workers Union and Executive Vice-President of the Bataan Free Trade Zone Industrial Development Corporation. Here he trained his own Security Forces for the escort of cash funds, trained Bodyguards and Protective Teams for local and provincial politicians, and, in his own words “my wrecking crew” of confidants that provided his personal security.
STICK IS ROUND, BLADE IS FLAT, BITE THE BULLET AND MAKE YOUR CHOICE”
– GRANDTUHON LEO GAJE JR.
In 1972, Tuhon Gaje emigrated to the United States of America and settled in New York City. Upon seeing the popularity of the martial arts sweeping America at the time, he envisioned the success of Filipino martial arts and recognition of the cultural and martial achievements of the Filipino people through the superiority of its combat systems. In keeping with the philosophy of the Pekiti-Tirsia system and its belief in Life, Health, and Success, Tuhon Gaje opened the door of knowledge to a select few of advanced Black Belt students and embarked to offer to the world, those that persevere, the mastery process of Kali.
Continuing now into a fourth decade, Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje has been the leader in promoting and teaching authentic Filipino Fighting Art around the globe not solely in the martial arts field but throughout the Military and Law Enforcement professions as well. During this time he has joined together with other Filipino Grandmasters in this endeavor and until this day works with the highest levels of the Philippine government in the promotion, recognition, and preservation of the cultural legacy of Filipino Martial Arts.
Grand Tuhon Gaje was the leading Filipino Martial Arts authority in the 1970’s in the eastern region of the United States at the same time Guro Dan Inosanto and other Filipino Grandmasters were doing the same in the western region (New York and California being home of the largest Filipino communities in the US). Since the introduction of Filipino Martial Arts to the US and across the globe Pekiti-Tirsia has hallmarked many “firsts” in this history.
Grand Tuhon Gaje was the first to organize and conduct large-scale promotions and demonstrations of Filipino martial arts in the eastern US in such venues as New York’s Lincoln Center and displayed the first ever public demonstration of full-contact Filipino stickfighting at the Great Gorge, New Jersey Playboy Club.
Grand Tuhon Gaje was the first to open a Filipino Martial Arts school at the Philippine Consulate in New York City and first to promote Filipino martial arts among other martial discipline national organizations. Grand Tuhon Gaje joined with other recognized leaders such as Alex Sternberg of the Jewish Karate Federation and Grandmaster Robert Trias of the United States Karate Association conducting training programs for senior Black Belt students and joint public demonstrations. Grand Tuhon Gaje was recognized as style head of the Filipino martial arts for the United States Karate Association (USKA) by Grandmaster Trias and was inducted into the Indonesian Pendekar Banting, association of Indonesian Silat Pendekars.
In 1979 Grand Tuhon Gaje was a principal organizer, with other Grandmasters, of the First National Arnis (Kali) Tournament in the Philippines sponsored by NARAPHIL (National Arnis Association of the Philippines). Tom Bisio, a student of Grand Tuhon Gaje for 3 and 1/2 years, won as Grand Champion of the Instructor’s division against a field of senior instructor competitors. In 1980 Grand Tuhon Gaje was appointed NARAPHIL Commissioner for North and South America and promoted the Filipino Martial Arts extensively throughout these continents. Throughout the 80’s the first generation of Pekiti-Tirsia students and instructors dominated the full-contact stickfighting tournament scene across the US defining their reputation with speed, power, and footwork.
Grand Tuhon Gaje was the first to introduce the Filipino martial arts to the New York Police Department (NYPD) and conduct department endorsed training programs. This program led to Grand Tuhon Gaje’s development of the Safety Baton and Edged Weapon Awareness/Strategic Knife Defense programs – the FIRST Defensive Tactics system based on safety and liability reduction at a time when the accepted methods targeted the vital areas of the body resulting in substantial liability to police officers and departments. Grand Tuhon Gaje was later appointed National Training Director for the Justice System Training Association and the U.S. Police Defensive Tactics Association leading to his position as Technical Advisor and appearance in the Calibre Press video SURVIVING EDGED WEAPONS in 1988. This highly acclaimed video substantiated the threat of edged weapons to the law enforcement community and established Grand Tuhon Gaje as the leading authority on edged weapons defensive tactics.
