Kali-Escrima Seminar
Friday and Saturday" September 28 and 29
Dos Manos Kali-Escrima will sponsor a two-day seminar on Friday and Saturday, September 28 and 29. Guro Drew Landrus and Master Scott Padgett will co-host the seminar at Master Padgett's school at 4668 Highway 70. Hanshi Steve Blackburn will be the principal guest instructor along with his assistant, Guro Sinan Goturk. On Friday night the seminar will run from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. during which Hanshi Blackburn will introduce principles of escrima attack and defense and lay the foundation for a full day of training the following day. On Saturday, escrima training will continue with emphasis given to both single stick (blade) and double stick (Senawali) attack and defense work at close, intermediate and long range. Additional topics that will be addressed include: understanding the Octagon, looking at traditional kata from the perspective of bunkai, and gaining an appreciation for how "the stick trains the knife and the knife trains the hand." Seminar hours on Saturday will run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a one-hour break for lunch beginning at noon.
Registration fee for the seminar is $50.00 payable to Guro Drew Landrus, the local Crossville Dos Manos instructor. Contact Master Padgett for registration information.
Biographical Sketches:
Hanshi Steve Blackburn
Hanshi Steve Blackburn has over 35 years of experience in studying and teaching martial art. He is a former Wyoming state champion in both karate and Kung Fu with numerous black belt ratings in both soft and hard martial skills. Notably, he has black belt certifications in Tae Kwon Do, Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan, Hsing-I Gung Fu, Tabosa Kali-Escrima, and Laohu Kempo. Jim Lloyd, Soke of Laohu Kempo, has awarded him the title of Hanshi or Root Master, 10th degree black belt, Laohu Kempo, in honor of his demonstrated martial skill and years of excellence in training students of all ranks. As well; Hanshi Blackburn is highly rated in Tabosa Kali-Escrima. He has attained the rank of Owak or Hawk in Tobosa Kali-Escrima which is the equivalent of a 6th Degree Black Belt. Hanshi Blackburn is not only an outstanding martial arts instructor but also a world traveler with the State Department. He speaks six languages fluently and has just returned from a two year tour of duty in Taiwan where he was able to spend his spare time enhancing his knowledge of the Chinese White Crane System.
Guro Drew Landrus
Guro Drew Landrus is the host instructor in the local Crossville Kali-Escrima School. He is a ninth degree black belt in Laohu Kempo with the title of Hanshi and has the rank of Humay or Rice in the Tobosa Kali-Escrima system which is equivalent to third degree black belt. He additionally teaches Yang style Taiji in Crossville and studies Chen style Taiji in Knoxville. He retired from the US Army as a Lieutenant Colonel and lives at Fairfield Glade.
Guro Sinan Goturk
Guro Sinan Goturk has black belts in Tae Kwon Do and Laohu Kempo. He is a fourth degree black belt in Kempo and holds the rank of Talarih Manok or Fighting Gamecock in the Tobosa Kali-Escrima system. The escrima ranking is equivalent to a ftrst degree black belt. Guro Goturk is an engineer living in Northern Virginia.
