Ernie Reyes Sr.

Ernie Reyes is the son of Filipino immigrants Ernesto Sr. and Valentina Reyes, who came to California in the 1920s.{{sfn|Richiusa|2013}} He grew up in Salinas, California and started working in the fields when he was 12 years old.{{sfn|Richiusa|2013}} He majored in business administration at San Jose State University,{{sfn|Wiltens|1987|p=59}} where he met Tony Thompson.{{sfn|Richiusa|2013}} In 1966 he began studying martial arts with Tang Soo Do, continuing through his years at San Jose State.{{sfn|Richiusa|2013}} He then studied Tae Kwon Do.{{sfn|Richiusa|2013}} By the early 70s, he was studying other martial arts, including Boxing, Kickboxing, Escrima, knife and Wu Shu.{{sfn|Richiusa|2013}} In the mid-1970s, he competed in karate.{{sfn|Callos|2003|p=61}} He won the US National Tae Kwon Do championship in 1977, followed by a bronze at the 1977 World Taekwondo Championships.{{sfn|Richiusa|2013}}{{sfn|Callos|2003|p=61}}

Reyes co-founded the West Coast World Martial Arts Association with Tony Thompson.{{sfn|World Wide Dojo|2010}} The association has more than 35 schools, teaching more than seven thousand students.{{sfn|Callos|2003|p=61}} He has led and choreographed the demonstration team from the association, blending modern music and gymnastics with traditional martial arts.{{sfn|Wiltens|1987|p=60}} The demonstration team has been entertaining and demonstrating martial arts since the early 1980s.{{sfn|Callos|2003|p=61}}

In 2021, Reyes was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame.{{cite web |title=2021 International Sports Hall of Fame Inductees |url=https://events.sportshof.org/sportshof-2021/ |website=www.sportshof.org |author=Dr. Robert Goldman | date=March 13, 2021 | access-date=July 14, 2023}}

Ernie Reyes choreographed the martial arts for the films Surf Ninjas{{sfn|Palmer|Palmer|Meyers|1995|p=342}} and The Last Dragon.{{sfn|Wiltens|1987|p=61}} During the filming of a fight for The Last Dragon, one of the stuntmen was injured.{{sfn|Wiltens|1987|p=61}} Even though he was new to the film industry, Ernie Reyes recommended to the director that only martial artists who were familiar with working together should be fighting each other on screen.{{sfn|Wiltens|1987|p=61}} The director agreed, removing some of the other stunt men and letting Ernie's black belts take over.{{sfn|Wiltens|1987|p=61}} Ernie Reyes also choreographed the martial arts for the TV show Sidekicks,{{sfn|Brooks|Marsh|2007|p=1236}} using his own West Coast black belts for the fight scenes with his son.{{sfn|Wiltens|1987|p=61}} He had a role on screen in Surf Ninjas{{sfn|Palmer|Palmer|Meyers|1995|p=342}} and Secret Bodyguard. Though he did not appear in the film, Reyes portrayed Akuma in the arcade and console ports of the 1994 live-action adaptation of Street Fighter.{{cn|date=January 2023}}

Ernie Reyes has five children: Ernie Jr.,{{sfn|Wiltens|1987|p=58}} Lee,{{cite web | title=About Ernie Reyes | url=http://www.erniereyes.com/html_documents/association/erniereyes.asp | access-date=7 Jun 2015}} Destiny,{{sfn|Black Belt|2003|p=18}} Espirit and Ki.

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book | last1=Brooks | first1=Tim | last2=Marsh | first2=Earle | title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present | edition=9th | publisher=Ballantine Books | location=New York | year=2007 | isbn=978-0-345-49773-4}}
• {{cite journal |last=Callos |first=Tom |title=Success for Life |journal=Black Belt |location=Valencia, California |publisher=Sabot Publishing, Inc. |date=Apr 2003 |pages=60–65 |volume=41 | issue=4}}
• {{cite book | last1=Palmer | first1=Bill | last2=Palmer | first2=Karen | last3=Meyers | first3=Ric | title=The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Movies | publisher=Scarecrow Press, Inc. | location=Oxford, UK | year=1995 | isbn=0-8108-4160-6}}
• {{cite web | url=http://www.worldwidedojo.com/traditional-based/ernie-reyes-sr-leading/ |title=Ernie Reyes Sr. – Leading By Example |last1=Richiusa |first1=Gordon |date=18 Feb 2013 |website=World Wide Dojo |access-date=14 May 2015}}
• {{cite journal |last=Wiltens |first=Jim |title=Big and Little Ernie Reyes, Sidekicks for Life |journal=Black Belt |location=Valencia, California |publisher=Sabot Publishing, Inc. |date=Jun 1987 |pages=58–61,107 |volume=25 | issue=6}}
• {{cite journal |ref={{harvid|Black Belt|2003}} |author= |title=Ernie Reyes Jr. and Sr. Join the Century Team |journal=Black Belt |location=Valencia, California |publisher=Sabot Publishing, Inc. |date=Jan 2003 |pages=18 |volume=41 | issue=1}}
• {{cite web |ref={{harvid|World Wide Dojo|2010}} |url=http://www.worldwidedojo.com/traditional-based/ernie-reyes-sr/ |title=Ernie Reyes Sr. |author= |date=25 Jul 2010 |website=World Wide Dojo |access-date=14 May 2015}}

• {{IMDb name|0721210}}

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Category:1947 births

Category:American action choreographers

Category:American male actors of Filipino descent

Category:American martial artists of Filipino descent

Category:Living people

Category:People from Salinas, California

Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

Category:San Jose State University alumni