Members of the Academy

The following is a list of current members of the Maine Academy, including current status in the Academy, plus other relevant information. To view photos from the archive, click here.

March 2008 Seminar

Front row (L to R): Robert Anthony, Si-Fu Scott Baker, & Jeff Smith

Second row (L to R): Chad Weber, Al French, Anthony Oddi, Jeff Anderson, Bill Tanner, & John Hall

Front row (L to R): John Hall & Jeff Smith

Second row (L to R): Robert Anthony & Si-Fu Baker

Third row: Chad Weber, Al French, Anthony Oddi, Jeff Anderson, & Bill Tanner

Very back: "Bob," the mascot.

Our illustrious photographer and videographer, Amanda Anthony

Robert Anthony

Robert Anthony: Founder of the Maine Academy, which was established in 1999. Began training in Wing Chun under Sifu Scott Baker in October, 1989, and reached the Disciple level in June 1999. His previous martial art training includes studying Kenpo for three years in the 1980's, plus dabbling in Tai Chi and Wing Chun while in the Army.

 

 

Jeff Smith

 

Jeffrey Smith: Jeff, who lives in the Falmouth, ME, area, trained with the Academy from May of 2001 to November of 2002. He has recently returned, in October of 2005, and is back to working on the Yellow Shirt Level. His prior martial arts training includes Tai Chi Chuan at Full Circle Synergy.

Jeff's status in the Academy:

White Shirt (Student of Position): April, 2002

Yellow Shirt (Student of Motion): currently working on.

John Hall

John Hall: John, a resident of Saco, Me, also began in May of 2001. His prior martial arts experience Isshin-ryu for about 8 months in High School, and Yang style Tai Chi. He has also spent some time studying Kempo and Shotokan.

John's status in the Academy:

White Shirt (Student of Position): April, 2002

Yellow Shirt (Student of Motion): August, 2003

Red Shirt (Student of Power): currently working on.

Sitou Jeff Anderson

Jeffrey Anderson: Jeff, who lives in the Springvale, ME area, began training in Wing Chun in January of 2002. His prior martial arts experience includes Go Doi-Ru Karate Do, which he took from 1987 to 1991, and from 1998 to 2002.

Jeff's status in the Academy:

White Shirt (Student of Position): July, 2003

Yellow Shirt (Student of Motion): March, 2006

Red Shirt (Student of Power): April, 2007

Gray Shirt Disciple Level One: currently working on.

John Burke

John Burke: John, who lives in the Gray, ME area, began training in Wing Chun in August, 2003. He has no prior martial arts training.

John's status in the Academy

White Shirt (Student of Position): May, 2004

Yellow Shirt (Student of Motion): November, 2005

Red Shirt (Student of Power): currently working on.

RJ Mere: RJ, who resides Kennebunk, ME area, began training in Wing Chun in August, 2003. His prior martial arts experience was in Tae Kwon Do, which he began training in in 1976. He reached the rank of black belt in 1979, and remained active in TKD for the next five years, during which time he was active in full contact fighting. He retired from TKD in 1984.

RJ's status in the Academy:

White Shirt (Student of Position): May, 2004

Yellow Shirt (Student of Motion): currently working on.

Al French

Al French: Al, who resides in the New Glouscester, Me area, began training in Wing Chun in September, 2003.His prior martial arts experience began with Shaolin Chin Na and Wu Shu, which he studied from January 1997 until March 2001. He also studied Tae Kwon Do with Fournier's Karate for 3 months in 1998, and Choi Shin Do (Korean Fighting System) for 3-4 months of training in 1998 at the University of Southern Maine. He has also dabbled in Yang style Tai Chi and Qigong.

Al's status in the Academy:

White Shirt (Student of Position): May, 2004

Yellow Shirt (Student of Motion): January, 2008

Red Shirt (Student of Power): currently working on.

Sitou Anthony Oddi

Anthony Oddi: Anthony, who resides in the Gray, ME, area, began training in Wing Chun in January, 2004. He has had no prior martial arts exprerience.

Anthony's status in the Academy:

White Shirt (Student of Position): October, 2004

Yellow Shirt (Student of Motion): October, 2005

Red Shirt (Student of Power): January, 2008

Gray Shirt Disciple Level One: currently working on.

 

Mark St John

Mark St John: Mark, who resides in the South Portland, ME, area, began training in Wing Chun in September, 2004. Mark left the Academy in November of 2006, when he moved to Georgia. Though he had to move, Mark is a member still, though inactive.

