Israel Gonzales is a Certified Instructor in the art of Kajukembo, and a direct student of the late Grand Master Richard L. Peralta.

Sifu Gonzales has over 24 years experience in martial arts and is the Chief Instructor of the Kajukembo Self-Defense Systems of Watauga and Fort Worth, Texas. Sifu Israel Gonzales has been consistently teaching Kajukembo for over eight years for the Watauga Recreation Department. 

Sifu Israel Gonzales was born and raised in Taylor, Texas, Northeast of Austin. He began martial arts training in January of 1983 in Chinese Kenpo. Little did he know that this would forever change his life.

In 1987, a Kajukembo school opened in the small city of Taylor, Texas where he lived. After speaking to the instructor and learning about this rare art, he decided to join the class. This was the beginning of Israel Gonzales'  Kajukembo training.

In 1989, Israel moved to the Dallas area where I had family living. His sister used to mentioned a "karate man" that she worked with and that he should meet him. Israel was very selective about who he trained with and he didn't care to meet this "karate man". Then one day she mentioned that her kids were taking karate lessons from this man. He thought, cool, it's good for them. The kids trained with this karate man for over a year when one day she invited him to one of the Gonzales family Christmas gatherings.

Israel remembers walking in and seeing this "karate man" sitting on the couch. His sister introduced them. His name sounded familiar when he said Richard Peralta. He asked Israel what style he had  trained in and he told him, "Kajukembo". Peralta just smiled. Then he asked Peralta what system he taught and he said, "Kajukembo".

After a few seconds of silence he asked Mr. Gonzales who his teacher was and he told him, then Mr. Gonzales asked him who he trained under and he said "Al Reyes". Mr. Gonzales was speechless for a few more seconds then he picked up his jaw back up from the floor and began asking a lot of questions because he knew this was not just a "karate man", this was Kajukembo "Old School" Master.  They talked for hours as he told him stories of "the Old Days" when Al (Aleju) Reyes would beat them with his huge knuckles demonstrating how the technique was supposed to be done. (Mr. Gonzales later found out that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree). He accepted his offer to train and the next week he was in his dojo. This definitely changed the life of Mr. Israel Gonzales and all the students that would later continue the lineage through Mr. Gonzales' teachings.