Pedoys Escrima

Traditions

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.

Great Grandmaster
Braulio T. Pedoy

GGM Braulio T. Pedoy
WW II Army Security Guard

GM, GGM, Batikan
“Roots” of Derobio Escrima

Great Grandmaster of Derobio Escrima

Braulio Tomada Pedoy, of Honolulu, Hawaii, passed away July 29 1992 at the age of 92. Great Grandmaster Pedoy was born on October 16, 1900 in Ormoc City, Leyte, Philippines. At the age of six, he ran away from home and traveled into the Amandawin mountains of the Southern Visayas where he was taken in by General Faustino Ablen. The General was a leader of the Independence movement against the occupying American forces on the island of Leyte. For eleven years, the Great Grandmaster lived and trained under the General in the art of Derobio Escrima. At the age seventeen, Pedoy was tested by the General on what he has obtained in his years with him; their choice of weapon was the bolo. As it was told, the test lasted almost two hours with Pedoy receiving a cut on the chin and near the eye; the General none. Through his ability to survive the battle, the General awarded Pedoy mastership of his art of Derobio and the task to expand his knowledge of the martial arts and travel the land learning other styles of Escrima.

In 1924, his travels brought the Great Grandmaster to the island of Hawaii where he worked on the Olaa Plantation. During World War II he worked as a security guard for the Army. Later in life he worked and retired from Gaspro Inc. After retiring from Gaspro, the great grandmaster went into full-time farming at his home in Waiawa, Pearl City, Hawaii.  He had a two acre farm where he raised a variety of fruits, vegetables, purple rice and taro that he partially sold to the people in the surrounding  community to supplement his income.  He also grew all-natural medical herbs on his farm that he used to cure people from different ailments pertaining to their physical bodies, those medical herbs were always used in his practice, in the art of Hilot.  Over the years of practice, he became known as a healer in the art of Hilot, Filipino healing and bone setting art. Great Grandmaster also had an array of different animals on his farm, but his passion was  always with his fighting game cocks, he raised over 50 of them at a time at the farm.  He had imports as well as island born birds, that he would train until they were ready to fight.  Then he would take them to the chicken fights to see how well they would perform and if they did good he would make a few bucks on the side.  He enjoyed going to the cock fights, not only to see the chicken’s fight but also to talk story with his compadres and enjoy the good Filipino food.

The old farm in Waiawa, Pearl City wasn’t just for farming crops and livestock but it was also the first training grounds for the Pedoy’s School of Escrima.  This was where the first generation of students started training, mostly made up of family first and then some neighborhood kids thereafter.  The training ground consisted of a dirt arena and sand bags made from military duffle bags and banana trees.  The training was very intense with the Great Grandmaster using his square oak garotte for practice.  He would always stress that you need to learn how to take pain, so that when you initiate it you know what the other person is feeling and believe me when you trained at the old school you would surely learn how to take pain without complaining, because if you complained about the pain you would get it even worse.  When the first generation of students were training at the farm there was no one teaching escrima commercially in the State at that time.  Pedoy’s School of Escrima was the first Filipino Martial Arts School in the State of Hawaii to teach commercially.

In 1961, Great Grandmaster Pedoy began the first Escrima School in the islands. The Pedoy’s School of Escrima was born. The Great Grandmaster would come to be known for his prowess as a man of counters.

He also promoted his son Eduardo Pedoy to Master in 1991. After his passing, the Pedoy’s School of Escrima now reveres him as the Great Grandmaster of our system and his son as Grandmaster.

The Great Grandmaster had his vision set for the future of the school early on.  He would gather the instructors / students at times and tell them of his vision for the school in the years to come.  As it was said by the Great Grandmaster himself, after I’m gone Eddie will take over the school and after Eddie, Tyrone will be next in line.  He always had his vision set for the next generation.  The Family Lineage / “Roots” of the Pedoy System lies with his son Eduardo Pedoy, and his grandson Tyrone Takahashi.

Batikan
Eduardo J. Pedoy

GGM Pedoy, Batikan Pedoy, Manoy Amper, Manoy Bitoy

Batikan of Derobio Escrima

Eduardo James Pedoy, of Honolulu, Hawaii, passed away on October 22, 2008 at the age of 62.  Batikan Pedoy was born on May 04, 1946 in Honolulu, Hawaii.  Batikan Pedoy started training at the early age of 12 years old, under his father Great Grandmaster Braulio Pedoy in Derobio Escrima.  In the early 1970’s he was promoted to Chief Instructor and in 1992 he was promoted to Grandmaster and then in 2004 elevated his rank to Batikan.  Batikan Pedoy shared the Filipino Martial Art of Derobio Escrima for over 40 years.  In 2007 Batikan Pedoy was inducted into the International Martial Arts Hall of Fame for his outstanding contribution in promoting the Filipino Martial Art of Derobio Escrima. Batikan Pedoy also trained in several other martial art disciplines to include, Kajukenbo, Jujitsu, Boxing and Siu Lum Pai Kung Fu.  He also trained under various old time escrimadors from the Filipino Federation in the different styles of Escrima, Kali and Arnis.  Under Batikan 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, with several Chief and Maestro Instructors teaching Derobio Escrima in various martial art schools throughout the USA.

Grandmaster
Tyrone J. Takahashi

GGM Pedoy w/
Grandson GM Takahashi

Chief Instructor
Ty Keoni Takahashi

Batikan Pedoy honoring
Chief Takahashi
w/ the “Ultimate Warrior Sword”

Chief Instructor of Derobio Escrima

Ty Keoni Takahashi, 26 of Honolulu, Hawaii is the great grandson of Great Grandmaster Pedoy and is destined to take over the headship of the Pedoy’s School of Escrima Organization after his father Grandmaster Takahashi is done.  Chief Takahashi started training in the Filipino Martial Art of Derobio Escrima at the early age of 6 years old, under his uncle Batikan Eduardo Pedoy and his father Grandmaster Tyrone Takahashi.  In 2007 he was promoted to Maestro – 1^st Degree Red and then in 2010 he was promoted to Chief – 2^nd Degree Red.  Chief Takahashi has been sharing the art of Derobio Escrima for over 7 years as an instructor.  Early on he was active in the tournament circuit here in the islands and also across the US Mainland.  He traveled with Grandmaster Takahashi and fought both on the West Coast and East Coast.  In 2007, at the Pacific Island Showdown / Ultimate Warrior Tournament, he was the Live Stick / Traditional Warrior (Men’s Light-Weight)  Champion, Live Stick / Ultimate Warrior (Men’s Light-Weight) Champion, Solo Garotte (Men’s Middle-Weight) Champion, shared the Solo Garotte / Grand Champion award and also won the Ultimate Warrior Overall Champion award.  Chief Takahashi did well in local tournaments here in the Islands as well as in the US Mainland.  Chief Takahashi also trained in several other Martial Arts Disciplines to include Kebo Academy Karate, Jujitsu, Muay Thai Kick Boxing and Boxing.

His goal is to continue the Family Lineage of the Derobio Escrima System in the years to come and to promote and perpetuate the Filipino Culture in the Arts.