Adriano Emperado

Adriano Emperado (June 16, 1926 - April 4, 2009) is a Filipino-Hawaiian martial artist. He is one of five martial artists who developed a system of self-defense called Kajukenbo.

Childhood

As a young man in Honolulu, Hawaii, Emperado began his early training in the Filipino art of Escrima. That had a huge impact on his development of Kajukenbo. Emperado later became interested in Kenpo Karate. After years of training, he earned a fifth-degree black belt under the direction of William K.S Chow.

Later life

The first school of Kajukenbo was directed by Adriano Emperado and his brother, Joe Emperado. In 1959, Emperado began combining Wushu into Kajukenbo. Adriano Emperado's life has been about teaching the martial arts. Black Belt Magazine named him its Instructor of the Year 1991.