Throughout the 1990’s until today, Grand Tuhon Gaje has been the leading propagator of authentic Filipino Martial Arts based on the use of the Blade, in the Republic of the Philippines. Through hundreds of radio, print, TV, demonstrations, festivals, tournaments, and training programs conducted at the local, provincial, and national level, Grand Tuhon Gaje has been the leading voice for the education and recognition of Kali and the indigenous Filipino Martial Art systems. Throughout this time he has been endorsed and recognized at every level of the Philippines government including recently as recipient of an Exemplary Achievement Award from the Office of the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, for worldwide promotion of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali and the Filipino Martial Arts.
Today in the Philippines, Grand Tuhon Gaje’s system of Pekiti-Tirsia is the ONLY Filipino Martial Art system recognized as official warfighting doctrine by the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The Military Edged-Impact Weapon System of Pekiti-Tirsia is the official close-quarters combat system of the Force Reconnaissance Battalion, Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and is part of the official PMC Schools command being taught at Enlisted Basic Training and the Officer’s Basic Course. The success of this program has spurned training requests from all other branch services of the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP). Today, the Filipino Fighting man is now recognized as a world leader in close-quarter combat skills. Since the program inception in 1998, the Philippine Force Recon Marines have trained US special operations forces and other combat arms units up to battalion level in Close-Quarters-Combat demonstrating the superiority of the Filipino martial technology as acknowledged by the US unit trainers and commanding officers. Presently, Grand Tuhon serves as a Senior Advisor to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police conducting advanced training programs for operational units engaged in the Global War on Terrorism.
Throughout this history, Grand Tuhon Gaje has trained and influenced thousands of martial artists, several who have gone on to formulate their own styles such as the late Edgar Sulite of Lameco Eskrima, Chris Sayoc of Sayoc Kali and many, many others. The Supreme Grandmaster of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali remains the world’s leading authority on the Filipino Martial Arts and his name is synonymous with the blade, the Blademaster Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje, Jr.
In 1938 in Legaspi, Albay, Grand Tuhon Leo Tortal Gaje was born to Feliza G. Tortal (the daughter and only child of Conrado Tortal) and Leopoldo P. Gaje, Sr. Shortly after his birth and the subsequent death of his twin sister and his mother Feliza, Leo was taken into custody and raised by his grandfather Conrado. From the age of six years old Leo was trained in the system of Pekiti-Tirsia. From the ages six to nine he was trained exclusively in footwork. Daily he was placed on top a wooden table with Conrado striking at his feet as he mastered the strategic maneuvering patterns that remain one of the signatures of the Pekiti-Tirsia system. Leo was then trained in the Doce Methodos, Contradas, and other advanced combat methods twice a day beginning in the mornings before school and continuing late into the evening throughout his secondary, high school, and college studies.
At the passing of Tay Dadoy, Leo Tortal Gaje, Jr. inherited the treasure and legacy of Pekiti-Tirsia. At this time, family combat systems in the Philippines were closed to only those that shared genetic history and chosen for their discipline to keep and protect the family secrets. For the next decade Tuhon Gaje kept this promise and soon entered business where he served as President of the Confederation of Free Trade Workers Union and Executive Vice-President of the Bataan Free Trade Zone Industrial Development Corporation. Here he trained his own Security Forces for the escort of cash funds, trained Bodyguards and Protective Teams for local and provincial politicians, and, in his own words “my wrecking crew” of confidants that provided his personal security.
In 1972, Tuhon Gaje emigrated to the United States of America and settled in New York City. Upon seeing the popularity of the martial arts sweeping America at the time, he envisioned the success of Filipino martial arts and recognition of the cultural and martial achievements of the Filipino people through the superiority of its combat systems. In keeping with the philosophy of the Pekiti-Tirsia system and its belief in Life, Health, and Success, Tuhon Gaje opened the door of knowledge to a select few of advanced Black Belt students and embarked to offer to the world, those that persevere, the mastery process of Kali.
Continuing now into a fourth decade, Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje has been the leader in promoting and teaching authentic Filipino Fighting Art around the globe not solely in the martial arts field but throughout the Military and Law Enforcement professions as well. During this time he has joined together with other Filipino Grandmasters in this endeavor and until this day works with the highest levels of the Philippine government in the promotion, recognition, and preservation of the cultural legacy of Filipino Martial Arts.
Grand Tuhon Gaje was the leading Filipino Martial Arts authority in the 1970’s in the eastern region of the United States at the same time Guro Dan Inosanto and other Filipino Grandmasters were doing the same in the western region (New York and California being home of the largest Filipino communities in the US). Since the introduction of Filipino Martial Arts to the US and across the globe Pekiti-Tirsia has hallmarked many “firsts” in this history.
