The AMS Founders have over 40 years experience combined. Below are the bio's for each founding member of the AMS.
Master Lawrence Valadez - AMS Founder
Master Valadez owns and operates his Dojo and Association in Reno Nevada. Sensei Valadez is married and has 5 children. His wife, children also take Valadez Kenpo-Ryu, under his tutelage.
Master Valadez is the founder of the Streetfighting system Known as Reality Street Survival Valadez Kenpo Combat.
Master Valadez has also been awarded a 6th Degree Black Belt in American Kenpo Karate and has legitimate lineage to the systems founder Great Grandmaster Ed Parker through Randy L. Knox and more recently Michael Accord of Nicholas Lee’s American Kenpo Karate. Having begun his martial arts journey in a backyard dojo in Los Angeles his achievements are remarkable.
Other notable martial arts achievements are:
3rd Dan in Yoshin Ryu Jujitsu/Jujitsu, certified under the International Federation of Yoshin Ryu Jujitsu and the American Federation of Jujitsu. He has also done Submission fighting.
3rd Dan in Taekwondo, certified under the World Ji Do Kwan Federation.
3rd Dan in Tang Soo Do, certified under the World Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do Federation.
Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do, Jeet Kune Do Concepts, Filipino Kali, Indonesian Pencak, certified under Sifu/Guru John Lopez of Survival Solutions.
Sensei Valadez has also trained in a number of other fighting arts but has never tested in them, he has however used this knowledge to expand his own system.
Sensei Valadez is also the President of the Valadez Kenpo Association, he created the V.K.A. to unite all Martial Art styles, and to make martial arts accessible to all. To this end he has produced a number of video courses as he states that he would like to bring the Martial Art community together as one family. He went on to say that he didn't think one style of Martial Art was better then the other, just different.
Master Brett Ernest M.S. - AMS Founder
Master Brett Ernest, VP and Director of the VKA, has over 25 years experience in the martial arts, studying Shorin Ryu at an early age. He earned his 1st Dan about 5 years later.
From there, Master Ernest pursued studies in Jujitsu, American Kenpo, Shotokan, Tae Kwon Do, Chinese Boxing, Thai Kick Boxing, Wrestling, and American Boxing over a 18 year period. He was also an Assistant instructor in a Shorin Ryu dojo.
He has also studied several weapons systems, including Bo, Arnis, Sai, Kama, Bailsong, Sword, Knife and Kuboton (his specialty).
Master Ernest then developed his own systems, Shorinkenjitsu and American Tiger Jujitsu and is the founder of the Shorinkenjitsu Academy of the Martial Arts with students Worldwide.
Currently Master Ernest serves as Associate V-P, Director of Recruiting, and a personal Advisor to the President of VKA. He is also a member of the American Jujitsu Federation, the Martial Arts Masters Federation, Combat Martial Arts, and the Eagle Tiger Federation. Degrees include: M.Sc Degree Marketing - Madison University, B.S. Degree Theotechnical Business from AMC, and A.A.S. Degree Engineering from ITT Technical Institute
