JUKENSA KAJUKENBO LINAGE
Sijo Adriano Emperado, creator of Kajukenbo in 1948, had a rugged childhood on the rough-and-tumble back streets of Honolulu. High ranking in kenpo and escrima, he wanted to develop a martial art that would be invincible on the street, and the brutal training that took place in Emperado’s schools is legendary. Broken bones were an everyday occurrence, and the trauma of training caused others to become sick to their stomachs. A line that I'm told he used to say was that "The workout wasn't over until there was blood on the mat." The number of students at the school soon dwindled to a dedicated few who developed into tough fighters with a tough reputations, many of whom would leave a mark on the international martial arts community: Sid Asuncion, Tony Ramos, Aleju Reyes, Joe Halbuna, Don Nahoolewa, and Al Dacascos, just to name a few. For his lifetime of contributions to the martial arts, he was named 1991 Instructor of the Year. Kajukenbo is the only martial art developed in the United States, and is one of the most recently organized forms of fighting art.
Grandmaster Aleju Reyes was one of Kajukenbo's most loved and respected instructors. He was Sijo Emperado’s right hand man and served as Sijo's Sergeant of Arms. He was one of the first Kajukenbo instructor's on the mainland and one of the founders of the Kajukenbo Association of America, in 1967. In 1969 he became the first President of the International Kajukenbo Association. Grandmaster “Al” Reyes died in 1977, but his teachings live on.
Alii Donald K. Nahoolewa also grew up on the rugged back streets of Honolulo Hawaii. Although he trained with both Sijo Emperado and his brother, Joe, his principal instructor was Grand Master Aleju Reyes. Nahoolewa is known to be about as tough as a man can be, but with a heart of gold. During his days in the Military he was stationed for several years in Albuquerque’s Kirtland Air Force Base. There he began teaching Kajukenbo to military personnel, with one exception...that exception being Sam Allred. Nahoolewa is the founder of the American Kajukembo Association, which boasts thousands of members who are striving to standardize and unify the Art.
O-Sensei Philip S. Porter began his Martial Arts career in boxing in 1943 at age 18. He was later a member of the West Point Boxing Team. He started Judo, JuJitsu, and Karate training in 1951 at Travis Air Force Base, California, under Sensei Walter Todd. Sensei Todd was the first foreigner in history to obtain a dan rank in Shotokan Karate-do, and his martial arts career spanned over 50 very successful years. O-Sensei Porter is now a 9th Degree Black Belt, the highest ranking judoka in the U.S.A., and is called “O-Sensei” because he is in charge of teaching and watching over the rank promotions of thousands of his Black Belt students throughout the United States in the many clubs of the United States Martial Arts Association. His leadership ability brought him many high positions in the Martial Arts, and he is called "The Father of American Judo." He has produced over 1,000 national and international medallists in Judo over the past 45 years, 500 of them during the eight years he coached the National Judo Team at the NJI (1984-1992). He has written many books on Judo, JuJitsu, and other Martial Arts but his primary emphasis is on character development. As with all others mentioned here, his credits go on and on...
Sigung Sam Allred begin practicing the martial arts, Judo, in 1953 while still in high school. In 1986 he received 4th Degree Black Belt in Kodokan Judo from O-Sensei Philip Porter. He earned 1st degree black belt in Kajukenbo from Don Nahoolewa in 1962, the first non-Hawaiian to earn black belt rank in Kajukenbo. In 1969 he received his Kajukenbo Instructor Certification and 4th degree black belt from Sijo Emperado and Grandmaster Aleju Reyes. In 1991 he was promoted to 6th Degree Black Belt the Board of Directors of the International Kajukenbo Association, and in 2001 Alii Nahoolewa and the Board of Directors of the American Kajukembo Association promoted Allred to Senior Master 9th Degree Red Belt. Allred is in the Black Belt Hall of Fame and the Who’s Who of the Martial Arts. He has published 5 books based on Kajukenbo, publishes and edits the internet domain “www.kajukenbo.info”, and is the founder of Jukensa Kajukenbo Mexico.
SIFU SADOC SIERRA AND SIFU SAID LOPEZ. For information about them, please click HERE
In KAJUKENBO, Chinese terms are sometimes used although it is an American Art, such as:
SIDAI--Student
SISOK and SIHING--Assistant to a SIFU
SIFU--Master Instructor
O-SIFU--Senior Instructor of other Sifus but who has not yet earned 6th degree black belt. Rank appointed by a Sigung or Grand Master.
SIGUNG--Senior Master Instructor. At least 6th degree black belt.
GRAND MASTER--Equivilant to 10th degree. Highest "rank."
ALII-- Hawaiian word for "High Chief"
SIJO--Founder of a style or system.
