Daniel Pesina

“Where what you master is yourself”

Master Daniel Pesina has been studying the martial arts since 1972. He began

his formal training with Master Guo Jianhua in 1989 studying both external and internal Wushu. Master Pesina has also studied under many other Chinese living treasures and instructors including Hu Jianqiang (former Chinese National Champion), Zhu Bao Jian Bagua Zhang Grand Master, and Lin Jianhua, to name just a few.

Master Pesina has competed both nationally and internationally. He has won numerous first places and awards in forms, weapons and fighting on the A.A.U., N.A.S.K.A., and U.S.A. KungFu/Wushu circuits.

His film and multimedia careers include starring roles in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies and Book of Swords, as well as co-creator credits for the

Mortal Kombat™ game. His image has been featured on the cover many magazines including “Time Magazine”.

Jehue Williams

Jehue Williams started his martial arts training at the age of 12. He started his training with 7 Star Praying Mantis and Iron body and Iron Palm training.

He trained with various Chinese Martial arts coaches throughout the Chicago land area, then he finally started his formal training at the Chicago Wushu Guan with Master Daniel Pesina. During the last 8 years of training with Master Pesina, he has learned Northern, Northwestern, and Southern styles. Jehue specializes in San Da also has specialized in Tong Bei, Long Fist, Broad Sword and Pu Dao.

Jehue Williams traveled to China in 2001 and 2007 to practice with Coach Liu Zhen Dong in Tie Ling, Liao Ning Province. In 2002, he trained San Shou, (Chinese Kick-boxing) with the head coach Tang Hong Yuan of Shen Yang San Shou Team. When he is not perfecting his art he likes to unwind by playing online games. You can see his favorites by clicking here.

Pek Pongpaet

Pek Pongpaet has been practicing wushu for over 8 years with Master Daniel Pesina. He has also studied with other wushu instructors including Tian Hai Hong, former member of the Lianing wushu team, Jian Zeng Jiao, former member of the Beijing wushu team, Li Qiang, former member of the Beijing wushu team and all-around national champion. His specialties include long fist, staff, and broadsword.

Pek has competed in numerous regional and national tournaments and won many awards in empty hand and weapons forms. Pek has also won silver and bronze medals at Wu Bin’s (Jet Li’s coach) International Invitational Wushu Competition in Beijing 2002.

Pek’s experience in wushu has led to motion capture roles in 5 Mortal Kombat video games and a martial arts stage production

Yusuf Lawal

Yusuf Lawal has been practicing martials arts for 15 years and wushu for over 8 years with Master Daniel Pesina. His specialties include Nan Chuan, Nan Dao, and Hua Chuan.

Yusuf has competed in numerous regional and International tournaments and won many awards in empty hand, sparring and weapons. Yusuf finished 3rd in the MidWest Circuit 1998 martial arts competition in forms, weapons and sparring and 2nd in the International Pro-Am all styles martial arts circuit in 1999.

Yusuf’s experience in wushu has led to motion capture roles in Mortal Kombat video games.

Carlos Pesina

Carlos Pesina started his martial arts training with his brother Daniel in the early 80’s. He since then shares some of the masters that his brother has studied with. He not only teaches at the Guan but presently works for Midway Games.

Victor Twu

A World Martial Arts fan, a neighbor of two Wing Chun masters, and a child influenced by popular Hong Kong Kung Fu movies, he tried to copy the fighting moves he saw when he was young. As opportunity arrived, he first started training in Seven Star Praying Mantis Kung Fu and Tai Chi and began searching around for good instructors.

Besides teaching Chinese Martial Arts, he was also a Taekwondo instructor for some years. He has also practiced some other Martial Arts styles such as Thai Boxing, Karate, Aikido, Hapkido, Judo, and Fillippino Martial Arts, etc. to challenge himself with different practice partners and to improve his sparring and technique efficiency.

He has constantly practiced different styles of Chinese traditional Northern and Southern Internal and External Martial Arts and a variety of hard and soft, short and long weapons. Gaining experience for more than 30 years, he has mostly focused on Traditional Chinese Kung Fu, Contemporary Wushu, Tai Chi and BaGua. He has had many years of Martial Arts teaching experience in Chicago and Evanston. As a Martial Arts Instructor at our school, his main lessons are Tai Chi, BaGua, LongFist (Chang Chuan) basics, Traditional Shaolin, Hung Gar and weapons forms and applications.

Lin Jianhua

Visiting guest coach

“As a child, I was very fond of Wushu and admired very much the smartness and nimbleness of those adults who were practicing Wushu. In 1964, when I was 12 years old, I went to learn Wushu basic skills, 12 routines of Spring Let etc. In 1973, I entered the Department of Physical Education of Fujian Normal University, majoring in Wushu, where I received a strict and systematic training under the direction of Professor Guo Minghua, Professor Lin Jinde and Professor Hu Jinhuan.”

“On graduation from the university, I became a Wushu teacher in the Department of Physical Education of Fujian Normal University. In 1979, I went to Wuhan Institute of Physical Education to study martial arts in a national advanced class for university Wushu teachers, where I was fortunately taught by Professor Wen Jingming, the most famous Wushu educator, former vice president of the Wushu Association of China, and Professor Liu Yuhua. Professor Wen and Liu personally taught me Xingyiquan (Form and Will Boxing) Baquazhang (Eight-diagram Palm), Kaoshou-fanziquan and Liuhe-spearplay, which are excellent traditional Wushu routines. Professor Wen often encouraged us by saying: ‘Be a successor and spreader of Wushu and make Wushu beneficial to our offspring and the whole mankind.’ His words have been inspiring me deeply and will be in my mind forever.”

“Now, I have been teaching Wushu in universities for nearly 20 years and I have trained a great number of students, some of whom are from Europe, America and other Asian countries. Many members of foreign visiting groups have also attended my Wushu classes to learn Chinese martial arts including Xingyiquan. It is a pleasure to see that these foreign students are as enthusiastic as Chinese students. I deeply esteem them for their keenness on Wushu and their assiduousness in exercise. Through learning Wushu, they have learnt more about traditional Chinese culture and have strengthened the friendship with Chinese people.”