Sijo’s Board of Advisors History:
BOA member since 2008 – Served as Chairman of the Board: 2013 to 2018
Special Advisor to the Chairman: 2019 to present day (non-voting member)

Kajukenbo Background:
GGM Carlos Bunda born on November 9, 1939, started training under John Leoning – 1958 – Promoted to 1st Degree, Aug. 1964
Promoted by Sijo Emperado to 9th Degree “Associate Professor” – June 1998 (there were no GMs until 1999). A year later, June 1999, my rank was recognized by Sijo as a 9th Degree Grandmaster. In the Leoning lineage, I am recognized as a Great Grandmaster as I have Senior Grandmasters that have Grandmasters with Professors that have Black Belts…..4 generations all in a direct line.

Tournament History:
I entered my first karate tournament in 1963 as a brown belt at the Annual Nisei Week Invitational. It was a Shotokan only tournament and our school was an invited guest. I beat the best known Shotokan fighter at that time. Of all the tournaments that I competed in, my favorite was Ed Parker’s Long Beach Internationals. In the years 1964 to 1967, I placed 1st in 1964, 4th in 1965, 1st in 1966, 3rd in 1967. It was at the ’65 tournament where I beat Chuck Norris….needless to say it made me noticed by other fighters. During this time I was known as a Kung Fu stylist. I don’t know why because I only learned Kajukenbo.

In 1968 I was part of the Elvis Presley sponsored, all-star team put together by Ed Parker to compete in exhibition matches in Honolulu. The team that went included notables such as Chuck Norris, Mike Stone, Steve Sanders. It was at this tournament that I first met Sijo Emperado. Ed Parker introduced each one of us with our style of karate, i.e. Chuck Norris – Tang Soo Do, etc. I was introduced as a Kung Fu stylist. I interrupted him to say my style was Kajukenbo. I knew Sijo was in the audience. Later that evening, Sijo looked for me in the dressing room. He wanted to know who my instructor was. I said John Leoning…the rest is history….we became good friends.

I was selected by Black Belt Magazine as one of the top 10 tournament fighters in 1966 and again in 1967. At the October 10th, 2024 Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame event in Hollywood, California, I was totally surprised to receive the BBM Hall of Fame “Pioneer Award”.

John Leoning was the first to bring Kajukenbo to the U.S. in 1958 and I was fortunate to see the growth of Kajukenbo in the U.S. and around the world. I was a good fit to be in Sijo’s Board of Advisors.