Back in the early 2000s, the martial arts world was loud—full of belts, patches, and people more concerned with being seen than skilled. Everyone was a grandmaster of something. But I wasn’t looking for fluff. I was looking for truth.
That’s when I met Eric Gergen. I was training under Sifu Mike Matthews at the time, and Eric was in town while doing a stint at Tinker Air Force Base. He dropped in for class, and since he was training in Sayoc Kali down in Wichita Falls, Mike asked him to share some material. Eric introduced us to the 3 of 9 Vital Template, and it hit different—sharp, precise, functional. This wasn’t theory. This was application.
One name kept coming up during that session: Harley Elmore.
I remember saying—“What is that, some kind of redneck wizard?”
Turns out, that was a bit of foreshadowing…
Because he actually is a redneck wizard.
Tuhon Harley grew up in rural Arkansas—no electricity, no running water. He rode a motorcycle to school, work, and training. His options were limited, but his determination wasn’t. He hunted down knowledge. Traveled for it. Bled for it. And what came out of that was a man who could take violence, precision, strategy, and discipline—and turn it into art.
He’s as authentic a redneck as they come—and as sharp and skilled a martial artist as you’ll ever meet. In that sense, wizard fits just fine.
A few months later, a training partner mentioned there was a Sayoc instructor just two hours away in Wichita Falls.
“What’s his name?”
“Harley Elmore.”
I took it as a sign.
We reached out, and back then, he was still Guro Harley. I asked about a private lesson and expected to make the drive. Instead, he offered to come to me in Oklahoma City.
From the first moment we trained, I knew this was different. Same dark humor, same sarcasm—but more importantly, he was sharp, clear, and brutally honest. He moved with purpose, spoke with authority, and had a way of taking complex ideas and making them simple, usable, and real.
He didn’t talk around things. He cut straight to the truth.
In a world full of fluff and ego, I was finally training with someone who had the discipline, integrity, and presence to back it all up.
That first session didn’t have one standout moment—it was the moment. I was hooked.
The Tribe Behind the Training
From then on, my training partner and I were all in. We drove to Wichita Falls every week, arriving mid-morning and often training until the early hours of the next morning. We trained constantly. There were no easy days.
Tuhon Harley was always generous with his time, his talent, and his knowledge. But don’t confuse that with leniency—he was a taskmaster. He demanded effort, discipline, and clarity. He held the standard high, and he lived it himself.
At that point, I already had the beginnings of a successful martial arts academy. But under his guidance, I was able to dial things in—to refine the way I taught, led, and grew PRIDE MMA. It wasn’t just technical improvement. It was deeper than that. He sharpened the way I thought. The way I trained. The way I carried myself.
Then came the invitation to Family Gathering—a three-day immersive training weekend unlike anything I’d experienced. It wasn’t just about martial arts. It was about total warrior development. Tourniquet training. Firearms. Shelter building. Food storage. Edge weapons. Silat. JKD. And one of the most unforgettable parts: training under Tuhon Tom Kier of Sayoc Kali.
That weekend was more than an event—it was an awakening.
I saw the depth of the Warriors Way Cadre. The camaraderie. The pressure. The knowledge.
And I realized—I wasn’t just training in a system. I was entering a tribe.
Later, Tuhon Harley invited me into the Warriors Way Instructor Program. I initially turned it down.
“I’m not interested in ranks or belts. I just want to train,” I told him.
His response?
“If you think this training is cool, wait until you see what the instructors are learning.”
He had my attention.
I joined the Apprentice Instructor Program, and the grind began.
I fought through old injuries—nagging back and hip issues. Had to rehab, reset, and keep coming back. But I stayed in it. And eventually, I earned my place as a Full Instructor.
That day was one of the proudest moments of my life.
Because it wasn’t just about passing a test.
It was about everything it represented: hard work, resilience, discipline—and being surrounded by the people who helped me become who I am.
The Full Instructor Cadre wasn’t just a title—it was a brotherhood.
Under Tuhon’s guidance, I didn’t just grow in Sayoc Kali. He opened doors for me into the Inosanto lineage and gave me deeper access to Ajarn Chai, as well as many other instructors I might never have connected with otherwise. Through him, I was welcomed into lineages that ultimately trace back to Terry Gibson—the man who originally opened those doors for Harley himself.
That’s what lineage looks like. It’s not just a name—it’s the trust that one leader passes down to another. And I carry that with pride.
The Path Continues
Over 22 years later, Tuhon Harley is no longer just my instructor—he’s my brother.
The training hasn’t gotten easier.
It’s gotten deeper. More refined. More intentional.
We train together regularly. We collaborate on projects. We develop curriculum together. And I still feel like I’m learning something new every time we train.
As a Full Instructor Level 4, I now help develop parts of the Warriors Way curriculum and mentor the next generation of instructors. Several of my students have entered the Apprentice Instructor Program, and others have earned Full Instructor rank under my guidance.
Passing on this legacy—that’s the mission now.
The future is already here at Pride MMA. More and more of our students are stepping up, putting in the work, and entering the Warriors Way International Instructor Program. They’re not just learning how to train—they’re learning how to lead. They’re embracing the responsibility of carrying forward a legacy that’s much bigger than any one of us.
We are committed—at every level—to building a stronger future for Warriors Way International, and to honoring the lineage that connects us to giants like Guro Dan Inosanto, Pamana Tuhon Sayoc, and Terry Gibson.
This isn’t just about training. It’s about carrying something forward.
Something real. Something earned.
If I had to describe Tuhon Harley in three words, they’d be:
Honor. Loyalty. Discipline.
That’s the code. That’s the example.
And that’s the legacy we carry forward—every class, every camp, every day.
When I first heard his name, I joked that it sounded like a redneck wizard. After all these years, I realize I wasn’t wrong.
He’s proof that it doesn’t matter where you come from. If you’re willing to train hard enough, think sharp enough, and lead with discipline—you can do the impossible.
And yeah… that’s a little bit like magic.
We are still building.
Still sharpening.
Still honoring the path.
And the next chapter?
It’s already in motion.
One student at a time. One rep at a time. One legacy passed on.