Force Flows at Gerry Blanck’s Dojo

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

The Force was strong at Gerry Blank’s Martial Arts Center last Friday, where Jedi Master Quami Adams and apprentice Sir-Dushon Adams gave 30 students their first lightsaber training, which ended with an unexpected visit from the galaxy’s most beloved astromech droid R2-D2.

“That’s it… now we’re floating like Cloud City,” Adams encouraged his enthusiastic younglings, who were taught moves like the Hutt, (a stance named after Tatooine’s vile slug-like crime lord from “Return of the Jedi”), the Wampa (a downward thrust named after the white-furred carnivore on Hoth that attacked Luke Skywalker in “The Empire Strikes Back”) and the “Obi” (referring to a behind-the-back parry used by Obi-Wan Kenobi in “The Phantom Menace”), set to a techno version of composer John Williams’ iconic “Imperial March” theme.

Indeed, Adams has immersed himself in the “Star Wars” universe ever since he was 5-years-old when saw the first movie “A New Hope” at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood in 1977.

“I’m a first-generation fan,  I grew up with the originals and I had all the toys, so of course I prefer them over the prequels,” Brown said. “But my favorite is actually ‘The Force Awakens.’ They did such a great job mixing the old characters with the new and introducing ‘Star Wars’ to a whole new generation of fans.”

While instructing his Jedi trainees how to dodge and block blaster bolts, Adams also implored them to embrace the light side of the Force, saying “It’s stronger because the dark side can only survive with anger and hate.”

Adams has honed his lightsaber skills playing a Jedi for the last nine and a half years in the “Jedi Training Academy” show and now the new show “Trials of the Temple” at Disneyland’s Tomorrowland Terrace.   

“We do six shows a day at Disneyland, each about a 25-minute demonstration,” Brown said. “Quite a few of my students are from here in the Palisades, so I’ve had this in mind for awhile. I did some research and told Gerry if the kids like it, I’ll come back”

Brown grew up in New York City and lived in every borough,   but now resides in Orange County, 15 minutes from the Anaheim theme park  known as “the happiest place on earth.” He has studied martial arts for many years in a variety of disciplines, including Kung Fu, San Soo, Tai Chi, Capoeira and kickboxing.

“It takes about two years to progress from a youngling to a Padawan and another six to eight years to become a Jedi Knight,” Adams said. “A lot depends on how much you train. We won’t mention the midichlorians.”

Adams’ wife Katisha went to Palisades High and is a choreographer at Fancy Feet Dance Studio, next door to Blanck’s dojo in the basement of the Palisades Village Center on Alma Real Drive.

“She’s been friends with [Fancy Feet owner] Emily Kay for a long time so we’re very familiar with the Palisades,” said Adams, who opened the seminar with an impressive display of tornado kicks in the dark. “My favorite “Star Wars” character is Obi-Wan because he was mysterious.”

Sir-Dushon, Adams’ 16-year-old son, just became a full-fledged Jedi Knight and he helped instruct the kids at Friday’s seminar.

“It’s fun working with the kids and seeing how excited they get when we turn on the lightsabers,” he said. “I grew up with the prequels but my dad had me watch the originals first so I wouldn’t get confused. I like ‘The Force Awakens’ the best.”

Sir-Dushon is starting his junior year at Western High in Anaheim, where he played water polo as a ninth-grader and is in the drama department, with particular  interest in digital animation.

Like his father, Sir-Dushon  practices numerous forms of martial arts, his preferred discipline being kickboxing.

“My favorite ‘Star Wars’ character is Yoda because of his diminutive size and how powerful he is.”

Blanck, dressed in Obi-Wan’s Jedi robes, introduced the class to Master Adams, who exclaimed: “The force is strong in these little ones!”

As the seminar ended, beeps and whistles echoed through the studio as R2-D2 wheeled in. The pint-sized robot, along with his witty protocol sidekick C-3PO, is  one of the most recognizable figures in science fiction history and stayed to pose for pictures.

Coincidentally, Kenny Baker, the actor who played R2-D2 in the first six “Star Wars” movies, passed away on Saturday at the age of 81.