Master Ricky Lazo was born on May 24, 1980 in Tampa, Florida, the only son of Grandmaster Frederico Lazo. Before Ricky was even born his father had dreamed that someday he would have a son to pass his treasured personal martial art on to.

Ricky’s official training began at the age of ten although his actual exposure began in the very beginning of his life. It was impressed upon young Ricky at an early age that he would be responsible for receiving his family’s legacy and that much dedication and sacrifice would be required to pave the way for that to happen. The training was unusually rigorous for a child, according to Grandmaster Lazo.

For an individual to have this type of responsibility thrust upon then at such an early age sometimes creates a sense of burden. Master Ricky says that this was never the case in his family. “He taught me to love it and I always will”, says Master Ricky of his treasured martial inheritance. “And it really helped me to appreciate the culture of our homeland and of our ancestors. I am really grateful for that.”

The purity of information and the integrity of training are almost never better than in the case of father to son training, especially when the father is a bona fide grandmaster. Because the Lazo’s family’s original intention was strictly to practice their martial arts privately, it was especially important to insure that Ricky’s training was complete, otherwise the art would fade away.

Since the decision was made to share the family art, both Ricky and his father have completely pooled their resources and focused their efforts together on the L.A.K.B. mission of completely transmitting these arts intact to the new generation of instructors. Master Ricky is instrumental in this process. He remains humble about his own abilities and acknowledges that he will train for the rest of his life, always probing deeper into the endless potential of these arts while seeking greater insight and abilities.

Ricky is the current president of the Filipino Martial Arts Club at the University of South Florida.  Today, Ricky continues to promote and preserve Luzviminda Arnis Kali system by assisting his father in the task of promoting and training the Luzviminda Arnis Kali Brotherhood.  Master Ricky graduated from the University of South Florida after earning his Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Degree. This education makes Master Ricky an ideal individual to serve as a bridge between two radically different cultures. This is yet another reason why his role is so crucial to the spreading of Luzviminda Arnis Kali and to the growth of the Brotherhood.