Bill Tanner, Jr.: Bill, who resides in the Philips, ME area, trained at the Academy from Ocotber, 2005 until December, 2006. Bill had trained in the Wong Shun Leung line for a number of years, and after he moved back to Maine, he began training students of his own, which he still does at this time. Because of his prior training, he entered the Academy as a red shirt.

Red Shirt (Student of Power): January, 2008

Gray Shirt Disciple Level One: currently working on.

 

 

Chad Weber

Chad Weber: Chad, who resides in the Cumberland, Me, area, began training in Wing Chun in January of 2007.

Chad's status in the Academy:

White Shirt (Student of Position): January, 2008

Yellow Shirt (Student of Motion): currently working on.

*Honorary Member(s)*

John Fontana: John is a student of Sifu Mark Messare of the Moy Yat family. He travels a lot for his company, and so he gets a chance to meet with other instructors in the Wing Chun family. He and Robert worked on Chi Sau together from September through December of 2000. John is currently an instructor under Sifu Messare. To see a photo of John, and to learn more of the system he is studying, you may visit their site at: Messare's Ving Tsun Academy

*Former Members*

Lloyd Chute: Lloyd began training in Wing Chun in March of 2001, and stopped training in August of 2007. He had reached Disciple Level One by that time.

Patrick Scully: Patrick started training in Wing Chun in October of 2001. Patrick's prior martial arts experience included Tae Kwon Do when he was younger, about the time that he was in Middle School and in High School. He also studied Jeet Kune Do in Connecticut in 1993 for a period of 3 months. Patrick was working on The Student of Motion Level when he decided to leave the Academy in July of 2003.

Nicholas Starbird: Nicholas started just five days after Patrick in October of 2001. Nicholas trained on and off over a period of just under two years, when he attended his last class in early October of 2003. By that time, he was halfway through the Student of Motion Level.

Jesse Blier: Jesse, who lives in the Augusta, ME area, began training in Wing Chun in July of 2002. His prior martial arts experience includes Tae-Kwon-Do, which he took when he was younger in the mid-1980's, Kenpo and kickboxing, which he took during the period of 1991-92, and he also studied Isshin-ryu, which he studied from March until July of 2002, in which he reached the level of blue with a black strip belt. Jesse had completed his white shirt training in March of 2003 and had nearly completed his yellow shirt training when he left the Academy in October of 2004.

Raphael Desreumaux: Raphael was a member of the Academy from September 2002 through May 2003. During that time, he had worked on level one, which he had nearly completed, and parts of level two. He was a student at the University of New England in Biddeford, ME, and would travel to the classes in Gray and Springvale when he had the chance. It was the rising costs of tuition at the University which forced him to move back to California, where he originates from, and where he plans on continuing his training in Wing Chun.

Karen Rak: Karen began training in Wing Chun in October of 2002, and trained on and off until June of 2003. She was still working on the Student of Position Level by the time she had stopped.

Casey Blier: Casey began training in Wing Chun in February of 2003. By the time that he had left the Academy in November of 2003, he had been studying in the Student of Motion Level for approximately three months.

Mike Charette: Mike, who resides in the Alfred, Me area, began training in Wing Chun in January, 2004. Mike's prior martial arts experience includes Tae Kwon Do, which he began training in 1976. He reached Black Belt in 1979 and continued to train until 1985. He competed in many tournaments, and was active in full contact and kick boxing. He also trained with the Bo staff, Sai and knife fighting. Mike had completed his white shirt training in July of 2004, and was working on his yellow shirt level when he left the Academy in September of 2005.

Dana Slone: Dana, who resides in the Portland, ME area, began training in Wing Chun in September, 2004. She has no prior martial arts experience. Dana left the Academy in April of 2006, to begin a tour of South America. Dana recently moved to Colorado.

Mike Genest: Mike began training in Wing Chun at the Maine Academy in September, 2004. His prior martial arts experience included a short stint in Shotokan and Jujitsu in the early '90's. He began training in Wing Chun with the Arizona Wing Chun Association (AWCA) in late 2003 through their distance learning program, in which he reached Level Two. Due to taking on a new job, he had to leave the Academy in January of 2005. At that time, he was still working on the Student of Position Level.

Deven Christian: Deven, who resides in the New Gloucester, ME area, began training in Wing Chun in October, 2004, and he had no prior martial arts experience. Deven left the Academy in April of 2005.

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Last Updated 10 March, 2008

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