Erwin Ballarta is the Executive Director of the Texas Police Association, a 501(c)(3) association founded in 1895 with the main purpose of promoting professionalism in law enforcement. Ballarta was previously the Executive Vice President of Capitol Strategic Operations He is a self-defense expert in Pekiti Tirsia Kali and various weapons. Ballarta has taught hand-to-hand combat and weapon tactics to the FBI, the Texas Highway patrol, and various military personnel and has been a bodyguard of George W. Bush and various celebrities. He was a Lieutenant with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), where he was the Recruit School Coordinator and Defensive Tactics Coordinator for the Training Academy. He retired from the Texas D.P.S. at the end of August, 2008. He is also president of the Austin Filipino American Association and the Executive Director of the Texas Kali Association. Martial arts Ballarta began his training in 1974 under Fred Tolentino in Manila in a family style of Arnis. In 1975, he met Leo T. Gaje Jr. and began training during frequent trips to New York City. In 1977, Ballarta fought in the first full contact Arnis tournament in the U.S., the Palarong Pilipino Pekiti-Tirsia tournament. Ballarta won first place as the first Filipino American full contact Arnis champion at the Philippine Embassy in New York City. During these early years of Pekiti-Tirsia in the U.S., he and Tom Bisio traded the champions' trophy back and forth each year at the tournament. Erwin's titles also include the 1980 Grand Champion (Great Gorge, New Jersey) and the 1981 U.S. Midwest Champion. Law enforcement In 1982, Ballarta moved to Big Spring, Texas to continue his training with Gaje. He was Billy McGrath's roommate during that time, and also shared a house with Ronnie Bautista and Lee Bonvillain for a few months. Bautista is a former sheriff's deputy from Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, and Bonvillain is a former police officer for the city of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Soon after arriving in Texas, Erwin became a police officer with the Big Spring Police Department. He was soon promoted to the rank of Sergeant of the Patrol Division, then Crime Prevention and finally Criminal Investigation Divisions. From 1987 to the August, 2008, Ballarta was a State Trooper with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) in positions that have included Staff Sergeant Governor's Protective Detail, Staff Sergeant DPS Training Academy, and rising to the position of Staff