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Ernie Reyes, Sr. (born February 12, 1947 in Salinas, California) is a martial arts champion and Hall of Famer.
Biography
Ernie Reyes, Sr. is the son of Filipino migrants. His parents arrived in California in 1929, working with fish and in plantation fields.[citation needed]
Ernie is one of twelve siblings, including a pair of twins. The twins and two other of Reyes' siblings died as children, thus leaving Ernie as the Reyes' only boy. He grew with seven sisters.[citation needed]
When Reyes was ten, his parents began running a Mexican workers' labor camp.[citation needed] Ernie had to wake up very early in the morning to help his parents. He would clean dishes daily at the camp or work alongside the immigrants. He hated this routine; nevertheless, raised with deep Asian traditions instilled in him, he felt obligated to obey his parents.
With the belief that if he did not accomplish so, his whole family would go to hell,[citation needed] his mother sent Ernie and all of his sisters to school. Ernie was particularly bad with mathematics, and he disliked that subject a lot. During sixth grade in particular, Ernie was involved in much trouble. He became involved in "street" fights with other children, talk or do other things that were not allowed in his school.[citation needed]
Eventually, Ernie attended a public high school, where he became motivated to become a better student.
After high school graduation he attended and graduated from San Jose State University. During his time at the university he met the man who would become his primary taekwondo instructor, Dan Kyu Choi. He also met his future business associate Tony Thompson. Reyes Sr. and Thompson developed a lifelong friendship, and became members of a revolutionary new demo team, the West Coast Action Team, which started with Jeff Langton (the first team member), George Chung, Cynthia Rothrock, Ernie Reyes, Jr., and other world class performers.
Ernie Reyes, Sr. went on to coach seven national title winners in one year, becoming the coach of the year, while his son Ernie Reyes Jr. became the first and youngest youth to be ranked among adult fighters in history. He was approached by Hollywood producer Sally Banks; feeling obliged to his students, he turned down her offer, but, six months later, he returned to speak with her, and he eventually met Berry Gordon, who signed him to a multi-movie deal. He participated in four movies, including Red Sonja.
Reyes, Sr. and Thompson still manage their school, which has grown into having thirty-seven other locations.
Highlights
- Participant in five movies, one television series, and the video games Street Fighter: The Movie, arcade version (as Akuma) and "Surf Ninjas" computer version, as Zatch.
- Seven time champion
- Named "One of the Greatest Martial Arts Masters of the 20th (century)" by the TNT television channel
- Co-founder, with Thompson, of the "West Coast World Martial Arts Association"
- Inducted into the Hall of Fame and named instructor of the year by Black Belt Magazine, published by the Professional Karate Association
- Co-author of martial arts books
External links
- ErnieReyes.com - Ernie Reyes West Coast World Martial Arts Association
- Ernie Reyes, Sr. at the Internet Movie Database
- Taekwondo Hall of Fame
PHOTOS:
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