Arcenio James Advincula

Arcenio James Advincula is a martial artist and a first-generation student of the founder of Isshin-ryū Karate, Tatsuo Shimabuku. He also has an extensive background in Largo Mano Eskrima, Hindiandi Gung Fu, Ryukyu Kobudo and Combat Judo. He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps who served for 22 years, 6 months, 18 days including two tours in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. He retired in 1981 as a Master Sergeant. Some of his other notable accomplishments include; designing the Isshinryu patch, receiving a Black Belt Emeritus from the United States Marine Corps, working with the San Diego Chargers on body mechanics, selected by the Okinawan Government to represent the U.S. at the 2005 Okinawa Karate and Kobudo Exchange Symposium. Early years Advincula was born in Juneau, Alaska, on January 25, 1938. When World War Two broke out Advincula's father, who was Filipino, brought him to a Filipino family by the name of Diaz to take care of him. His father left for Anchorage where he worked for the U. S. Army Air Corps at Elmendorf Air Base. At the conclusion of the war in 1945 Advincula was reunited with his father in Anchorage. Advincula began his Martial Arts training in 1946 at the age of 8. His father hired two of his friends who were close-combat instructors for the Philippine Army, Pete Rado and Tony Navarro, to train him. Pete Rado began teaching Advincula Escrima knife fighting and Tony Navarro began teaching him knife fighting with a K-Bar. They both taught him Combat Judo. Around this time his father bought him a Springfield Navy Training Rifle and he started rifle and bayonet training as well.