Frank Ordonez was born February 15, 1927, in Puunene, Maui, HI. During his teens he studied Jujitsu and judo from Sam Luke Sr., a Danzan Ryu Jujitsu instructor from the Kodenkan School of Prof. Okazaki in Honolulu, HI.
This is where he first met Joe Holck. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Ordonez enlisted in the U.S. Army. While stationed at Ft Shafter in Honolulu, he was on the Army Boxing team under trainer, Thomas Toyama. Peter Choo was also on the same team, and the two became friends. Later he invited Peter Choo to cross train with him and Joe Holck in Jujitsu, and with Thomas Young in Kenpo Jiu Jitsu.
In 1947, while living in Halawa Housing, he invited his child hood friend Adriano Emperado to come train with Joe Holck and Peter Choo in the abandoned Barracks adjacent to his home. Emperado, at the time was a senior student of Kenpo Prof. William K.S. Chow. Peter Choo invited his friend George Chang, a kung fu man, to come and train as well. This was the first meeting of what was to be called the "Black Belt Society".
At the beginning of the Korean War, Joe Holck, Peter Choo, and George Chang were called away to service in various parts of the world. Ordonez was honorably discharged from the Army at the time, and was beginning a career with the FAA. Prior to their separation, the Black Belt Society then agreed to place Adriano Emperado in charge to carry on their legacy. For a while, Ordonez continued to help teach at the Palama Settlement and Wahiawa YMCA branch school, along with Joe Emperado starting in 1950.
In the later 1950's, he was transferred to the Kwajalein Atoll, where he continued to teach and authored the Kajukenbo Prayer.
In 1960, the Kajukenbo name was registered by Adriano Emperado with the State of Hawaii. In 1968, Ordonez drew up the papers for incorporation of the Kajukenbo Self Defense Institute. KSDI Board Members Frank Ordonez, along with Ben Kekumu, Philip Doseo, Marino Tiwanak, and Robert Kawakami, named Adriano Emperado Professor of the KSDI, with the rank of 10th Degree.
On June 18, 1994, Sijo Adriano Emperado, Professor Peter Choo, and Hanshi Joseph Holck promoted Frank Ordonez to 10th degree in Kajukenbo.
