In the late
1960's, Guro Daniel Inosanto, one of Grand Master Leo Giron's early
students, set out on a quest to learn about one of the hidden treasures
of his heritage, the low profile existence of an elite number of Filipino-Americans
known as masters in the fighting arts of the Philippines. These early
escrima masters had long ago migrated to the United States and, under
the cover of secrecy, had shared their wisdom with only a select few.
From the rare opportunity to meet, observe, and interview these individuals
in both California and Hawaii came a published series of articles
and, later, a book titled The Filipino Martial Arts.
This was groundbreaking
research, in some cases reveling the identities, styles, and methods
of escrima "play" for the first time to the outside world. In 1997,
Mark Wiley's Filipino Martial Culture appeared, featuring the complete
history, weapons, systems and masters of the Filipino martial arts
in the United States and the Philippines. Grand Master Giron proudly
stands as one of only eighteen masters to have an entire chapter of
the book dedicated to him and his art form. Now at the age of ninety
years, Grand Master Emeritus Leo M. Giron, a native son of Bayambang,
Pangasinsn, Philippines, stands virtually alone among his generation
as an active teacher of these arts, imparting history and knowledge
to his close knit family of students.
The time has
now arrived to cast light on the substance and depth of the art, which
the Grand Master has scrupulously held in trust for so many generations.
After meeting Grand Master Giron for the first time, many people comment
on the professorial manner of a man whose skills and knowledge is
rooted in deadly combat. Any contradiction is quickly dispelled, however,
when Grand Master Giron deftly demonstrates both the words and deed
the direct connections between the beauty and effectiveness of his
art and its basis in actual use. "Combat proven" is the operative
term as Grand Master Giron, in a very real sense, serves as a professor
of living history, reaching into his own past and that of his predecessors
to illuminate the present. Such light guides the heir to Grand Master
Giron's system - Grand Master Tony Somera.
After many
years of training in other martial arts, Tony Somera, who is of Filipino
decent, realized that there had to be a Filipino Martial Art. With
the aide of Somera's father and a close friend, Tony Somera found
his answer in his home town of in Stockton, California where there
were many Filipino Masters. One of these masters was Grand Master
Leo M. Giron, a lodge brother of Tony Somera's father. From that day
forward, Tony Somera has been "playing" the art of the Giron System
of Giron Escrima. For many years Tony Somera served as Grand Master
Giron's personal assistant and on October 3rd, 1992 Grand Master promoted
Tony Somera to the rank of Master in the Giron System of Arnis Escrima.
Tony Somera
is the only person to be honored by this rank. On August 20, 1999,
because of failing health and the desire to continue the growth and
direction of the Giron System of Arnis Escrima, Grand Master Giron
promoted Tony Somera to the rank of Grand Master.
