My Lineage
Ah Ghung Tony Ramos
Ahgung Tony Ramos was born and raised on the Island of hawaii. He started the martial arts in 1948 with his brother in law, George Seronio, who was a black belt in the Kajukenbo system. Ahgung entered the Palama Settlement Self Defense school in 1950, under Joe Emperado. After 10 years of hard , rigid training, he was awarded a black belt from Sijo Adriano Emperado.
Ahgung Ramos left Hawaii in 1960 for California, where he started his first school in Los Angeles. Later, because of his civil service job, he moved to Fairfield, and began working at Travis Air Force Base. In 1962, he started a martial arts school and began teaching Kajukenbo, where as students, Grandmaster Calvin Shin and Grandmaster Emil Bautista were to become his 1st and 3rd promoted Black Belts. Through the years, Ahgung Ramos has created many more respected black belts in the Kajukenbo system. Ahgung received his 5th degree and diploma in 1965. Because of his long years teaching and training he earned recognition and respect throughout California.
In 1964, during the 2nd annual “International Karate Championships” in Long Beach, California, Ahgung was given the title “Head Referee”. In 1966, he was honored as the “Father and Grand Marshall” at the 1st Limalama Karate Championships.
Ahgung Ramos attended the Instructors Advanced Training given by Sijo Emperadonin Honolulu, Hawaii in 1969, and continued to advance his training by creating a new phase in his self defense techniques, which he called “the Concentration Dances”. These concentrations utilized breath-control, while developing the diaphragm and the lungs. Also in 1969, Augung Ramos trained with and exchanged ideas and methods with Bruce Lee. They worked together on street fighting and defense against multiple attackers. Lee once told Augung that he really did like Kajukenbo because it was “strong and hard”, but he (Augung) “should take my advice, a punch is a punch and a kick is a kick. Without definition there is no punch or kick.”
In 1971, in Redwood City, California, he was tested by Sijo Emperado and Chief Instructor Al dacascos. After passing all 7 phases of the test he was promoted to 7th degree, and earned the title “Father of Kajukenbo in California”. He also began working with his students to create new offensive techniques, while learning Gung Fu and Escrima forms.
In 1976, Ahgung Ramos was awarded his 8th degree at the U.S. All American Karate Championship in Oakland, California by the K.S.D.I. Board Chairman Robert “Twinkle” Kawakami and Sijo Emperado. This made him the highest ranking instructor in the history of Kajukenbo in California. Ahgung always felt that to progress in the martial arts one must trade knowledge and ideas. Some of the martial artists that he worked with were Bill Owens, Al Dacascos, Ed Parker, Chuck Norris, and Bruce Lee. Ahgung also became proficient in the "Doce Pares" escrima system and was ranked by the famous Canete brothers. Ahgung later founded the "Kajukenbo National Federation" and evolved his expression of the Chuan Fa branch into the "Ramos Method". He added the following to his method: 20 concentration katas, 10 multiple man attacks, 20 weapons counters, 15 grab defenses, 15 special grappling techniques, Gung Fu katas, and techniques and concepts from the Filipino stick arts.
Ah Gung Tony Ramos passes away in 1999 and he is missed dearly
