History
GGM Pedoy’s History in the Philippines
Great Grandmaster (GGM) Braulio Pedoy was born in the Philippines on October 16, 1900 in Ormac City, Leyte . When he was 6 years old he learned Escrima under General Faustino Ablen, a General in the Philippine Army fighting against the Spanish and then the Americans. General Ablen had learned the art of Derobio as a young boy many years before. GGM Pedoy lived with General Ablen in the jungles above Leyte for II years studying Derobio. When GGM Pedoy was 17, General Ablen tested him for his Master’s examination. The examination was with razor sharp bolo knives and lasted for over 2 hours. Both masters used their best fakes and counters with GGM Pedoy suffering minor cuts on his hands and face: General Ablen had no cuts. After leaving the jungles and General Ablen behind GGM Pedoy traveled around the Philippine Islands for 7 years learning various movements and styles of other Filipino Martial Arts. In 1924 GGM Pedoy left the Philippines for Hawaii.
GGM Pedoy’s History in Hawaii
When GGM Pedoy arrived in Hawaii on the Big Island, he was assigned to the Olaa Plantation just outside of old Hilo town. Life on the plantation was hard and a “dollar a day” was the wage. GGM Pedoy did not stay long on the plantation and soon returned to the jungle life on the slopes of Mauna Kea where he learned about the local wildlife and came to respect and honor Madam Pele, the Hawaiian Goddess of the Volcano. After a few years he grew tired of the hermit life and became a fisherman, a trade that he practiced for many years. Before WW II he moved to Oahu. During the war he worked as a security guard for the Army and eventually ended up training army troops in the basic movements of Derobio before they were shipped off to the Pacific wars. After the war GGM Pedoy married and then worked for a local gas company until he retired in the early 1960′s.
History of the School 1961-Present
The Pedoy School of Escrima was established in 1961. GGM Pedoy’s first students and then instructors were his son “Chief Instructor” Eduardo and his grandson” 1st Instructor” Tyrone Takahashi who are respectively now the Grandmaster and Master of the school. By the early 1970′s the school had grown and there were several red shirt Maestro instructors. The master and the school toured around the Hawaiian Islands giving demos in the art of Pedoy Style Derobio Escrima. In 1976 GGM Pedoy was awarded a certificate of recognition from the State of Hawaii, House of Representatives, “House Resolution No. 633, entitled “Honoring the respected and venerable Master Braulio Pedoy, Escrima Expert Extraordinaire”. He was also recognized as the first Master of Escrima in Hawaii to teach Escrima to nationalities other than the Filipino people. In 1991 he was inducted into the International Martial Arts Hall of Fame for his outstanding contribution in promoting the Philippine Martial Art of Escrima. In 1991 the school celebrated its 30th anniversary with a party at the Philippine Consulate of Honolulu. Over a dozen Escrima and Kali schools attended to pay their respects to GGM Pedoy and present their various styles. Great Grandmaster Braulio Pedoy passed away on July 29, 1992.
Upon GGM Pedoy’s passing, his son Master Eduardo was promoted to the rank of Grandmaster and Tyrone Takahashi was promoted to the rank of Master in April 1997. Under Grandmaster Eduardo Pedoy the Pedoy School of Escrima has expanded from the Honolulu branch (The Master’s School) in Hawaii to certified branches operating in Southern California and New Mexico as well as several Chief and Maestro Instructors teaching Derobio in various martial arts schools throughout the USA.
Grandmaster Eduardo Pedoy elevated his rank to Batikan. At this time he promoted Master Tyrone Takahashi to the rank of Grandmaster in October of 2003, Grandmaster Takahashi is the only instructor throughout the history of the organization that was ever certified and promoted to the rank of Grandmaster / 12th Degree in the Pedoy’s Derobio Escrima System with the blessings of the Great Grandmaster Braulio T. Pedoy and Batikan Eduardo J. Pedoy. The main branch of the Pedoy School of Escrima was transferred from the Honolulu Branch to Grandmaster Tyrone’s school in Waipahu, Hawaii. On October 16, 2010, Grandmaster Tyrone Takahashi promoted Ty Keoni Takahashi to the rank of Chief Instructor 2nd Degree.
