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Sabaki List Member Profiles

This page will feature profiles on members of the Sabaki Talk Discussion List.
Members are listed in alphabetical order. New members to be added in due course.

Malcolm Lamour -South Africa
I started of with Kung fu (for about 5 years) many moons ago (with an organization called LOGRA - Hoosain will probably know about them ?).

I subsequently went on to join Chris Thompson's Samurai dojo and then Thierry Simon's Budoshin where I obtained my Shodan. I taught at Budoshin for 2 years and also participated in a couple of tournaments. I left Budoshin and have been practicing Aikido for the past year which required a major mindset change for me. I am still stuggling to adjust to the aikido way, but that's ok as I'm in no hurry.

I also recently attended the seminar given by Alfred Plath in the Modern Arnis system of Remy Presas and I must say that it was a very educational experience for me. There were a couple of techniques which was very similar to basic aikido and karate techniques and to see it being applied with and against weapons made to seminar very valuable.

William le Compte - USA
I first started training when I was 16 yrs old under my current Sensei but this was interrupted when I joined the US Air Force at 17 yrs of age. I was a Security Policeman assigned industrial security and law enforcement duties while stationed with the US Space Command and Strategic Air Command. During my 6 yrs in the USAF I trained in close quarter combat and personnel restraining apprehension
techniques on a regular basis.

Upon my honorable discharge in '91, I have worked in law enforcement and corrections. I am now a regulatory enforcement agent for the Upper Skagit Tribal Gaming Commission at their Native American casino, Skagit Valley Casino Resort. My career choices have given me a lot of real experience in physical confrontations.

I have missed very few training sessions since '92 with my sensei and kohai. I am a shodan but worry more about how my technique and power works than how my belt looks. I appreciate anything new that works! Remember, I'm the empty cup!

Lawrence Lewis - USA
I started in Karate in November of 1969 in Asheville under Sensei Charles E. K. Matthews (Makaio) where I met Lorraine. In 1972, my Sensei became my wife as well and we started teaching together – my expertise was in Kumite as that had been my specialty in competition.
I have been certified in refereeing in NASKA as well as AAU. I still use these talents in local tournaments and continue to teach the up-and-coming Black Belts the fundamentals of judging and refereeing. Now that I am in a wheelchair, a whole new venue of teaching is being investigated. My canes are becoming well known in the community.
I received my Shodan on 06-30-75 and am now currently ranked as 5th Dan through my wife and Dr. Roberta Trias-Kelley as well as Terry Sanders so my ranking is in both Shorei and Shuri.

Lorraine Lewis - USA
I started my martial art training in 1965 by studying Judo. I had always wanted to throw someone like Mrs. Peale on The Avengers; so when the very first martial art school opened in Asheville, NC, a girlfriend and I signed up. The school was called The Academy of Martial Arts and was managed by Tom Pisuit and Charles E. K. Matthews (Makaio). After suffering a separated shoulder in Judo, I started watching the Karate class and asked to join. Sensei Matthews said “NO!” He didn’t (at that time) teach women. After begging and groveling, he relented so my first class consisted of walking back and forth, back and forth on the Dojo floor in a cat stance doing a front snap kick after class so I wouldn’t embarrass the regular class. I didn’t return to Judo class. I had found my love, my passion, which I equate with my love for my husband and family. After taking class every time the Dojo doors opened and competing on weekends, finally, in 1971, I received my Shodan (1st Dan) from Master Robert A. Trias in Shorei. I became one of very few female Black Belts for the time and possibly the second female in our system to attain the rank of Black Belt (Master Trias’ daughter being the first).
I started winning and/or placing in Kata competition from FL to CT and became the USKA point-standing female Kata champion twice in the 1970’s. I was involved in the cause of women’s safety and fairness in competition. I was asked by Master Trias to assist or head meetings at the USKA Grand Nationals for women’s concerns. I became the NC State Representative for USKA and was the first time a female had held this type of appointment.
As Lawrence was in the Army, we traveled; and wherever we were, we taught. I retired from active competition in 1975 as we went overseas and we started a family.
Today, as Lawrence and I are disabled, we continue to teach to the best of our ability; not so much physically, but through oral explanation and using our higher-ranked students as bodies.

Maurice Libby -Canada
I have been training since 1979, first in an offshoot of Washin Ryu, where I got my shodan in 1985. I then switched to Shotokan where I attained nidan in 1989. Since then I have trained in Uechi Ryu and shorin ryu. I have studied both Wu and Yang style taijiquan, kali/escrima and chigong.

I now live in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Prince Loeffler - USA
My name is Prince Loeffler and I am currently teaching at Jidokwan Taekwondo at the Institute of Martial Arts in Culver City and Shorinji Ryu Karate at the Academy of Judo & Karate in Redondo Beach.

