About Cornerstone
Michael O’Melia, Minnesota State Pekiti-Tirsia Director (shown above with senior student Jake Appel) has over 21 years of martial arts experience. Michael’s martial arts training began in 1985 in the traditional arts
of Northern Shaolin and Seven Star Praying Mantis Kung Fu, under the instruction of
Alex Gutierrez of Los Angeles, CA. It wasn’t until 1989 that Michael discovered
Filipino Martial Arts and Jeet Kune Do at the Minnesota Kali Group.
He started training there under the instruction of Rick Faye and Greg Nelson. It was there, in 1989, that he attended his first seminar by Guro Dan Inosanto, an experience that changed his life and the way he looked at martial arts. He continued to train in the Filipino Martial Arts and JKD for the next six years and received his Instructorship in 1995 under Guro Inosanto. He remained at the Minnesota Kali Group as a senior instructor until 1998.
In 1998, Michael moved to Los Angeles, CA to study directly with Guro Inosanto at his academy. It was there, in 1999, that Michael met Tuhon McGrath, who gave a one-day seminar at the Inosanto Academy. It was some time after this that Guro Dan Inosanto recommended Michael continue his training with Tuhon McGrath. Michael moved back to Minneapolis, MN, at the end of 2000. He had the opportunity to attend a Pekiti Tirsia seminar in Detroit, MI in 2001.
In 2002, Michael opened Cornerstone Martial Arts Academy in Minneapolis, MN. He hosted his first seminar in Pekiti Tirsia by Tuhon McGrath in 2003. Tuhon has come back to Cornerstone Martial Arts each year since.
Tuhon Bill’s enthusiasm and depth of understanding in martial arts, the effectiveness of his system, the generosity of his teaching, and his inescapable humor have made him Cornerstone’s favorite guest and a key influence on our teaching and philosophy.
