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Pekiti Tirsia Chief Instructor: MAGINO'O Mike Popolizio   Mike's Bio N.Y. State Director Mike Popolizio receives his Matãas na Guro certificate from Tuhon McGrath. Matãas na Guro Popolizio becomes the first person to complete the entire Pekiti-Tirsia System under Tuhon McGrath. MAGINO'O MIKE POPOLIZIO: After 7 years in the Pekiti-Tirsia System (with a very strong base of 25+ years in other arts) Mike Popolizio has become the first person to complete the entire Pekiti-Tirsia System under the instruction of Tuhon McGrath and this June was awarded the rank of Mataas na Guro (Master Instructor). Guro Mike’s certificate reads: "Be it known that MICHAEL POPOLIZIO having successfully completed the full course of instruction in the Pekiti-Tirsia System and having met all the requirements set forth by PEKITI-TIRSIA INTERNATIONAL is hereby promoted to the rank of MATAÃS NA GURO "MASTER INSTRUCTOR" with the right to test up to and including Mataas na Guro rank and issue same in the Pekiti-Tirsia System and having the responsibility of seeing to the continuance of the Pekiti-Tirsia System (signed) TUHON GURO WILLIAM R. MCGRATH, CHIEF INSTRUCTOR, PRESIDENT, PEKITI-TIRSIA INTERNATIONAL" I grew up in The Bronx, NY. and began training in boxing in 1964. I entered the New York City Police Academy in 1965. I have worked Street Patrol during assignments throughout N.Y.C. and was assigned to the Brooklyn North Task Force. I began training in Senso Aiki Jutsu under Master Richard Beherns in 1974 and found that it worked very well with my previous boxing training. JuJutsu training continued in Oshiki-uchi under Miyochi Sensei. In 1984 I began a Jujutsu school in New York. I was introduced to the Filipino Martial Arts in 1989 by Scott Carpenter, later training in Arnis with Scott Walter (Kobe system). I trained in Kuntao Silat under Roberto Torres which included training with Ba Pak Willem De Thouars in Pentjak Silat. I had the good fortune to train with Tuhon William McGrath in N.Y.C. where he taught classes beginning in 1992. A few of us were invited to train at Tuhon McGrath's home, where the training was intense, with the main focus on material contained in the "Blue Book" (PTI test book). He drove us hard, demanded excellence, and accepted nothing less. His standards on rank testing and promotions always remained high. We paid with sweat, bruises, blood, sprains and calluses...the rewards were new technique. Tuhon McGrath was always giving in both technique and encouragement, never holding back as we went from page through page in the "Blue Book"; and for this he has my utmost admiration and respect. I am presently retired from the N.Y.P.D. and teach JuJutsu and Pekiti-Tirsia in Long Island, N.Y.   home  photos  instructors  bio  classes  seminars  contact  Copyright © 2010 PekitiTirsia.net Site Design by RDK Creative