Grand Tuhon Gaje was the first to organize and conduct large-scale promotions and demonstrations of Filipino martial arts in the eastern US in such venues as New York’s Lincoln Center and displayed the first ever public demonstration of full-contact Filipino stickfighting at the Great Gorge, New Jersey Playboy Club.
Grand Tuhon Gaje was the first to open a Filipino Martial Arts school at the Philippine Consulate in New York City and first to promote Filipino martial arts among other martial discipline national organizations. Grand Tuhon Gaje joined with other recognized leaders such as Alex Sternberg of the Jewish Karate Federation and Grandmaster Robert Trias of the United States Karate Association conducting training programs for senior Black Belt students and joint public demonstrations. Grand Tuhon Gaje was recognized as style head of the Filipino martial arts for the United States Karate Association (USKA) by Grandmaster Trias and was inducted into the Indonesian Pendekar Banting, association of Indonesian Silat Pendekars.
In 1979 Grand Tuhon Gaje was a principal organizer, with other Grandmasters, of the First National Arnis (Kali) Tournament in the Philippines sponsored by NARAPHIL (National Arnis Association of the Philippines). Tom Bisio, a student of Grand Tuhon Gaje for 3 and 1/2 years, won as Grand Champion of the Instructor’s division against a field of senior instructor competitors. In 1980 Grand Tuhon Gaje was appointed NARAPHIL Commissioner for North and South America and promoted the Filipino Martial Arts extensively throughout these continents. Throughout the 80’s the first generation of Pekiti-Tirsia students and instructors dominated the full-contact stickfighting tournament scene across the US defining their reputation with speed, power, and footwork.
Grand Tuhon Gaje was the first to introduce the Filipino martial arts to the New York Police Department (NYPD) and conduct department endorsed training programs. This program led to Grand Tuhon Gaje’s development of the Safety Baton and Edged Weapon Awareness/Strategic Knife Defense programs – the FIRST Defensive Tactics system based on safety and liability reduction at a time when the accepted methods targeted the vital areas of the body resulting in substantial liability to police officers and departments. Grand Tuhon Gaje was later appointed National Training Director for the Justice System Training Association and the U.S. Police Defensive Tactics Association leading to his position as Technical Advisor and appearance in the Calibre Press video SURVIVING EDGED WEAPONS in 1988. This highly acclaimed video substantiated the threat of edged weapons to the law enforcement community and established Grand Tuhon Gaje as the leading authority on edged weapons defensive tactics.
Throughout the 1990’s until today, Grand Tuhon Gaje has been the leading propagator of authentic Filipino Martial Arts based on the use of the Blade, in the Republic of the Philippines. Through hundreds of radio, print, TV, demonstrations, festivals, tournaments, and training programs conducted at the local, provincial, and national level, Grand Tuhon Gaje has been the leading voice for the education and recognition of Kali and the indigenous Filipino Martial Art systems. Throughout this time he has been endorsed and recognized at every level of the Philippines government including recently as recipient of an Exemplary Achievement Award from the Office of the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, for worldwide promotion of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali and the Filipino Martial Arts.
Today in the Philippines, Grand Tuhon Gaje’s system of Pekiti-Tirsia is the ONLY Filipino Martial Art system recognized as official warfighting doctrine by the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The Military Edged-Impact Weapon System of Pekiti-Tirsia is the official close-quarters combat system of the Force Reconnaissance Battalion, Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and is part of the official PMC Schools command being taught at Enlisted Basic Training and the Officer’s Basic Course. The success of this program has spurned training requests from all other branch services of the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP). Today, the Filipino Fighting man is now recognized as a world leader in close-quarter combat skills. Since the program inception in 1998, the Philippine Force Recon Marines have trained US special operations forces and other combat arms units up to battalion level in Close-Quarters-Combat demonstrating the superiority of the Filipino martial technology as acknowledged by the US unit trainers and commanding officers. Presently, Grand Tuhon serves as a Senior Advisor to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police conducting advanced training programs for operational units engaged in the Global War on Terrorism.
Throughout this history, Grand Tuhon Gaje has trained and influenced thousands of martial artists, several who have gone on to formulate their own styles such as the late Edgar Sulite of Lameco Eskrima, Chris Sayoc of Sayoc Kali and many, many others. The Supreme Grandmaster of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali remains the world’s leading authority on the Filipino Martial Arts and his name is synonymous with the blade, the Blademaster Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje, Jr.