Background
Bustillo began studying martial arts at the age of 8 with eskrima in his native Hawaii at the Gray Young Men’s Christian Association Center in Palolo Valley, Hawaii under his father.
Bustillo began studying martial arts at the age of 8 with eskrima in his native Hawaii at the Gray Young Men’s Christian Association Center in Palolo Valley, Hawaii under his father.
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. In 1967, with training partner Dan Inosanto, Bustillo researched and studied the Filipino martial arts (kali, escrima, arnis) under Angel Cabales and other instructors.
He learned to box when he was 10 and competed in North American Palladium Ltd boxing under the Veterans Boxing Club in Honolulu"s Aala Park. 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 Los Angeles At age 24 Bustillo began his study of Jeet Kune Do under Bruce Lee at the June Fan Gung Fu Institute in Los Los Angeles
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 June Fan Jeet Kune Do. 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 United States. Olympic Training Center as a coach and official for United States. Amateur Boxing in Southern California. He is a certified Guro (instructor) in the Filipino arts of Kali, Escrima, and Arnis.
Holding eleven degree black belt (under SGM Cacoy Canete in November 2011) and the title Grand Master by the Doce Pares organization of Cebu City, Philippines.
Bustillo continues to train with martial artists such as the Machado (Brazilian) Jujitsu United States of America Team. In addition, he is well known for promoting the Filipino Martial Arts. 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 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. Graciela Casillas
Ernest Emerson
Dan Inosanto
Gene LeBell
Brandon Lee
Shannon Lee
Cindy Omatsu
Deepak Rao
Ken Shamrock
Brian Viloria
Tom Barell
Mike Peterson
Lee Banda
Ricardo Vargas
Vedanti Dehir.
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 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.
