“When you draw your blade, 10,000 hands draw their blades with you.“
— Pamana Tuhon Christopher Sayoc Sr.
Sayoc Tuhon Brian Calaustro’s wife, Silak Leonore G. Calaustro, stepped over in 2017 after battling a years-long fight with cancer. All who knew Lee regard her as memorably kind, adamantly just, and consistently warm. She was the kind of person who would light up a room just by entering it, always bringing a smile to the faces of those around her. Those who know Tuhon Brian regard him as memorably stoic, adamantly observant, and consistently considerate. He, too, would light up with a big smile when his wife was in the room.
When Tuhon Brian and Lee first met, they were living in different states — he was in New York and she was in California. On one of their early dates, Tuhon Brian was visiting Lee on the West Coast and she accompanied him to watch some friends fight in a Cold Steel Tournament — a martial arts tournament in which then-Guro Brian spontaneously became a competitor when Tuhon Carl Atienza, a friend and fellow student of Pamana Tuhon Sayoc, passed him a stick and asked if he wanted to jump in (despite the fact he was dressed for a date, wearing jeans). Tuhon Brian looked at Lee. She smiled. And then he took the floor with his weapon. Not long after that, they were engaged.
In 2012, after years in a long-distance relationship — they were married and together, they moved across the country to Los Angeles to start their life there. It was in California that they truly flourished alongside each other. Tuhon Brian continued building the SAYOC Los Angeles hub. He has been training SAYOC for 30 years. As the founder of Tribal Tactics — the first official SAYOC training group to be invited onto Hollywood sets — his classes would become legendary within the ranks of instructors for their martial intensity, physical challenges, and 100-degree temperatures.
Tuhon Brian on the set of NCIS LA with actor Chris O’Donnell.
Meanwhile, Lee had launched a bright real estate career, helping families and their loved ones find their homes. She was a passionate advocate for her clients and even won her brokerage’s Rookie of the Year Award. In 2014, she was named in the top 100 realtors in San Gabriel. Outside of her work, Lee also loved to draw. Her favorite bird was the peacock — she especially loved the blue and purple colors, and was even inspired by them when choosing the colors for their wedding.
In 2016, Tuhon Brian and Lee found themselves in the fight of their lives. Lee had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer at the age of 36. It was a challenging moment that saw the SAYOC Tribe come together to support them. The organization held a day of simultaneous seminars across the country in which all training groups participated — gathering in California, Texas, and New York — to raise funds on Lee’s behalf.
After Silak Leonore stepped over, Tuhon Brian created something that would ensure people knew her kindness and generosity, especially those who did not know her before she stepped over. The world lost Leonore. But from that loss, the Leonore G. Calaustro Learning Centers were born. This is her legacy.
On February 20, 2018 — The Leonore G. Calaustro Learning Center opened its doors for the first time in Marga, a community in the Tabanan Regency of Bali, to hundreds of children. Following this first opening, four additional schools have since been built across Bali in Perean, Siakin, Tabanan, and Selat.
| *Photos provided by the Bali Children’s Project, an on-the-ground organization Tuhon Brian has partnered with. |
In Bali, every school is provided a space by the government to use as a library, but often that is the limit of the support given. Eventually, the books become outdated, the kids are not excited to read the available materials (textbooks, manuals, etc.), and the buildings enter into states of disarray and decay. Because of the five Leonore G. Calaustro Learning Centers across Bali, over 1,500 children from ages 5 to 15 years old have regular access to hundreds of entertaining and age-appropriate books, a place to learn and feel comfortable in, and a community of volunteer teachers and peers to look towards for guidance. The learning centers also have computers, which allow the children to learn new technology and useful communication skills.
When she was growing up, one of Lee’s role models was her grandma Leonor (whom she was named after), who was the principal at the local school. At a very young age, before starting elementary school, Lee would go to work with her and studiously focus on her own lessons — she was even given her own desk in her grandma’s office at the school. As she grew up, Lee would go on to help tutor and work on homework with her younger siblings and cousins, ensuring they had the same access to opportunities she did. Education was very important to Lee and her family.
The children in these learning centers in Bali never knew Lee personally, but it is because of her and her love of education — that they have the opportunity to share in her joy of learning, reading, and being curious about the world.
Tuhon Brian, in partnership with the Bali Children’s Project, has opened five learning centers so far, with plans to continue opening doors in communities that most need it.
This is what it means to be a SAYOC Tuhon. In the 1970s, Pamana Tuhon decided to be called by the name “Tuhon”, from the historical Malay word, “Tuan,” meaning “Leader who has achieved Mastery.” Since then, 11 individuals are now SAYOC Tuhons, including Tuhon Brian. Each Tuhon has earned their rank through their deeds.
Legacy is the thread of deeds that connect the 10,000 hands before us to the 10,000 hands that will come after us — rather than being focused on any one individual, legacy transcends time, location, and people to ensure we continue contributing to something that will endure — TRIBE.
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This article was written by Guro Dave Kalstein (Tuhon Brian’s student) and Guro Adrianna Perry (student of Tuhon Pat’s, who is Tuhon Brian’s cousin).