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| Raul Martinez's Autobiography: I became interested in martial arts in 1967 while watching Bruce Lee as Kato in the Green Hornet and James Bond 007 their fighting styles gave them a definite advantage over their opponents although I didn't know what the names of the fighting styles were, I just thought it was all karate My first lessons in judo and karate was in the summer of 1967. Two youth leaders from the Y.M.C.A would come to the neighborhood where I lived and give lessons at the park. The training only lasted two months, but I did learn basic moves. I joined a kung fu school in 1973 called Haumea Lefiti a Polynesian Art of Self Defense in Huntington Park, California; the style consisted of a mixture of choy li fut, kick boxing and splashing hand kung fu. The main instructor was Haumea Lefiti that had passed away a couple of months prior to my enrollment. The school was taken over by L.T. Davis. I trained four years under his instructorship prior to my enlistment in the U.S Navy. After I was discharged from the military in 1980 I returned to the school and continued training for another year. In 1995 I joined The Temple of Martial Arts School, my instructor was Master Richard Tsim there were two locations one in Bellflower, California and one in Long Beach, California. I started training at the Bellflower location and eventually ended up at the Long Beach location. The styles I trained in was Wing Chug, Hung Gar, Northern Shoalin, and a Tai Chi style called Pa-Qua, I trained for five years with Master Tsim, left the school due to changes in work schedule. I received a birthday gift from my wife in January 2002 in which she enrolled me at the Kali Academy of Mixed Martial Arts in Whittier, California. My instructor was and still is Sifu/Guro Bud Thompson a lifelong friend and student of Sifu/Guro Dan Inosanto. I've been at the Kali Academy nine years and have had training in Kali, Eskcrima, Arnis, Silat, Chinese Kickboxing, Muay Thai Kickboxing, Jun Fan Gung Fu, Wing Chun (traditional and modified), Jeet Kune Do, Jujitsu (essence), Western Boxing, Savate, and Aikido and still learning. On March 11th, 2011 I received my apprentice instructorship which I am honored and I am looking forward to the next level. With all the training I've had throughout the years I know that my journey is not done and I still looking forward to many more years of training. Raul Martinez |
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