Martin Academy of Martial Arts
6341 Porter RD STE 5
Sarasota, FL 34240-9610
941-342-9944 | Email | Website
Sifu / Guro LaVonne Martin has been in martial arts for 38 years training with some of the top instructors around the world. She is one a handful of women to attain FULL INSTRUCTORSHIP in Jun Fan /Jeet Kune Do and the Filipino Martial Arts under Dan Inosanto, the late Bruce Lee protégé.
Her Current Credentials Include:
Full Instructorship in Bruce Lee’s Jun Fan Gung Fu / Jeet Kune Do
Full Instructor in Filipino Martial Arts of Kali / Silat
Instructor Level 1 Maphalindo Silat
Senior Full Instructor in Wing Chun Kung Fu under Sifu Francis Fong in Atlanta.
Associate Instructor under Ajarn Chai Sirisute in Muay Thai Thai Boxing.
Purple Belt in Gracie Jiu Jitsu under Prof Pedro Sauer
Coach Level 1 in Combat Submission Wrestling – Erik Paulson
She has studied several different types of Pencak Silat including Mande Muda with the late Pak Herman Suwanda and Serek with Pak Victor DeThouras.
Sifu Martin Attained Rank In The Following Arts:
3rd Dan Shuri Ryu Karate
5th Dan Shintoyoshin Jiu Jitsu
2nd Dan Tae Kwon Do
Brown Belt Kempo Jiu Jutsu
In 1997 she started Martin Seminars, Inc moved to Los Angeles to train under Guro / Sifu Inosanto full time. During that time she was Guro Inosanto’s personal assistant. Along with assisting at the academy she was his training partner in his personal privates with various instructors and periodically assisted on seminars. Martin Seminars scheduled seminars for Dan Inosanto, Francis Fong, Rigan Machado, Erik Paulson and Rita Suwanda. She has been exposed to and trained in many different types of arts through out her 7 years in Los Angeles and 34 years in the arts.
She has worked with law enforcement in various states and countries, hockey players and the military. In 2004 Sifu Martin started working with the ATF in their Escape and Evasion and Spontaneous Knife Defense courses, traveling to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Georgia.
In 2004 the decision was made to return to Sarasota turning her focus to opening a school.
Sifu / Guro LaVonne Martin’s Instructors Are:
Sifu Francis Fong for Wing Chun.
Sifu Francis Fong is recognized as one of the top Wing Chun instructors in the world having originally learned Wing Chun in Hong Kong from Sifu Jiu Wan in 1965. For over thirty years, Sifu Fong’s dynamic personality and explosive technique have inspired students of all ages and experience levels.
While working on the movie “Sharky’s Machine” in 1981, in Atlanta, Sifu Francis met recognized martial arts legend Guro Dan Inosanto, who later introduced him to the studies of: Jun Fan Gung Fu/Jeet Kune Do and the Filipino martial arts.
The U.S. Army sought his help in updating Army training manuals to include principles in the arts of: Wing Chun, Muay Thai and Filipino Kali. He maintains ‘Special Deputy Sheriff’ classification in the Training/Special Operations Division in the state of South Carolina.
Ajarn Chai Sirasute and Dan Inosanto for Thai Boxing instructorship
GrandMaster Chai is recognized all over the world for the art of Muay Thai. He has spent the last 40 years teaching students,football players, numerous amateur and professional Thai Boxers and was the first to bring Thai Boxing to the US. At the age of 12 he not only earned his Black Belt in Shorin Ryu but began to fight in the ring in Muay Thai. In 1968 he retired as a fighter after 72 fights in Muay Thai. In 1968 Dan Inosanto introduced him to Tom Landry of the Dallas Cowboys and they were soon throwing Thai Kicks and skip knees. Today Grandmaster Master Chai has a seminar schedule that has him teaching all over the world almost every weekend.
With legendary skill, knowledge and over 50 years in the martial arts Sifu/Guro Inosanto continues to research the martial arts by training and teaching at a pace that would exhaust most 25 year olds. He travels the world teaching seminars and using his passion as a vehicle to bring people together educating them about the many arts and cultures he’s studied. At this time Guro Inosanto has over 34 types of Filipino Martial arts he has researched. In the 60’s and early 70’s Sifu Inosanto was a training partner, friend and protégé of the late Bruce Lee.
Each class or program is under the guidance of the world’s top martial arts instructors. Martin Academy Martial Arts is affiliated with some of the most respected and renown training associations and we continue to develop and refine our skills under the guidance of these legendary martial arts leaders.
Wing Chun Association of the United States
Thai Boxing Association of the United States
Inosanto International Marital Art Instructors Association
Combat Submission Wrestling Association Pedro Sauer Gracie Jiu Jitsu Association Civilian Tactical Training Association