Why the Instructors Nicknamed the GGM Houdini
By Chief Master Knut Peacock
In the early 1900s, a world-famous illusionist and escape artist were Harry Houdini. His specialty was escaping from seemingly impossible situations, such as chains and a strait jacket while underwater. Whatever the restraints were, he always managed to escape.
The Great Grand Master (GGM), Braulio Pedoy, also had this talent. No matter how you locked him, he would escape and put you in a position of pain where you could not move. It didn’t make any difference what size his opponents were, he would lock them up, and they would have to submit. Keep in mind that the GGM was only five feet tall and weighed approximately 100 pounds, but thru his use of leverage and Derobio techniques, he could subdue anyone.
After the GGM started to teach us the locks and counters and on through the years, we referred to him as “Houdini.”Because of this unique ability, he had to get away. To this day, we are still in awe of his talent to escape any lock.