Former Instructors
Shihan Dean Pickard
Karatedo - Founder of USKL and former chief instructor
Shihan Mike Whiteside
Shotokan Karate - former senior instructor
Sensei Robert Johnson
Shotokan Karatedo and Matayoshi Kobudo - former senior instructor
Sensei David Blair
Shotokan Karatedo - former senior instructor
Shihan Tom Serrano (1956-2016)
Shotokan Karate and Gosuku-Ryu - former senior instructor
Andrew Wildasinn
Shotokan Karate and Special Forces Adaptive Karate - former senior instructor
Sensei Inkee Lee
Kendo - former chief instructor
Sensei Aaron Belko
Kendo and Iaido
Sensei Brian Olson
Kendo
Sifu Pietro Sun
Zen Tai Chi
Sensei Christian Vaccese
Kumite
Sensei Mike Kasmir
Iaido - former chief instructor
Bradley Skeels
No photo available.
Dave Turney
Shotokan Karate
Dave began training with the United State Karate League in 1992 and received his 5th Degree Black Belt in October 2015 from Senseis Aponte and Whiteside and Shihans Pickard and George Sasano (JKA).
Jim Doiron
Biography pending.
Ernie Franco
A student of Dan Inosanto, taught JKD and Filipino Escrima at the DAC.
Biography pending.
Tim Tackett
A student of Dan Inosanto, Tim taught JKD and Filipino Escrima at the DAC from about 1980 to 1990.
Tackett began training in the martial arts when he was stationed in Taiwan in 1962 while serving in the United States Air Force. On the recommendation of a friend, he began studying martial arts intensively. During his 3 years in Taiwan he learned two types of Hsing-i, T'ai chi, Northern and Southern Shaolin, White Crane and Monkey style kung fu. After his discharge from the Air Force in 1966, he opened a Gung Fu school in Redlands, California while attending the University of California, Riverside.
Tackett saw Bruce Lee demonstrate Jeet Kune Do in 1967 at Ed Parker's tournament in Long Beach, California. Busy with college and supporting a family he closed his Gung Fu school and focused on his education. Soon after receiving his Master of Fine Arts in 1970 he began a career as a high school drama teacher (he is now retired) from Montclair High School then Etiwanda High School. Along with his first student Bob Chapman, he visited Dan Inosanto's backyard Jeet Kune Do school on the recommendation of Dan Lee. At that time the class consisted of about 10 students including Bob Bremer, Dan Lee, Richard Bustillo, Pete Jacobs and Jerry Poteet.
In 1973 he was given a senior instructor's rank by Dan Inosanto and was permitted to teach Jeet Kune Do to a small group of students. Having no desire to teach JKD publicly, he moved his most senior group of students to his garage in Redlands, California where he continues to hold classes every Wednesday night. Beginning around 1983, Tackett and Larry Hartsell taught Jeet Kune Do at Vic Payne’s Great Smokey Mountain Martial Arts Camp every summer of its existence and has taught courses throughout the United States and in Europe. He is also known for applying martial arts principles to football; he has worked with the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers in this regard.
Dennis Blue
A student of Dan Inosanto and Tim Tackett who taught JKD, Filipino Kali, and Escrima at the DAC.
Sifu Blue has more than 30 years of training and teaching with the JKD Wednesday Night Group under Tim Tackett, Jim Sewell and Bob Bremer (the latter two are original students of Bruce Lee). He has also studied with Pete Jacobs and Guro Dan Inosanto and has extensive knowledge of not only Jeet Kune Do, but also South East Asian martial arts such as Filipino Martial Arts, Silat and Muay Thai.
Sifu Blue has taught at numerous seminars around the world with Sifu Tackett’s Wednesday Night Group; the former and the new Bruce Lee Foundation; as well as other seminars in the US and Europe. Sifu Blue holds a Senior Advisory position with the Chinatown JKD Association. All advanced firearms & CQC training is conducted by Dennis Blue. He is available for one-on-one instruction in a classroom environment, group instruction at the range, and seminars around the world.
Russell La Fuentes
A student of Ted Lucaylucay, Russell taught JKD and Filipino Kali, Escrima at the DAC.
