Richard Bustillo
Encyclopedia
Richard S Bustillo is an Filipino-American martial arts instructor from Hawaii
who was a student of the late Bruce Lee
and an authority on Jeet Kune Do
Concepts and Filipino Martial Arts.
Center in Palolo Valley, Hawaii. He learned to box
when he was 10 and competed in PAL
boxing under the Veterans Boxing Club in Honolulu's Aala Park.
At the age of 14 Bustillo studied Kajukenbo
with the Kempo/Karate Club of Waipahu until graduating from High School and moving to California to pursue a college education. While a college student at age 19, he competed in tournaments such as the Golden Gloves
, Silver Gloves
, Blue & Gold and other amateur boxing shows for Shaw's Boxing Gym in Los Angeles. At age 24 Bustillo began his study of Jeet Kune Do under Bruce Lee at the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute in Los Angeles.
In 1967, with training partner Dan Inosanto, Bustillo researched and studied the Filipino martial arts (kali, escrima, arnis) under Angel Cabales and other instructors. This began a revival of these arts with worldwide interest. In 1976, Bustillo was promoted by Sifu Inosanto to senior instructor level in Bruce Lee's Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do. In 1978 Bustillo studied Muay Thai and achieved the title Kru (teacher) in 1985 from Thailand's former Olympian and Muay Thai Champion Nanfa "Lot" (Chiridichoi) Satenglam.
Bustillo teaches Jeet Kune Do
, Filipino martial arts
, Boxing
, Muay Thai
, wrestling
, mixed martial arts
and other arts at his Torrance, California
school, the IMB Academy.
Bustillo has been certified by the USA Olympic Training Center as a coach and official for U.S. Amateur Boxing in Southern California. He is a certified Guro (instructor) in the Filipino arts of Kali
, Escrima, and Arnis
; holding ninth degree and the title Grand Master by the Doce Pares
organization of Cebu City, Philippines. Bustillo is a member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame (Instructor of the Year 1989) and the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame.
Bustillo is a certified law enforcement defensive tactics instructor and a member of the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers. Additionally, Bustillo is a member of the Search & Rescue Team of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
and is a Reserve Peace Officer.
Bustillo continues to train with martial artists such as the Machado (Brazilian) Jujitsu USA Team. In addition, he is well known for promoting the Filipino Martial Arts
. Bustillo is a founding member of the Bruce Lee Foundation and was the Jeet Kune Do Instructor to Bruce Lee's children, Brandon Lee
and Shannon Lee
.
In 1976, Bustillo and Inosanto founded the Filipino Kali Academy in Torrance, California. Shortly after this school was founded, Bustillo became popular as a workshop instructor, even teaching Martial Arts to the Dallas Cowboys
under coaches Tom Landry
and Bob Ward with Dan Inosanto.
In 1984, Bustillo founded the IMB Academy in Carson, California. He later moved the school to nearby Torrance, California.
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
who was a student of the late Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
and an authority on Jeet Kune Do
Jeet Kune Do
Jeet Kune Do is a hybrid martial arts system and life philosophy founded by martial artist Bruce Lee with direct, non classical and straightforward movements. Due to the way his style works they believe in minimal movement with maximum effect and extreme speed. The system works on the use of...
Concepts and Filipino Martial Arts.
Martial arts
Bustillo began studying martial arts at the age of 8 in his native Hawaii at the Gray YMCAYMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
Center in Palolo Valley, Hawaii. He learned to box
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
when he was 10 and competed in PAL
Police Athletic League
The Police Athletic League is an organization in many American police departments in which members of the police force coach young people, both boys and girls, in sports, and help with homework and other school-related activities. The purpose is to build character, help strengthen police-community...
boxing under the Veterans Boxing Club in Honolulu's Aala Park.
At the age of 14 Bustillo studied Kajukenbo
Kajukenbo
Kajukenbo is a hybrid martial art that combines Western Boxing, Judo, Jujutsu, Kenpo Karate, Eskrima, Tang Soo Do, and Kung Fu. It was founded in 1947 in Oahu, Hawaii, at the Palama Settlement. The original purpose of the art was to deal with local crime and to help the people defend themselves...
with the Kempo/Karate Club of Waipahu until graduating from High School and moving to California to pursue a college education. While a college student at age 19, he competed in tournaments such as the Golden Gloves
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
, Silver Gloves
Silver Gloves
The Silver Gloves is an annual competition for amateur boxing in the United States. The contest is sponsored by Ringside, Inc.The Silver Gloves are open to all non-professional pugilists age 10 to 15 years old. The Silver Gloves is not the Golden Gloves amateur tournament, which is for amateur...
, Blue & Gold and other amateur boxing shows for Shaw's Boxing Gym in Los Angeles. At age 24 Bustillo began his study of Jeet Kune Do under Bruce Lee at the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute in Los Angeles.
In 1967, with training partner Dan Inosanto, Bustillo researched and studied the Filipino martial arts (kali, escrima, arnis) under Angel Cabales and other instructors. This began a revival of these arts with worldwide interest. In 1976, Bustillo was promoted by Sifu Inosanto to senior instructor level in Bruce Lee's Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do. In 1978 Bustillo studied Muay Thai and achieved the title Kru (teacher) in 1985 from Thailand's former Olympian and Muay Thai Champion Nanfa "Lot" (Chiridichoi) Satenglam.
