Tuhon Ray Dionaldo

- Founder of Filipino Combat Systems is an organization dedicated the preservation and promotion of all Filipino Martial Arts.

Filipino Combat Systems(FCS) is an organization/system with members from around the world. We come from extremely diverse backgrounds and Martial Arts systems. We've all come together because of our love of the Filipino Martial Arts, and our unwillingness to become involved in the politics that has so often stifled our growth.

Grandmaster Bobby Taboada

- was raised in Cebu City, Philippines, a thriving martial arts culture and the birthplace of Balintawak. After studying karate, boxing, and other fighting arts, GM Taboada was introduced to the Balintawak school founded by the Great Grand Master Venancio "Anciong" Bacon, headed at the time by Grand Masters Teofilo Velez and Jose Villasin. GM Taboada was trained in the "old school" ways of stick fighting, enduring physical abuse and constant live stick training with the masters. The combination of extremely rigorous physical training, expert instruction, and guidance from masters Bacon, Velez and Villasin helped shape and produce a dynamic and highly skilled martial arts master and teacher. In 1979, GM Taboada left the Philippines and brought his art to New Zealand and Australia before being persuaded to introduce Balintawak to a US audience. In 1991, GM Taboada relocated to the United States and settled in Charlotte, North Carolina.

GM Taboada, or "Bobby", as most of his friends and students know him, still teaches at the headquarters for his Balintawak International organization, in Charlotte, NC. Since his arrival in the U.S., he's been a self-defense instructor for the North Carolina Justice Academy and he has assisted in crime prevention programs sponsored by the North Carolina Sheriff's Academy, and been featured in dozens of articles and magazines. GM Taboada has trained martial arts experts and practitioners all through the US and around the world, in countries such as England, Australia, Germany, and Canada. He has produced a dedicated handful of Qualified Instructors, authorized to teach his Balintawak curriculum that are scattered throughout the world as well (see map below). Always a welcome instructor at martial arts seminars, GM Taboada continues to amaze and teach students that are willing and have a desire to learn.

In the year 2000, he was inducted into the World Head Council of Family Sokeship's International Hall of Fame and was awarded the title of Millenium Grand Master. In 2002, that same organization honored him with the title of Distinguished Grand Master. He is well known throughout martial arts circles as a highly respected master, a great teacher, and a superb human being that has remained humble and welcoming to all he comes in contact with.

Jared Wihongi’s

- Relevant background in the Private Sector is a story of hobby turn profession. At the age of 11 while growing up in New Zealand, Jared began training in the Japanese martial art Shorinji Kempo, and later transitioned to boxing in his teenage years.

From 1994-1996, Jared lived in the Philippines where he was introduced to the Filipino martial arts, much known for their combat focus and emphasis on edged and impact weapon application. This became a real passion where Jared placed a lot of his physical energy, and over the years he has moved up to the rank of Tuhon in the art of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali.

A lifelong student of the combat arts, Jared has also taken the opportunity over the years to study Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai Kickboxing and the Polynesian martial arts of his native New Zealand (Mau Rakau), to name a few. While working his way through university in Hawaii, and prior to becoming a Police Officer, Jared worked as a Bouncer in a Honolulu night club. It’s during this time that he started figuring out ways to make the martial arts he had been training work in this real-world and often violent environment.

Jared is the Founder and President of the Pekiti Tirsia Tactical Association, an international martial arts organization dedicated to teaching and training the Filipino combat art of Pekiti Tirsia Kali, with an emphasis on tactical application. He spends much of his time traveling throughout the United States, Asia, Europe and South America teaching civilian martial arts seminar through this association.

He is fluent in Filipino (Tagalog), Brazilian Portuguese, and has a Bachelors Degree of Science in Business with a major in Accounting (BYU-Hawaii and the University of Phoenix).