About The Founder

Shihan Allie Alberigo

Shihan Allie Alberigo

Allie Alberigo began his martial arts journey in 1968, training in Judo and Karate under Jerome Mackey, one of the pioneers of multi-school martial arts studios. At the age of seven, he earned a junior black belt, but the school soon closed unexpectedly. During this time, he also trained periodically with his cousin in Aikido. His cousin, a respected martial artist, guided Allie to the rank of Shodan, earning him his second black belt in Aikido.

In high school, Allie began studying Shotokan Karate under a new instructor and attained the rank of Brown Belt. However, he became disheartened by the lack of discipline in the classes and decided to leave the school.

Throughout his early years of training, Allie was an avid reader of Black Belt Magazine and Inside Kung Fu. By chance, he met one of the martial artists featured in those very magazines—Tuhon Christopher Sayoc, founder of the Sayoc Fighting System of Kali/Arnis. Allie became a direct student of Tuhon Sayoc and trained under him for many years. Eventually, Tuhon entrusted him with ownership of the school as recognition for his dedication and commitment.

After two years of teaching, managing the school, and attending high school while pursuing a career in the music industry, Allie decided to return to being a student. He closed the studio to refocus on his own martial arts development.

A New Chapter in Training

Allie’s thirst for martial arts knowledge didn’t stop there. He continued attending tournaments as both a competitor and an observer, always seeking to deepen his understanding of the art. At one event, he was captivated by a martial artist who performed exactly as Allie had always imagined martial arts should look—powerful, graceful, and disciplined. That man was Shihan Felix Vazquez.

Not long after, destiny intervened. While driving his truck for work, Allie noticed a new martial arts school in Deer Park, New York, with a “Grand Opening” sign in the window. He stopped in to meet the instructor, Shihan Robert Hernandez, who would soon become both a friend and mentor. As fate would have it, Shihan Hernandez was the top student of the very same Shihan Vazquez who had inspired Allie at that tournament.

Allie began training immediately, but shortly after he started, Shihan Hernandez was forced to close the school due to the demands of work, family, and a long daily commute from Queens. Before closing, he encouraged Allie to continue his training and personally invited him to study directly under Shihan Vazquez at the headquarters of the Circle of One System in Ridgewood, Queens.

Through years of dedicated training, Allie rose to become one of a select few students to earn the highest rank ever awarded by Shihan Vazquez at that time—4th Degree Black Belt—and the title of Renshi (Master Instructor). To this day, only a handful of Circle of One students have achieved that distinction.

Journey to Japan

When Shihan Vazquez was eventually forced to close his school and take a hiatus from teaching, Allie’s pursuit of mastery continued. Between 1992 and 2005, he traveled to Japan seventeen times, staying anywhere from twelve to thirty days on each visit. He trained personally under Grandmaster Shoto Tanemura and attended numerous Tai Kai—international martial arts gatherings—held in Japan, England, Italy, Milwaukee, New York, and Maine.

Together with Soke John Olshlager of the Nokado Schools of Self-Defense, Allie hosted several Tai Kai events on Long Island for Tanemura Soke. Through his dedication, he rose to become the fifth-highest-ranking Genbukan student in the United States, once again earning the title of Renshi. He also served as the head of the Genbukan organization in New York, where his dojo was recognized as a Dai Dojo Cho—the largest school in the Genbukan system at that time.

The Renshi Ceremony

In the Genbukan tradition, the title of Renshi is awarded through a special ceremony reserved for direct students of Tanemura Soke, who describes it as being “for people whom I can trust—people with a pure heart.” Over the years, Tanemura Soke often told Allie that he was “like a son” to him, a martial artist with wisdom and spirituality “far beyond his years.”

Allie’s Renshi test took place in Colorado, before an audience of more than 250 students. He often recounts that day to his own students:

“I thought everything was odd. I sat in front of Soke, and my heart was beating unusually fast. I slowly controlled my breathing, and eventually, I could feel Soke’s heartbeat. We were in sync. Then he cut. It felt as if everything moved in slow motion. I rolled, and he smiled—I had passed the test. Later I asked Soke if he felt the same connection. He smiled and said, ‘Yes, we are connected, spiritually.’”

Experiencing Mushin

Allie later described that connection as an experience in which nothing existed outside the moment. Still uncertain whether he had truly experienced Mushin—the state of “no mind”—he later asked his top student, Renshi Frank Olmeda, if the strike had appeared slow. Frank replied, “It was lightning fast—I didn’t even see it.”

A New Beginning

Over the years, many rumors have circulated online—mostly speculation among Genbukan members—about why Allie Alberigo is no longer affiliated with his Japanese teacher. The truth is simple: in 2007, Allie chose to take a different path and focus entirely on his students and the continued growth of L.I. Ninjutsu Centers.

In the world of Japanese martial arts, there are many kan (family lineages)—Genbukan, Jinenkan, Bujinkan, and others. Along with them come endless opinions about who is “legitimate,” and which school is “true” or “authentic.” Most of these opinions, Allie notes, come from people who have never actually met, trained with, or even spoken to the individuals they discuss.

Rather than involve himself in politics, rumors, or rhetoric, Shihan Allie chose to step away from all of it—to stand on his own and dedicate himself to sharing more than four decades of martial arts knowledge with those who genuinely wish to learn.

A Legacy of Teaching

Shihan Allie’s vision is clear: to build the largest and most respected Ninjutsu school in the world, and to continue spreading the virtues of martial arts and spiritual training. He explains it this way:

“After all these years, I wanted to stand on my own two feet and create a legacy—just like the masters of the past. As most martial arts teachers who have started their own systems know, there will always be individuals who try to discredit anyone who breaks with tradition to progress independently.

I wanted to take my four-plus decades of training and experience and create a system of Ninjutsu/Ninpo and Ju Jutsu that’s relevant to the 21st century. I don’t just teach martial arts—I teach skills for life. My approach at L.I. Ninjutsu Centers combines timeless virtues with modern methods.”

The Measure of Success

The success of my students speaks for itself. Most of my black belts train for seven to ten years before pursuing college, careers, and families—some have trained with me for nearly two decades.

I’ve had hundreds of black belts go on to become police officers, sheriffs, Secret Service agents, CIA and FBI agents, doctors, lawyers, and corporate leaders. Many have said their time at my school made the greatest difference in their lives. It’s not unusual for students I once taught as children to return years later to enroll their own kids.

If even a small part of my teaching has helped my students achieve their goals, then I am honored—and I’ve done my job.

An Open Invitation

I invite you to visit my school and experience what we’ve built over the past three decades (and counting), including our curriculum, our atmosphere, our sense of brotherhood, family, and integrity.

See for yourself. If it’s not right for you, that’s okay. But if it is, welcome to our family. I hope to see you training with us for the rest of your life.

In spirit,

Shihan Allie Alberigo

Owner and Founder, L.I. Ninjutsu Centers