SIFU NATANIEL ORTEGA
Currently a 8th degree black belt.
Sifu Ortega was born in the town of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico under the affiliation of the International Kajukenbo Association (I.K.A.). He is the highest-ranking black belt student ever to come out from Professor Ortega's black belt class. He has more than 27 years of experience in Kajukenbo and is currently the President of the Puerto Rico Kajukenbo Association (P.R.K.A.).
Sifu Ortega started practicing in 1978 at the age of four in the town of Isabela at the old cotton mill building. He later moved to the first school opened under the Puerto Rico Kajukenbo Association in the town of Aguadilla.
His teacher and father is Grandmaster Jose Luis "Cherry" Ortega, founder of the Puerto Rico Kajukenbo Association and the Advance Defense System. Through his martial arts path, young Ortega had to work and train harder than everybody so he could stand out above the rest. He had no choice than to practice Kajukenbo with advance adult students because, at the time, there wasn't such a thing as a children's class. Cuts, bruises and broken bones were common things in training. It wasn't until nine years later (at the age of 13 years) that he earned his yellow belt.
By this time, he was so sick and tired of the rigid discipline and hard training that he decided to put a halt to his training. Many months later, he had a confrontation in the streets that didn't go so well for him. Because of this, he saw how important was to keep a constant training going. But what he didn't know was that getting back to practicing and training Kajukenbo would be harder than if he had never left.
By now, Young Ortega was living in the town of Aguadilla. As punishment for stop practicing Kajukenbo, he was told that if he wanted to start practicing again he would have to do it outside the town of Aguadilla. Young Ortega stepped up to the challenge and started practicing again in the P.R.K.A. group in the town of Isabela, Puerto Rico. He was able to survive those difficult days and with time, he had the opportunity to train with some of the top ranking masters in Kajukenbo and other Martial Arts.
In his Martial Arts journey, young Ortega had the opportunity to study and train with his father's firsts teachers:
1.)Sifu George Jackson, who brought Kajukenbo to Puerto Rico under both the International Kajukenbo Association (founded by Professor Al Dacascos) and the American Kajukenbo Association (founded by Ali Donald Nahoolewa).
2.)Sifu Jerry Wright, who was under the Kajukenbo Self Defense System Organization (founded by Professor Richard Peralta).
In 1991 he had the opportunity to attend the Annual Black Belt Society Seminar in San Marcos Texas. That same year, Professor Richard Peralta visited Puerto Rico and young Ortega perfected his Kajukenbo Kenpo Karate skills under Professor Peralta's training. Young Ortega also had the opportunity to travel with his father to Mc Dill Air force's base in Tampa Florida to give a Martial Arts demonstration to the military personnel. Sifu Ortega finally achieved his black belt rank at the age of 18 (one of the requirements to earn a black belt from Grandmaster Ortega is that you need to be 18 years or older).
In 1992, he traveled to the island of Kuai, in the state of Hawaii, to the Black Belt Society Seminar with a delegation of more than 20 students from PR. There, he had the opportunity to meet the three remaining living founders (at the time) of the Kajukenbo system: Grandmasters Peter Choo, Adriano Emperado, and Joseph Holck. He also had the opportunity to meet and spend time with Grandmaster George Kaanana, Professors Vince Black, Dechi Emperado, Alan Reyes Jr., Emil Batista and Sigung Joseph Batista. It was in that Seminar where he met his father's third teacher Grandmaster Jaime Basquez, who was the organizer of the Black Belt Society Seminar that year. Professor Basquez traveled to Puerto Rico that same year and young Ortega had the opportunity to train under him.
In 1993 another P.R.K.A. delegation went to the island of Maui in Hawaii to the Black Belt Society Seminar organized by Grandmaster George Kaanana. There, young Ortega had the opportunity to train directly under Grandmaster George Kaanana who taught him techniques that were used exclusively in the traditional method of Kajukenbo. He also had the opportunity to train with Professor Dan Fraizer and Professor Clarence Emperado. That same year he traveled to the K.S.D.S. seminar in representation of his father and again had the opportunity to train with Professor Richard Peralta and Dan Fraizer. He also trained with Sifu Agustin Lopez and he had the opportunity to meet in person Sifu Alii Nahoolewa (Sifu Jackson's first Kajukenbo teacher).
In 1993, Professor Basquez traveled again to Puerto Rico, but this time he was accompanied by Professor Adriano Emperado (one of the founders of Kajukenbo). A kata tournament was held within all the black belts of the Kajukenbpo System in Puerto Rico and young Ortega won first place. After seeing his performance and being evaluated, Professor Emperado and Professor Basquez gave the approval to promote Sisuk Ortega to rank of first-degree black belt with the title of Sibak.
