TRIBAL K

The Tribal K design draws inspiration from a Karambit designed by Daniel Mumbakki Foronda, Marcaida's friend and fellow Filipino martial artist. Mumbakki, proud of his Igorot heritage, belongs to an indigenous people of the Cordillera Mountains in the northern Philippines. The term Igorots comes from the Spanish word "Ygollotes," meaning "mountain people." Most Igorot ethnic groups build sloping terraces to maximize agricultural space in the rugged terrain of the Cordilleras. Each member of the different tribes is instructed in the practices of cultivation, hunting, fighting or survival, which explains why each Igorot is skilled in the use of various weapons: spears, arrows, axes, knives, daggers, guns, darts, bows and arrows, slingshots and even natural materials such as sharpened animal bones used as spare weapons. Many Igorot people wear necklaces made from boar teeth, and the shape of those teeth inspired the pattern for the Tribal K design. The serrated edges on the back of the Tribal K can be used to make saw-like cuts, while the handle design pays homage to triangular patterns and lines of motion found in many Filipino martial arts systems.