Shaw Martial Arts

10/10/2026

Last two pictures I have found from the 6th Ave school - hopefully, I have more and will find them as well - someday.

Just me training alone - although someone had to be there to take the pictures😝

The large sign used to hang on the building on the corner of 6th and Albert St.

10/10/2026

An isolation shot of our infamous - well, in our school - blue bag. To look at it, it doesn’t seem formidable yet to hit it was damaging to those unaware and unprepared. Sensei Roy told me that it had been packed with wheat(?), I believe.
Over the years the wheat had been pulverized through regular sessions of punching and kicking and once broken down, it packed into a solid unforgiving mass inside the bag. My brother dropped in to visit and before I could warn him - oops he hurt his wrist and hand - not seriously as he didn’t hit it hard but wisely, he chose not to hit it again. He discovered, the hard way, that our bag bit back!
I trained with that bag constantly, beating it mercilessly with hands, feet, and shins - shin work developed with the help of Songlith Singthong - here in Canada from Laos and a Muay Thai fighter. Thank you Master Song.
Anyway, I worked the bag with and without bag gloves, stomp and shin kicked it and never once did it complain, tell me I hit too hard or bled on me - however, I did bleed on it - the cover - don’t think it was leather -maybe vinyl? Anyway, the surface was such that repeated bare handed work, could tear the skin off your knuckles. And it did - I wiped the bag down many times. But my hands toughened up. Shin kicked long enough and hard enough that my shins ached and it was harder to negotiate the stairs out. Yet my shins also got tougher and the shin break fir me, was born. I loved that bag.

Unfortunately, the bag came to a sad end. When that school closed it had morphed into The Panther Academy of Martial Arts as Sensei Roy was incapacitated for a time. Wayne H. and Brian S came in, included me as an instructor, and we carried on. Anyway school closed in that location - I got the bag and had no place to hang it .So naively, put it in storage where after a short time, mice ate a hole in the bottom and effectively ruined the bag. The now cement like material filling the bag made patching next to impossible - the bag along with my sofa and chairs in the same storage space - had to be junked. 😡🤬
Unhappy end to a great training tool.😟

10/10/2026

Some discovered pictures from many years ago - a newspaper article outlining the banning of four weapons considered dangerous from 1975 - I can attest to the fact nunchucks were dangerous - especially to the user until you learned to use them - the inside of both my elbows were black and blue cuz who used elbow protectors in the 70’s - not I.
The other two are random photos of my training at the 6th Ave school.

10/08/2026

Found some old pictures today from 6th ave and the garage. Not a lot and not all by any means but a few not posted before. I will sort through and post them probably 1 or 2 at a time. For now, a rehash of some previously posted.

09/11/2026

Sensei Roy mentioned this song to me as one he enjoyed.

Official audio for “And When I Die” by Blood Sweat & TearsListen ...

09/11/2026

September 12, 2026 - tomorrow it will be 3 years since Sensei Roy passed.
In memory of Sensei Roy Shaw

09/07/2026

I am again encouraging anyone that has photos from their time at Shaw Martial Arts, to share through a post or to otherwise share content with any comments they choose to include. In the past Kim Pylatuk has shared pictures - thank you Kim - Jeremy Shaw also provided pictures and I’m not sure I credited him for his help and for providing materials related to the Shaw School in the past. I’ve lost touch with Jeremy but his efforts were certainly appreciated.
This space is now primarily for memories, reflections and I continue to hope, many pictures, all dedicated to the memory of Master Roy Shaw and the community he built within various incarnations of the Shaw School of Martial Arts.
Sensei D.Matheson

09/06/2026

I was just informed Shaw M.A. has 30 new views - which is nice but means squat to me when I don’t see who the views are from - former students, friends or just passers by - so thanks for ?? fb!
To viewers, if a former student or friend, leave a like or hi - please - just so I have some idea who stops in to have a look.
Sensei DM

09/02/2026

Shaw Martial Arts will always be synonymous with Sensei Roy Shaw. When he passed the spirit of the school passed with him. Certainly, there are those of us who were able to train for varying amounts of time but the experience of training with Sensei Roy was carried within the students and manifested in whatever they chose to do. For some, like me, it was martial arts - for others - IDK - as I stayed with Sensei Roy and within Martial Arts as previously mentioned.
I thought I maintained this page to show a continuation within Shaw Martial Arts if not a progression. Yet, my true purpose was & is to honour Sensei Roy and his years of training and helping others. It is no longer a continuation but a memorialization of Sensei Shaw and his family of students. I will continue to train what I can and with what I can learn from others but posts on that will be few, if any.
Still, I will continue this page and I encourage former students to share pictures or send them to me to post so that we can keep Sensei Roy’s memory alive.
To the spirit of Sensei Roy
A student
DM

08/05/2026

So, I just watched a video by Suro Jason Inay from the Bay Area School of Escrima demonstrating head lock escapes and counter moves. Two were from a jujitsu perspective one leaning towards BJJ, the other more a Japanese approach. Then he demonstrated the method he preferred as an FMA practitioner. I appreciate his general knowledge but what I most appreciated is that he suggested he would much prefer to stay on his feet than go to ground. Each of the methods he used finished with him still on his feet.
Especially now as a senior, I do not want to go the ground. Sensei Roy said he always preferred stand up grappling when necessary and to avoid the ground - now Sensei Roy certainly had and showed us how to best defend while on the ground, which we did practice, however he definitely preferred not to go down especially if in and among a group of people.
Thus, I was very pleased to hear Suro Inay suggest a similar philosophy and it made his video a must watch and most informative. Sorry, I cannot connect the video as it is not mine to share. However, if you come across videos from Suro Jason Inay, give them a watch. You may find something that suits you.
In the Spirit of Sensei Roy,
Sensei DM