John Busto, a 6th Degree Black Belt in American Kempo Karate and lifelong Hicksville resident, was inspired to begin the rigorous path of martial arts at the young age of 9 after watching the old David Carradine television show Kung-Fu.
“I saw that show and I thought, ‘I have to do this!’ It was just something that was interesting to me; the mystique of martial arts,” he said. “So my parents brought me to a local school called Tracy’s Karate. Back then there weren’t many schools like there are today, and I was lucky enough to have one in my town.”
Today, Busto is the owner and chief instructor of the eponymous Busto’s Martial Arts, a highly-regarded school located at 490 Old Bethpage Rd., in Plainview, that has been instilling impressive fighting skills tempered with Eastern philosophy to its students for over 20 years.
But while one popular cultural depiction of martial arts initially jump-started Busto’s interest in the discipline, it was yet another one that enabled his role to eventually evolve from that of student to that of Shihan—a Japanese term of honor for expert or senior instructors.
“In 1984, when the movie The Karate Kid came out, martial arts became very popular and they needed more help at my school,” said Busto, who was 14 at the time and had just started helping out with teaching. “Twenty years ago when I was 22, I took over the school after they had moved from Hicksville to Plainview and re-named it. It’s the same school I started in as a white belt and it’s a great feeling, as I know a lot of the history and people here,” continued Busto, who sees a lot of the former students now coming in with their children.
Busto’s Martial Arts encompasses a wide spectrum of fighting disciplines, with a focus on American Kempo Karate, which is a defensive art emphasizing hand strikes and low kicks. In addition, the school specializes in weapons training as well as shootfighting—close quarters “ground and pound” combat mixed with submission moves—in order to develop a student into a lean, mean and well-rounded fighting machine.
In fact, a large percentage of Busto’s clientele these days train more for exercise than to be able to put their fists through brick walls.
While catering to all age groups, Busto said that his children’s programs take on a special importance to him; he said that learning martial arts at an early age can set up kids for success in life, no matter what their goals may be.
“It’s not a group sport. It’s something they can do individually and go at their own pace,” he said. “It’s not like in basketball or baseball, where there are a few star players. In martial arts, everyone can work hard and eventually achieve the same rank. So, martial arts can develop self-confidence and a sense of individuality.”
Busto also noted that by watching their children participate in the martial arts, parents are often so taken with the skills and personal growth they notice in their offspring that they end up becoming students as well. Busto also takes pride in the fact that his school is an active participant in the local community; both in Plainview and in his recently-opened Holbrook location as well.
“We work a lot with both the Boy and Girl Scouts of America,” said Busto. “We also hold drives for the charity Toys for Tots and hold free Karate demonstrations at events such as the annual Plainview Fair.”
Max Kucine of Plainview has been attending Busto’s school religiously for several years now, and credits his participation in the martial arts with setting him on the straight and narrow. He currently holds a green belt in shootfighting, which he calls his true passion; in addition, he also holds a yellow belt in Kempo and assists Busto around the dojo whenever he can.
“I love it; it’s like a home away from home,” said Kucine of the family atmosphere. “It just shaped my life. I wasn’t as nice of a person as I am now when I first started coming here. I love it. Everyone here is family to me.”
Hicksville resident Tracy Santos’ 15 year-old son, Brandon, has been a student of Busto’s since he was 8. According to Santos, Brandon’s dedication is so acute that he has been practically living at the dojo ever since the day he joined the school.
“He can’t get enough of it. He’s in here for all the teen classes and it’s really become his second home,” said Santos. “It’s had such a positive impact on him; he’s such a well-rounded child now. He’s just so happy when he comes to this place, and he’s just so proud of himself.”
To learn more about Busto’s Martial Arts, visit www.bustosmartialarts.com.
