Richard Bustillo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Bustillo
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| Born | January 28, 1942 |
| Died | March 30, 2017 (aged 75) Torrance, California, U.S.
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| Occupation | Martial arts Instructor |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Bustillo |
| Children | Angela, Maka, Natalie, Lino |
Richard Bustillo (born January 28, 1942 – died March 30, 2017) was an American martial arts teacher from Hawaii. He was a direct student of the famous martial artist Bruce Lee. Richard Bustillo was also an expert in Jeet Kune Do and Filipino Martial Arts.
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Learning Martial Arts
Richard Bustillo started learning martial arts when he was 8 years old. He began with a style called eskrima in his home state of Hawaii. His own father taught him at the Gray YMCA Center.
When he was 10, Richard learned to box. He competed in boxing matches through the PAL in Honolulu. He trained at the Veterans Boxing Club.
College and Bruce Lee
At 14, Bustillo studied Kajukenbo until he finished high school. Then, he moved to California for college. While in college at age 19, he competed in many amateur boxing shows. These included the Golden Gloves and Silver Gloves tournaments.
At 24, Richard Bustillo began studying Jeet Kune Do with Bruce Lee himself. He trained at the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute in Los Angeles. This was a very important part of his martial arts journey.
Filipino and Thai Arts
In 1967, Richard Bustillo and his training partner, Dan Inosanto, started to research Filipino martial arts. They studied styles like kali, escrima, and arnis. Their work helped these arts become popular around the world.
In 1976, Bustillo became a senior instructor in Bruce Lee's Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do. This was a high honor given by his friend and teacher, Dan Inosanto. Later, in 1978, Bustillo also learned Muay Thai, a type of Thai boxing. He earned the title of Kru (teacher) in 1985.
Teaching and Achievements
Richard Bustillo taught many different martial arts at his school. His school was called the IMB Academy, located in Torrance, California. He taught Jeet Kune Do, Filipino martial arts, Boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling, and mixed martial arts.
He was a certified coach for U.S. Amateur Boxing. He was also a certified Guro (instructor) in Filipino arts like Kali, Escrima, and Arnis. He held a very high rank, an eleven-degree black belt, and was called Grand Master.
Richard Bustillo was recognized in the Black Belt Hall of Fame in 1989 as "Instructor of the Year." He was also part of the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame.
Law Enforcement and Legacy
Bustillo was also a certified instructor for defensive tactics used by law enforcement. He was a member of the Search & Rescue Team for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. He even served as a Reserve Peace Officer.
He continued to train with other martial artists throughout his life. He was well-known for helping to promote Filipino Martial Arts. Richard Bustillo was a founding member of the Bruce Lee Foundation. He also taught Jeet Kune Do to Bruce Lee's children, Brandon Lee and Shannon Lee.
Richard Bustillo's Legacy
Richard Bustillo, along with Guro Dan Inosanto, helped make Jeet Kune Do and Filipino Martial Arts famous worldwide. Their efforts created a lot of interest in these styles.
In 1976, Bustillo and Inosanto opened the Filipino Kali Academy in Torrance, California. Soon after, Bustillo became a popular workshop instructor. He even taught martial arts to the Dallas Cowboys football team.
He started his own school, the IMB Academy, in 1984. It was first in Carson, California, and later moved to Torrance.
Richard Bustillo passed away on March 30, 2017. His school, the IMB Academy, continues to teach martial arts today. It is run by his longtime students, Esteban De LA Cruz and Nicole Mangabat.
