Grand Master Ted Sumner began his martial arts training with the Tracy Brothers in San Jose, California in November of 1963. He received extensive training as an instructor and began teaching for the Tracy’s at their San Carlos Street dojo in San Jose in October of 1967. He was awarded his Black Belt on October 11, 1968, one week before his 18th birthday. Ted moved to the Tracy’s Santa Clara school where he served as Head Instructor until 1975. During that time Ted trained such notable students as Jay T. Will, Ray Arquilla, Doug MacLeod and Mark Tracy.
While attending San Jose State University Mr. Sumner was able to earn PE credits while training with the perennial NCAA Champion SJSU Judo Team under the direction of the legendary Yosh Uchida. In 1990 Mr. Sumner became a student of Dan Zan Ryu Jujitsu Master Sig Kufferath. Over the next 10 years until the death of Professor Kufferath, Mr. Sumner remained his personal student learning his Dan Zan Ryu System of Jujitsu as well as the Sifukujitsu Restoration Healing Arts including the “Okugi”, secret teachings and the “Koden”, orally transmitted secrets.
In 1988 Mr. Sumner opened San Jose Kenpo where he taught as Chief Instructor until 2013 when he retired to Austin, Texas turning the school over to his top student Vance Murakami. Grand Master Ted Sumner was an inaugural inductee into the International Kenpo Hall of Fame in 2007 and was promoted to Judan 10th Degree Black Belt by Al Tracy at the Hall of Fame ceremonies in Chicago, IL in 2013.