Coach: Lee Shabaka
Lee Shabaka has studied various forms of martial arts since the age of fourteen including karate, kung-fu (see sample video , boxing and kickboxing. During his early years of training he attended college at St. Augustine’s in Raleigh, North Carolina. There he met and trained with several amateur and professional tournament champions. It was then that he came to the conclusion that there are no superior systems, only superior fighters—a motto he uses up until this day.
After college, Lee returned to his native New York landing work as a professional fitness trainer. Through that knowledge he began to emphasize the importance of conditioning in training via calisthenics, resistance and cardiovascular activity, in creating a complete fighter. Lee integrated all these elements into his martial arts training.
From 1987 to 1993, Lee introduced his training concepts to the top health clubs in New York City, such as New York Health and Racquet and New York Sports Club, long before boxing and kickboxing became trendy. Lee states that when he first brought punching mitts and kicking shields into the health clubs in the 80s and early 90s most managers didn’t know what they were, let alone what they were for. Nevertheless a simple exhibition in the use of this equipment was good enough for most health clubs to give the green light. He focused on using boxing and kickboxing techniques as a vehicle towards a fitness workout and the classes became a hit.