| Four Winds Martial Arts Training Who the heck is this guy! |
| "Okay, so if you were wondering who the heck I am, here is the info...!" Biography Anthony J. Dintino, III, or Tony, began his love affair with the martial arts from hours of Saturday afternoon kung-fu movies as a kid and the “ninja craze” of the mid-1980’s. Tony started training in American kempo at the age of 11 under a local teacher, but a family move out of the area shortly stopped the training. Tony began in 2001, what would become, an all-consuming passion by enrolling as a white belt at Jonathan Shapero’s Bodyworks in Media, PA. For six years under 6th-dan (black belt) Master Shapero, Tony rigorously, studied Ryu-kyu Kempo and received his 1st-dan (Shodan) black belt in 2004 and his 2nd-dan (Nidan) black belt in 2006. While he did study traditional Okinawan karate including kata (forms) and their interpretation, Tony also studied modern Arnis (Filipino stick fighting) and Haganah (form of modern Israeli self-defense). He also learned the more delicate art of yoga and meditation to become a more balanced and a well-rounded martial artist. At Master Shapero’s Bodyworks, Tony was an assistant instructor among the adult classes, and wrote and taught a 6-week Street Survival Course. From 2002 to 2003, Tony studied Yang-style Tai Chi under Grand Master Stephen Sun at his Sui Lum Martial Arts Studio in Havertown, PA. Tony earned his yellow stripe in Tai Chi, but soon left to concentrate on training for his Shodan. In 2005, Tony followed an interest in the samurai sword, which led him to Shihan Keith Badyna’s Saboten-ryu Aikido School in Colmar, PA. For two years, Tony ardently studied kenjutsu, the art of the samurai sword, and a wholly different art than karate. After only two years of training, Tony received his 1st-dan black belt in kenjutsu from Sensei Badyna in 2007. Currently, Tony is the kenjutsu instructor for the New American Self-Defense school based out of Corsello's Kenpo School, N. Wales, PA. Not long in his training Tony realized there were other aspects of the martial arts he was missing. This epiphany led Tony to seek out Ernie Kirk’s Premier Martial Arts in Glen Mills, PA. Here Tony enhanced his reality and mixed martial arts training by studying Krav Maga (another form of modern Israeli self-defense), jiu-jitsu, and other reality based fighting systems. Tony has been at Mr. Kirk’s School as a student since 2006. Tony has also studied or attended seminars under the following instructors: George Dillman (Ryu-kyu Kempo), Leon Jay (Small Circle Jiu-jitsu), Patrick McCarthy (International Ryu-kyu Karate Research Society), and Jeff Delaney (International Modern Arnis Federation). Professionally, Tony has been police officer with the Media Borough Police Department since 2000, and a member of the Central Delaware County Tactical Response Team (aka SWAT). He is also a certified police self-defense instructor, and regularly teaches at the Montgomery County Community College Police Academy. In July 2007, Tony was honored to be inducted into the United States Martial Arts Association (USMA) Hall of Fame and receive the award as USMA's 2007 Martial Artist of the Year. |
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2007 USMA Martial Artist of the Year |
