
At the age of 14 Bustillo studied Kajukenbo with the Kempo/Karate Club of Waipahu until graduating from High School and moving to California to pursue a college education. While a college student at age 19, he competed in tournaments such as the Golden Gloves, Silver Gloves, Blue & Gold and other amateur boxing shows for Shaw's Boxing Gym in Los Angeles. At age 24 Bustillo began his study of Jeet Kune Do under Bruce Lee at the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute in Los Angeles. In 1967, with training partner Dan Inosanto, Bustillo researched and studied the Filipino martial arts (kali, escrima, arnis) under Angel Cabales and other instructors. This began a revival of these arts with worldwide interest.