He is the son of Yong Iban Lanada, whose father, Yuyong Huenyo came from the Tausug tribe in the southern Muslim island of Mindanao.
He was taught by both his grandfather and his father in the art of kuntaw back in Mindanao and was passed down within the Muslim royal families.
Kuntaw (meaning "sacred strike' or 'fist way') is the modern version of kuntao in the Philippines as developed, taught, and propagated by the Great Grandmaster Carlito A. Lanada, Sr. which is an eclectic art encompassing hard and soft techniques with elements as well as cat-like movements that show the influence of karate and kung-fu styles, with 43 distinctive forms, 86 basics, and Arnis sticks as its weapon of choice.
Due to this, the training style may differ slightly based on when you learned Kuntaw (although, much of the original forms and methods still remain).
These Kuntawista's went to countries such as America, Saudi Arabia, Japan, England, Canada, United Arab Emirates, and others to establish schools of their own.
To date, the Kuntaw Temple in Olongapo City is being cared for and run by his eldest son, Grandmaster Carlito G. Lanada Jr.
In 2008, GGM Lanada traveled to Canada, where he was inducted into the North American Martial Arts Hall of Fame.