Cruz graduated from high school in 1954, and immediately joined the United States Air Force. The Air Force stationed him in Japan where he began karate training in March, 1956, under Kyan Chotoku in Ashiya, Kyushu, Japan.

In 1956, the Air Force transferred Cruz to Tokyo, Japan, where Isao Obata introduced him to Shotokan karate training.

In June 1959, Cruz was selected as a Combative Measure Instructor for the Strategic Air Command (SAC) Combative Measure Program held at the Kodokan Judo Institute, in Tokyo.
During this time, Cruz Sensei was instructed in a comprehensive program by Masters Kyuzo Mifune and H. Kotani in judo; Masters Isao Obata and Hidetaka Nishiyama in karate-do; Master T. Tomiki in Aikido; and Master M. Hosakawa in Taijo-jutsu.

During this period Cruz attained a Shodan in Judo and certification in Taijo-jutsu and Aikido. Later he received his Shodan in Shotokan Karate. Upon returning to the USA, Cruz Sensei continued his karate training under the direction of the Armed Forces Karate Federation under Master Hidetaka Nishiyama.

Today Cruz Sensei is a 6th degree black belt in the American Amateur Karate Federation (AAKF) and the International Traditional Karate Federation (ITKF) headed by Master Hidetaka Nishiyama, and a 6th degree in the Nippon Karate Do Kyo Kai. Cruz Sensei is the author and publisher of several martial arts books. "The Epistemology of Traditional Karate-Do" and "The Ten Precepts of Gichin Funakoshi" are considered his best essays.

On May 10, 2002, Rep. George Radanovich ordered a US Flag flown over the capitol building in Washington, DC, in honor of the distinguished military career and lifelong contributions of Vincent Cruz Sensei.

Sempai Lisa Feller: Good evening Hanshi and thank you for giving me this oppurtunity.
Hanshi Cruz: Hello. It's good to have someone interested in doing this.

SLF: You became involved in martial arts back in 1955 during an Air Force tour of duty in Japan. Was this
        the first time the arts intrigued you?
HC: Actually, I was interested before that. I used to live on the Eastside in New York City, close to China Town.
      When passing through China Town, I saw some people doing Tai Chi Chuan and inquired about learning. I was
        told no. Martial arts was strictly a disciplene for the Oriental. It was through the military that I was finally able
        to train in martial arts.

SLF:Did you attend several Japanese Karate Association Hombu(International Office) with Master
        Funikoshi in attendance? From these brief encounters can you tell us a little about the "Father of
       Japanese Karate"?
HC: Yes, I did get to goto several Hombu with Master Funikoshi in attendance, but I never had the chance to meet
        him personally. The impression I had of him was he was a man of immense spirit and humility. Japan was in
        rule and they looked down on the Okinawans, Here was a little man who presented karatedo to the Japanese
        and over came the wall that was between them.

SLF: While on duty in Japan, you were able to travel to Okinawa and study several of it's styles, including
        Kobudo(weapons). Of all the weapons you studied, what was it about the Sai that piquet your interest
         enough to develop a style for it?
HC: The economy was very bad in Japan back then and even worse in Okinawa. Just to give you an idea of what it
       was like, for five dollars you could go throughout the whole island of Okinawa. Being in the service, I had a
       quota for cigarettes and since I didnt smoke then, I would use then for trade for karate lessons. Of the several
       kobudo teachers I had, the one that impressed me the most was a Isshin Ryu nistructor, Shimabuku, who did
       the Sai. I learned as much as I could from him. There came a point when I inquired for more imformation and
       there was none. So I went on to develop a system of twirling the Sai to help improve the speed of both defense
       and offense, where as before the blocking and hitting was slow.

SLF: In the five years you were stationed in Panama, you established eight dojos in Panama City alone and
        up-graded several styles there as well in other Central American countries, Peru and Chile to name a
        few. All your efforts there has earned you the recognition of "Father of Shotokan" on Panama. What
        are your thoughts on this and what wa your driving force behind your efforts?
HC: First let me start by saying that I never called myself that. It is my students there that have called me that. There
       were many systems already established in Panama when I got there. I mainly attracted the type of student who
       were interested in the education of karatedo as well as the karate itself. I feel I was just an instrument in helping
       developing karate there. It is my goal to pass on strong spirit and humility, to help unite all karateka as one to all
       my students. This is my driving force behind all that I do in karate.

SLF: You have seen martial arts go from a mystery of the orient to a dojo on every other corner. What has
         the impact been on martial arts? Pros and cons.
HC: Never criticize. You have to look at it this way, those instructors are taking kids off the streets.They may not
       have the strongest style, they may have weak technique, they may even be over commercialized, but they all
       deserve respect. They are doing a civil duty by providing an outlet for kids.

SLF: I have read you have multipule Dan ranks in several styles. What is it about martial arts that produces
        such a hunger for knowledge and dedicated following?
HC: I am in agreement with my first Sensei, Isao Obata, that one martial arts is enough because it takes a lifetime to
       learn. It was through the Air Force that I had to learn other systems. I was selected for Combative Measure
       Instructor. I would spend 5 months in Japan learning, then come back and teach for 5 months. go back for
       another five five, learn and come back and teach for another five. I only learned four systems and would call
       only three of them martial arts. They were Karatedo, Kempo and Aikido. The Aikido I was taught was not your
       typical Aikido. It was through the Tomiki line which was a combative Aikido. The other system is a Police
       Restraint Control concept called Ti Ho Jitsu and is used for Police and riot training in Japan.

SLF: In the past, karate jas primarily been a male disciplene. Now a days, you are seeing more and more
        women getting involved. How has the female role in the dojo changed?
HC: That is a bit of a misconception. Women have always been involved in martial arts. There were many Samurai
       women who fought besides men in the civil wars of Japan. As you learn the physical concepts of karate, you
       realize that women actually have a natural edge over men. A man's center of balance is in the chest, while a
       woman's is in her stomach. All of karate's movements stem from the Hara, or the stomach area. This natural
       ability coupled with thier strong spirit leans me to beleive women tend to be more powerful then men in karate.

SLF: You formed the I.S.K.A. (International San Ten Karate Association). What was the purprose for forming
         such an organization and is this type of organization important to the future of karate?
HC::Yes, this type of organization is imortant to the future of traditional karate. In the sixties, there was a lot of
        dissertion among the martial artists, There were a lot of people coming from over sea with many differant
        systems, soldiers were coming back and some stretched the truth about what they learned. The I.S.K.A. was
        formed to help unify karate and better these people. It is not about changing what they already know, but about
        improving what they know with the dynamics of true tradition karate.

SLF: Do you feel traditional karate has a place in the Olympics?
HC: At this point in tme, not being in the Olympic isn't a big deal. Right now there is too much politics going on for
       the Olympic to be benificial to tradition karate. Can you picture a true karateka going out there in a white Gi
       with sneaker and beer emblems on thier backs? No, that is not what true traditional karate is about. If your
        looking for a high caliber competition, we have tournaments like the Friendship Games and the Pan Am Games.
       There is a distinct differance between sport karate and traditional karate.

SLF: Well , thank you for the time you took out of your busy schedule and doing this interview with me. Do
         you have any parting words for our readers?
HC: Yes, I feel my spirit goes out to all of you at the dojo through your Shihan (Jemmott). Tour Shihan is my brother,
       my friend, my preceptor, my confidant. He is a real good man. If you all support him with the love of training
       hard together, with friendship and brotherly love, you'll give him the chance to become a better teacher which in
       turn sets a higher standard for the dojo and thusly setting the dojo apart from the one on the corner.