Tuhon Tim Waid
Authority on Combat Cognition & The Pekiti-Tirsia Kali System
Early Years & Military Service
Tim Waid served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1983–1991 as an Infantry Platoon Sergeant, and later as an Intelligence Sergeant in the U.S. Army National Guard. His military service provided the foundation for his revolutionary approach to Filipino martial arts: understanding combat not as stylized drills, but as timing, decision-making, and tactical problem-solving under pressure. This mental software shaped his later teaching of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali (PTK) into a modern, functional combat system.
Appointment by Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje, Jr.
Appointed by Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje Jr., Tim Waid serves as the designated representative of the Pekiti-Tirsia Kali system and its pedagogy. This appointment entrusts him with the responsibility of carrying forward the sole surviving blade-era combat system of the Philippines, maintaining its authenticity while guiding its application for professional, institutional, and civilian contexts
Institutional Adoption & Military Doctrine
In 1998, Waid developed the official Close-Quarters Combat System for the Philippine Marine Corps Force Recon Battalion — the first time since World War II that authentic Filipino martial arts had been codified into national military doctrine. This program was later adopted by the entire Philippine Marine Corps, the Philippine Army Scout Rangers, and the Philippine National Police Special Action Force.
He has also trained U.S. and allied military units, law enforcement agencies, and private security forces worldwide, designing tactics for edged-weapon defense, close-quarters combat, and officer survival. His work has influenced not only martial artists but institutional doctrine at the highest levels.
Global Teaching & Reach
For more than three decades, Tim Waid has taught across the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America.
His instruction has served:
* military units requiring close-quarters blade training
* law-enforcement agencies focused on weapon control and officer survival
* serious practitioners pursuing authentic bladed combat systems
His teaching is known for precision, rigor, and uncompromising standards — requiring perceptual clarity, judgment under pressure, and technical restraint.
Train Directly with Tuhon Waid
Training with Tuhon Waid is reserved for those committed to serious study of bladed combat and its underlying cognitive demands.
Opportunities include:
* Private instruction (in-person or online)
* Seminars and workshops for established groups
* Specialized programs for military, law enforcement, and security organizations
This is high-level instruction for individuals and institutions prepared to engage with a system that prioritizes judgment, timing, and realism over volume or spectacle.