No picture available. Biography pending.
Douglas Kretch
Biography pending.
Yukiko Matsuyama
Taiko
Master Kin Lam
Tai Ji Quan
Dominique Winn
Judo/Aikido
Sensei Dom Winn taught at USKL for ten years. In the evenings, Dom would work as a bouncer at various night clubs and once in a while he would have to use his skills in order to "keep the peace." Although he wasn't very tall, he was very muscular and strong. As a young man growing up in France, aside from training in the martial arts he had also trained as a professional bodybuilder. A 4th degree black belt in Aikido and Judo, he also mastered various forms of Gung Fu (Hung Gar & Choy Li Fut) that he traveled to Vietnam to study further
Nico Zuluaga
Capoeira
Former Assistant Instructors
Leo Shortle (1951-2023)
Shotokan Karatedo - former assistant instructor
Casey Chang
Shotokan Karate
Osman Jamil
Shotokan Karate
Jared Goldberg
Shotokan Karate
Kieran Aponte
NIDAN (2nd Degree Black Belt)
SHOTOKAN KARATEDO
Kieran started his Shotokan training at USKL at the age of 5 under his father, Sensei Dad (Ty Aponte), and has been a sempai for many years. He enjoys teaching the beginner and intermediate youth students in the Saturday morning kids’ class.
In the fall of 2014, he also assisted in teaching the karate classes at Pomona college in Claremont.
Kieran is a math major and graduate of Cal Poly Pomona and is considering other universities to pursue his Masters degree. In his free time, he writes orchestral music, programs, learns languages, and enjoys hiking.
Timeline:
Started - 2001
Shodan - 2014
Nidan - 2018
Laura St. Martin
SHODAN (1st Degree Black Belt)
SHOTOKAN KARATEDO
Laura began training at the Defense Arts Center in 1994. While watching her young daughter, she thought, "That looks fun! I gotta try it!" Although her training has progressed in fits and starts over the years, she finally earned her black belt in 2017. She has worked for the State of California for over thirty years, retiring in 2012. She still works part time, devoting most of her energy to training, making jewelry, raising march butterflies, and writing a mystery series set in the San Gabriel foothills. She lives with her daughter (Gwyneth St. Martin - Brown Belt) and grandson (Ivan La Rache - Green Belt) both of whom train at the DAC.
Timeline:
1994 - began training with USKL
2017 - received her Shodan (First Degree Black Belt)
Edwin A. Alonzo
SANDAN (3rd Degree Black Belt)
SHOTOKAN KARATEDO
Robert Nunez
SANDAN (3rd Degree Black Belt)
SHOTOKAN KARATEDO
Robert’s dream to train in martial arts was instilled as a child watching the famous “Kung Fu” series starring David Carradine -- this inspired him to begin training under Sensei James Wilson at the age of 9. This training only lasted 1 year, but lit a fire into Robert’s heart that was never quite quenched.
Robert restarted his training in 2005, after watching his oldest son train. Not wanting to live life as a spectator, he started training under Senseis Aponte, Whiteside and Turney. Robert received his Shodan in 2011 and his Nidan in 2014. Robert has also trained with Sensei Johnson, exploring applications and close-in fighting along with traditional conditioning.
Both Robert’s sons, Jose Luis, age 18, and Juan Miguel, age 13, continue to train under Sensei Aponte. Robert is a Rehabilitation Counselor specializing in working with individuals with disabilities, and is an Adjunct Professor at California State University San Bernardino helping prepare future Rehabilitation Counselors. Robert also is a disabilities advocate while pursuing his PhD studies at Claremont Graduate University.
"In between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our
freedom." - Viktor E. Frankl
Timeline
2005 - Began training at USKL
2011 - 1st Degree Black Belt
2014 - 2nd Degree BB
2017 - 3rd Degree BB
Papers
We practice the physical move mindfully, with critique and self-awareness we are taught the most efficient and effective ways to move. We refine these movements over time and continue to learn and redefine the same moves. We are challenged every step of the way to continue to improve and refine. Soon, through the muscle memory learned the movement becomes a natural part of us and how we move. It becomes reflex, or response without thought. Automatic!