Guro Tim Hollenbeck

Tim Hollenbeck initially began martial arts over 20 years ago to learn how to defend himself against neighborhood bullies. His journey began with Seido Karate, but eventually led him to Bruce Lee’s art of Jeet Kune Do.

Tim is an Associate Level 3 Instructor under Sifu Phil Cruz. Tim has also achieved a second-degree black belt in Jeet Kune Do and Kali under Sifu Dan Anderson. Tim is also an Apprentice Instructor under Guro Dan Inosanto. He has personally trained with Paul Vunak and is a Full Instructor in his Progressive Fighting and Edged Weapons Systems. Tim holds an Eskrimador Level 3 ranking with Grandmaster Atillo in his Balintawak Kali system. Tim is also a Green Glove in Savate under Professor Nicolas Saignac. Tim holds a Level II Apprentice ranking in Sayoc Kali, the Art of the Blade, and currently trains with Guro Nick Sacoulas. He is an instructor under Guro Ron Balicki and Diana Inosanto in their Martial Arts Research System (M.A.R.S.). He has trained with other martial art experts like Sifu Kevin Seaman. Tim is a purple belt In BJJ and has trained with Rodolfo Amaro in Gracie Barra Jiu jitsu, Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro, and Clark Gracie.

Tim has competed in both stick fighting and boxing. He has also trained in various Muay Thai camps across Thailand. He believes that martial arts is more than just a physical practice, it’s about tapping into your inner creativity and finding new ways to express yourself.

Guro Kristen Cabildo

Kristen Cabildo’s martial art journey began 16 years ago when she
decided to learn martial arts in college. She got fed up with women in
her life being taken advantage of and wanted to do something about it.

This driving force fueled over a decade of training with some of the
top instructors in the world. Kristen is an Apprentice Instructor in
Jeet Kune Do and Filipino Martial Arts under the legendary Guro Dan
Inosanto. She is honored to be Sifu Phil Cruz’s first student to be
awarded a Black Belt at UMA. Kristen is also an Apprentice Instructor
under Paul Vunak in Progressive Fighting Systems. She holds Green
Glove ranking in Savate under Professor Nicholas Saignac. She is
apprenticing in Sayoc Kali, the Art of the Blade, under Guro Nick
Sacoulas. She has also trained with Sifu Ron Balicki and Diana
Inosanto, Sifu Kevin Seaman, and Marcelo Garcia. She is a certified
personal trainer, nutrition coach, and brain/body movement specialist.

Kristen has a Masters of Social Work from Columbia University. She has
worked with women in eight developing countries on human rights
issues.

She is a firm believer that basic self-defense and the martial arts
should be accessible to everyone. She attributes martial arts for
shaping her positive self-image despite the messages women encounter
daily. Kristen strongly believes that through the martial art journey,
you will access your full potential in all parts of your life.

You can find more of Kristen’s insights in UMA’s monthly newsletter.

Coach Fernando Restrepo

Coach Fernando “Reals” Restrepo is a Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt. He has trained in martial arts for over 15 years and has dedicated the better part of the last decade to his study of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. After graduating from Binghamton University, while working on a Masters in the Science of Teaching at the New School, he dedicated himself to training diligently in Jeet Kune Do concepts. That is how he discovered the grappling art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu that would become his lifelong passion. Through hard work and dedication he earned his belt in November of 2017.

As an educator and proponent of Jiu Jitsu he has taught Brazilian Jiu Jitsu throughout the city most notably, through a social project for public school students in The Bronx since 2011 and he came to lead the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu program at Unlimited Martial Arts after teaching the BJJ fundamentals course and helping grow a successful competition team at Bronx Jiu Jitsu for four years. He is excited to do the same here in Brooklyn.

Coach Fernando prides himself mostly on teaching beginners, helping grow a love for the art, and coaching aspiring Jiu Jitsu athletes to compete. Most notably he coached the Bronx Jiu Jitsu competition team to a second place team trophy at the 2016 Big Apple BJJ Open. However, he has competed a bit himself and as a purple belt he attained a gold medal at the CSBJJF fall 2014 tournament, a gold medal at the CBJJD-Mineirinho 2014 held at the world famous Tijuca Tenis Clube in Rio, and a silver medal at the IBJJF Boston Summer Open in 2012.

Guro Yeydy De La Cruz

Yeydy De La Cruz started training Jeet Kun Do under the direction of Guru/Sifu Dan Anderson in New York City. Under Sifu, Dan Anderson; Yeydy De La Cruz has been exposed to the principals and philosophy of Jeet Kun Do, Philipino Martial Arts, Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Savate, and Silat. He obtained his black belt under Sifu, Anderson. Yeydy trained with Karab Karim and obtained the rank of Kru under him. Later, he was introduced to Capoeira and trained under Mestre Preguisa one of the students of Mestre Bimba creator of the Reginal system, and Mestre DiMola. Yeydy De La Cruz is a qualified Martial artists of varied instructional experience who uses his creativity and resourcefulness to enhance students’ performance.

Skills and area of expertise:
Apprentice Instructor – Under Guro Dan Innosanto
Thai Boxing Instructor (Kru) – Under Karim Karab
Jeet Kun Do Instructor – (Black Belt) Guru/Sifu Dan Anderson
Capoeira Instructor – (Green Belt) Under Mestre Preguisa and Mestre DiMola
JiuJitsu (Brown Belt) – Under Guru/Sifu Dan Anderson
Philipino Martial Arts Instructor – Under Guru/Sifu Dan Anderson
Instructor Weapon Edge System – Sifu Paul Vunak
Instructor Progressive System – Sifu Paul Vunak