Shihan Fernando Fialho

Shihan Fernando Fialho was born in the Cape Verdean Islands . There he was inspired into the Martial Arts by Bruce Lee movies. At a very young age he and his cousins (Silas and Sandro Pinto) dressed up as Ninjas and ran around town imitating Ninja movements. These childhood games were the sparkshe needed to fly into the Arts. His official training did not commence until he came to the United States at the age of 10.

Sifu Fialho's Professional Background and Experience

Fred Villari's Studio of Self Defense in Warwick RI was the dojo where Shihan began his training in 1989, under the guidance of Shihan Erik Kugel. The two became very close and their relationship was more like that of a father and son. Shihan became first degree Black Belt in the art of Shaolin Kempo Karate three years later.

The school soon became Masters of Self Defense . In 1995 Shihan earned his 2nd degree black belt. The school became New Wave Self Defense. In 1998 Shihan became third degree black belt. Shihan has been an active for twenty-two years. He has been sharing his knowledge with people of all ages for nearly seveneen years. Today he is recognized as Chief Instructor of Shaolin Kempo Karate at New Wave.

His life as a Martial Artist has just began. He recently received the title of Shihan (master) and fifth degree in Kempo. He has also trained with Olympic Champion, Master Sayed Najem, in the art of Olympic Tae Kwon Do.

"A master is not greater than his servant nor a servant above his master. He who humbles himself will become master. He who exaltheth himself shall become servant."

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Silas Pinto (Tigri)

Mestrando/Sensei

Silas Pinto was born in the Cape Verdean Islands and moved to the USA at the age of 12, already with an appetite for learning about the martial arts. Although he couldn’t afford formal classes for most of his martial arts life, it didn’t stop him from training on his own, reading the history, learning about the sub-culture and attending regular events and gatherings for arts ranging from kickboxing to capoeira.

Tigri's Professional Background and Experience

In 1992, Tigri joined his first group, training and fighting in amll amateur kickboxing/San Shou organization in Massachusetts unknown to most of his family and friends. Coming from a strict home, he had to keep his activities to himself. He fought up to "master level" fighters with over 40 fights. He left the group towards the end of 1995 as he was prepping for college.

He officially joined his cousin, Shihan Fialho, Shihan Carlos De La Cruz and Shihan Erik Kugel at New Wave and shortly after received his honorary black belt and then his official 1st Degree Black Belt in Kempo Karate in 1997. His last level in Kempo was his third degree in 2006. Along the way, he received 1st degree Black Belt in WTF Tae Kwon Do from Olympic Silver Medalist, Master Sayed Najem, in 2002. Among other awards for work in the community and his arts, tigri was inducted into the world martial arts hall of fame (WMAHOF) in 2001 as instructor of the year... and was one of the coaches of FIMA - the official WMAHOF Demo Team for 2001 and 2002.

Click here to learn more about his capoeira journey

The short version: Sensei Pinto (also known as Mestrando Tigri in the Capoeira community) has had an exciting, but difficult journey in capoeira. He started a capoeira club in high school with Shihan Fialho, which lead to a college club in 1996. With no capoeira opportunities around him - he learned from books and videos and whatever he could from workshops and batizados/gatherings, and spending many years with different national and international instructors. He has trained with many mestres, but none as distinguished and supportive as Mestre Chuvisco whom he joined in 2004, until 2011. Tigri now runs his own group (which had officially formed in 2000, Grupo Ondas) and to work closely with friends from all walks of capoeira styles.

In other areas, Tigri directs New Wave Arts and the Cape Verdean and Brazilian Cultural Center (conduting projects from psychological research to music and arts) and holds a doctorate in school psychology from the University of Rhode island, and is currently a full-time faculty in the school psychology graduate program at Tufts University's Department of Education in Medford, MA.

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Sensei Marcus Webster

Sensei Marcus Webster was born in Providence, Rhode Island on December 25, 1987. As a child, Sensei became interested in the Martial Arts the same way that most children become interested in the arts- through martial arts movies. He would always watch movies of famous martial artists like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Steven Seagal (just to name a few) and be amazed by the feats of physical prowess that were displayed time and time again.

Sensei Webster's Professional Background and Experience

When Marcus was six (6) years old, he began his first formal Martial Arts training with Sensei Andres Tavares in the art of Nihon-Koden Shindo Ryu.The dojo where they trained was actually nothing more than the dance section of a club. Marcus and the other students constantly had to clean their training space every day before training. It was here that Marcus learned the fundamentals of the Martial Arts. He quickly grew to love the discipline and work ethic the was expected of every student.

He joined New Wave at the age of 9 in 1997 and has been a member since. He received his 2nd Degree the title Sensei in 2005.

Sensei recently received his BA from Rhode Island College in Graphic Communications. He is also looking into working towards his Masters Degree in either Business Management or Advertising. He is also trying to better himself as a Martial Artist in order to be able to give his students the best Martial Arts education possible. 

When Pantera was four years old, he began his formal Martial Arts training with Shihan Erik Kugel in the art of Shaolin Kempo Karate. The dojo was nothing more than a small, humble training space located around the corner from the current academy. He began truly appreciating the Martial Arts around the teen years - watching martial art movies with his uncle (Mestrando Tigri), in addition to helping to clean the academy before training. Quickly growing to love the discipline, he became one of the top students in his class, including participating in Team FIMA (the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame Demo team – ’01 and ‘02)

He received his 1st Degree Black Belt and the title of Sempi n 2000. In the same year, he began training Capoeira. In 2006 he received the level of Monitor, officially allowing him to teach under the Grupo Ondas system, and has since been teaching at both New Wave and the University of Rhode Island. Upon receiving the level of instrutor in 2010, he started working on establishing his own extension of Grupo Ondas and working towards his goal of opening an academy in the near future – a logical step of a martial artist who has dedicated over 20 years of his life to his field.

In addition to his martial arts achievements, Pantera recently received his Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Rhode Island in Psychology with a minor in Business management, and plans to continue pursuing a Masters Degree in Business Management.

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