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HAWTHORNE:
Martial artist has spent most of his life learning and teaching others fighting tactics.
y By Muhammed El-Hasan
Lisiate Kapukapu Lavulo started training in martial arts at age 4.
"I used to think my training was crazy. Now I think my training was great because I'm making a living from it," said Lavulo, who teaches kickboxing and other martial arts at the Black Belt Institute in Hawthorne. "Fighting has been good to me."
The 38-year-old native of Tonga has taught martial arts for most of his life. Lavulo trained in Tonga and other countries, including New Zealand and the United States.
Lavulo, of Long Beach, points to one wall of the Hawthorne dojo that's covered with plaques and medals from his years of competing. He had 25 professional boxing matches, with 20 wins, and 34 kickboxing fights, winning 28 times. His last kickboxing match was three years ago at the Norwalk Marriott,...