ABOUT the RKA

Who We are.

In the early days of Kajukenbo, my Grandfather Great Grandmaster Aleju Reyes was known for his dedication to Sijo Emperado and the art of Kajukenbo particularly, to the original Hard Style. Not only did Sijo recognize my grandfather’s skill as a martial artist but he also admired his meticulous documentation of the original knowledge. Sijo would eventually appoint him the official Kajukenbo Secretary. To honor this role, my grandfather kept detailed records of the knowledge, organizational minutes, personal letters, photos, and more.

In 1927, Grandpa was born and raised in Hawaii. He had a love for music. He played ukulele, drums, and had a voice like an angel. Like most of the family he was in the military. He met my Grandmother Maria Reyes and fell in love. They had three children; Alan, Marilyn, and Te, all of which would be involved in both Hula and Karate. On a recent trip to Hawaii, my uncle Joe Calaustro recently told me “in those days, if you were Filipino, you did Kajukenbo.”

As Grandpa continued to train, he also developed a love for photography and film. He routinely filmed his Kajukenbo classes at the Kaimuki YMCA on Oʻahu which he had taken over after the passing of Joe Emperado. He would review these films frequently as he documented the knowledge assisted by his cousin Henry Mandac. My uncle, Clyde Mandac tells me they spent hours and hours together as Henry would go through the motions, Aleju would write them down.

“they dedicated countless hours to preserving and refining the written knowledge.” - GM Clyde Mandac, son of Henry Mandac.

Years later, after moving to the mainland, Grandpa continued to document and refine the knowledge, having my father Alan Reyes demonstrate the self defense and forms on 8mm film. Together they documented classes, demos, and tournaments.

As Grandma’s hula school grew, Grandpa would document their performances and events. My aunties Te and Marilyn would perform as Grandpa would document each dance for future students. In addition, he and Tony Ramos would occasionally be the musical accompaniment for my Grandmother’s hula troop Tiare O Polynesia.

Grandpa filmed our Kajukenbo Christmas parties, our tournaments, hula performances, and family life. Documenting everything just became the thing we knew was important. Notebooks would become a requirement for every student to document their knowledge in their own words. This is a Reyes Kenpo Karate tradition that endures to this day. It’s a significant part of how we pass down knowledge.

In the late 1960’s and 70’s the Reyes family was a powerhouse of martial arts and hula. I remember how the dojo was split down the middle with hula girls on one side and karate guys on the other. Grandma and Grandpa’s tournaments and luaus were a perfect example of how the family came together with their Aloha spirit.

Not only was there plenty of dancing and food at Grandma’s luau’s, Grandpa would MC, play music, and sing while Dad would do fire knife and the Haka. My auntie Marilyn and Te would dance and even my cousins Shawn, Jamie, and Sharron were there too. The Luau would not be complete without a Reyes Kenpo Karate demo. The self defense always got the crowd going but the brick breaking was always the highlight.

Grandpa’s karate tournament, the Northern Pacific Nationals, is one of the oldest tournaments in the U.S. to date – where competitors such as Al Dacascos, Phil Cornin, Alan M. Reyes, Bill Owens, and Franco Ramirez of the "Kajukenbo Team" all gained notoriety. The tournament attracted the likes of Chuck Norris, Bill “Superfoot” Wallace, Ed Parker, and Bruce Lee.

Aleju was also the first tournament promoter to start a Women's Division and a separate Junior Division; he was the first promoter to bring in a female Black Belt judge, Malia Dacascos. He was also a much sought after judge and ring official within the tournament scene. He and Ed Parker routinely supported each others’ tournaments.

Grandpa would plan the Northern Pacific Nationals (NPN), orchestrate the event and judge in the ring, while dad would create the graphic design and programs, make trophies, and compete. Grandma of course with her hula girls was in charge of the food. It was such a sight to see all the aunties lined up, a whirlwind of teriyaki chicken, Lumpia, Futomaki, and Poi. Grandma’s luau style food was always a hit.

Aleju Reyes, along with Charles Gaylord, Joseph Halbuna, Tony Ramos, and Gabriel Vargas formed the the Kajukenbo Association of America (KAA) in 1967. They were all KSDI, but the KAA was geared to further Kajukenbo on the mainland and specifically to integrate Kajukenbo into the competitive scene. At the time many Kajukenbo techniques were considered too “dangerous” for competition, Al Dacascos recalls.