Does Martial Arts Really Need Another Hall of Fame?
Dr. Glen Fraticelli on the Origins of the ʻOi Loa Kajukenbo Competitors Hall of Fame
Does martial arts really need another Hall of Fame?
That question is at the center of a recent Social Gelo YouTube conversation featuring members of the team behind the new ʻOi Loa Kajukenbo Competitors Hall of Fame. It is a fair question—especially at a time when martial arts Hall of Fames have become increasingly common.
But the ʻOi Loa Hall of Fame was not created simply to present more awards. According to founder Dr. Glen Fraticelli, it was created to preserve a part of Kajukenbo history that has never been fully gathered or told: the story of the competitors who carried Kajukenbo into tournaments, professional fighting, kickboxing, MMA and other competitive arenas.
“Who is preserving the competitive legacy of Kajukenbo?”
That question stayed with Fraticelli for nearly five years. Although Kajukenbo has produced world champions and groundbreaking competitors across multiple generations, their accomplishments have remained scattered among old magazines, tournament programs, photographs and personal memories.
Many were celebrated during their careers, but the larger story of Kajukenbo’s influence on competitive martial arts was never brought together in one place.
LINKS
The Event: July 24-25 Las Vegas
https://www.kajukenbo.com/events/oi-loa-kajukenbo-competitors-hall-of-fame-2026
‘Oi Loa Kajukenbo Competitors Hall of Fame
https://www.kajukenbo.com/directory/halloffame
Social Gelo Podcast
The Moment the Idea Became a Mission
For Fraticelli, the turning point came when he met fourteen-time world champion Damon Gilbert and began researching Sijo Adriano D. Emperado’s personal collection of martial arts magazines.
He discovered cover after cover featuring Gilbert and other Kajukenbo competitors.
“If these accomplishments were important enough for Sijo to preserve, why aren’t we telling these stories to the entire Kajukenbo community?”
Fraticelli realized these competitors had not been overlooked because their achievements lacked importance. Their stories simply had never been systematically collected, documented and presented as part of Kajukenbo’s shared history.
“Their victories helped establish Kajukenbo’s reputation around the world, yet much of that history remained scattered across old magazines, photographs, tournament programs and the memories of those who lived it.”
Recognition Based on Achievement
One of the principles separating ʻOi Loa from many other Hall of Fames is that recognition is not based on a competitor submitting an application or campaigning for an award.
Fraticelli believes many of Kajukenbo’s finest competitors would never nominate themselves. They trained, competed, won and continued with their lives without seeking recognition.
“I didn’t want recognition to depend on who filled out an application. I wanted it to depend on achievement.”
The responsibility for identifying and preserving that history therefore belongs to the researchers, historians and Kajukenbo practitioners willing to do the work.
“These men and women earned their place through performance. It is our responsibility to ensure their accomplishments are never forgotten.”
Carrying Kajukenbo Into the Arena
Kajukenbo was created as a practical fighting system. As organized martial arts competition grew, tournaments became another place where Kajukenbo could be tested against other systems and champions.
The competitors entering those arenas carried more than their individual reputations. They carried Kajukenbo with them.
“They did more than win championships. They helped validate Kajukenbo on the world stage.”
Through point fighting, continuous sparring, forms, self-defense competition, kickboxing and MMA, Kajukenbo competitors demonstrated the system’s effectiveness before audiences around the world. Their success helped build the reputation that Kajukenbo continues to hold today.
Why the Name ʻOi Loa?
Fraticelli wanted the Hall of Fame’s name to respectfully acknowledge Hawaiʻi, the birthplace of Kajukenbo. Rather than selecting Hawaiian words on his own, he sought guidance from a respected Kumu Hula who is also a martial artist.
From those conversations came the name ʻOi Loa—a name representing the very best and the highest level of competitive excellence.
“ʻOi Loa represents the highest standard of competitive excellence.”
The name honors competitors whose sustained achievements, championship records and historic firsts place them among Kajukenbo’s elite.
Fraticelli describes them as Kajukenbo’s superheroes—not because they wore capes, but because they repeatedly stepped into competition, faced the best and built their reputations through performance.
Revealing the Bigger Picture
Kajukenbo’s great competitors were not entirely forgotten. Many appeared on magazine covers, competed in major tournaments, fought on television and became recognized names in kickboxing and MMA.
What was missing was the complete picture.
“No one had ever brought those stories together into one place.”
When their individual accomplishments are connected, a much larger history begins to emerge. Kajukenbo competitors did not succeed during only one era. They won championships, broke barriers and influenced martial arts across multiple generations.
Younger practitioners may recognize names such as Benny Urquidez and Chuck Liddell without knowing their Kajukenbo roots. The Hall of Fame seeks to reconnect those accomplishments to the system that helped produce them.
“We have done an admirable job of preserving the stories of our founders and pioneers. But somewhere along the way, we left much of the competitive story untold.”
Preserving the Past and Inspiring the Future
The ʻOi Loa Kajukenbo Competitors Hall of Fame is not intended to look only backward. Its founders hope the accomplishments of past champions will inspire today’s practitioners to imagine what they can achieve.
“It is about linking the past with the present to inspire the future.”
By documenting these competitors and bringing their stories together, the Hall of Fame can give younger martial artists examples of perseverance, sacrifice and excellence.
It also allows the Kajukenbo community to see the results of what its founders planted more than seven decades ago.
“They would see the fruits of the tree they planted so many years ago.”
So, does martial arts really need another Hall of Fame?
If its purpose is simply to hand out more awards, perhaps not. But if its mission is to research an overlooked part of history, honor achievement, preserve disappearing stories and inspire the next generation, then the ʻOi Loa Kajukenbo Competitors Hall of Fame is filling a role that has remained vacant for far too long.
As Fraticelli explains:
“That is the lasting purpose of the ʻOi Loa Kajukenbo Competitors Hall of Fame—to preserve the legacy of those who came before us, celebrate those who carried it forward, and inspire those who will one day take it even further.”
