Trevor Haines, a sixth-degree black belt in American kenpo karate, leads class at Dojo Chattanooga as Andrea and Ana Subtirelu and Will Moldenlaur, from left, mimic his moves.
Jacob Haines, left, and Trevor Haines train students at Dojo Chattanooga.
Students gather in a circle after class as Trevor Haines, left, tells a story with son Jacob Haines by his side.WHERE TO LEARNDojo Chattanooga, 323 Cherokee Blvd., offers courses for several styles, including adult and youth courses of Five Animal Kenpo, wing chun kung-fu, adult and youth fencing classes, fitness kickboxing and warrior fit conditioning. For more information, call 423-267-0855 or visit DojoChattanooga.com.FIVE ANIMAL KENPOIn 1997, Trevor Haines created a variation of American kenpo known as Five Animal Kenpo. Although it retains many of the basic tenants of traditional kenpo — which borrows elements from martial traditions in China, Japan, Hawaii and America — Haines says his form offers a “macro strategic overview of combat.” It also incorporates the underlying philosphy of Shaolin kung fu, which centers on a rock-paper-scissors-like balance of power likened to the behavior of five different animals: dragon, snake, tiger, leopard and crane. For more information, including a store offering his 20-disc instructional DVD series, visit FiveAnimalKenpo.com.
For most children, homework and chores are just facts of life, obligatory obstacles to overcome on the path to adulthood.
In the Haines family, so is becoming a highly skilled martial artist.
A stocky 5-foot-8 with close-cropped, graying hair, Trevor Haines’ 35 years of training have earned him a sixth-degree black belt in American kenpo karate as well as teaching licenses for wing chun kung-fu and fencing. In 1997, he developed his own style, known as Five Animal Kenpo.
While they were dating, Trevor began coaching his wife, Patricia, 49, who eventually attained a second-degree black belt in traditional kenpo. As each of their four children were born, they started training by age 5, and before they were allowed to quit, they had to earn a black belt, too.