Phillip Palmejar

Punong Guro Phillip Palmejar is a renowned martial artist with a diverse and impressive background. He began his martial arts journey at a young age, moving to Calaveras County from the California Bay Area. There, he earned his 1st Dan Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, seeking to counteract perceived physical limitations and gain confidence.

Phillip's next step was in the dynamic art of Jeet Kune Do (JKD), influenced by Bruce Lee's philosophies. He has continued to study and train in JKD for over 25 years, eventually obtaining instructor certifications in several lineages. His exposure to Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) through JKD led him to train in various styles, including Kalis Ilustrisimo and Jendo – Arnis. As a certified instructor of Kalis Ilustrisimo and a 6th Degree Black Belt in Jendo – Arnis, Phillip has won several expert division tournaments and was inducted into the Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

One day, while training at a multi-use martial arts facility, Phillip discovered Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and has since excelled in the sport, obtaining his 3rd Degree Black Belt and instructor certifications from notable figures like Master Roy Harris, GM Francisco Mansor, and GM Joe Moreira. He has represented and ranked under the Joe Moreira lineage of Jiu Jitsu from white to black belt.

Phillip's martial arts journey has also led him to Greek Pankration Athlima, where he obtained his 2nd Degree Black Belt under 8th Degree Black Belt Hanshi Roberto Serrano, Jr. He has competed for the US National Team in Pankration, earning 7 World medals and becoming the 2012 California State Champion (145lbs) and National Champion (65KG). Additionally, he was an official USA National Team Coach for the Palaismata and Polydama events in 2011, 2012, and 2024.

Guro Palmejar is also a certified instructor of Apache Knife Combat under Robert Redfeather, making him a unique resource in the knife community. He has won the Apache knife challenge coin twice, a rare achievement.

In his scholastic endeavors, Phillip holds an Associate’s Degree from Southwestern College, a Bachelor’s Degree in Comparative Government from UCSD, and is currently pursuing a Master’s program in Comparative Religion at the California Institute for Human Science. He also volunteers at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) Federal Prison in San Diego, teaching Buddhist studies since 2010.