Press
Kit
Rob LaPointe/Kungfufightingtips.com
is committed to maintaining an on-going open and honest relationship
with the media, existing and potential clients, and anyone wanting
specific help applying the life enhancing lessons of Kung Fu & Tai
Chi for greater health, confidence, and personal safety.
Here
are 3 Services Rob LaPointe can provide you or your company:
1. Media
guest for radio or TV
2. Public
speaker for corporate/educational events
3. Seminar
leader on Kung Fu & Tai Chi for health and personal safety
Should you
need any information not available in this kit, please call Rob
LaPointe directly at (703) 920-9746.
Bio:
Sparring and Pushing
Hands Gold Medalist Rob LaPointe is a native of Austin, Texas, where
he graduated from the University of Texas in 1982.
He began his martial
arts training in 1973 as a "backyard" student of Tony Esqevido,
a marine who had just returned from Viet Nam, where he learned Tae
Kwon Do while assigned to a Republic of Korea commando unit. When
Tony moved, Rob took up training at a formal martial arts school,
studying Kenpo. He eventually earned his black belt from Brian Duffy,
a student of the late Ed Parker.
After receiving his M.A.
from the University of Essex, U.K., Rob settled in Washington, D.C.
There he began studying Tien Shan Pai Kung Fu in Washington's Chinatown.
He was fortunate enough to learn from Chao Chi Liu who is the Senior
most Grandmaster of the Tien Shan Pai system, and a disciple of
the late Chu Jen Wang.
Rob is currently a 4th
degree Black Sash under Chao Chi Liu.
In 1989 he founded White
Birch School of Kung Fu & Tai Chi. Though the martial arts School's
he received his training in were traditional rather than "tournament"
schools, Rob has judged and competed on the national and international
levels. In 1994 attended the 1st World Tai Chi conference in Beijing,
China, where he received a certificate in Taiji, Meditation Qi Gong,
and Chinese Health Massage.
In the year 2000, to
mark his 40th birthday, Rob competed at Wong's Traditional Kung
Fu Tournament - the largest All Traditional Tournament on the East
Coast - in Washington, D.C., where he won Gold Medals in both Pushing
Hands, and Advanced Sparring.
In addition to Tien Shan
Pai and Yang Style Tai Chi training with Chao Chi Liu, Rob has studied
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (at camps and seminars featuring Helio, Rorion,
Relson, and Royce Gracie), and the following Qi
Gong: Soaring Crane (fron Niam Zu Li), Eight Pieces of Brocade
(from Shawn Liu), Six Healing Sounds (from Nian Zu Li), Qi Gong
Wu Xhi Wah (from Chao Chi Liu), Micro-Cosmic Circle Qi Gong (from
Shou-Yu Liang), and meditative Qi Gong (Conference Staff, Beijing).
Being located inside
the Washington Beltway has given Rob some unique opportunities.
In addition to teaching martial arts and presenting workshops to
members of all the Armed Services, including special forces members,
as well as CIA, DEA, FBI, Department of State Foreign Service Officers,
U.S. Customs Officers, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and Exxon-Mobile
Corporation, Rob has presented numerous health and fitness demonstrations
and workshops to Washington, D.C. area businesses and agencies,
including Georgetown University Hospital, Northern Virginia Hospital
Center, Alexandria Hospital, Arlington Public Schools, USA Today,
and Intelsat.
In 1999 he received an
invitation from the American Physical Therapy Association, and was
a featured speaker at their Annual Convention, which took place
that year in Washington, D.C.
Rob is a freelance writer
who has sold articles and fiction to Inside Kung Fu Magazine, Black
Belt Magazine, and Aboriginal Science Fiction Magazine. His articles
have also appeared in numerous on line publications. Additionally,
he has been adjunct faculty in writing and social sciences at National
Lewis University.
Rob lives on a shady
street in a quite neighborhood with his wife Izumi, their son Austin,
their daughter Tyler, and their cat Happy.
