Ernie Reyes Sr. + connected mini bios
Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2025 5:15 pmJust a couple of mini bios I'd put together from notes I'd taken a while back. They're pretty bare bones and need a good deal of re-writing, but they'll do for now. I will come back to them at some point. I also added hyperlinks between people with Ernie Reyes connections and also a couple pics of the West Coast Demo Team.
Ernie Reyes Sr. mini bio
https://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=33089&complete_credits=1&display_set=eng
He was born in Salinas, California, USA on the 12th of February 1947 to parents who had emigrated from The Philippines. He began his martial arts experience in old school Tang Soo Do, as student of Moises Arizmendi.
He transferred to San Jose State University where he met his Korean Grand Master Instructor Dan Choi when he joined the Tae Kwon Do Club. At the same time, he met his training partner and friend for life, Tony Thompson. Together they would go on to co-found the West Coast World Martial Arts Association, which also gave birth to the famous West Coast Demo Team.
The WCDT consisted of Reyes' Taekwondo students, many of which went on to become martial arts actors, including: Cynthia Rothrock; George Chung; Scott Coker and his own children, the eldest being Ernie Reyes Jr. who starred in several Hollywood movies.
It was in 1983 while with the WCDT in LA California that his most famous student (Rothrock) was first discovered as an actress. Corey Yuen Kwai was looking for men to audition to be his next action star, but Reyes suggested bringing the women too. Corey was instantly impressed by Cynthia's skills and cast her in a starring role in Yes,Madam! [1985].
He was the motion capture performer for the character Akuma for the 1995 Street Fighter: The Movie arcade game, based off of the 1994 film of the same name.
He has five children: Ernie Jr.; Lee; Destiny; Espirit; and Ki, all of whom performed as part of the WCDT and have all made film appearances. Ernie Sr. and all five children appear together in the 2012 film Money Fight.
Cynthia Rothrock mini bio
https://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=6283&display_set=eng
Born in Wilmington, Delaware, United States on the 8th of March 1957. She grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and started taking martial arts lessons at the age of 13.
She was a Tang Soo Do student of Frank Trojanowicz.
She was a Taekwondo student of fellow martial arts actor Ernie Reyes Sr. and was a part of his famous West Coast Demo Team alongside George Chung, Scott Coker and Ernie Reyes Jr.. It was in 1983 while with the WCDT in LA California that she was first discovered as an actress. Corey Yuen Kwai was looking for men to audition to be his next action star, but Reyes suggested bringing the women too. Corey was instantly impressed by Cynthia's skills and cast her in a starring role in Yes,Madam! [1985].
She jointly ran a martial arts studio with George Chung during the 80s and they wrote several instructional books together.
[I also added the relevant info to George's page] https://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=48546&display_set=eng
Scott Coker mini bio
https://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=48554&display_set=eng
Born in Seoul, South Korea on the 3rd of October 1962. His father, an American from Tennessee, had arrived in Korea shortly after the Korean War. He met Scott's mother, a Korean, while she was singing at a USO club. They married in December 1959. When he was approximately 9 years old, Scott and his family relocated to the United States, where they settled in San Jose, California in 1973.
He was a Taekwondo student of fellow martial arts actor Ernie Reyes Sr. and was a part of his famous West Coast Demo Team alongside Cynthia Rothrock, George Chung and Ernie Reyes Jr..
Cheers
Ernie Reyes Sr. mini bio
https://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=33089&complete_credits=1&display_set=eng
He was born in Salinas, California, USA on the 12th of February 1947 to parents who had emigrated from The Philippines. He began his martial arts experience in old school Tang Soo Do, as student of Moises Arizmendi.
He transferred to San Jose State University where he met his Korean Grand Master Instructor Dan Choi when he joined the Tae Kwon Do Club. At the same time, he met his training partner and friend for life, Tony Thompson. Together they would go on to co-found the West Coast World Martial Arts Association, which also gave birth to the famous West Coast Demo Team.
The WCDT consisted of Reyes' Taekwondo students, many of which went on to become martial arts actors, including: Cynthia Rothrock; George Chung; Scott Coker and his own children, the eldest being Ernie Reyes Jr. who starred in several Hollywood movies.
It was in 1983 while with the WCDT in LA California that his most famous student (Rothrock) was first discovered as an actress. Corey Yuen Kwai was looking for men to audition to be his next action star, but Reyes suggested bringing the women too. Corey was instantly impressed by Cynthia's skills and cast her in a starring role in Yes,Madam! [1985].
He was the motion capture performer for the character Akuma for the 1995 Street Fighter: The Movie arcade game, based off of the 1994 film of the same name.
He has five children: Ernie Jr.; Lee; Destiny; Espirit; and Ki, all of whom performed as part of the WCDT and have all made film appearances. Ernie Sr. and all five children appear together in the 2012 film Money Fight.
Cynthia Rothrock mini bio
https://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=6283&display_set=eng
Born in Wilmington, Delaware, United States on the 8th of March 1957. She grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and started taking martial arts lessons at the age of 13.
She was a Tang Soo Do student of Frank Trojanowicz.
She was a Taekwondo student of fellow martial arts actor Ernie Reyes Sr. and was a part of his famous West Coast Demo Team alongside George Chung, Scott Coker and Ernie Reyes Jr.. It was in 1983 while with the WCDT in LA California that she was first discovered as an actress. Corey Yuen Kwai was looking for men to audition to be his next action star, but Reyes suggested bringing the women too. Corey was instantly impressed by Cynthia's skills and cast her in a starring role in Yes,Madam! [1985].
She jointly ran a martial arts studio with George Chung during the 80s and they wrote several instructional books together.
[I also added the relevant info to George's page] https://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=48546&display_set=eng
Scott Coker mini bio
https://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=48554&display_set=eng
Born in Seoul, South Korea on the 3rd of October 1962. His father, an American from Tennessee, had arrived in Korea shortly after the Korean War. He met Scott's mother, a Korean, while she was singing at a USO club. They married in December 1959. When he was approximately 9 years old, Scott and his family relocated to the United States, where they settled in San Jose, California in 1973.
He was a Taekwondo student of fellow martial arts actor Ernie Reyes Sr. and was a part of his famous West Coast Demo Team alongside Cynthia Rothrock, George Chung and Ernie Reyes Jr..
Cheers