Bustillo teaches Jeet Kune Do
Jeet Kune Do
Jeet Kune Do is a hybrid martial arts system and life philosophy founded by martial artist Bruce Lee with direct, non classical and straightforward movements. Due to the way his style works they believe in minimal movement with maximum effect and extreme speed. The system works on the use of...
, Filipino martial arts
Filipino martial arts
Filipino Martial Arts refers to ancient and newer fighting methods devised in the Philippines, the most popular of which are known as Arnis/Eskrima/Kali. The intrinsic need for self-preservation was the genesis of these systems. Throughout the ages, invaders and evolving local conflict imposed new...
, Boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
, wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
, mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
and other arts at his Torrance, California
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
school, the IMB Academy.
Bustillo has been certified by the USA Olympic Training Center as a coach and official for U.S. Amateur Boxing in Southern California. He is a certified Guro (instructor) in the Filipino arts of Kali
Kali
' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
, Escrima, and Arnis
Arnis
Arnis may refer to:*A Filipino martial art, see Eskrima**a modern version of the traditional martial art, see Modern Arnis*Arnis, Germany, a small town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany...
; holding ninth degree and the title Grand Master by the Doce Pares
Doce Pares
Doce Pares, a form of Eskrima, is a Filipino martial art that focuses on primarily on stick fighting but also covers other weapons and empty-hands. Magellan's sword-wielding conquistadors fell to Datu Lapu-Lapu who used Eskrima to defeat the Spaniards at the Battle of Mactan...
organization of Cebu City, Philippines. Bustillo is a member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame (Instructor of the Year 1989) and the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame.
Bustillo is a certified law enforcement defensive tactics instructor and a member of the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers. Additionally, Bustillo is a member of the Search & Rescue Team of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is a local county law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. It is the fourth largest local policing agency in the United States, with the New York City Police Department being the first. The second largest is the Chicago Police...
and is a Reserve Peace Officer.
Bustillo continues to train with martial artists such as the Machado (Brazilian) Jujitsu USA Team. In addition, he is well known for promoting the Filipino Martial Arts
Filipino martial arts
Filipino Martial Arts refers to ancient and newer fighting methods devised in the Philippines, the most popular of which are known as Arnis/Eskrima/Kali. The intrinsic need for self-preservation was the genesis of these systems. Throughout the ages, invaders and evolving local conflict imposed new...
. Bustillo is a founding member of the Bruce Lee Foundation and was the Jeet Kune Do Instructor to Bruce Lee's children, Brandon Lee
Brandon Lee
Brandon Bruce Lee was an American actor and martial artist. He was the son of martial arts film star Bruce Lee...
and Shannon Lee
Shannon Lee
Shannon Emery Lee is an American actress. She is the daughter of martial artist and actor Bruce Lee and Linda Lee Cadwell, and the younger sister of Brandon Lee.-Personal life:...
.
Legacy
Together, with Guro Dan Inosanto, Bustillo is credited with generating worldwide interest in the study of Jeet Kune Do and Filipino Martial Arts.In 1976, Bustillo and Inosanto founded the Filipino Kali Academy in Torrance, California. Shortly after this school was founded, Bustillo became popular as a workshop instructor, even teaching Martial Arts to the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
under coaches Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
and Bob Ward with Dan Inosanto.
In 1984, Bustillo founded the IMB Academy in Carson, California. He later moved the school to nearby Torrance, California.
Notable students
- Brian ViloriaBrian ViloriaBrian Viloria is a Filipino-American professional boxer He is the reigning WBO Flyweight champion. He also won the WBC Light Flyweight and IBF Junior Flyweight titles...
- Gene LeBellGene LeBellIvan Gene LeBell is a former American Judo champion, instructor, stunt performer, stunt coordinator, and professional wrestler born in Los Angeles, California. LeBell has worked on over 1,000 films and TV shows, and has authored a number of books.In 2000, he was promoted to 9th Dan in US Ju-Jitsu...
- Dan InosantoDan InosantoDaniel Arca Inosanto is a Filipino-American martial arts instructor from California who is best known as a student of the late Bruce Lee and authority on Jeet Kune Do Concepts.-Martial arts:...
- Brandon LeeBrandon LeeBrandon Bruce Lee was an American actor and martial artist. He was the son of martial arts film star Bruce Lee...
- Shannon LeeShannon LeeShannon Emery Lee is an American actress. She is the daughter of martial artist and actor Bruce Lee and Linda Lee Cadwell, and the younger sister of Brandon Lee.-Personal life:...
- Ken ShamrockKen ShamrockKenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
- Ernest EmersonErnest EmersonErnest R. Emerson is an American custom knifemaker, martial artist, and edged-weapons expert. Originally an engineer and machinist in the aerospace industry, Emerson became a knifemaker known for making decorative knives but later became better known for his combat knives, eventually founding a...
- Deepak RaoDeepak RaoDeepak Rao is a military trainer, scientist, author, and physician. Considered to be an authority in the field of Close Quarter Battle training, he serves as the Executive Director of the Unarmed & Commando Combat Academy and has been appointed as Resource Personnel for imparting training in Close...
- Cindy OmatsuCindy OmatsuCynthia Ann “Cindy” Omatsu is a Japanese-American black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under senior instructor Rigan Machado and Leka Vieira...
- Graciela Casillas