In 1994 he went to the island of Oahu in the state of Hawaii and there he meet Kajukenbo founder Grandmaster Frank Ordonez who after 40 years reunited again with the other Kajukenbo founders. Is by this time that he also meets Grandmaster Mike Young and a very strong friendship is born. In 1995 Grandmaster Jaime Basquez visits PR for the third time. During his visit, many of the black belts in PR were tested for their next black belt rank. It is in this visit that Sigung Jerry Wright Jr. is promoted to 7th degree black belt by Professor Jaime Basquez. Also in this year, Sigung Angel Garcia visits Puerto Rico to exchange ideas and young Ortega is once again invited to Mc Dill Airforce base in Tampa Florida to give another Self Defense demonstration together with his father Professor Jose Luis "Cherry" Ortega.
In 1996 Professor Basquez visits the island for the 4th time bringing with him Professors Adriano Emperado, Dechi Emperado and Sigung Angel Garcia. It is in this visit that Professor Basquez and Professor Emperado promote Ortega Senior to the rank of 8th degree black belt with the title of Professor. Young Ortega is also promoted to the rank of 3rd degree black belt with the tile of Sifu. It is during this visit that the green light is given for the development of the Advance Defense System.
In 1997 young Ortega gets his 4th degree black belt from Professor Ortega and he also has the opportunity to attend the Martial Arts Collective Society (M.A.C.S.) Seminar held in Sacramento California. There, he shared with Professor Jaime Basquez, Grandmasters Mike Young and Bing F Lau (both advisers of the K.S.D.I. and P.R.K.A.), Hanshi Bruce Jushnick (last student of James Mitose and president of the Sei Kosho Shorei Kai International), Grandmaster Bing Fai Lau (from the Danzai Ryu Jujitsu System), Master Nick Cerio (from Nick Cerio's Kenpo System), and Professor Emil Batista (2nd generation of Kajukenbo). It was during this seminar that he was promoted to 5th degree black belt with Professor Jaime Basquez, Hanshi Bruce Jushnick, Grandmaster Ming Lum, Grandmaster Mike Young and Professor Ortega as witnesses. After the Seminar he was invited to share and have dinner in San Francisco with all these teachers.
In 1998 young Ortega goes to Vallejo, California to train with Professor Emil Batista and to attend the Martial Arts Collective Society Seminar held in Sacramento California. In the M.A.C.S. Seminar, Professor Basquez, Professor Ortega, and Grandmaster Ming Lum promote young Ortega to the rank of 6th degree black belt.
In 1999 the Puerto Rico Kajukenbo Association 25th Anniversary Seminar was held in Puerto Rico. Martial Arts Instructors that came and taught in the Seminar included Hanshi Paul Yamaguchi (one of James Mitose's first generation students), Grandmaster Jaime Basquez (Kajukenbo Kosho Ryu Kenpo), Grandmaster Ming Lum (Kung Fu), Grandmaster Mike Young (Kung Fu and Kajukenbo), Professor George Jackson (Kajukenbo) and Sigung Jerry Wright (Kajukenbo). Young Ortega had also the opportunity to train and learn from Grandmaster Olohe Solomon Kaihewalu (from the Hawaiian Lua system) who was also one of the Seminar's featured instructors.
In 2000, young Ortega trains intensively with Bruce Jushnick in the art of Kosho Ryu Kenpo and he also travels to San Diego California to the Martial Arts Collective Society Seminar.
In 2001 he keeps training internally in the Advance Method of Kajukenbo and in the Kosho Ryu Kenpo system.
In 2002 he travels to the Martial Arts Collective Society Seminar in Chicago where he is promoted to the rank of 7th degree black belt.
In 2003 he travels to the Martial Arts Collective Society Seminar in Sacramento California where he is appointed as a member of the new generation of martial artists.
I also train Filipino Combat Systems and Sayoc Knife System and Kali under Tuhon Ray Dionaldo and Lakan Rico Cortes. Maestre Flavio Behring's Behring Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Maestre Luis Santiago. This other systems I put into the Puerto Rico Kajukenbo System and create the Advance Kajukenbo Self Defense System.
Here is a webpage about working Tactical Training in the Security area to Law Enforcement Personal, Special Operations Groups, Security Guard, Bail Bounds agents and Tactical Paramedics. This is another view of Kajukenbo, in tactical Training, Called A.K.S.D.S. Advance Tactical Combat System
For More information contact me at:
Professor Nataniel Ortega
Hc-03 Box 33079
Bo. Guerrero
Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, 00603
(787)-528-5040
[email protected]
