KUNG FU / WUSHU INSTRUCTORS

Head Instructor (Sifu)
KAYNE SIROCCO LATRANS

Her title, Sifu, means instructor in Chinese. Sifu Kayne was North American Sport Karate Association’s black belt national champion every year she competed. Achieving an incredible national or reserve national champion ranking in all three events: forms, weapons and fighting — the latter while taking on opponents weighing 220+ to her 99lbs — it hardly seems surprising that she was twice awarded NASKA’s highest honor, by being named the Nation’s Best All-Around Black Belt for both the two years running in which she competed.

But even more important than her many awards is Ms. LaTrans' caring and attentive teaching style. She is one of only 5% of America's teachers (including all public and private elementary through high school instructors) who has been selected for inclusion in Who's Who Among America's Teachers.  Unlike other big name martial artists, who put their names above the door, but then rarely deign to teach at their own schools, Ms. LaTrans is the head instructor for each and every Monday through Thursday kung-fu and wushu class -- including the Little Dragons! 

The effectiveness of her structured, well-researched curriculum is instantly apparent by watching any of her classes, and her enthusiastic, non-threatening approach inspires her students to be their best.  Even her beginning students are favorably compared with black belts from other schools, and she or her students have been featured on every major television station — including the most widely viewed martial arts documentary ever, the A&E special "The Martial Arts".

Assistant Instructor Level Four
Monique Cordova:

Ms. Cordova already has three State Championships to her credit (forms, weapons and fighting), not to mention a nifty 6-footer earned in national competition,  This former kenpo karate person has logged over 400 hours of wushu / kung fu instructor's training, qualified for the Nationals more times than we can count, and did us proud by bringing home a Reserve National Championship in weapons, and a fourth in team forms. 

She now instructs the Friday 5:15 wushu / kung fu class, as well as the 6:15 Friday Advanced Aerials class.

Assistant Instructor Level Two
James Esparza:

Now here's a busy boy!  Sparky is on the Steel Phoenix Exhibition Team, where he doubles up on both Chinese lion dancing and wushu crew, performing in kung fu sets such as gun (staff), zui quan (drunken fist), sen biao (rope dart) and san jie gun (three section staff) as well as Monkey Fist vs. Drunken Style and Staff vs. Three Section Staff fighting routines.  Not only that, but he's in the instructor's program as well, where teaches up to 6 days a week, and is the head instructor for the Advanced Aerials Class.  But wait!  There's more!  He's the school computer guru, AND the producer, director, screen writer, cameraman, special effects wizard and star in our annual Martial Artistry movie, which debuts every Chinese New Year.

A certified EMT, in his spare time, Mr. Esparza is working on his medical degree.

Ms. Stender impresses one and all with her maturity and exemplary attention to her students, and she is especially good with our youngsters in the Little Dragons class, who adore her without reservation.

Like her sister Diana, she is also a member of the Steel Phoenix Exhibition Team in the capacity of Chinese lion dancer, and helps out the wushu crew with Southern boxing (nanquan), double head spear (shuang tou qiang), wind and fire wheels (feng huo lun), straight sword (jian), tiger boxing (hu quan), double warfan (shuang shan) kung fu routines as well as the very popular straight sword vs. double head spear fighting set.

A special education teacher and a former Tae Kwon Do instructor, Mr. Baker is already well-accustomed to a classroom setting.  His clean, powerful technique, confident demeanor and attention to detail are a great example to his students, not to mention the added convenience his chrome dome presents as an impromptu and portable mirror.

Fate tossed Mr. Trujillo into a bit more advanced duties than we normally relegate to less seasoned instructors, but he handled them most capably.  His dedication and sense of responsibility are exemplary.

Mr. Trujillo does double duty on the Steel Phoenix Exhibition Team, with Chinese lion dancing and Northern Shaolin kung fu sets.

"Oh, I'll never be able to do those things.  I'm just not capable of doing anything airborne.  It's just the way my body is... blah-blah-blah..."

We're pleased to say Ms. Ma has been forced to eat her words, and is now happily soaring in such techniques as wushu jump front kick, tornado kick, butterfly, aerial cartwheel, back handspring, back tuck and more.  Having learned first hand that good coaching is what helps a student succeed beyond their wildest dreams, she's well-equipped to help others exceed their perceived potential, too.

The once supposedly-never-to-be-airborne Ms. Ma now not only heads up our award-winning Team Steel Phoenix Chinese lion dance team, but dazzles crowds in a huge portion of the kung fu sets with the wushu crew, including mandarin duck knives, jian (straight sword), Nan quan (Southern Boxing), tang lang quan (Northern praying mantis) and Nan dao (Southern broadsword) kung fu routines and is especially noted for jian (straight sword) vs. shuangtou qiang (double head spear) fighting set.

A summer only instructor, during the school year, Mr. McGowan attends New Mexico Technical University.  However, all year round he maintains his commitment to Martial Artistry's Team Steel Phoenix and serves the wushu crew in kung fu routines that include shuang bishou (double dagger),  jie bian (whip chain), jian (straight sword), long quan (dragon fist), chang quan (long fist) and staff vs. three section staff fighting sets.

Mr. Quintana's work ethic (he has his own contracting business) sets a good example for our kung fu students.  He insists they give their best.

Ms. Qiu is another of our wushu instructors that practices what she preaches about practice, training on average 5 days a week.  Parents of our Little Dragons praise her especially for her firm, but kind, insistence that the youngsters focus and work hard.

Ms. Qiu is yet another of our instructors that also serve on the Steel Phoenix Exhibition Team performing as a Chinese Lion Dancer and in the kung fu Shantung Shaolin and Northern dragon fist (long quan) portions of the show.

Mr. Berling not only a member of our instructors program, but also a member of Team Steel Phoenix.  A fine Chinese lion dancer, he is especially noted for his powerful daoshu (broadsword play) and both single whip chain and double whip chain.  His easy manner and sense of humor set our students instantly at ease.

Great with both kids and adults alike, Mr. Petty works hard to improve the martial arts knowledge of both himself and his students, not only teaching but also taking extra classes to hone his skills.

An outgoing people person and never-ending font of enthusiasm, Ms. Stender organizes everything from reconstruction of guardian lions, to T-shirt drives, to our annual school photo, Chinese New Year and Summer Picnic events.  Children especially flock her, as she takes a genuine interest in their progress and well-being and truly cares that they reach their highest potential.  She's also a proud member of the Martial Artistry Team Steel Phoenix Road Crew.

Cerebral and capable, Mr. Shelnutt is the one we all point to when a perspective student in their thirties, forties or fifties worries that they might be "too old" for some of the more advanced wushu techniques.  While we point, Mr. Shelnutt shows off with tornado kicks, flying lotuses, butterfly kicks... well, you get the picture.  Too old... Yeah... Riiii-iiiight...

Head Drummer for the lion dance team in Steel Phoenix, Amanda is active in local tournaments, in which she has never taken lower than second place.  Her specialty is san jie gun (three section staff), which she wields both in a kung fu routine and in a wushu fighting set - but she is also spinning up capably in the shuang wushan (double war fan) weapons set.

This Steel Phoenix exhibition team member is already noted for his athletic and exciting monkey fist in the "Monkey vs. Drunken Style" fighting set and his proficiency with the rope dart.

Intelligent and thoughtful, Ms. Brooks's teaching style especially appeals to the more cerebral of our students.

Mr. Nagurski's soft-spoken teaching style sets even the most shy of students at ease.

The entire Lattimore family trains at Martial Artistry, daughter McKenzie is on the exhibition team and dad is also an accomplished instructor in judo.

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