Instructors

I currently teach kids and have always taught kids throughout 7 + years of martial arts: hybrid karate, tkd, and EPAK, respectively.

I love teaching kids.
 
Just saw your website and I remember you if I remember correctly you started out in Tae Kwon Do I was one of Tim Fosters students.

PPKO
 
PPKO,

I lived with John for 3 years. I actually started in Judo/Jujitsu. Prior to living with John I had pursued TKD/Karate.
 
I have a 1st Dan in ITF TKD and a 3rd Brown in EPAK. I've had that 1st dan since 1987 and had been teaching TKD with some EPAK in it since 1994 for a friend of mine at his school. I haven't been teaching much of either anymore since I started working out in Systema, just spend all my time with that, learning and sharing it.


:supcool:
 
TCJitsu said:
PPKO,

I lived with John for 3 years. I actually started in Judo/Jujitsu. Prior to living with John I had pursued TKD/Karate.
do you still talk to John, who are you currently under.

PPKO :burp:
 
The occasions that I have had to teach has taught me that I just don't want to teach! I want to learn, not teach, even when (if!!) I get my black sash.
 
I orginally started training about 13 years ago but because of a natural disaster and time restrcitions, I wasn't able to get back to my training till about 7 years ago. I became an assistant instructor classes about 4years ago and now teach several classes a week adults and kids.

I was the first woman in my school to earn the rank of black belt and it took me about 5 years to do so. I love the martial arts and every minute of what I do while I'm in the school, I wouldn't ever give it up. :asian:
 
Tony said:
The occasions that I have had to teach has taught me that I just don't want to teach! I want to learn, not teach, even when (if!!) I get my black sash.
What happened to make you feel this way, I can't remember who said this but it goes something like this "Teacher is always the student" in other words you always learn from your students because once you think you know it all then you stop learning always strive to be a white belt, your journey is never complete their is always room to learn.

PPKO
 
LadyDragon said:
I orginally started training about 13 years ago but because of a natural disaster and time restrcitions, I wasn't able to get back to my training till about 7 years ago. I became an assistant instructor classes about 4years ago and now teach several classes a week adults and kids.

I was the first woman in my school to earn the rank of black belt and it took me about 5 years to do so. I love the martial arts and every minute of what I do while I'm in the school, I wouldn't ever give it up. :asian:
Congratulations, on being the first, I do have one question how many other ladies take the class with you, do they feel more comfortable learning from you or is it about the same.

PPKO
 
Actually, our head instructor is very good and the women don't usually feel uncomfortable working with the men. The majority of the time its actually the other way around, the guys are the ones who feel weird working with the women for what ever reason. I've found and can actually vouche that men can be mean, but women are vicious.

Where I've found that it makes the biggest difference is with the pre-teen and teenage girls. When girls go through their ackward stage some times they feel better knowing I'm there and that I understand what they're going through. But at the same time, they know they're there to train and I'm there to push their limits. But having the understanding and compassion from some one is a good thing for them.
 
Rob Broad said:
Who all here is an instructor, assistant instructor, instructor's aide etc...

Let us know who you are, what art you study, your rank, and what your duties at the school entail. Maybe a little bio about your training history as well would be nice.

I've got a school here in Louisville, KY. The curriculum I teach is the Sikal curriculum that I was brought up with, with some additions/modifications from Kuntao Silat de Thouars and Shen Chuan.

My ranks:
Guru Dua in Sikal under Guru Ken Pannell- this is a 2nd level instructor. Doesn't equate directly to a 2nd Dan since there are only 5 levels of instructor in the system but that's my rank.

Acknowledged Instructor in Kuntao Silat de Thouars under Bapak Willem "Uncle Bill" de Thouars - not formally certified with any rank but have been given permission to teach

2nd Dan in Shen Chuan under Professor Joe Lansdale

5th Dan in Doce Pares Eskrima/Eskrido under Grandmaster Ciriaco "Cacoy" Canete

I started training in TKD back in '79. At green belt, my instructor quit teaching to focus more on her career and I started training in Okinawan Goju-Ryu. I believe that was '81 or '82. In '85, at a green belt in Goju-Ryu, my parents pulled me out so I could focus more on my schoolwork. I continued training and sparring with friends of mine who were still involved and, through them, I was exposed to a variety of martial arts including Kenpo, Judo, Aikido, etc. In '92, having seen nothing that interested or suited me better than Goju-Ryu, I returned to formal training in it. In '95, again at green belt, I met Guru Ken Pannell and got my first taste of Sikal. It was like coming home. Sikal was what I'd been looking for for 15 years - I just hadn't known it. Through Guru Ken, I met GM Cacoy Canete and Uncle Bill de Thouars. I really liked what they did so I started training in their systems as supplements to the Sikal. In '98, I had to go to Nacogdoches, TX for work and that's where I met Prof. Joe Lansdale and first saw Shen Chuan. I'd always like joint locks and that's one of Shen Chuan's primary specialties so it appealed to me right off the bat and I really liked the group of people who trained at the school in Nac. In '01, I moved down to Nac and spent a year and a half down there training with Prof. Lansdale. Then I moved to Louisville, KY and started I.M.P.A.C.T. Academy.

