My martial arts journey started in April 1966 at the Crenshaw Dojo located on 73rd and Crenshaw Boulevard. The school was co-owned by Ed Parker and Chuck Sullivan. Chuck and Mr. Parker were the only Black Belts in the Kenpo system at that time. Crazy George Quinones was my basics instructor and was one of five Brown Belts in the dojo. My goal was to make Brown Belt because Black Belt seemed like a thousand miles away at that time. But in September 1970 Ed Parker promoted me to Black Belt. Our school moved to the Inglewood location on Hawthorne Boulevard and my training continued.
The Hawthorne school closed and Chuck told the group that Steve Sanders (Muhammad) had just opened a dojo on Western Avenue and we could train there. Myself , Vic LaRoux and a Brown Belt named Jerry started training at Steve’s dojo. I then went to the Santa Monica school to train with Ed Parker and Chuck Sullivan who was instructing the advance class. Vic called me and introduced me to Dan Inostanto who had just opened the Filipino Kali Academy in Torrance, California. I met with Dan and signed up to learn the Jeet Kune Do system combined with the Filipino Kali arts. The school was co-owned with Richard Bustillo who was my basics and full contact instructor.
I joined the IKCA and under Chuck and Vic’s instruction I made Ninth Dan on January 31, 2011. On September 19, 2015 I achieved the rank of Grand Master 10th Dan in IKCA Chinese Kenpo. I will always be a student of the martial arts, forever learning and forever teaching this wonderful art of Chinese Kenpo.
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