About

• I teach to serve, to refine my craft, and to pass on what matters.

•  Self-defense is a natural human right—no one grants it, and no one can take it away.

•  Pekiti-Tirsia Kali is more than a system to me. It is a way of living—shaping how I approach life, pursue success, and maintain health.

Guro Dustin B. Denson is a highly experienced martial artist, instructor, and founder dedicated to the preservation and practical application of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali. With nearly four decades of martial arts experience, he is recognized for his depth of knowledge, technical precision, and commitment to real-world combatives.

He holds the rank of Mataas na Guro (Master Instructor) in Pekiti-Tirsia Kali, awarded on June 24, 2012, under Tuhon Tim Waid—one of the foremost authorities in the system. As one of Tuhon Waid’s senior instructors, Dustin has spent decades refining and transmitting the art with a focus on authenticity, structure, and functional application.

Dustin began his martial arts journey in 1986, training in Tae Kwon Do, Jeet Kune Do, and Filipino Martial Arts. Over the years, he expanded his experience across multiple systems, earning a black belt in Goju Shorei Ryu Karate in 2000 and studying disciplines such as Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Wing Chun, Silat, and Kuntao Silat de Thouars. This broad exposure provided him with a strong comparative understanding of martial systems—ultimately reinforcing his commitment to Pekiti-Tirsia Kali as the most complete and effective expression of combat principles.

His formal training in Pekiti-Tirsia Kali began in 1990 under the late Guro Ricky Rillera, with whom he trained extensively for many years. During this time, he developed a deep foundation in the system. In 1995, Dustin relocated to Norman, Oklahoma to attend graduate school, where he continued teaching and training at the USA Stars Foundation in Midwest City.

It was during this period that he first connected with Tuhon Tim Waid in Dallas, Texas—a relationship that would shape the next phase of his martial journey. Since 2000, Dustin has trained privately with Tuhon Waid, further deepening his understanding of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali at its highest levels.

Today, Pekiti-Tirsia Kali is the sole martial art Dustin trains, practices, and teaches.

Throughout his career, Dustin has instructed a wide range of individuals, including civilians, law enforcement personnel, and military professionals. His teaching extends beyond regular classes into seminars, workshops, and elite instructor development programs, including participation in PTK-SMF’s exclusive CPI camps.

In addition to his martial arts credentials, Dustin holds certifications as a Military PTK-CQC Instructor, Texas License to Carry Instructor, 1st Responder Instructor (Endorsed), and NRA Pistol and Range Safety Officer Instructor. This combination of traditional martial arts expertise and modern tactical training uniquely positions him at the intersection of classical systems and contemporary combatives.

Known for his direct, structured, and principle-driven teaching style, Dustin emphasizes timing, efficiency, and adaptability under pressure. His approach is rooted in the understanding that real-world violence is unpredictable—and that training must prepare individuals to respond decisively, not react passively.

Through his work, Dustin continues to preserve the integrity of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali while evolving its application for modern practitioners. His mission is not only to teach technique, but to develop capable, aware, and resilient individuals prepared for the realities of conflict.

PTK represents a logical and rational approach to realistic edged and impact weapons combat and combat training, as evidenced through its methodologies and phases of training. This approach takes into account the rapidly changing and dynamic nature of combat — ahead, equal, behind; offense, counter-offense, recounter-offense. PTK is not limited by its logical structure alone. There is knowledge and understanding of combat flow to be found both by thinking “inside the box” and “outside the box.”

Through mental and physical mastery of oneself, the practice of combat drills, and controlled and full sparring, the what, where, when, why, and how are learned and understood. The system answers the questions the fighter may have. This logical and analytical approach is one of the defining characteristics of PTK. Everything within the system is interconnected and structured so that the student learns what is needed when it is needed. Training begins with foundation footwork, progresses through the Doce Methodos, and ultimately advances into the systems of Contradas and Contra-Tirsia Dubla Dos.

There is a simplicity within the logic of the Pekiti-Tirsia Kali system that may appear complex in the beginning, but becomes clearer through continued learning and understanding. This is what it means to “learn to learn to forget.” It is the realization that, as a living art, PTK contains an understanding of the center of all arts, as stated by Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje Jr..

Learn the basics well and never stop practicing, developing, refining, and understanding them. Continued training and teaching — even of the basics — will continue to deepen knowledge, understanding, and the path toward mastery.

— Mataas na Guro Dustin B. Denson