Diana Lombardi - USA
My own personal experience with MA training goes back more years that I care to admit to, and was curtailed due to family opposition. My dad believed (still does) that study of the martial arts is a religious study, and must be opposed by Christians. I understand some of his rationale, because "do" means path or way, and to him that sounds like a religious experience. And of course in many cultures, the martial arts are part of a religious system. In the United States, however, the martial arts coexistent just fine with whatever religious choice you make. At this point, we agree to disagree. I always thought I would get back into training when I was older, but what with
my own business and a high-maintenance hubby, it never happened. When my son became ten years old he suddenly decided he wanted to take karate. It actually came out of the blue, since he was never one for action movies or Ninja turtles or anything like that. But he was weary of the Little League experience and wanted to try an individual sport. So, I had heard some very positive things about Shihan Jablonski at Red Dragon and that's where we enrolled Ryan.

(Red Dragon is basically an American blend of 7 styles. It uses Korean, Okinawan, Japanese, Indonesian, Polynesian, Chinese, and American forms, and teaches weapons as well as open hand.)

Ryan takes 2 private lessons each week with Shihan Jablonski (he's an amazing instructor -- Hachi Dan), and used to take the group classes as well, except these days he's carrying a heavy academic load and can't manage as many. Since we own the business, I have always been lucky enough to work my schedule around Ryan's activities, making me a very hands-on Mom. Watching his lessons has made me realize how much I missed by not continuing on with my own instruction.

I keep thinking that one day I will start training again. And no, I do not refer to my son as Sensei Ryan -- as I have carefully explained to him, I have a "Mom belt" and that will always outrank him! : )

Of course, I am fascinated by the diversity and background of the martial arts. Most of the techniques are very scientific and the focus and balance are amazing. I have to believe that Ryan's success in school is based in part on what he has learned at the dojo. He is very self confident, can focus no matter what is going on around him (and today's classrooms are not always conducive to study!), and tournament performance has helped him to be comfortable with public speaking.

Anyway, that's my story. I do enjoy all the discussion on this forum, and several of the links have been very helpful in researching background. It's amazing how many variations there are on the same subject! I admit I like it better when we are more lighthearted than angry, but then I have always loved to laugh. Some of the material gathered here has made it into Ryan's ongoing "Black Belt Journal" -- required for RDK students, so I am well pleased in more than one respect!

Henry Low - Singapore
I started Martial Arts training since 1963 and don't know how to stop. It must be the "DO".
My CREDENTIALS are as follow:

* 6th. Dan Black Belt in TaeKwon-Do
   - Singapore TaeKwon-Do Academy.
* Black Belt Certificates from :
   - International TKD Federation
   - World TKD Federation
   - Global TKD Federation
   - Chang Moo Kwan TKD (Thailand)
* Shaolin (Wushu - Tiger Style)
* Karate (KeiShinKan)

TITLES:
- Chief Instructor - BLCC TKD Club
- Dy. Chief Instructor - STA
- Chief Judge - STA and Inter-Varsity Tournaments.
- Chairman - STA TKD Technical Committee.

My 3 main Hobbies are:
1. All Martial Arts.
2. Everything on Martial Arts
3. Anything to do with Martial Arts.

When I started learning TKD, there was no WTF or ITF that I knew of (you can guess my age now). The interesting thing I discovered was that the katas I practised in KEI SHIN KAN Karate (Heians), in
my pre-TKD years, were part of the TKD (Chang Moo Kwan) hyungs (patterns). So, it seemed like there is no WTF, ITF or Karate when I started learning TKD (now you can really guess my age plus plus) :-0)

After I obtained my TKD 2nd. Dan/Degree (in Thailand, was there for 4 years), I was told by my 8th. Dan/Degree Korean Master that TKD was split into ITF and WTF. My certificate was from Kukkiwon i.e. WTF. I was told to learn the new WTF hyungs (Pulgae/Taeguek). I could not help feeling that politics was intruding into martial arts. When I returned to Singapore in 1978, I searched and found a dojang that taught the Traditional form of TKD i.e. the ITF style and remained till today. The organisation is the
Singapore TaeKwon-Do Academy (STA). The Grandmaster who is the founder of STA is Grandmaster BS Huan. He is probably the only Singaporean who has written a comprehensive training manual on "Tae Kwon-Do" and has just published a second book on "Olympics TKD". He is now writing his third book.

Lynn - USA

I'm new to the list, having had it recommended by some folk already here. (Hi L&L) I study both Seito Shorei-ryu and International style TKD, holding 1st dan in both.

This is in reply to Ron's (and Bruce's) discussion about Naihanchi. Our system, Seito Shorei-ryu, is an Okinawan style descended in the U.S. through Robert Trias. We run Naihanchi, as do many of our closely related styles, Shorei-Ryu, Shuri-Ryu, Shorei/Kenpo, Goju-Shorei and a few other iterations. Some of our "sister" groups run Naihanchi as 3 separate kata (I, II, II) We run it combined as one kata, and it's a long one! We have been taught that it's origin is Chinese, somewhere in the late 18th century.

Shorei has roots in several different styles, including Hsing Yi Chaun. This fits in with your historical understanding of the Kung-fu connection.

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