Mario Trujillo commenced his martial arts training at approximately eight years of age in Nogales, Arizona. His significantly older cousin, who held a black belt in Jeet Kune Do/Gung Fu, was enrolled in a school in Rio Rico, Arizona. He held the belief that Mr. Trujillo would derive both enjoyment and benefits from training at the same institution.

Upon his initial exposure to the martial arts, Mr. Trujillo was immediately captivated. He dedicated over four years of his training to the school in Rio Rico. During this period, he was introduced to tournament competitions, where he consistently excelled in Kata (forms) and Kumite (sparring) events.

Regrettably, due to unforeseen circumstances, the Jeet Kune Do school was compelled to close the Rio Rico dojo and relocate to Mexico. Consequently, Mr. Trujillo was unable to continue attending classes.

Throughout his life, Mr. Trujillo maintained a keen interest in martial arts. During his high school years, he initiated his training in Tae Kwon Do at a local community center. Following his high school graduation, he relocated to Tucson, Arizona, but attempted to continue his training during visits back to Nogales. However, this proved to be arduous and unsustainable. It would take several years before he resumed his martial arts training.

Upon resuming training, Mr. Trujillo enrolled in a Tucson ITF Tae Kwon Do school and dedicated several years to mastering that discipline. However, a career transition necessitated his employment in two jobs, one of which required an hour-long commute each way, making training challenging once again until after a break of several years when he was introduced to the art of American Kenpo and commenced training in that system.

During this hiatus from his training, Mr. Trujillo became a father. As his son matured, he developed a keen interest in sports. Consequently, Mr. Trujillo assumed coaching positions for his son’s little league baseball teams, where he honed his mentorship abilities.

As time passed, his son developed an interest in martial arts and commenced training with Young Champions of America – Karate (Goju-ryu). His son’s progress was rapid, and upon attaining Brown Belt, his head instructor recommended that he train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu concurrently. This is where Mr. Trujillo would receive his initial exposure to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training alongside his son.

In the realm of sports, Mr. Trujillo’s son’s preference for football and wrestling necessitated another hiatus in his own martial arts pursuits.

Despite the passage of several years and the changes in his life and circumstances, Mr. Trujillo never lost interest in the martial arts. Once again resumed his training, this time in American Kenpo. It was during this time that Mr. Trujillo and his wife, Amy Trujillo, sought an extracurricular activity for their daughter, Hayden, to enhance focus, discipline, and physical fitness. This led Mr. Trujillo to the American Institute of Kenpo (AIK), where he resumed his training. (Please refer to Amy Trujillo’s Instructor Bio for a comprehensive account of how this occurred.)

Upon promotion to Brown Belt at The American Institute of Kenpo, Mr. Trujillo joined the Instructors Training Program and commenced assisting with teaching classes. Leveraging his prior coaching experience and diverse background in various martial arts disciplines, Mr. Trujillo possesses the ability to dynamically adapt and adjust teaching methods and techniques to effectively convey the curriculum in accordance with the unique needs of each student.

Mr. Trujillo has received numerous accolades throughout his martial arts career at the American Institute of Kenpo, including the prestigious titles of Black Belt of the Year and Instructor of the Year on multiple occasions. He consistently demonstrates his expertise by attending and instructing classes of diverse age groups, ranks, and skill levels.

Mr. Trujillo attained his 1st degree black belt in 2018. Subsequently, in 2020, he was promoted to a 2nd degree black belt. In 2023, he was honored with his 3rd degree black belt in Kenpo Karate.

Having regained his proficiency in martial arts, Mr. Trujillo has incorporated ongoing training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu into his training regimen, which is fully endorsed by Mr. Pilch and the American Institute of Kenpo. His participation in the American Institute of Kenpo’s advanced sparring classes further enhances his skills development, encompassing boxing, kickboxing, and MMA.

The American Institute of Kenpo is honored to have Mr. Trujillo as one of its esteemed alumni. We eagerly anticipate his future contributions as a student, instructor, and school director.

~ Last Updated 3/8/2025