GM Gary Largo

 

Senior Grand Master Gary Largo
Born on Maui, Hawaii 1947

Senior Grand Master Gary Largo was one of the most respected Escrima Masters in Hawaii and was the head of the General Ablen’s School of Derobio Escrima until he passed away in 2019.

GM Gary learned the Filipino Martial Arts under Great Grand Master Braulio Pedoy. In 1961, Grand Master Braulio Pedoy, Chief Instructor Eduardo Pedoy, Head Instructor Gary Largo, younger brother Instructor Leslie Lago and instructor Jimmy Silva started the Pedoy’s School of Escrima.

GM Gary started the General Ablen’s School for Derobio Escrima in 2010, and taught Derobio Escrima for 58 years; conducting demonstrations and seminars throughout the Hawaiian Islands and Continental United States.

Under the guidance of “The Bakitan Eddie Pedoy”, GM Gary started teaching children from 6 years of age and opened-up the teaching of Derobio to the kids in Hawaii.

GM Gary opened the General Ablen’s School of Derobio Escrima in Kihei, Maui in 2012 and the General Ablen’s School of Derobio Escrima in Virginia Beach, Virginia in 2015.

GM Gary never took any salary from the Pedoy School of Escrima or from the General Ablen School of Derobio Escrima. Like the Pedoys, GM Gary paid the school’s operating costs such as rent, insurance and internet expenses from the school dues and then donated the rest of the money to GGM’s Church.

Senior Grand Master Gary received the “Order of Datu Lapu-Lapu” award from the World Eskrima-Kaki-Arnis Federation(World’s largest Escrima Organization that is headquartered in the Philippines) on July 23, 2018, for his lifetime dedication in teaching and promoting the Martial Arts of the Philippines. At the time only 18 other grandmasters had ever received this prestigious award.

Besides being a master in Escrima, Gary Largo was a master welder at Pearl Harbor. Gary came out of retirement three times to assist the US Navy in major projected at Pearl Harbor as their lead welder on extremely complicated projects.

Before his death, the other Derobio Masters asked Senior Grand Master Gary his instructions for the school, his answer was simply “Stay the Course” that the GGM Braulio Pedoy asked of his instructors:
1. Promote the Martial Arts of the Philippines
2. Teach the Escrima style of Derobio
3. Promote GM Braulio Pedoy, his son The Bakitan Eddie Pedoy and General Ablen so their names will live forever.

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