Martial Arts
Our instructors have trained in Goju-Shorei Karate, Goju-Kenpo, Danzan Ryu Ju-Jitsu, Brazilian Jujitsu, Taekwondo, Judo, Muay Thai Kickboxing, and Boxing.
Our curriculum combines boxing, kickboxing, sparring, traditional forms, taekwondo and Goju-Shorei Karate.
Tournament Team
Most area schools who compete only do so in one discipline and one league. Not us. We compete in open tournaments throughout the world. Our Tournament Team competes against international competition in various open competition leagues, including NASKA, NBL/SKIL, WAKO, WKU, and AAU Taekwondo. Moreover, our students and instructors have competed in Europe, the United Kingdom, Canada and all over the United States. Do your homework. Everyone says they have a world title, but not everyone can say they won that world title while fighting internationally against international competition.
Martin Amba
Goju-Shorei System's Director of Karate, he is also a 15-time national and international sparring champion. He has competed and won throughout North America in various leagues including: NASKA, WAKO, NBL/SKIL, GSKA, and The League (formerly Bay Area Sport Karate Association). He has been on sponsored teams such as Team Proper and League of Angels and was Golden State Karate Association's Competitor of the Year. He was named one of "The World's Greatest Martial Artists" by Martial Arts Masters Hall of Fame and is recognized in Marquis Who's Who. He is currently Director of the Pacific Region and Coach of WKU World USA and AAU Taekwondo Senior National Point Fighting Coach.
MJ Amba
Sensei MJ is a fourth degree Goju-Shorei Karate black belt and a 10-time national and international sparring champion, winning in various leagues including: NASKA, WKU, NBL/SKIL, GSKA and The League. He has won NASKA's Battle of Atlanta, multiple grand champion at National Blackbelt League's British Columbia Open, and won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Kickboxing & Karate Union World Championships in Bregenz, Austria. He has also won the coveted PointFighter Live Power Ring for his Open Weight win in Utah. He has been on sponsored teams such as NBK and League of Angels. He has also won numerous local and regional titles in Brazilian Ju-Jitsu. He is the head instructor of the Amba Martial Arts Tournament Team, WKU World USA Coach and AAU Taekwondo National Point Fighting Coach. He also trains in Muay Thai Kickboxing and Boxing. He is in the film, "Working Stiffs."
Joji Amba
Sensei Joji is our inspiration. In 2021, despite being a healthy eater and in good health, she was diagnosed with three different cancers. Though still battling breast cancer, it hasn't stopped her from continuing to teach and inspire us all. As successful as Sensei Martin and Sensei MJ have been, only Sensei Joji has a 100% success rate in tournament competition. She is definitely the "grit and glue" of Amba Martial Arts. Fight. Defy. Win. She is a recipient of the Indomitable Spirit Award from AAU Taekwondo. She is also an official WKU World USA Coach.
Kennedy Cartagena
A multiple local, regional and national kata and sparring champion,Sensei Kennedy has won The League World Finals Overall Junior Underbelt Grand Champion three years in a row. He has won throughout North America, in various leagues including NBL/SKIL and The League, against national and international competition in kata and sparring. He was also The League's Nevada Competitor of the Year in 2019. In 2022, he won a gold medal and a silver medal at the WKU World Championships in Cardiff, Wales and in 2023, he won two silver medals at the WKU World Championships in Calgary Alberta Canada. He also played the violin and the viola as a member of the Reno Youth Philharmonic. He is in the film, "Working Stiffs."
Amba Martial Arts Tournament Team
Khyle Dayao
A second degree black belt, Sensei Khyle has trained in martial arts for over 10 years. His black belt is in Taekwondo, but he has also studied Goju-Kenpo Karate. He has won two ATA World Titles, over 10 national American Taekwondo Association titles, as well as multiple Sport Karate titles. His world titles came from Traditional Weapons, but his national titles have come from traditional forms and weapons, as well as creative and extreme forms.
Our Instructors
