Personal Self Defense

Top 1% Instructor in the country!

Master Salvador S Padilla is an energetic professional with extensive experience in mentoring, team-building, and client development. He has over 35 years of progressive martial arts, hand-to-hand combat, stick, knife and pistol experience.

In addition to paid individual and group training, he has delivered instruction to tens of thousands of people via community outreach initiatives to social organizations, schools, and churches.

Like many others drawn to martial arts, I experienced bullying as a child- most often for my buckteeth, long hair, and clothes, and was terrified of confrontation. I later joined a local martial arts academy expecting to learn self-defense, but i gained so much more: martial arts empowered me to communicate effectively through active listening and fundamentally and positively shaped my personality.

After months of research, I had a revelation: I was passionate about martial arts, fitness, and mentoring, so why not apply the solid business experience of a highly rewarding fifteen year career in retail management and start my own martial arts academy? In 2003 I took a leap of faith and founded Padilla Martial Arts Inc.

After enjoying seven successful years as the owner/head instructor I sold the franchise to one of my students. I spent the next year developing a solid, highly focused and effective curriculum that would best utilize the time and effort put forth by students and clients and yield maximum reward. I opened Combat Fitness USA in the summer of 2011, with a mission to empower individuals and small groups through realistic and progressive martial arts, hand-to-hand combat, stick, knife and pistol training.​