Master Cardona has accumulated over 30 years of martial arts training. His journey through the martial arts began in 1976 under Master Jose Zuniga of The Dragon Academy of Martial Arts in Chicago, a traditional Shori Goju and Kung Fu school. Master Cardona opened the doors to his own school in 1989. After several years of running a school and teaching martial arts, Cardona had the honor of meeting and becoming a direct student of the Grandmaster of Northern Shaolin Eagle Claw, Lily Lau. Cardona trained under the direct scrutinizing tutelage of Grandmaster Lau for over 10 years.
Cardona has also trained at the Israel Military Institute in Krav Maga (Israeli Hand-to-Hand combat), VIP security and anti-terror training. He has taught a number of workshops and seminars in Israel, Germany, Italy, Puerto Rico, Colombia and Mexico. He has also taught summer programs for children and self-defense workshops at various colleges and universities.
Believing that it is important to stay involved with the community, Cardona has worked as a youth mentor for the JUF (Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago), donated proceeds from his martial arts events to the St. Jude Children's hospital, organized food and clothing drives for impoverished Israelis, held meditation workshops for cancer-survivors networks and has raised money for people living with HIV by participating in the AIDS Marathon training program and running in the Chicago Marathon.