List
of Publications:
MA Success Magazine,
January 2004
Six Big-Time Owners Show You How to Market to Grownups
T'AI CHI Magazine,
October 2004
How Does One Teach T'ai Chi Philosophy?
Inside Kung-Fu Magazine,
October 2004
Coaches Notes
(on line newsletter), Spring 2005
Qi Gong Cools Down
6 Great Qi Gong Cool Downs
Black Belt Magazine,
December 2004
Fist Like Lightning: 5 Keys to Faster Punches
Talk
Radio:
Show
Jay Cruz Show |
Station
Healthylife.net
|
Topic
Martial Arts
|
Date
2/15/06 |
Listen
to Robert's Interview
on the Jay Cruz Show
(if audio does not begin playing automatically within 30 seconds,
Right click and choose "Save As" to save it to your hard
drive)
Seminars
Presented:
Defense Intelligence
Agency - Tai Chi Chuan
Exxon-Mobile Corporation - Automatic Self-Defense
Georgetown University Hospital - Healing Qi Gong
Northern Virginia Hospital Center - Tai Chi for Seniors
Alexandria Hospital - Healing Qi Gong
Arlington Public Schools - Self-Defense for Children
USA Today - Tai Chi Chuan
Intelsat - Self Defense
American Physical Therapy Association, Annual Convention
1999 - Qi Gong
Products
- by category:
Conditioning and Fitness
- http://www.kungfufightingtips.com/products/martial.htm
Martial Arts -
http://www.autoselfdefense.com
Personal Development/Motivational
- http://www.kungfufightingtips.com/products/breakingthrough.htm
Testimonials:
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Dear Sifu,
I wanted to drop
you a line and tell you how much I have missed training at
White Birch. The people I trained with there are like family
and I find that every time I come to Washington on business
I want to come by for a visit and see who is there.
Since I moved
away just over one year ago I have been unable to find a martial
arts school that will satisfy my needs. I found one person
who teaches marital arts and also does full-contact sparing;
however, after one session I realized that I was training
him with very little benefit for my fighting skills. After
eight years of your tutalage, the schools and teachers around
here just aren't adequate. Unfortunately, my timing is degrading
and as are my self-defense skills.
For eight years
I depended on my training to keep me physically fit and help
relieve the stress of long days in the Navy and later getting
my PhD in Physics. I have been running to maintain physical
fitness but I find my mind returning to kung-fu forms and
fighting. Scenarios run through my head as I run and I find
my heart racing with anticipation of the fight. I have to
think about physics to reduce my pace to a more sustainable
level.
I have been thinking
about forming a local club to train kung-fu and fighting to
provide myself with an outlet for my martial arts. I hope
that I can come visit and continue training with your school
in Arlington so that I can continue to improve my skills and
perhaps pass those skills on to some of the people here.
Thanks again for
many years of wonderful training,
James Cooley
|
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Hi Rob,
I have to tell
you, I've been subscribed to many "Martial Arts" newsletters,
and I put yours in the top 4.
regards,
Dave Cobb
|
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Rob,
I am currently
working in Iraq doing security work and tomorrow we are taking
off an a job that promises to be a doozy. the nerves are kicking
in and your email reminded me not to concentrate on what might
happen but concentrate on what I will do. Breathing and thinking
cleanly has helped focus on the positives of anything occuring
and although we don't have much time to train over here the
phillosophy of implementing your thought patterns into eveything
we do is great advice.
Cheers
H. K.
P.S. If you quote
my letter, please don't list my name, due to the nature of
my work.
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Rob,
I wanted to let
you know that I got the fitness book and it has far surpassed
my expectations. The exercises in it are some of the hardest
I have ever attempted. I can't wait to see the improvements
I know they will make. Thank you so much for providing me
with a quality, well organized and extremely useful resource.
Oh yeah, my spine
sends a special "thank you" for the warm up exercises. The
first time I did them was like getting a massage!
Thanks,
Todd Gibson
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