Andy Albor

Andy’s journey in Karate began in the summer of 1995 when he was just ten years old. After a fight at his new school, his mother became concerned about the challenges of growing up in South Central Los Angeles. Seeking a positive outlet, Andy walked into a boxing center in Lynwood, CA, initially interested in boxing. However, his mother felt that boxing was too harsh for him. Coincidentally, that night a karate class was being held, and she decided that karate—focused on self-defense, discipline, and hard work—was a better fit. Under the guidance of John S. Soltis, a new chapter in Andy's life began.

Despite his passion for karate, Andy faced a significant challenge: his asthma. Soltis Sensei took the time to help him manage his breathing and control his asthma during training. Andy also had the opportunity to train with many talented senpai and co-sensei over the years. After much dedication, Andy was preparing for his Shodan promotion when disaster struck. While competing at a tournament in Las Vegas, he broke his right foot, causing a delay in his Shodan review. When his review was rescheduled a month later, Andy suffered another injury—this time a torn hamstring. His doctor warned him that he needed to slow down or risk never being able to train again.

Though discouraged, Andy continued his education and found opportunities to train with notable instructors such as Terry Sanders in New Mexico and Chris Hoshiyama in Phoenix. Eventually, he returned home and, under the guidance of Phillip Perales, Judan, Andy took his Shodan review and successfully earned his black belt.

In 2003, Andy moved out of California to join the U.S. Air Force. Later in life, he also served in the Army. During his time in the military, he expanded his martial arts knowledge by studying various styles, from grappling to Moo Duk Kwan, under numerous yudansha members he met through military service and national tournaments. His martial arts journey took a significant turn when he was stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona, where he met Charlie Contreras, a highly respected instructor known as "The First Son" in their system. From then on, Andy spent much of his time training under Contreras until his passing.

After enduring a grueling night of training and mastering the Gopeisho kata, Andy was awarded his Sandan by Contreras. Following his instructor’s passing, Andy returned to California, where he taught at the Lennox class for a while. However, after the birth of his first daughter, he relocated back to Tucson. There, he has continued to honor the Shorei-Ryu tradition, studying under J. Tapia Sensei in Surprise, Arizona, and has occasionally taken on students of his own.