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Great Grandmaster (GGM) Lloyd Craft (Professor Tony of Mighty Crane's teacher) began his

martial arts journey in 1968 under Senior Grandmaster Stuart Rowe (Kajukenbo). A fierce competitor, he became one of the Top 10 ranked fighters in the U.S. during his tournament career in the 1970s, competing against legendary martial artists such as Howard Jackson, John Natividad, Tom Kelly,

Ralph Allegria, Roger Green, and Rich Manente. In 1972 and 1973, he was named the first-ever NCKRA Fighter of the Year and was later ranked among the Top 10 fighters in the Northwest Region by Professional Karate Magazine from 1973 to 1975.

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In 1982, GGM Lloyd Craft met Senior Great Grandmaster Rick Alemany, a pivotal moment that forged a lifelong teacher-student bond. Under SGGM Alemany’s guidance, he mastered Shaolin Kenpo and Modern Arnis. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he expanded his teachings, opening schools across El Sobrante, El Cerrito, Richmond, and Susanville in the greater Bay Area. In the early 2000s,

he relocated to Santa Maria, continuing his mission by founding multiple schools dedicated to martial arts education.

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In 1999, GGM Craft earned his 10th-degree black belt in Kajukenbo, awarded by SGM Stuart Rowe. Two decades later, in October 2019, at the Mighty Crane Kenpo Grand Opening Ceremony, he was promoted to 10th-degree black belt (Great Grandmaster rank) by SGGM Rick Alemany

and the 5 Rings Black Belt Society.

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Among his most prestigious honors, in 2023, GGM Lloyd Craft was inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame, receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award for nearly 60 years of dedication to martial arts instruction.

With a legacy spanning decades, GGM Craft has produced over 40 Black Belts, with even more promoted through second-generation students. His teachings live on through Craft’s Kenpo Karate

and Mighty Crane Kenpo, inspiring future generations of martial artists.

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Welcome to the legacy of Great Grandmaster Lloyd Craft!