Sa-K-La-K-Wel Community Center - Jacmel, Haiti

Resident Instructor Enso teaching class as students test out to earn their Gi’s

Gabe, Robert and Desiree handing out patches to the ten students who passed.

Founding Staff Robert Negron and Gabriel Pallo started the Sa-K-La-K-Wel Dojo quite by accident.  What began as a fun way to horse around and interact with some of the neighborhood kids quickly snowballed into a Dojo of 30 plus students and classes running four times a week.   Instructors work together to give students a strong base in both American Kenpo and Shotokan.   The styles have proven to be very complimentary, and a practice for both sides in balancing the strengths of training in both classical and practical fighting methods.  After one month of training a student is eligible to “test out” for their white belt, and it takes two months to be eligible for a Gi.  They are given to students who have shown progress and commitment in their study, and are ready to lead by example in the Dojo and in their community.

Visiting instructors train at Shaolin American Self Defense Academy (SASDA) in North Hollywood under Sensei Donnie Jeffcoat and Sifu Lucas Sullivan. SASDA has graciously stepped forward as a parent Dojo and sponsor.  Since April of 2012 Sensei Donnie has donated student Gi’s, belts and visiting instruction.