Guazabara Maestro
Edgardo Pérez
(Soke)
Chief
Instructor of Guazabara Fighting Arts & The Warrior Hapkido
Combatives System
(NitainoYamocaGuaraguao,
Cacique-Takena gua Guazabara)
Guazabara's Chief
Instructor, Edgardo Perez, has more than 28 years of training in
Hapkido in both the United States and South Korea, a Full Instructor in
Filipino Largo Mano Eskrima as well as being the founder and Chief
Instructor of The Defense Training Institute & The World Guazábara
Federation. Master Perez began his Hapkido training in 1979 under the
Fowler Brothers in Aurora, Illinois. Perez then took his training to South
Korea where he trained under Grandmaster Yu Chong Su (Chong Su Kwan
Hapkido) who in turn was trained by Grandmaster Choi Yong Sool (Founder
of Hapkido).
Perez is a law enforcement veteran of more then twenty
years who has also been teaching Police Defensive Tactics to local,
state and military personal during that time. He is a member of
Illinois Tactical Officers Association
and a charter
member of
The International
Law Enforcement Educators & Trainers Association (ILEETA).
He has conducted numerous seminars in
the United States and Puerto Rico. As a veteran
with
tactical and combat training, and as a police sergeant who has quelled
many dangerous situations. Maestro Pérez has reintroduced to the modern
era a realistic
weapons system that can adapt to any hostile circumstances.
Honoring his Taino Warrior bloodline, Maestro Perez,
who's family is from the mountains of Camuy & Lares, P.R.,
is also a Nitaino-Chief of the Baramaya Tribe, Tequina (teacher) of
Taino Tribal Warrior Ways and the Illinois Representative of The United
Confederation of Taino People
The reintroduction of this martial art
from Boriken and the Caribbean islands to modern society is not only a
tribute to the indigenous people of
Boriken (Puerto Rico) but of tribal
people everywhere. In the ancient Taino language, Guazabara can be
interpreted several ways; but it ultimately means war, fighter,
protector, hunter or warrior. The Way of Guazabara has
always been and remains a method of self-preservation.
May our ancestors find us worthy. Maestro Perez
Jan Jan Catu!
MILITARY
Graduate: U.S. Air Force Security
Police Academy
Graduate: USAF Air Base Ground Defense (
Camp Bullis, Texas) Small Weapons & M-60 Specialist. 1983
U.S. Air Force. Security Police
Emergency Services Team (EST) , Team Member / Small Explosives
Specialist (Certified by Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) 1984-1986.
Graduate: USAF Volant Scorpion Survival
School. 1985
Graduate: USAF Silver Flag Alpha, Desert
Warfare Training Center . 1986
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Graduate: Illinois State Police
Academy-Municipal Law Enforcement Division
Former member of The FBI Organized
Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF)
Former member of The Illinois State
Police North Central Narcotics Task Force. (NCNTF)
Graduate of the Drug Enforcement
Agency (DEA) Narcotic Officer Survival School (NOSS)
Specialist in Survival Defensive
Tactics for Police
Specialist in Officer Survival Knife
Fighting for Police.
Certified Close
Quarter Battle Instructor
Certified
Police Defensive Tactics Instructor
MARTIAL ARTS
Grandmaster /Founder (Soke) of the Guazabara System & The World
Guazabara Federation.
Founder of the
Warrior Hapkido Combatives System.
Owner and Chief Instructor of The
Defense Training Institute
Founder and Director of The Martial Arts Gang Intervention Club (M.A.G.I.C.)
Senior Master in Hapkido with 28
years experience.
Student of Grand Master Yu Chong Su in
Hapkido & KumDo, South Korea.
President of Warrior Way, Inc.
Full Instructor in Filipino
Kali-Eskrima, Largo Mano Style.
Member of the
1984 Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) Osan AB Martial Arts Team representing
Chong Su Kwan Hapkido in the Philippines.
2005 Inducted
into the BUDO
International Hall of Fame, Outstanding Contributions to the Martial Arts.
2005 Inducted
into the Universal Martial Arts
Hall of Fame , Grandmaster of the Year.
2006 Universal Martial Arts
Hall of Fame , Police Defensive Tactics Instructor of the Year
2006
Inducted into the Cosmopolitan Florida Martial Arts Hall of Fame , Master of The
Year
2007 Inducted
into the Action
Martial Arts Hall of Fame , Outstanding Dedication To The
Martial Arts
2007 Graduate of the
Ronin Police Instructors Course, Tampa Florida.
2007 Inducted
into the World Karate Union Hall of Fame
2007 Universal
Martial Arts Hall of Fame Law Enforcement's Man of The Year
2007
Cosmopolitan Florida Martial Arts Hall of Fame , Founder of The
Year-Guazabara.
2007 League of
United Latin America n Citizens (LULAC) Founders Award
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Ronin Brotherhood
Ronin Police
Defensive Tactics Association-Midwest Representative
International Police Association
Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame-Illinois State Representative
International
Combatives Self-Defensive Association-Advisory Board
Dog Brothers Inc., Martial Arts-Associate Member
The World
Hapkido Association
American Teachers Association of
the Martial Arts
The Korean Martial Arts Instructors
Association
The Fraternal
Order of Police.
Narcotic Law Enforcement Officers Association
The Illinois Drug Enforcement
Officers Association
The University of Illinois Police Training Institute Alumni
Association.
Mid-West Gang
Investigators Association.
Illinois Tactical Officers
Association.
Illinois Puerto
Rican Chamber of Commerce
United
Confederation of Taino People-Illinois State Representative
The
National Rifle Association.
