Today we’d like to introduce you to Dennis Newsome
Hi Dennis, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Dennis Newsome
Dennis Newsome has been involved in African folk arts from an early age. As a child Mr. Newsome studied his first folk art, African leg Wrestling (an African American up – right form of wrestling from down South comprised of tripping and flipping the opponent to the ground) from his father and later as a young man completed his training under the tutelage of the man who trained his father, which was his grandfather (George Newsome). Over the years Mr. Newsome became adept at a variety of African continental, African American and African Brazilian and African Caribbean folk arts such as Reisy (Eritrean Head butting), Jail – House – Rock (an African American Prison fighting art with Bantu origins) and Capoeira Angola Sao Bento Grande (African Brazilian acrobatic dance / fight) to name a few.
Mr. Newsome was introduced to and started studying Capoeira from Professor Cedric Adams, his lifetime friend. Professor Cedric Adams mentored Mr. Newsome in the early stage of his Capoeira development. They have both remained partners in the perpetuation of Capoeira within the African community for over two decades.
Mr. Newsome has been blessed to travel to many countries working as technical advisor, stunt actor and fight choreographer on several motion picture films. He and Professor Cedric Adams served as technical advisors and fight choreographers for “Lethal Weapon” (Warner Brothers, 1987) and other blockbuster hits! Dennis Newsome is one of the leading African martial artists and leading exponent of “Kalenda” (African American & Caribbean Stick Dance/Fight) in the U. S. Mr. Newsome is a noted and respected authority of authentic African martial arts both in and out of the esoteric African martial arts community. Dennis Newsome is also one of the foremost exponents of African martial arts and war dance traditions in the United States. Mr. Newsome is also the subject of many articles appearing in national and international magazines and books.
On July 27, 2002 he was awarded the title of Master in Rio de Janeiro from his Master, Grand Master Touro. Mestre Preto Velho’s (Master Dennis Newsome’s name of War in the art of Capoeira meaning Master Old Black Man) historical significance as the first person of African descent born outside of Brazil to become a master of the African Brazilian folk art of Capoeira in 500 years has been acknowledged and honored by the Masters Hall of Fame. Mestre Preto Velho was inducted into the Masters 2004 Hall of Fame as a “Living Legend” on August 7, 2004 in Newport Beach, California. The C.E.O. Elder Grandmaster Makua Steve Spry personally presented the “Living Legend” award to Master Newsome. On June 2, 2007 Mestre Preto Velho was inducted into the “U.S.A. Martial Arts Hall of Fame” as “Pioneer of African Martial Arts World Wide”.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Of course it has not been a smooth ride for me in life…..I am an African American raised and descended from Enslaved Africans in the USA. I however would like to talk about my first Martial Arts instructor my father, Howard Newsome. To make a long story short he would teach me a type of Black Wrestling style that is like the wrestling in Senegal and Guinea in Africa. One Day he was with his Black military buddies whos Motorcycle Crew was named “The Soul Riders” were in downtown San Diego at cafe on the corner of 5th and Market. A man with mental illness began shooting people and my father instead of running for safety began escorting women out to safety and in the process was shot and died on the way to the hospital. He was a Master of another African Martial Art that continued in spite of slavery and the repression of African Culture called “Knocking and Kicking”. The old Kongo fight of the older generations. I didn’t get to learn it due to his death!
Another pivotal moment is when I was a passenger in the front seat of a car on Paradise Valley Road when the driver when the driver of the car that I was in ran into an oncoming van in the opposite which tore our car in half!!! Half of it 84 feet in one direction and the other 54 feet in another. Remember that I was a passenger in the front seat…well they cut me out of the back half of the car with the “Jaws of Life”! I began to suffer from “Episodic Memory Loss”! To this day I suffer from the effects of this event but not nearly as bad as back then. I remember complaining to the Doctor about not remembering the car accident (what I know about the accident is what I read in the police report) and the Doctor said “Think about! Do you REALLY want to remember the CAR ACCIDENT?” i Thought about it and said to myself “Don’t look a Gift Horse in the mouth just ride it and count your blessings”!!! These are just few examples.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have taught African Martial Arts in the in my community for over four decades. I am the first African American to become a Master of the African Brazilian art of Capoeira. I serve the Underserved in my community for decades and expanded my work into other communities such as Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas. One of the highlights of my life in Cinema was training Mel Gibson and Gary Busey for the their climatic fight scene in the Blockbuster Hit “Lethal Weapon”. I co-choreographed the fight. Prior to this film in Western society the “Stunt Coordinator” would choreograph the fight scenes while in Asia they would utilize Fight choreographers who were Martial Artist the same as you would get a Dancer to choreograph Dance Scenes!!! I am most proud of changing the lives of many youth who are now mothers and fathers!!!
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My mentor in Cinema was the Assistant Director Willie Simmons. The Graphite Artist, Cedric Adams who specialized in “Hyper Reality Drawings” and was a Capoeira and my first Capoeira teacher before I finally was tutored by the living Legend “Mestre Touro” told him about me in San Diego and he was intrigued enough to drive down here to meet me! I had since enough to listen to him and be tutored on the business. I humbled myself and was all ears to what he had to say and why. My mentor and Good Friend passed away a few years ago when we were beginning to work on project dear to my heart!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://malandros-touro.com
Image Credits
Menkiti Rice