To find out more about these systems (and about me and my school, visit http://impactacademy.com)

Mike
 
PPKO,

I haven't talked to John in a while. The barn is still up and running. He still hosts clinics. I heard JP does most of the classromm training of guys now. JP is fighting NHB, which is a good niche for him.

In BJJ I am under Saulo Ribeiro. I am heading to Brazil next month to fight in the Mundials.
 
TCJitsu said:
PPKO,

I haven't talked to John in a while. The barn is still up and running. He still hosts clinics. I heard JP does most of the classromm training of guys now. JP is fighting NHB, which is a good niche for him.

In BJJ I am under Saulo Ribeiro. I am heading to Brazil next month to fight in the Mundials.
Cool I hope you do well.

PPKO
 
This is a long post sorry.

My first TKD lesson was from my girlfriend (at the time) and her brother, they had both started TKD and we got sparring in their living room. They talked me into checking out their class at a local elemenatry school and I haven't been out of the martial arts since. That was in 1981.

I started in the elementary school and moved to a full contact school owned by Demetrius Havanas where I met my instructor Mr. Proctor. After "Greek" died (Demetrius) I worked out at a couple of other schools till I was invited to train at Mr. Proctor's dojo at his house. During this same time I went to college in Waco TX and in 83-84, I ran the intermural martial arts program teaching TKD as a brown belt. My wife was my only female student in this class and we got married in 85. In 83 I was also exposed to the filipino martial arts for the first time through a seminar with Guro Inosanto, Larry Hartsell and Cass Magda. This was also to change the course of of my martial arts training.

In 84 I moved back to dallas and trained with Mr. Proctor, then in 85 moved back to Waco due to work and trained for a little while in a mishmash system. In 96 I started in Wado ryu till late 97 when again I moved back to Dallas (due to a layoff) and started back out at Mr. Proctors dojo. I tested for 1st black in 88 under sensei Proctor. During this time I also attended seminars in JKD, Pekti Tirsa, Thai Boxing, Jujitsu, EPAK (with GM Ed Parker), to help round out my training.

In 90 (late) I moved to Tulsa (relocation due to job) and trained with an American Karate Kickboxing group at a rec center and then in 92 I was back in the Dallas area (again relocating with work) and training at Mr. proctor's dojo till I ended up relocating to Ft. Worth. From 89-early 90's we were also training in Kobudo under another sensei who was a friend of Mike's at the Dallas locations I have mentioned in other posts. In 92-94 I also took classes in Inosanto blend kali from another instructor. I was promoted to 3rd black under sensei Proctor in 2001.

In 94 I hooked up with Hock Hochheim and started learning his Presas Arnis systems (this furhter changed my martial art training direction), and in time his other courses as well. I tested for Lakan Isa (1st black) in Presas Arnis in 95.

In 94-97 I taught at a local YMCA American TKD and Arnis to kids and adults. In 97-99 I taught privately out of my house mainly arnis to adults. In 99-2000(1) I taught a small group of students arnis at a church after another instructors karate class, and from 2001-2002 I taught a class (once a month) at a Krav Maga/Tang So Do school weapons defense (based on arnis). From 2000-2002 I also helped run a American TKD program at an Isshinryu school as well. Since 2003 I have now once again been teaching out of my house arnis in a semi private/private class.

Throughout the 90's and still today I attended martial art seminars to stay current with what I'm teaching, to learn more, and to workout with other like minded individuals. Because of my job I worked alot of OT and it was a mini vacation for me to get away and train for the weekend. So I spent alot of time and money going to see the best instructors that I could. And in sense my rank reflects this. Also due to my work, we switch shifts alot to were I could not run a school or really an effective class which is why I taught at my house. The OT and the nature of my job allowed me to travel and train like I did/do.

I started with GM Remy Presas in Modern Arnis in 95 and with GM Ernesto Presas in Kombaton Arnis in 96 through their camps. And continued with them or their systems to this day earning Lakan Isa from GM Remy in 97, and being promoted to 5th black in Kombatan in 02. Hock, I still help out at his seminars teaching sometimes but mainly walking the floor as an assistant and helping attendees with what he is instructing on. I was just promoted to 6th dan in his PAC program in May. I still go to other arnis seminars out and around to educate myself on different material these have included Garimot escrima, Balintawak escrima, Inosanto blend kali, and others. Mainly now though my focus has been on Hock's material and the Presas arnis (and the other FMAs).

Sorry for the long post.
Mark
 
I am currently a 3rd Dan in Karate.
I teach classes in Leeds in the freestyle system I was taught which is
a mix of Shotokan and Zankido Ryu Ju Jitsu, both of which my instructor holds black belts in.
Although it is a freestyle system, it is not competition biased, with katas being at the core of the style.
 
I've been doing martial arts for just short of ten years. I am an instructor under Dan Inosanto (JKD and Kali), an authorized representative of Eric Paulson's Combat Submission Wrestling, have a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a Blue Belt in Judo, level one student in Muay Thai, and a 2nd deg. black belt in tae kwon do. I have experience in Madjapahit martial arts as well and have spent time boxing as well. I teach classes as a part time job and am a full time student at the university.l
 
What is everyone's (current) instructor's name?


My instructors:
Reverend Koichi Barrish - Aiki
Phil Gigler - Taijutsu
Israel Velez, III - Jujutsu
Adrian Roman - Tushkahoma
SK Hayes - Toshindo
 
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