Elite Filipino Martial Art Targets Baguio for New Strategic Training Hub

In the Photo: (4th from left) Lakambini Thalia Lauren, Ambassadress for PTKWF, poses for posterity with the members of the PNP-SAF Rapid Deployment Battalion after training sessions. (Contributed photo)

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The Pekiti-Tirsia Kali World Federation (PTKWF) has announced its intention to establish an official chapter in Baguio City, eyeing the “Summer Capital” as a premier destination for high-altitude tactical training. Lakambini Athaliah Lauren Coyoca, Ambassadress of the PTKWF, has formally reached out to Mayor Benjamin Magalong to propose the initiative, which includes a scheduled courtesy visit and a live demonstration of the world-renowned combat system. The move seeks to integrate the city’s unique geography with the rigorous demands of the Philippines’ most decorated blade-fighting art.

A Legacy of Survival

         Founded in 1897 by the Tortal family of Negros Occidental, Pekiti-Tirsia Kali (PTK) is a system built not for sport, but for survival. While many martial arts were suppressed during colonial eras or diluted into performance arts, PTK remained a “living” system of blade warfare. “Pekiti-Tirsia” translates to “close-quarters” and “to cut into small pieces.” The art is defined by its use of the Triangle Principle—a geometric approach to footwork and striking that allows a practitioner to maneuver into “blind spots” and neutralize threats with mathematical precision.

         Today, PTK is the official combatives doctrine of the Philippine Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance Battalion and is taught to elite special operations units globally, from the United States to Europe and Russia.

Fostering Local Discipline

         The proposed Baguio chapter aims to serve both the civilian population and local security forces. By establishing a presence in the city, the Federation hopes to empower the youth through cultural heritage and provide specialized self-defense training for Baguio’s police and first responders. “Baguio City is a hub of discipline and resilience,” the Federation stated. “Bringing the art of the blade to the Highlands is a natural evolution for a system that has protected the Filipino people for over a century.”

Future Warriors for Ancient Art of Modern Warfare

         Pekiti Tirsia Kali, since its founding in 1897 as a system of the Tortal family, has transcended generations. This distinct Filipino Martial Art basks in its growing influence, proof of this is the continuing establishment of numerous groups in the Philippines and in other countries under the charge of Grand Tuhon Mel Tortal. He has trained and mentored officers and members of the Homeland Security, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Russian Spetsnaz, US Navy Seals, Special Forces, and others.

         Preserving, enriching, and propagating PTK as an intangible art and an indispensable cultural component, Lakambini Athalia Lauren Coyoca as the ambassadress of Pekiti Tirsia Kali World Federation (PTKWF), pushes tirelessly in advocating to military reservists, law enforcement, civil society, and women’s organizations the integration of PTK in trainings for discipline, self-defense, patriotism, and nation building.

         The upcoming courtesy visit to Mayor Magalong is expected to feature a demonstration of PTK showcasing the transition from stick and blade, long-range weapons, close-in to empty-hand combat, among others.

Media Contact: Office of the Ambassadress, PTKWF, email: ptkwfmedia.relations@gmail.com, cellphone numbers 09938572558/09542268343 — DBaniqued/LMadarang