SIGUNG ROBERT LILES

Master Robert “Bob” Liles began his training in Ed Parkers’ Kenpo under Al Tracy on February 28th, 1963. On June 8th, 1971, He received his first Black Belt from Ed Parker Black Belt Steve Fox. He met GM Ed Parker in 1963, and attended Mr. Parkers’ first IKC (International Karate Championships), where he met the legendary Bruce Lee. GM Parker considers Master Liles a First Generation student, and also called Master Liles his “Kenpo Son”. Currently, he is a student of Grandmaster Ciriaco “Cacoy” Cañete and Master Guy Kinanahan in the Philipino Doce Pares stick and knife fighting arts.

Master Liles began teaching in 1963, and has taught continuously since then. He is renowned as an International Fighting Champion, and his team, the Sacramento Gladiators, fought in the first Sacramento area Full-Contact Kickboxing Exhibition at the Memorial Auditorium in 1976 against Chuck Norris’s team, and won. He has produced many internationally ranked champions. He has also had a part in a movie called “Street Night” starring fellow Kenpoist Jeff Speakman. Currently, he owns and operates Liles’ Karate, teaching Ed Parkers’ American Kenpo, as well as other street fighting arts such as boxing, Doce Pares/Escrima, knife fighting, and Ju-Jitsu. He has students locally as well as in the Netherlands and Portugal. Regularly, he travels internationally to teach at training camps and seminars, as well as judge at International Tournaments all over the US, in Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Ireland.

Master Liles’ entire daily life is that of a Shaolin monk-in-training who lives to train; he lifts weights and does cardio nearly every day, juices, and even experiments with martial arts by training in the pool at his gym. My advice: If you aren’t used to hitting a brick wall, wrap your wrists when you partner up with him! Master Liles is an encyclopedia of dates, names and technical information relating to American Kenpo, and his biography can be found in “The Journey: The Oral Histories of 24 of the Most Proficient American Kenpoists of Today” by Joe Hyams.

He has been given a Commendation from the Governor of the State of California for his contributions to the community.

He is available for seminars.

Liles’ Karate
2350 Freeport Blvd
Sacramento, CA 95822
(916) 451-9219