GM Oliver "Pintados" Garduce

GM Oliver "Pintados" Garduce was born in Samar, Philippines. He started training in their family art called "Punite" at the age of 7 from his grandfather and father: Santiago & Kikoy Garduce. The word “Punite” is defined in the Waray (Samar) language as a "means of winning a fight by cutting, tearing, or breaking your opponent".

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His training prioritized a free-form practice style with random strikes and movements as opposed to a patterned and predictable approach - a philosophy he still holds today.

​As a young adult, he went to Manila to search for a better life. He met GGM Ernesto Presas and studied Kombatan when he was searching for an art that was similar to Punite. He entered the Philippine National Police (PNP) force as a SWAT operative for 10 years. Throughout his service, he continued to improve his martial skills by studying different arts for his growth.

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​In 2009, he moved to Toronto, ON, and began to teach Arnis and named his system "Pintados" as an amalgamation of his lifelong martial journey.