Instructional Excellence

"This is the law:
There is no possible victory in defense,
The sword is more important than the shield,
And skill is more important than either,
The final weapon is the brain.
All else is supplemental."


John Steinbeck


One Mind, ANY Weapon

Or none at all...

Professor John M. Roe, 7th Dan

 

 Professor Roe is the owner and Head Master of the Martial Arts Academy, one of Orange County's top-rated martial arts schools. He is also the Headmaster for the Karate for Kids program of Chapman University in Orange and for the Prentice Academy in Santa Ana for children with learning disabilities.  He is also the Safety Director for the children and staff at Valencia Elementary School in Laguna Hills.

 Professor Roe holds a Seventh degree Black Belt in the System of Shaolin Kempo Jiu-Jitsu, and is at Black Belt level in several popular styles.  He is an Instructor's College honors graduate.  Professor Roe is a certified personal trainer and is University-educated in human resources development. Furthermore, Professor Roe has been approved for community services, with a badge and clearance issued by the Orange County Sheriff's department. In addition Professor Roe has studied and or achieved the rank of Shodan or higher in several other popular styles of martial arts, and brings this knowledge to every student.

Professor Roe has competed at all levels in forms, weapons, sparring and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ground-fighting.  He has been victorious at every level and for students wishing to compete themselves  he can teach them the all-important subtleties of competition beyond just techniques but the tactics and strategies that win as well, always with the knowledge that the techniques MUST with few exceptions work in real life first, and that competition while fun, is nothing like real life. 

 Professor Roe is also an honorary Marine Corps Sergeant and is a Black Belt Instructor for the Marine Corps and other US forces martial arts, our no-nonsense version of Krav Maga or CQB. Professor Roe has appeared in Inside Karate, Inside Kung-fu, and Karate Business magazines as well as in Martial Arts videos and training films. He is currently training both law enforcement and military personnel- including S.W.A.T. team and Special Forces members. Professor Roe provides consulting for other martial arts school owners and instructors to update and improve their classes and training as well as their business practices.

 His students have been increasingly more successful, with several winning in international level competition. His students have been featured in the Orange County Register, the Flight Jacket, the Scout, and the Saddleback Valley News. His students have appeared on pay-per-view ("ultimate" style fighting) and in training and feature articles and videos in martial arts publications. Professor Roe has worked with D.A.R.E. and taught numerous classes on rape prevention and children's safety at local elementary, private, middle and high schools. He has also performed demos and taught self-defense clinics for the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Kinder-kare, as well as at Churches, Colleges and private schools throughout the Southland.

  Professor Roe most recently has worked with pilots on improving their defensive skills. Professor Roe is also a pilot and in light of the events of September 11th he has felt it important to stress that people like pilots, parents and those who are responsible for the well-being of others should have self-defense skills.  Real ones.  That's what we teach.

 

Sensei Steven G. Payne, 4th Dan

Sensei Payne is the Chief Instructor at the Martial Arts Academy of Laguna Hills, California. He is a retired United States Marine, Master Gunnery Sergeant (E-9). Where he was also a Chief Instructor for the Staff Non Commission Officers Academy Advanced Course from 1992 to 1994 at Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro, California. Sensei Payne has served with various marine units during his thirty total years of military service, i.e. Infantry/Recon, Air Wing, Supply Support, Communication Electronics and Combat Engineers. He has held senior billets at Battalion, Regimental, Division, Squadron, Group, and Wing levels. Sensei Payne is a veteran of Vietnam, Panama, Grenada, Beirut, Somalia and Saudi Arabia. His personal awards are: Recruiter Service Ribbon, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal w/bronze star, Good Conduct Medal w/7 stars, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy Unit Commendation, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and Meritorious Service Medal w/gold star.

Sensei Payne has studied Shaolin Kempo Karate Jiu-Jitsu under Professor Roe since 1993. He presently holds the rank of Black Belt 4th Dan. Sensei Payne’s most prestigious tournament victory was at the 1998 American Black Belt Championship. Where he won the Kempo masters heavy weight division, no holds barred and forms championship. He then was show cased on pay per-view HBO TV., featured in the recently published, American Black Belt martial art video and Black Belt magazine. Sensei Payne has won and placed in numerous National and International martial arts competitions.

Sensei Payne’s martial arts and military close combat training has provided him with self-defense skills and techniques that are practical and efficient against attacks. Sensei Payne feels that all martial arts practitioners should practice and focus on the basics. He believes that your success begins with preparation, dedication, sincerity and integrity, no matter what your mission/goal in life may be. Sensei often expresses, that practitioners should come to understand that “There are black belts, then there are Black Belts.”