Description and History of the Movements of Derobio Escrima
According to GGM Pedoy, Derobio Escrima is a very old blade style based on the “doce teros” or I2 strikes and defensive movements that existed when the Spanish occupied the Philippines. This defensive style utilizes a blade in one hand with the other hand empty. There is no garrote (stick) or Espada Daga (stick & knife or long blade & short blade) in the original Derobio. GGM Pedoy often referred to Derobio as “one” of the “lost arts”, meaning that when the Spanish declared the practicing of Escrima and Kali as punishable by death, Derobio was one of the blade movements that went underground. Many of the ancient styles were incorporated into blade dances called “Caranzas”.
General Ablen learned the art of Derobio as a young boy around the year 1820. Through GGM Pedoy’s stories we learned that General Ablen was 90 years old when GGM Pedoy met him in the mountains above Leyte in 1906. When GGM Pedoy left General Ablen 11 years later in 1917 he carried with him a style of fighting that is a no nonsense, no wasted movement blade style that has withstood death matches and challenges for over 200 years.
Derobio means “rhythm of the horse”. When Derobio Escrima is in movement with the rattan sticks hitting together the sound should be similar to a horse running on a cobblestone road. A running horse evades obstacles by jumping over or around them, while a fighting horse rears on its hind legs and using its front legs and hooves to fight from the outside. The movement of Derobio is to side step the attack, cut the blade arm and then drive to the unprotected outside of the opponent for the finishing movement. Unlike the movements of some other stick fighting styles, Derobio prefers to attack the weapon arm directly rather than to “Witik” (a whipping or retracting type of strike that deflects off another strike).
Derobio Escrima is comfortable at any range. In addition to its Largo Mano (long range) hand cutting movements it also incorporates Medino (medium range) and Corto (close range) movements that include over 144 counter for counter and grappling movements.
This blade style should be practiced low to the ground and is extremely graceful as it moves from angle to angle. Derobio Escrima relies on using rhythm, timing and fluidity with an extremely strong emphasis on flowing or gliding. GGM Pedoy constantly reminded us in class, “we must glide with the opponents movement in order to open up a weak or vulnerable area for counter attack”. GGM Pedoy’s “Master’s rules”: protect the head at all cost, keep your alive-hand behind the weapon and wait for the opponent to move before you react.
Description and History of Pedoy Style Derobio Escrima
When GGM Pedoy left General Ablen in 1917 his instructions were to travel around the Philippine Islands to learn other movements and then to take this information to America to teach Derobio to interested people. During the 7 years that GGM Pedoy traveled through the Philippines he visited such places as Mindanao where he was forced to fight in “death matches” and Borneo where he studied the movements of the Indonesian Dayak headhunters.
In 1924 GGM Pedoy set sail for Hawaii. At this time GGM Pedoy had not only developed as an Escrima Blade Master but was also a “Master in Hilot” (native Filipino healing and bone setting arts). When GGM Pedoy arrived in Hawaii in 1924, his style had evolved to include not only the outside flowing movements of Derobio, but also the “Ala Contra” (against the force) blocks and movements of Kali as well as knife and blade disarming movements of southern Mindanao that often reflect the influences of Indonesian Silat.
GGM often commented that the Pedoy Style Derobio Escrima should behave like the wind and branches. “When the wind blows, the branch bends with the force of the wind and then snaps back when the wind stops blowing”. Learning to follow behind the opponent’s blow is an important element of learning Derobio Escrima. Pedoy Style Derobio Escrima relies on gliding movements, ala contra movements and inside counter for counter movements to keep the opponent off guard. “Never give the same movement twice in a row, or your opponent can easily disarm or counter you. If you take a strike on the inside take it on the outside next time. You must remain unpredictable and remember accuracy is better than speed”.
When the GGM Pedoy was 90 years old, he was asked, “When was your Escrima at its best,” he replied, “my whole life because I learned when I was only 6 years old”. The question was then rephrased. “When was your Escrima the most effective,” he responded, “When I was 60″. Asked why, he replied; “I was still young enough to move, but old enough to know how to wait.”
General Ablen and Great Grandmaster Pedoy, we will ensure your legacies, philosophies and Escrima style will live on forever.
Thank You.
Escrimadors Creed:
Wisdom: Understanding of what is true, right or lasting
Humanity: Humane quality; kindness; mercy
Humbleness: Deeply respectful
Harmony: A pleasing combination of parts or elements
“An Escrimador must have the wisdom and discretion to know when to use his/her art. When forced to use it, he/she must show humanity against aggressors who cannot defend against it. And the humbleness not to boast about the power he/she holds. In doing so he/she will gain harmony both with his/her art and his/her life.”
