Kali .:. Tuhan Lopez

The late founder of the Villabrille-Largusa Kali System, Grandmaster Floro Villabrille, established that there could only be one living grandmaster and one living tuhan (master) in the Villabrille-Largusa Kali System at any one time. Upon the death of the current grandmaster, the current tuhan of the Villabrille-Largusa Kali System succeeds him. On August 14, 1994, that succession continued when the new standing Grandmaster, Ben Largusa, named Professor Mel Lopez, Tuhan and director of the Villabrille-Largusa Kali System. As Grandmaster Largusa’s personally chosen successor, Tuhan Lopez has dedicated his life to the perpetuation of the Villabrille-Largusa Kali System.

Born in 1940, in Wahiawa, Hawaii, Tuhan Mel Lopez began his martial arts training at age 14, training in Kajukenbo, under Grandmaster Emperado and at that time, assistant instructor Tony Ramos in Wahiawa. He then studied Shiki-Shin Funi Karate under Sensei Greg Lontayao, where he earned his black belt. In 1970 he found his true calling when he began his training under Grandmaster Ben Largusa at the Largusa School of Kali in South San Francisco, California. Tuhan Lopez recalls, “After my very first training session under Grandmaster Largusa, holding my rattan garote, I knew I had found my truth, my Kamatuuran.” After that first session, he realized that for him to excel in the Villabrille-Largusa Kali System he had to master the system and that he could not serve two different martial arts at the same time. As he puts it, “I never wore my karate black belt again and have never looked back.”

Tuhan Lopez was among the first generation students that had the good fortune to train directly under Grandmaster Largusa. He took full advantage of Grandmaster Largusa’s offer to his students to “pick his brain” and had many one on one training sessions with him. To this very day he always says, “I am continually learning, the process never stops. What I have learned and have knowledge of, I pass on to the Guro’s and students of the Villabrille-Largusa Kali System, so that they can pass it on to their students.”

Tuhan Lopez was instrumental in standardizing the many basic fundamentals that Grandmaster Ben Largusa had developed for the Villabrille-Largusa Kali System over the years. These basic fundamentals, now known as “The Sixteen Basic Fundamentals”, serve as the defining identity of the Villabrille-Largusa Kali System. He was also instrumental in formulating the Kali Association of America Review Board, now being used to objectively evaluate Kali student candidates for Guro Certification. The sayaus (sets/katas) that he developed for his school are now the standard sets taught by all of the schools in the Villabrille-Largusa Kali System. His main focus throughout the years of training in Kali was to never change the fighting techniques taught to him by Grandmaster Largusa and to never “water down” the art.

Tuhan Lopez was married to the late Nita Lopez for 29 years and was always at her side during her long fight with cancer. He credits her for his accomplishments in life and in the Villabrille-Largusa Kali System. He explains, “Without Nita’s support, I would have never been able to dedicate the time I needed for Kali to achieve the goals I set.”

Tuhan Lopez currently lives in Fremont, California where he teaches a small group of students. He is the driving force behind the Villabrille-Largusa Kali System and will perpetuate this treasured Filipino Martial Art for future generations.