NEW ORLEANS INSTRUCTORS

Head Instructor

Joseph Meissner

Sifu Joseph Meissner, Head Instructor, is a third degree black belt with 12 years' experience teaching Shaolin-Do. He holds a bachelor's degree in Theatre, Speech, and Dance from Brown University and has completed graduate work in creative writing at UNO. He studies Shaolin-Do under 6th degree Master Joe Schaefer of Austin, TX and has taken many classes directly from Grandmaster Sin Kwang The' and other senior masters. He was a guest tai chi trainer on the Discovery Channel's "Health Cops New Orleans" program. Sifu Joseph is an experienced instructor in academia as well as the arts. He has taught classes and lectured at Nicholls State University, UNO and Loyola. His instructional approach is patient and inspirational, fostering a supportive, non-competitive atmosphere as he challenges each student to surpass his or her goals and aspirations.
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Active Black Belts

Brian Adams

Brian Adams (2nd black, August 2006), senior instructor, began his Shaolin-Do studies in 1999 with Sifu Miles Thomas at UC San Diego, where he earned his B.S. in biology. He is the assistant general manager of the Whole Foods Market on Veterans Boulevard and plays club soccer.
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J.T. Palacio

J.T. Palacio (2nd black, February 2008) brings his break dancing moves to bear in his Shaolin-Do training. He is also an aficionado of kung fu movies.
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Helen Krieger

Helen, 2nd Black (August 2009), writes fiction and screenplays. She and her husband (Sifu Joseph) own a production company, The Hatchery Media.

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Dr. Isolde Butler

April 2008

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Daniel Leard

December 2008

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Huzefa Dossaji

Huzefa (1st black, September 2009) is a native of Kenya. He teaches biology at St. Augustine High School and spins records as DJ Afrodisiac.
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OTHER NEW ORLEANS-TRAINED BLACK BELTS

Trevor Moyer

Trevor Moyer (2nd black, March 2007), spent most of his time up through high school playing soccer and baseball. An avid athlete and teacher, he is always looking for new ways to connect people to the material, and new ways to push himself forward in both learning and teaching the system of Shaolin-Do. Trevor is currently living in Washington, D.C., and with his brother Kyle is an assistant instructor at the Shaolin-Do under Sifu Maiky Tran.
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Dr. Dennis Kay

Dr. Dennis Kay (2nd black, August 2008) is chairman of the Department of Radiology at Ochsner Hospital.
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Andrew Kay

Andrew (2nd black, August 2008), is our youngest black belt. He is also involved in Boy Scouts and plays the piano.

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Eric St. Laurent

Eric St. Laurent (1st black, February 2004), is studying Chinese medicine in Boston.
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Robert Reynolds

Robert Reynolds (1st black, February 2004) is a painter whose work can be seen at the Off the Beaten Way Gallery on Royal Street. He is currently living in Milwaukee, WI.
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David Sullivan

David Sullivan (1st black, March 2004) has studied Yang and Chen family tai chi since 1995 and Shaolin-Do since 2001. He received his MFA in painting from the Maryland Institute, College of Art. He creates illustrations and animations for money. He is fond of pie.
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Dana Pellegrin

Dana (1st black, March 2004) is a native New Orleanian and holds a B.S. (with honors) in Biology from Loyola. She works as a research analyst at Tulane and volunteers with Gulf Coast Doberman Rescue, Inc.
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Thomas Gondalfo

Thomas, (1st black, March 2004), manages computer networks for the U.S. Army.
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Eric Normand

(1st Black, February 2005.) Eric recently returned from a Peace Corps mission in Guinea, West Africa.
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Jared Taylor

Jared Taylor (1st black sash in internal arts, February 2005) is a graduate of Tulane Law School and currently lives in Portland, OR.
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Corina Bittleston-Calsing

Corina, (1st Black February 2005), studies creative writing in the MFA program at UNO and teaches middle school.

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Michael Overstreet

Michael (1st black, June 2006) currently lives in Hartford, CT.
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Vince Giordano

Vince (1st black, August 2006) now lives in Raleigh, NC.
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Toff Murray

1st black, August 2006
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Guy Johnston

October 2008

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Mark Gallant

December 2008

Mark is studying Chiropractic in Atlanta.

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Maria Kay

Maria, 1st Black (September 2006), is a physical therapist.

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