Steve Grody

Steve Grody (born Nov. 8, 1950) is a Los Angeles-based martial arts instructor, Lindy Hop instructor, and graffiti documentarian.
Martial Arts
Grody’s training began in Dao Dan Pai (also written Tao Ahn Pai), a traditional southern Chinese Taoist kung fu system, in 1973 under Share K. Lew, a Taoist Master from Canton, China. Along with traditional kung fu, Sifu Lew taught “chi gung,” internal breathing exercises that served as the basis for a healing system, “neigong qiliao.”
From 1979 to 1992, Grody studied Jeet Kune Do and Filipino kali under Dan Inosanto and became his primary substitute instructor at the academy from 1985 to 1990. The Filipino curriculum under Inosanto included a combination of twenty-five Filipino martial arts systems including the LaCoste-Inosanto empty hand methods.
Grody began training in Lameco Eskrima privately with Punong Guro (Head Instructor) Edgar Sulite from 1990 until his untimely death in 1997. Grody directed several of Punong Guro Sulite’s martial arts training videos.
Steve Grody produced a public access television show on Century and Adelphia channels from 1989 to 2008.
In September 2000, Grody was inducted as a “Master Instructor of the Year” by the International Martial Arts Hall of Fame, sponsored by the World Head of Family Sokeship Council.
Graffiti Documentation
In 1990 Grody began a photo documentary project of the graffiti movement in Los Angeles, tracking down various locations (“yards”) as well as gaining the trust of the graffiti writers and crews. As the result of decades worth of documentary effort, his personal archive of modern Los Angeles graffiti currently holds over 20,000 images ranging from simple "tags" to full-scale mural "productions." As the result of his unique perspective chronicling the graffiti movement, he has lectured extensively on modern graffiti at various colleges, universities, and museums—including UCLA, , Iowa State University, and Rio Hondo College -- as well as private civic groups such as the Pasadena Historical Society and the 20th Century Roundtable.
Graffiti L.A. and museum exhibitions
Grody’s documentary project culminated in the publication of Graffiti L.A.: Street Styles and Art (H.N. Abrams 2007), a comprehensive history of Los Angeles modern graffiti. The book incorporated images from his modern graffiti archive as well as interviews with seminal graffiti writers and crews.
Grody's photographs from the book and personal archive were exhibited in the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art's exhibition “Art in the Streets” (2011), "the first major U.S. museum survey of graffiti and street art." His photographs were also included in the exhibition Catalog.
In addition, Steve Grody co-curated the Pasadena Museum of California Art (PMCA) exhibition “Street Cred: Graffiti Art from Concrete to Canvas” which opened concurrently with MoCA's "Art in the Streets" exhibition. Graffiti artists featured in the show included Michael Alvarez, ANGST, AXIS, Chaz Bojórquez, CODAK, CRAOLA, DASH 2000, Ekundayo, EYEONE, HASTE, Paul SKEPT Kanemitsu, Alex Kizu, KOFIE, MAN ONE, MEAR ONE, Juan Carlos Muñoz Hernandez, Jose Lopez, Erick Montenegro, Nicnak, PUSH, RISK, Jeff Soto, Evan Skrederstu, RETNA, REVOK, SABER, SHANDU, Jesse Simon, SINER, TEMPT, and ZES.
Swing Dance
In 1993, Grody began training in Lindy Hop swing dance under Erin Stevens of the Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association. His training eventually expanded to include East Coast Swing (sometimes called Jitterbug or “Six Count Lindy Hop”), West Coast Swing, and Freestyle Foxtrot, with a clear emphasis on improvisational "social swing" rather than memorized choreography. Between 1993 and 2000 Grody also regularly attended Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association's seminars that featured prominent swing instructors including: Frankie Manning, a central figure in the development of Lindy Hop (credited with performing the first “air step” or aerial); Steven Mitchell; Simon Selmon and Louise Thwaite; Marcus Koch and Bärbl Kaufer; Rhythm Hot Shots: Lennart Westerlund, Catrine Ljunggren, David Dalmo, Eddie Jansson and Eva Lagerqvist, Ewa Staremo, Ulrika Ericsson; and Kenneth and Helena Norbelie.

In 1997, director Peter Weir was in Los Angeles for pre-production work on The Truman Show (1998) when he happened to watch Steve Grody's instructional show “Swing Dance L.A” on a public access channel. Grody and his assistant Regina Whitcomb were contacted to work with Jim Carrey and Laura Linney for the “Prom Scene” in addition to assembling a team of experienced dancers as extras. Grody and Whitcomb can be seen dancing in the background near Carrey and Linney.
Publications
* Graffiti L.A.: Street Styles and Art
* photographs in Art In the Streets
* photographs in Saber: Mad Society
Instructional Videos
* Street-tweaked Boxing (1998)
* Training Progressions Overview (1997)
* Siko Ordibas/Tapi Tapi Drills (1996)
* Hubud Lubud Drills (1996)
* Modified Chi Sao (1995)
* Kali/Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do Sectoring (Unique Publications Videos, 1993)
* Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do Trapping Skills Vol. 1-4 (Unique Publications Videos, 1993)
* The Flow of Filipino Kali Empty Hands Vol. 1-3 (Unique Publications Videos, 1993)
* Hidden Combat Use of Forms (Unique Publications Videos, 1992, out of print)
* Essential Self-Defense Vol. 1-4 (Unique Publications Videos, 1992-3, out of print)

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