"Last
years family gathering was an awesome
time, filled with many diverse styles
of martial arts. My personal favorite
being classes that taught using real life
situations and based there moves off strong
theory and not just a single technique.
"
--Brandon
"I thought
the sections on healing practices were
eminently practical for the Sunday afternoon
sections, as everyone is usually pretty
beat up by then, especially if they've
participated in Stewart Laupers' "reality
check" sessions."
--Chuck S.
"It was very
educational to work with so many Gurus’
and learn their specialties. Everybody
was very accommodating and often would
spend one-on-one time talking with me
during breaks. I made many new friends
that I look forward to seeing again this
year."
--Kim B.
"Your efforts
in organization always create a professional,
positive and successful event. The constant
theme, time, energy and effort makes this
a true martial arts family event. Last
years addition of the healing and health
arts was a great idea for the closing
day practice.
--Ewa T.
Teachers
Scheduled
Lao
Shr Wayne Welsh
Lao Shr ("Elder Teacher")
Wayne Welsh has studied martial arts since
1964. During that time he has studied Kenpo,
Kun Tao Silat, BaGua, Hsing I, Shaolin Gung
Fu, Kajukenbo, Chang Family (original form)
Pa Kua, Fu style Tai Chi & Lung Hsing
Pa Kua, Tang Shou Tao Hsing I, White Crane
and Serak.
During his training he has been
fortunate to have studied with such martial
arts luminaries as Ron Carlson, Willem deThouars,
Al Dacascos, Mr. Ng, Peter Kim Ho Chu, Vince
Black, Ben Lomeli, & Eric Ling.
Lao Shr Wayne currently lives
in Colorado with his wife of 44 years, Pat
where he teaches a small group of "Dragons"
who call him "Old Dragon".
Born in East Java, Uncle
Bill studied Silat and Kun Tao as a young
child and continued comprehensive studies
of many arts throughout his entire life. He
is very internal and has included many animal
bodies and movement into his art. This is
reflected in his very natural motion that
imitates authentic animal movement.
During his travels, he also studied western
boxing and fencing and today Uncle Bill
is a very artistic painter and his paintings
are in demand worldwide. Uncle Bill still
teaches his Hakka Kun Tao today at his home
in Thornton, Colorado.
Doctor Ray Weathers lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma
where he practices his healing arts. He
has been recognized as Hanshi 10th Dan Black
Belt in Singtong Te Goshin Jitsu Do by the
National College of Martial Arts International
LLC. He is the founder of Golden Tiger Singtong
Martial and Healing Arts and has been featured
eight times on ESPN as the Acupuncturist
and Oriental Medical Doctor to world champion
bull rider Terry Don West and world champion
calf roper Joe Beaver. This will be his
second year of teaching at the gathering.
His personal website is www.DrRayWeathers.com
Hanshi Ron Carlson lives in Denver, Co.
with his wifeand he owns a martial arts
school in Edgewater, Colorado. He has been
recognized as master teacher in Kempo &
Gung Fu and founded the Gow-Ren-Lu Kempo
& Gung , Ka-Jin-Ro Kempo Jitsu system.
In 1997 he was recognized as a Grand Master
and promoted to the rank of Hanshi 10th
Dan and asked to form and direct the Kempo
First Foundation.
Hanshi Carlson served as a fire fighter
for 25 years with the Denver Fire Dept before
retiring in 1993. He is married with five
children and two grandchildren.
His teaching has been enjoyed at the gathering
for many years.
Sifu Chad Bailey is an expert in Acupuncture,
Oriental Medicine, Tai Chi and Martial Arts,
who brings an enormous wealth of knowledge
and experience to each of his sessions.
He discovered the Martial Arts at an early
age and his early instructors balanced self-defense
with the healing arts of shiatsu, tui na
and accupressure. He teaches Tai Chi, Qi
Gong, Progressive Arnis, Cadena de Mano,
Tui Na Massage and Oriental Medicine in
Miami where he lives with his wife, Carmen
and his two boys, Zayon Shea and Jared Michael.
Chad is a state and nationally licensed
acupuncturist as well as a national Diplomate
of Chinese Herbology. He is always appreciated
at the gathering.
Professor Jones is the founder of the International
Kenpo Karate Society ( I.K.K.S.), one of
the fastest growing Kenpo organizations
in the United States. He has been inducted
into the United States Martial Arts Association
Hall of Fame a total of four times. In his
teachings he emphasizes drills for the development
of explosive speed and power, joint manipulation,
pressure point instruction, grappling and
mat work, and instruction in the healing
arts.
Professor Jones holds an earned Ph.D. in
Political Science from Northern Arizona
University with a cognate area in Education
and is certified as a Diplomate in Oriental
Medicine through the Tae Geuk Healing Arts
Institute.
Professor Jones has over 37 years of martial
arts experience and he is currently a freelance
columnist for a number of martial arts magazines
and has authored and co-authored several
articles on American Kenpo. Professor Jones
lives in Las Vegas, NV with his wife and
four babies(Rottwiellers).
The gathering is looking forward to Professor
Jones being with us for the first time and
know that the participants will learn much
from him.
Shen Gung Elio Tarrago has studied martial
arts since 1973. He has studied and practiced
many, many art forms over the years. He has
been a teacher at previous gatherings and
is always a favorite for his flare and knowledge.
He is a student of Uncle Bill and Uncle Wayne,
but has studied with many other well-known
teachers. He teaches his Natural Motion Systems
which is an internal art.
Sifu Alfred Westlake began studying martial
arts in 1980. He attended the Boulder School
of Massage Therapy and graduated with honors.
He met Uncle Wayne at the DeThouars family
gathering in 1997 in Estes Park and discovered
Bagua. . When Uncle Wayne returned to Colorado,
he jumped at the chance to train with him
directly.
He has taught children and adults of all
ability levels for the last 15 years and he
practices massage therapy and teaches internal
arts in Loveland, Colorado where he lives
with his wife.
Master Clarke has studied the internal
arts from world-renowned masters in China,
Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea,
Japan, the Philippines, and the US. Master
Clarke is a former U.S. team member, 1990
Korea and 1996 Gold medal winner in Brazil.
Master Clarke has established himself as a
world respected teacher of the internal arts.
He has worked for the Sports Ministry in the
former USSR as a consultant to their national
athletic program. He worked for Dan Reeves
with the Denver Broncos on coordination and
visualization techniques, and he has also
worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation
to teach their SWAT team high-level martial
arts techniques. Master Clarke is a multi-talented
musician, screenplay writer, and has starred
in five martial arts action films, most recently
"Tiger Street" and "Dancing
Bear".
Sigung Tarrago became a practitioner of Ken
Zen Ichi Nyo, the art of Zazen (mediation) and
Matusbayashi Ryu (moving martial meditation)
that set him on a path of Chinese Internal Martial
Arts. As a direct disciple of Grand Master Bapak
Willem De Thouars, Mr. Tarrago is recognized
as a Guru/Sigung and certified in Kun Tao Silat
de Thouars.Due to Bapak Willem De Thouars and
Lao Shr Wayne Welsh guidance and encouragement
to continue evolving and cultivating his own
art he is currently continues his evolution
and research in the Pekiti Tersia (FMA) "Pit
Bulls" with Instructor Dino Martinez, Mandala
Tim Wade and Tuhon Leo Gaje Jr.
Sigung Tarrago lives in Miami, Fl. with his
wife, Amy. He has two children and is a police
officer.
