Pekiti-Tirsia Kali Philippine Marine Corps

Interesting vid. Might be nothing new for you guys but first time I'd seen it and thought you might be interested to check it out.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbDPiGVYIQs"]Pekiti-Tirsia Kali Philippine Marine Corps Force Recon Bn. - YouTube[/ame]

 

we had a alotta fun doing PTK in the Phillipines. although theres not much difference I wanted to train with the U.S and Filipino Marines who were on site with us, but only got to train with the Army counterparts. the only time we all trained together concerning combat was jungle survival and rifle range

 

"kali is the mother art of the philippines" what?!? (i read this also in guro dan insantos's filipino martial arts)

"kali is derrived from kalis which is the balde?"

but didn't guro dan also say kali comes from kamot lihok?

FMA died in the philippines?!?

don't get me wrong. ptk are great folks but the press release needs tweaking.

 

There is all kinds of discussion about where the term "kali" comes from, a fairly recent article that I like, and one of the very few that has any sort of historical evidence to it, is this one that looks at an early Tagalog:Spanish dictionary and looks at the term "Calis."

http://www.fmapulse.com/content/fma-corner-etymology-basis-usage-term-kali

And given that the dictionary is just for Tagalog any assumption that extends beyond the then historical range of that dialect is suspect, but at least there is some documentation of a historical native word being used that is really damn similar. And the dictionary does describe it as an activity that uses two swords or sticks, sort of sounds familiar....

 

I actually like the explanation that Guro Dan gave when he spoke in DC last year: "One of my most respected teachers told me to use the term, so I did."

It's honest.

 

When I was a cadet officer in the Philippines, all the close order drill commands were in Tagalog. The commands, "Officers, ready to draw swords. Ready, draw, SWORDS!" were given as:
Mga Pinuno, maghanda sa pagbunot ng Kalis. Tabay, bunot, KALIS!
So in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Kalis is the word used to denote the officer's sword.

 

While the use of a historical dictionary is good, the rest of it is just the same old folk etymology that creates the confusion in the first place.

Despite what the author says, "dos con palos o canas" doesn't mean a pair of sticks. It means "two with sticks or canes" - as in two people who have sticks.


Tim

 

Ben Largusa if memory serves - He used to call himself a "man of Kali" because he believed Kali was the older, parent art of the other SE Asian systems (Silat, Kuntao, Escrima etc...)

Dan rated Largusa as being second only to Villabrille in terms of "completeness" in FMA

 

I think, in DC, it was Floro Villabrille he cited. Though Ben Largusa was affiliated, right? Can't remember off the top of my head.

 

Yeah Ben was a student of Floro - It was in "The Fillipino Martial Arts" I think that Ben was quoted as saying he was a "man of Kali", but I think that was agains as a nod to Floro

 

Meaning he was a man of the sword, not denoting one being older than the others that has already been rebuked so many times in so many different way Mother to Silat too??? No definetly not, some moves may be similar but they are taught in different ways from different perspectives.

The reason that most use the term FMA is simple, none of the names use can prove to be older than the others for the art as a whole and none can truely claim to be before the others or superior to the others, in the famous words of the late great Prof Presas when he talked about the different aspects, styles and applications 'Its all the same, there is no difference'.

 

Never said he was correct in what he said, just stating what he said and to give the genesis to AP's post above

 

No what I am trying to point out is that I think he was misquaoted and what he actually meant was that he was a Man of the Sword much like his close relative Tatang Ilustrisimo (his cousin I beleive) who himself never called it Kali or Kalis but was famed for his use of the sword.

the problem with verbal history it can all too often be taken out of context which I think even Dan Inosanto himself has realised.

Best regards

Pat

 

I actually have a PDF scan of "The Fillipino Martial Arts" here...hang on a sec....

and p.32 has a "Largusa School of Kali" symbol behind Ben

Again, I am not listing this for the veracity of Largusa's claims, but more to illustrate why Guro Dan may have said One of my most respected teachers told me to use the term, so I did."

 

I'm beginning to feel vaguely guilty lest I be getting this quote wrong. Trying to find clips on YouTube of the actual talky portion of the presentation at the American History Museum. But, naturally enough, they're all of the actual action.

So forgive me if I've misremembered what was said.

 

It does make sense simply because it is backed up by what Dan wrote - even Dan is not vouching for the accuracy, just making reference to his instructor

I call it Kali because my instructor (Vu) does - in true JKD style I look at it as "just a name" and not worth fussing over (well, not TOO much anyway)

As often as not I just refer to "weaponry" in the same way I would say "grappling"

 

was there a filipino martial art on the island before the spanish came? yes.

was it just one art? maybe not. as we were different tribes and we were at war with each other at one point in time or the other.

was any one of those ever called kali? maybe. who knows.

 

was there a filipino martial art on the island before the spanish came? yes.

was it just one art? maybe not. as we were different tribes and we were at war with each other at one point in time or the other.

was any one of those ever called kali? maybe. who knows.

 

Crap, even my (really poor) Spanish should have picked that up, good call. But if the term "calis" is being referenced as the equivalent of "fencing" it is still using as a reference to a fighting art. 'Course it looks like the term had a lot of other uses as well.

 

In the Cebuano dialect, "kalis" means scale, as in scales of a fish, just like the Tagalog word "kaliskis". Cebuano is supposed to be origin of "Kali" as a portmanteau word, from "kamut" (meaning hand) and "lihok" (meaning movement). Which begs the question why kalis is a Tagalog / Pampango word for sword or blade (or fencing) in the old dictionaries, but not in Cebuano or for that matter in Hiligaynon or Kinaray-a.. Curiouser and curiouser..