At age 24 Bustillo began his study of Jeet Kune Do under Bruce Lee at the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute in Los Angeles.

[4][5] In 1967, with training partner Dan Inosanto, Bustillo researched and studied the Filipino martial arts (kali, escrima, arnis) under Angel Cabales and other instructors.

He was a certified Guro (instructor) in the Filipino arts of Kali, Escrima, and Arnis; holding eleven degree black belt (under SGM Cacoy Canete in November 2011) and the title Grand Master by the Doce Pares organization of Cebu City, Philippines.

[12][13] Together, with Guro Dan Inosanto, Bustillo is credited with generating worldwide interest in the study of Jeet Kune Do and Filipino Martial Arts.

Shortly after this school was founded, Bustillo became popular as a workshop instructor, even teaching Martial Arts to the Dallas Cowboys under coaches Tom Landry and Bob Ward with Dan Inosanto.