My Martial Arts Journey

My journey into the consistent study of martial arts began in 1986, when I was privileged to meet Grandmaster Ralph Vincini at 24 Hour Fitness in Mira Mesa. It took nearly a year to convince him to teach me, as he only accepted black belts and above as students. Over time, we became friends, and he finally agreed to begin teaching me — but only after I proved myself.

He instructed me to go to the Twin Dragons Martial Arts School in La Jolla, California, and begin training with Terry Sanchez, a highly ranked martial artist. I joined Terry’s school, and Vince would occasionally stop by to watch my progress. After about six months of training and advancing through the ranks, Vince observed me sparring against two different opponents. After that session — which went quite well — he walked to the back, put on his black belt, came back out, and whispered to Terry, “David is now with me.” That was the true beginning of my martial arts journey.

Vince and I began training two to two and a half hours, two to three times per week. Most of the time, it was just the two of us. I had no idea how highly ranked he was in various disciplines such as Kendo (the art of the sword) and Aikijutsu, the precursor to Aikido. He had been the number one sparring student — and probably the only Caucasian — in an all-Black dojo led by the legendary Grandmaster Ron Van Clief, famously known as The Black Dragon from Harlem.

I continued to study with Vince for many, many years and grew deeply within the world of martial arts. Sensei Vincini proudly served with the Green Berets in a special covert division called the Black Berets, completing two tours in Vietnam. Sadly, he was heavily exposed to Agent Orange, which later caused multiple myeloma.

By the time his health began to decline, I had reached the level of Fifth Degree Black Belt. During one of our last conversations, he apologized for not informing me sooner that I had already achieved the Seventh Degree Black Belt under his lineage. He recommended me for official certification, which required traveling to New York City for a Meeting of the Grandmasters.

I made the whirlwind trip to Manhattan and met several Grandmasters who outranked me. There, I was honored with an official certificate of recognition, signed by multiple Grandmasters — a privilege I still cherish to this day.

Due to the effects of Agent Orange, Sensei Vincini eventually passed away about seven or eight years ago, in our private dojo, which he called The Iron Fist Dojo. I am now the highest-ranked student under his lineage in North America. His position was later succeeded by an incredible martial artist in Hawaii named April Lui, who affectionately insists I call her “Mother.”

Today, I only teach private lessons and women’s self-defense courses focused on rape and abduction prevention, either one-on-one or in small groups. In the past, I ran a dojo within one of the gyms I managed in California, but now, in semi-retirement, I teach only a select number of students.

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