 

Professor Roe's notes on Payne:

Sensei Steve "Devil Dog" Payne is the absolute epitome of hard work, dedication and loyalty.  Steve has won the Academy's "Semper Fi" award every year that he has been a student. He sets an example of self-discipline that few can match. A fierce competitor, Steve and his Black-Belt son Stefawn are frequently seen in the winners' circle at local and international competition.

INSTRUCTOR  DOUG REED, 1st Dan

 

While it is unusual for a Shodan to be a listed instructor, Mr. Reed is an exceptional black belt teacher, besides being a very capable black belt martial artist.  Mr. Reed also holds a black belt in Tae kwan Do and has studied other arts as well. His maturity is a plus but his greatest asset is a genuine caring for the well being and progress of others.  Mr. Reed works especially well with the younger members of the academy, and is a fine example of how the senior martial artists can put back into the future of the arts.

 


Instructor Maureen "Mo" Roe is an inspiration to all. At little more than 100 lbs and 5'2" tall she is as fast and as strong as a leopard, which is her fighting style. She is particularly good with children, and tutors many of the Academy students in school. She is a College Professor in her spare time, with a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and a Master's and a BA in English literature. She is a Black Belt and certified to teach her own Karate program at Chapman University in Orange.

 

 

Mr. Stefawn Payne was promoted to the prestigious rank of Second Degree black belt on 16 January 1999. During his training at the academy he earned the title “Instructor Grade” which he received while a first degree, black belt on 17 January 1998. He has been studying martial arts since the age of seven and now at age seventeen, Stefawn has given back to the martial arts by devoting some of his free time teaching the younger kids and teen classes while training at the academy. He has competed in numerous local, national and international martial arts tournaments, where his natural talent and acquired skills has proven to be second to none. Stefawn, like his father, is a furious and very focused competitor. His most recent competition was at the World Hwa Rang Do Association martial arts tournament, where he took first place in sparring.

Stefawn has since joined the United States Marine Corps during the recent Iraq war. After graduating from high school early on 4 April 2003. Stefawn chose to request an earlier ship date in order to leave for boot camp early instead of waiting on Commencement Exercises that takes place on 18 June 2003. He was scheduled to leave during the month of October. However, Stefawn left for Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, CA for thirteen weeks of training on 7 May 2003 where he is now serving with Second Battalion, Hotel Company, Platoon 2090, which whom is scheduled to graduate 1 August 2003. Following graduation from recruit training, he will report to Camp San Onofre, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CA for thirty days of advanced infantry training followed by his Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) school training. His childhood dream of becoming a marine like his father and uncle has come true. Stefawn is now the third generation of Payne’s whom have served in the defense of our country by joining the United States Marine Corps.

His early start in the martial arts has definitely benefited him during his boot camp training. He remains undefeated in the pugil sticks combat fighting. The Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) will be an added dimension to his already awesome skills and seasoned self-defense techniques of punching, kicking and ground fighting. Stefawn, basic fundamentals in Shaolin Kempo Karate and Jiu Jitsu has been the foundation in which he and his father attributes his discipline and competition success. Stefawn has recently achieved the first rank, a tan belt under the MCMAP in boot camp. During the next four years of his enlistment. Stefawn will have the opportunity to earn yet another black belt in martial arts from the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.

Stefawn has been assigned the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) of Command and Control Electronics. He will be trained in this job field at Marine Corps Communication Electronics School, Marine Corps Combat Center 29 Palms, CA. This is the marine base where he was born and lived until age three. Once completing MOS training, Stefawn will then be sent to his first permanent duty station to start serving out his four year enlistment contract in the Marine Corps and help maintain our countries security, safety and way of life. Stefawn feels that the study of martial arts has helped prepare him for yet another challenge in his life. His belief in what his father has taught him, that “PREPARATION” is the start towards accomplishing any challenge successfully.

Sensei Payne notes on his Son:

Stefawn outside of his very competitive nature has made his mother and I very proud of him. He is a dedicated spiritual young man that has come to understand at a young age what it means to have God in your life. Through this spirituality I feel that he will continue to make us proud in that, anyone who knows him or become to know him will be comfortable with his presence.

.

 

 


Instructor Urquidi is another dedicated and talented member of the instructional team at the Academy. With a consuming drive to perfect his techniques to the utmost, he sets a very high standard for all. He, like Maureen, is also a teacher, working at Capo Valley High School. Roderick is a Black Belt and a certified instructor.

 



Mr. MacCleverty is the Martial Arts Academy's Senior student, being one of the first to join the Academy when it opened in 1992. He is a Fireman and a devoted father of two girls and a boy. His oldest daughter, Tara is also a student at the Academy. Mr. MaCleverty is very community minded, and feels that by teaching the martial arts he is performing a tremendous service to the community.



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