Kaleo grew up in Palisades (upper Pearl City) and knew Chris and Mike basically his entire life. Kaleo’s mother was actually Chris and Mike’s pre-school and kindergarten teacher and both families essentially merged with the boys spending practically their entire childhood together. Coming from a large family with many brothers and sisters, Kaleo was one of the youngest siblings. To find time away from everyone, he enjoyed drawing as a youth which he trained himself to be an incredible artist. Kaleo, while being bred as a soccer player in his youth, moved to wrestling and football at Pearl City High School where he graduated. It was football and wrestling which Kaleo used fuel his competitive drive and where he found his love for grappling.
Kaleo and his “calabash cousin” Mike started Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu together in January 1992 at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Gym 4 which was the birthplace of the explosion of Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in Hawaii. Kaleo utilized his athletic prowess and God given size and adapted to the more finess game of Jiu-Jitsu very quickly. Kaleo competed in numerous Jiu-Jitsu competitions and enjoys competing. He looked for every opportunity to continue studying with Relson even though he had to fight through major injuries like knee surgery which sidelined many Jiu-Jitsu careers. Kaleo had the dedication to rehab his injuries and get back on the mat as soon as he could.
Kaleo has been instructing in Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu for a number of years now and even though he is extremely experienced and an excellent instructor, he is always open and receptive to learning new techniques and new teaching methods in order to further refine his teaching skills. Chris and Mike jumped at the opportunity to offer Kaleo, a Relson Gracie 4th Degree Black Belt, the opportunity to teach the Saturday afternoon classes in order to share his many years of knowledge with the students at O2. He also frequents many of the other classes to assist with instruction and get more mat time. Kaleo started judo and is currently a brown belt in Judo under the Olympic Silver Medalist Kevin Asano at Leeward Judo Club.
Kaleo is married to Corinne and has a beautiful daughter Misora who is also a judoka and wrestler and loves spending time with when he is not on the mats or busy fighting crime as a Honolulu Police Officer.