StickArts.com - Promoting the Stick Arts from Around the World

About the Founders

Wayne Macke
Co-founder, Webmaster
wmacke@stickarts.com

I have been involved in the martial arts since 1989. I have been involved in all aspects of the martial arts; student, instructor, studio manager, seminar promoter, tournament coordinator, school marketing and private instruction. While my base art is Kenpo Karate, I have trained in other various arts. I currently hold the rank of 4th Degree Black Belt. As part of my kenpo training, I learned various stick disarms, attacks and forms. In 1999 I joined Cromwell Martial Arts, where I met Frank Shekosky and started to learn the stick art known as Modern Arnis. I do not consider myself anything more than a beginner stick artist, but enjoy the community. Because of my background in marketing and web development I decided that a site like StickArts.com would be a great addition to the stick art community and would help others find out more about the stick arts. Frank always commented how friendly the community was, but experienced it first-hand at my first seminar. Everyone was so quick to help and motivate, without ever making me feel awkward. While kenpo will always be my first love, I realize the stick arts can teach me so much. This site is dedicated to all those who strive to learn more and realize that we can learn so much from others!

Yours truly in the Arts,
Sifu Wayne Macke

And now some background on a great friend and teacher (and co-founder)...

Frank Shekosky
Co-founder, Promoter
fshekosky@StickArts.com

My initial training began in Kempo Karate. I then remember seeing my instructor riding his motorcycle and he was carrying sticks in a backpack that he had strapped to his back. At first I thought that they were tennis raquets! As I looked closer, I noticed that they were just plain old sticks! "Why would he carry around sticks", I wondered? Soon after, I heard him talking to another student about some art called modern arnis that he was practicing. At first, looking at the sticks, I thought that it looked pretty plain and thought it couldn't be a very exciting art. After all, how much could you really do with a stick! My instructor seemed so impressed with the sticks that I decided to give it a try. I started taking private lessons and I soon became absolutely hooked! The modern arnis helped fill gaps that I felt that I had in my previous training, I found that my hand coordination improved; everything I could do with a stick could be applied empty hand, and most of all it was fun! I soon went to a Modern Arnis Summer training camp and met Grandmaster Remy Presas. Meeting him improved my life in a number of ways. My martial arts training started to grow by leaps and bounds, I met lots of fantastic people, and I found new inspiration in my training. For several years I traveled extensively going to countless seminars and camps, mostly in Arnis, and have worked with thousands of students. I am happy and feel privileged to have been a friend and personal student of the late Grandmaster Presas for nearly 15 years. We now host our own Arnis seminars and camps open to all. It is my hope that this site will serve as a bridge for all martial artists to come together, share information and insights, rise above the differences and work together as different branches from the same family.

Best wishes to all in our sticks arts family!!
Sensei Frank Shekosky