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INSTRUTOR PANTERA
Instrutor Pantera was born in Providence, Rhode Island on December 5, 1986. As a child, Pantera became interested in the Martial Arts by the influence of Martial Arts movies and video games, and in 1990 was brought to Masters of Self Defense by his mother seeking out instruction in Kempo Karate (The school was renamed New Wave shortly thereafter).
Pantera's Professional Background and Experience
When Pantera was four years old, he began his formal Martial Arts training with Shihan Erik Kugel in the art of Shaolin Kempo Karate. The dojo where they trained was actually nothing more than a small training space located around the corner from the current location. Pantera closely watched his instructors and strived to be the best student he could. He began truly appreciating the Martial Arts around the years of puberty - watching martial art movies with his uncle (Contra Mestre Tigri), in addition to helping to clean the academy before training. Quickly growing to love the discipline and work ethics that was expected of every student, he rose amongst the ranks and became one of the top students in his class. He received his 1st Degree and the title of Sempi at 14 years of age in 2000.
In the same year, following his uncle's footsteps, he began training Capoeira. With the dedication and skill he previously cultivated with his Kempo background he grew fast in capoeira and earned the nickname - Pantera (Panther - Strong, Fast, Mysterious, and Fearless). After training several years and teaching at New Wave Self Defense, and the University of RI, Pantera earned Instrutor in 2010 and now has his own capoeira group in Taunton, MA.
Pantera recently received his BA from The University of Rhode Island in Psychology with a minor in Business management, and plans to continue pursuing a Masters Degree in Business Management. His ultimate goal is to open up a fitness plaza where he will have his very own Capoeira group among other initiatives. |