Ernie Reyes Jr. needs kidney transplant; martial artist in the fight of his life

In "CSI-Los Angeles," Ernie Reyes Jr. fought LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnel.

AS AN EDITOR of the Philippine News in the late 1970s and 1980s, I remember coming across contributed photos of a young boy in his karate gi doing a flying sidekick, a spectacular-looking move favored in the movies.  His father would send us photos of his son almost monthly doing benefits, entering tournaments, appearing with his martial arts show team. 

They lived in San Jose and the PhilNews was based up the road in San Francisco so it was natural that we used his contributions.

The proud father was Ernie Reyes Sr., who owned a chain of karate dojos in California. His son was Ernie Reyes Jr., who went on to act in the movies and an all-too-brief career in MMA.

The traditionalist in me may have questioned the flashy red, white and blue gi's but based on just their photos, I could tell they took the martial arts seriously.

As a young boy, young Ernie's used of his fighting prowess in "Sidekicks",  and he brokered those skills for roles in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze."  As he grew older roles came in  "Rush Hour 2" and "Indiana Jones and "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." His most recent performance was on "NCIS: Los Angeles."

After all those fights - in the dojo, in the ring and on the screen - Ernie Reyes, Jr, now 43, is in another fight. He is fighting for his life.

As a youngster, Ernie Reyes Jr. made
the cover of "Inside Karate."

Ernie Reyes Jr. needs a kidney transplant. His sister, Destiny Reyes, took to GoFundMe to raise $75,000 for the procedure.

According to the page, which has raised just over $60,000 as of this writing, Reyes "was recently in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) suffering from kidney failure. Ernie is currently undergoing dialysis treatment three times per week for 4 hours a day while waiting for a kidney transplant.

On the GoFundMe site, Destiny said: "Regardless of where you have seen or heard of Ernie Reyes Jr., he has impacted peoples' lives all over the world through his extraordinary performances in television and film. Please be aware that he needs support during this time of need and recovery of his life." 

Ernie Reyes, Jr.’s fans wouldn’t expect any less from a man whose brief mixed martial arts fighting record was 3-0. However, kidney failure is one opponent he can’t simply punch or kick and make it go away.

As of this writing, Destiny's GoFundMe campaign for her brother - with small donations of $5, $10 and up - has raised just over $60,000. His dad, Kwan Jang Nim Ernie Reyes Sr., has contributed words of encouragement to the campaign aimed at saving his son.

“I’d like to thank everyone around the world for sending their love and prayers to Ernie Jr and the Reyes family in this time of need. To everyone that has conveyed their unconditional love, I would like to return that positive energy flow back to you with the deepest gratitude and appreciation.”

If you want to contribute to helping the career fighter conquer his latest battle, click here and give what you can.

###