ISmithwas born in Missouri, never knew his father and entered the foster care system when he was 3 years old. While growing up, he lived in many different foster homes from Texas to California. At one point, he even entered into the juvenile system, not because he was bad kid but because there was no foster placement at the time.It was very difficult being brought up in the foster care system, and he was always getting beat up while in different homes. He ended up moving to the surrounding areas of Los Angeles and gained firsthand knowledge of drugs, gangs, and criminal acts of every kind.During his younger years, there was no help, no rules, just surviving. When he was 10 years old, a foster parent exposed him to the martial arts. That led to spending the next 29 years studying various martial arts, strategic self defense and MMA. He fought in cage fights. Through these no-holds-barred fights he was able to face fears and test the skills he had learned.In his later years and while in Los Angeles, he was also a private body guard/driver/trainer for upscale clients in Hollywood. He also worked in the movie industry in Hollywood as a stunt fighter, stunt double (Corey Feldman, Chad Macqueen) and assisted Art Camacho, a world renowned director and fight choreographer in various films with fight choreography. Sifu Art Camacho is still a close friend and teacher.He also trained with other well-known names such as Gerald Okamura, Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Jim Hellwig "The Ultimate Warrior", Rich Rabago, Antonio "Mandingo" Mckee, Orange County Sheriff Mike Cataline along with other law enforcement, bouncers and fighters. Show less «