Grand Master Gustavo Martinez is the holder of a 9th Degree Black Belt in Kajukenpo, under the late Grand Master Ted Sotello, from the lineage of the legendary Adriano Emperado. He also holds a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Tang Soo Do, under Grand Master Fred Kenyon, and a 6th Degree Black Belt in Hapkido, under Grand Master Stephen Hong, of which he is the senior ranking Hapkido student. Having studied under Soke Grandmaster Frederick (Big-Cat) Peterson for several years, in 2016, he was promoted to the rank of a 9th Degree Black Belt, in Tai-Chi Jitsu, a system developed and refined by Soke Peterson.
Between 1991 and 1993, Grand Master Martinez taught the martial arts at the North Island Naval Base in Coronado, California. Furthermore, he, along with Grand Master Stephen Hong, has taught Hapkido techniques to members of the U.S. Border Patrol at their facility in San Ysidro, California. Currently, Grand Master Martinez teaches privately within the Chula Vista community.
