Teaching Escrima Was Never About Making Money

To the Pedoys Teaching Escrima Was Never About Making Money

By Master Carlton Kramer

Both the GGM and The Bakitan lived and breathed escrima. I was with the GGM for 20 years and under The Baktian for ten years, and their motive for teaching escrima was not drive by making money on the art.

In fact, the GGM never did increase our monthly dues, when I started in 1971, it was $20 a month and in the 1990’s it was still just $20 a month. Not only did he not raise the monthly dues to the students and instructors for over 2 decades, but he cooked dinner for the instructors twice a week at his house after class. At dinner we talked about the students that didn’t come, the students that came to class, Derobio, General Ablen and Master Moncado. Dinner was always the same; turkey and long rice.

Under the Pedoys, the school was never commercialized. For example, when the Grand Master and The Batikan promoted, there were no test the students had to pass. They would watch you in class and when they determined that you were moving correctly, they called everyone together and made the announcement. The student would knell in front of the GGM, the GGM would place his hand on the student’s head and proceed to say his power pray out loud and blessed the student and announce his new rank. The instructors would then all congratulation the individual and we made a big thing about promotions because we wanted to recognize the individual for their sacrifice and hard work.

The Pedoys were very humble individuals, their motivation in teaching Derobio was to preserve the style and to promote Escrima. Both wanted the Filipinos in Hawaii to be proud of their country’s history, culture and martial art.

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