Maryland Pekiti-Tirsia Kali Bulls

(NeW!) LADRA Brothers

Weaponry: My Forte It has been my desire as child in the Philippines especially in my hometown, Tanauan, Batangas that the blade is the favorite toy of the kids and adults as well with the balisongs all over their waist line. I know I will grow one day and I will have the opportunity to have one. But due to many activities in my life and being one of the brothers and with sisters, I felt I have to do things for the family that I totally forgot my desire not until I came to the US and involve in the Martial Arts which is not Filipino. I suffered many years in holding back what I really wanted to have and with the school of my brother Apolo we work together in making the Karate school a great success. But as the years goes on, my love for weaponry had never fade. It even grew stronger everyday and when I heard about the Filipino Martial Arts I had to get out of my way to bring Masters in Arnis and Escrima and other forms of FMA in our school for seminars. I had a lot of personal training and had good exposure to some teachings. On September 2004, surprising my brother told me that he had an opportunity to engage the presence of Grandtuhon Leo T. Gaje, Jr of the Pekiti-Tirsia Kali System in Delaware and then on we had the opportunity to hold a seminar in our school. And now we are at home with the Pekiti-Tirsia Kali System. This is the point that I realized that something is missing and now I found it in Pekiti-Tirsia. The blade I found, the art I seek is on my hands. I have completed my ultimate mission. So with the Mabagsik Maryland Bulls we encourage all whose desire is to seek the truth about real FMA and the real art of combat.   - Guro Bobby Ladra
My personal commitment to my fellow Kayumanggis and to my brothers in the martial arts. For the past tedious years of my personal dedications to the learning and teaching Karate and Taekwondo. I found myself misplaced somewhere in this land of opportunity. I felt incomplete in my devotion to the martial arts that one day I decided to follow the dictate of my genetics and that the warrior spirit that is in me must be awakened. My missing part is my obsession how I can defend myself against the treacherous knife and the whizzling blades that every time I visited my country the Philippines, my hometown Batangas is the center of the famous balisong and here I am, a kicker and by the glittering faces of the Balisong I asked this question how can I defend myself against those Balisongs in my hometown. I felt insecure and  felt empty. My stomach felt vacant seeing those balisongs made of a military jeep springs. So one day I decided that I have to search for a true indigenous Filipino art, true to its cultural practices, true to its traditions and customs, realistic and workable as a combat art and I can be proud to propagate and teach to my friends in non-Filipino art with the purpose to bring the wonderful culture of what is the true Kayumanggis. Then by virtue of circumstances I was called to contact Grandtuhon Leo Gaje, Jr. of the Pekiti-Tirsia Kali System and that opportunity in meeting him was the first and the last since were are together now as one under the banner of the KALI WORLD COUNCIL USA. It is now and forever, that the movement of Kali will ring in every heart of every martial arts because the ultimate answer to the wondering minds of those who are in non-weapon based style or system is how to defend themselves against the technology of weaponry. Pekiti-Tirsia Kali system is the only system in the Philippines that is accepted as the official fighting system of the Philippine Marine Corps and the Philippine National Police and other special operations group of the Armed Forces of the Philippines since the system still maintains the true traditions of blade fighting in full utilization against the terrorist in Mindanao-Philippines. So, I encourage those whose mind is open to development as what I did and let it be that one day you will listen to the dictate of your common sense and you can come to me and tell me I am right. Don't wait till you are pushing sunflowers in God's little acre. - Master Apolo Ladra Executive Vice-President KALI WORLD COUNCIL, USA. INC.