Brentwood Press - Index

Brentwood Press - AntiochPress_07.18.08 - Index

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July 18, 2008
HOMES | DINING | HEALTH | RECREATION | CLASSIFIEDS
Photo by Lou Davis
Brown belt Omar Hamilton of Hamilton Martial Arts
Academy throws a side kick at the head of his larger opponent,
Landry Whitted of Nunley Karate Do, at the inaugural
Bushido Open Karate Tournament.
Getting their kicks
at Bushido Open
by Avi Burk
Staff Writer
More than 1,000 competitors
and spectators packed the
Deer Valley High School gym
on June 28 for the inaugural
Bushido Open Karate Tournament
hosted by Hamilton
Martial Arts Academy (HMA)
of Antioch.
The event was the largest
interdisciplinary karate and
wrestling event in Antioch’s
history, and featured weapon
and creative Kata competition,
as well as freestyle wrestling,
traditional karate competition
and padded stick fi ghting. The
day also featured team sparring
competitions.
The crowd was also treated
to a special halftime treat – a
never-before-seen brick breaking
demonstration by 17-time
World Karate Champion Master
Bill Jones – which was met
with raucous applause.
Jones wasn’t the only big
name in attendance at the event.
The guest list was a who’s who
of Northern California’s bestknown
martial artists. Special
Appreciation Awards were presented
to Jones as well as Master
Michael Burrowes, Master
Clarence Isadore, Grand
Master Ruby Navarro, Grand
Master Wolf Hillesheim, Professor
Tommy Gilbert, Master
Allen Nunley, Master Carroll
Pegeron and Master Frank
see Bushido page 5B
Building something truly special
by Avi Burk
Staff Writer
You can sift through parts
catalogs, order the shiniest,
trendiest pieces and bolt them
onto a vintage car, or you can
take a classic muscle car and
overhaul it for premium performance
and a cool custom
look. That, according to East
Bay Muscle Car owner Steve
Keefer, is the difference between
the multitude of shops
working on custom showcars
and his shop.
“It takes a trained eye to
accentuate what’s there and not
to make modifi cations for the
sake of making modifi cations,”
said Keefer, a certifi ed ASE
Master Mechanic. “That’s what
I notice a lot of shops do. They
just go through the catalog and
start ordering everything that’s
shiny without rhyme or reason.
You don’t need to chrome plate
everything all the time. Sometimes
you just need to fi nish
pieces so that everything fl ows
together.”
The work that Keefer undertakes
range from complete
rebuilds to making basic me-
chanical improvements to classic
cars – upgrading and updating
everything from brake
systems to suspensions and
emission output to get them
running as well, if not better,
than a brand-new, state-of-theart
car.
Often, he fi nds himself fabricating
and modifying parts
themselves, rather than relying
on stock parts to get the job
done, ensuring that each part
in each car he builds matches
perfectly both aesthetically and
mechanically.
“What we try to do is take
these older cars, which sometimes
have 40- or 80-year-old
technology in them, and try to
modernize it and make it more
up-to-date as far as safety, handling
and overall drivability,”
said Keefer.
He points to his shop car,
a ’71 Mach 1 Mustang that has
won every show he’s entered
it in and has been featured in
Goodguys Rod and Custom
Association magazine, as a
perfect example of the work he
does.
“I love the classic lines of
a Mach 1 Mustang and I think
it’s one of the best-looking
cars ever made, and I kept all
the things that made a Mach 1
a Mach 1, but just tweaked it a
little bit and modernized it and
made it look new,” said Keefer.
“In fact, it gets mistaken for
a brand new ’09 Mustang all
the time, and that was my goal
– make it look like a new car
Photo by Richard Wisdom
East Bay Muscle Car owner and chief mechanic Steve
Keefer proudly shows off his award-winning ’71 Mach 1
Mustang, into which he’s poured more than 2,000 hours
and $90,000.
but keep the classic lines.”
Keefer clearly isn’t alone in
his appreciation for the supedup
classics or attention to detail.
The shop has been busy
since its opening in January,
so much so that he’s preparing
to move next door into a shop
see Muscle Cars page 5B
THIS WEEK
Grazing the
Boardwalk
East County diners partial to
good views and good food
are dropping anchor at a new
restaurant.
Page 12B
Learning
the Lotus
A new yoga center is helping
folks become one with the
energy of the universe.
Page 11B
All-Stars
rule the Ruth
The Antioch Babe Ruth 14-yearold
All-Stars trounced Vallejo to
take the District 3 title.
Page 2B
Entertain
yourself
Theater, art exhibits, concerts,
karaoke – you’ll find a full
menu of fun in our Entertainment
Calendar.
Page 22B
Classifieds
Looking to buy or sell something?
Looking for a job? Look
no further than this section.
Page 15B