Aditya Roy’s urban
survival workshop in Goa trains people in the Filipino martial art form of
Pekiti Tirsia Kali 10 Jan 2019
Sunday mornings in Goa are
synonymous with hangovers, sleeping in or perhaps lazing by the beach. Ours,
however, is a little different. The alarm rings at 6 am. Listless, we drag
ourselves out of bed, and after a hurried breakfast, head for our Airbnb
Experience of the day — Urban Survival Workshop.
We navigate our way to Moira
village, past lazy cows, playful puppies, slow-moving twowheelers and joggers,
till we are lost. After a few phone calls, we find Light Haven, the martial
arts school tucked away amidst greenery, far from the busy narrow streets. It’s
the last house on the left; beyond it lies a trail that leads to nowhere. And
standing dramatically in the middle of that path is our trainer Aditya Roy.
He doesn’t look like a typical
martial arts teacher. Instead, he has the vibe of someone who might just break
into a Bollywood song and dance. Handing us each a wooden stick (designed to
look like a blunt knife) and bottle of water, he leads us to the practice area.
The blade wins
“This is a three-hour workshop.
Keep sipping on water and stay awake,” announces Aditya, seeing a few of us
yawn.
“Pekiti Tirsia Kali is an indigenous
Filipino martial art based on the use of the blade. It is the fighting style of
the Tortal family from the Philippines and its current guardian and head is
Grand Tuhon Leo T Gaje Jr,” he explains. The way you use the sword is
