Founder Tu'umamao "Tino" Tuiolosega was a member of the Samoan Royal Family, the son of the King of Ofu-Olosega. He studied aikido, Shaolin kung fu, judo, boxing, Hung Ga and other martial arts in his youth, and was trained in traditional Polynesian combat by his father and uncle. He was an amateur boxer and fought more than 100 matches. He served in the US military during the 1950s, participating in the Battle of Inchon and serving as a hand-to-hand combat instructor.