Raffy Pambuan became interested in
the martial arts as a child watching kung-fu movies and playing medieval knights with his friends in his hometown of Santa
Cruz, Laguna, Philippines. At the age of ten, he began studying Okinawan and
Shotokan Karate under his cousin Oyi Amoranto.
His fascination with Arnis started when he listened to his
father, Lolo, tell stories of his family history. He especially liked the stories
of his great grandfather, Amoranto, on his fathers side, who was Katipunan, and fought against the Spanish. It was at this time that Lolo Guro began teaching him Arnis. He
also trained in Arnis with his uncle, Tatay Vincen.
When he was
sixteen, Ama Guro took up boxing with his brother Frisco Pambuan, his cousin Vic Pambuan, and Digo Ramirez.
Ama Guro
also trained in the Filipino martial arts outside his family with Tatay Beryo Talabis, Tatay Ikang Bukal of Cavite, P.I., and with Nestor Deresa
of Magdalena, Laguna, P.I.
In 1983,
Raffy Pambuan moved to Orlando, Fl. Soon after, he began training with Tatay Bo
Sayoc. In 1993, He was convinced to begin teaching his family art of Pambuan
Arnis. His few Guros and students are very thankful for this. In 1996, Ama Guro was inducted, and is a member of,
the World Head of Family Sokeship Council.
Ama Guro
continues to make trips to the Philippines in order to discover more of the closed art, family systems of Arnis, and exchange
knowledge with them. He then brings this knowledge back and shares it with his
few, very select, students.
