Soke / Grandmaster Jay Blanton

Mang Ho Martial Arts

Soke Jay Blanton was born in Sheffield, Alabama in 1959, He was born with a cleft palette which impaired his speech. He was one of those unfortunate students in school who got picked on all the time which lead him to study the Martial Arts. Soke Blanton started his training in Martial Arts in late 1974 at a local community center by a suggestion of a friend to give him confidence and the ability to take care of himself. He took Tae Kwon Do under Master Hee Sang Choi from 1974-1979, He studied under Master Haeng Ung Lee and Master Richard Hedrick who was founder of the Professional Amateur Karate Union in the styles of Tae Kwon Do, Isshinryu, Kung Fu, Jujitsu, Judo, Aikido from 1979-1987.

He received his 1st Degree Blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do in 1981, in 1983 he
received his 1st Degree Blackbelt in Isshinryu Karate. In 1983 he received
his 3rd Degree Blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do and was promoted to Alabama State Representative and State Director for the P.A.K.U. from 1983-1987. In 1985 Soke Blanton was awarded the Alabama State Instructor of the Year from the P.A.K.U., Inducted in a karate museum in Gatlinburg, Tenn, and received the Presidential Sports Award from President George Bush Sr. Soke Blanton was a member of the PKA ( full contact karate ) from 1980-1984 and retired from the circuit in 1985. Soke Blanton studied under several different Instructors and in 1989 received his 4th Degree Blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do from Master Bo Jick Ro, also in 1989 he received an award from Tae Kwon Do Times Magazine. From 1990-1992 Soke Blanton trained under Master Y.K. Kim in Orlando, Florida and received his International Certified Instructor and Examiner and Judge.

In 1992 Soke Blanton joined the World Blackbelt Bureau and trained under
Master Kang Rhee the Instructor of Elvis Presley and earned his promotion in 1993 to Master 5th Degree Blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do in and in 1995
Master 5thLevel Blacksash in Kung Fu and earned Blackbelts in Pasaryu
Karate. In 1993 Master Rhee named Soke Blanton’s style of Martial Arts “ Mang Ho “ (tiger) which Tiger was Master Rhee’s nickname for Soke Blanton.

In 2002 Soke Blanton’s “style Mang Ho” he was granted Sho Dia Soke of Mang Ho and promoted to 10th Degree Blackbelt by the American College of Martial Science Dr. Jason Hunt, And in May 24th, 2006 the European Jujitsu Union also promoted Soke Blanton Soke / Grandmaster 10th Degree Blackbelt in Mang Ho by Dr.Javier Galan Vaquez and Sho Dia Soke of Mang Ho by the Hawaii Martial Arts International Society.

Soke Blanton has trained with the best in the Martial Arts Community Master Frank Shamrock, Grandmaster Bill “Super Foot “Wallace, O’ Sensie Philip Porter, Sifu Richard Bustillo (Bruce Lee’s student), Sensie Lou Periello, Professor George Kirby,Grandmaster Ken Eubanks, Grandmaster Cirialo “Caloy”Canete and many others.

Aug.3rd 2002 Soke Blanton was inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame and in 2004 Soke Blanton was inducted in the International Hall of Fame in Hawaii by Professor Jaime Abregana Jr. The Hawaii Martial Arts International Society International Hall of Fame. Soke Blanton has been in numerous newspaper and magazine articles, tv talk shows, on CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network) where he had a show for Women’s Self-Defense. Soke Jay Blanton is a born again Christian and teaches that to his students and is the State Representative of Florida and Alabama for the Karate for Christ International and many other fine Organizations as well as on many Martial Arts Grandmaster/Soke Councils through out the World in the Martial Arts Community.