Guantanamo Bay Gazette
November 2, 2007

Sideswipe Martial Arts visit GTMO

Sideswipe will visit Guantanamo Bay Naval Station (GTMO) as part of a seven day entertainment tour for US troops starting Oct. 30 and the NEX/MWR Customer Appreciation Weekend event.

Matt Mullins, Craig Henningsen, Brendon Huor, Donald Mills, Seth Austin, Jake Greenburg, Luke Broadlick and Justin Eaton will be joined by members of Sharkey's Karate Studio for this special performance.

Sideswipe Performance Team is a martial arts-based group that blends traditional martial arts such as Karate and Tae Kwon Do, with gymnastics and acrobatics, to create an extreme, high-flying display of talent, strength and stamina unlike anything else. Based in Los Angeles, Sideswipe has been entertaining audiences across the country over the last three years, performing on television, stage, at sporting events, live action shows and karate tournaments.

Craig Henningsen - Currently holds eight national and three world titles, and is the two-time defending champion of the coveted AKA Grand Nationals Warrior Cup, being the only one to win back-to-back championships. A black belt in Shorei-Ryu. Donald Mills - A member of Team AKA's three-time world champion demo team, he holds a black belt in Karate and has been competing nationally for six years.

Jake Greenburg - A member of Team AKA's three-time world champion demo team, he is a black belt in Shorei-ryu Karate and has been competing for eight years.

Brendon Huor - An ISKA World Champion and a two-time NASKA national champion, he is the captain of Team AKA's three-time world champion demo team a black belt in Shorei-ryu Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and Wushu, and has been rated number 1 in Chinese Forms and Weapons for two consecutive years.

Seth Austin - A second degree black belt in American Kenpo, is currently nationally ranked in adult forms and a weapons competitor.

Luke Broadlick - Has won five World titles and was voted the 2005 Viewer Choice Awards' Rookie of the Year.

Matthew Mullins - This Five-time world champion has been practicing martial arts for more than a decade. Honing his skills, studying under legendary martial arts instructor John Sharkey at Sharkey's Karate Studio in Naperville, Illinois, Matt took to the competition circuit and quickly excelled in all divisions. A third-degree black belt in Shorei-Ryu, Matt is also a six-time North American Sport Karate Association (NASKA) national champion and a five-time American Karate Association (AKA) national champion. While at Sharkey's, Matt also trained alongside three-time world champion Mike Chaturantabut. There, the two men perfected their skills in sport karate, what would later become known as XMA, or extreme martial arts, a fluid blend of traditional forms with powerful acrobatics and gymnastics.

Sideswipe will perform at the Marine Hill Nov. 2 from 8-10:30am. And they also perform a DEMO at the NEX Atrium Nov. 2 from 1-2pm.