Becoming Bruce Lee and Purposeful Practice

Before we go on we want that you understand the beauty in martial
arts.  There is a certain beauty that comes with being a Bruce Lee or
a Muhammad Ali or a dancer whose movement inspires.  Calasanz believes
it is in the movement of these wonders that inspires us.  It all comes
from knowing yourself and understanding why it is that you are being
so watched by an audience.  It is because movements produced with such
confidence and synchronization are captivating to those observers.
The sheer balance, and control of a human body demonstrates its
capabilities, potential and beauty.  This is something that attracts
the eye and is difficult to ignore.

Beauty in martial arts does not come from knowing thousands of
techniques or their potential effectiveness.  It arises from the
controlled and proper execution of these techniques.  In practice it
is most helpful to observe yourself in the mirror, it allows you to
see yourself and correct your movements to make them more and more
beautiful.

Mindless execution and repetition does not produce true development.
It is the calculated, disciplined and deliberate execution of
techniques and movements that allows for a real improvement in
proficiency.  Observing one's movements visually gives the user
something so they might critically asses and evaluate their own
standing in order to make developmental corrections.

Practice your moves, but not mindlessly.  Correct them with the
purpose of making them prettier and prettier, striving to make them
so.  As you look in the mirror and watch yourself, you will know how
they look.  If the body looks contorted, writhing and out of line, a
correction is necessary.  If the body looks poised, stable, balanced
and strong the movement is beautiful and correct.  You will know this
yourself.

At any moment that you let anybody control that for you, that is when
the knowledge and beauty of what you are doing will be lost.  When you
come to study the Calasanz system think of learning something that you
can take home with you.  It brings you to the point of not just
understanding the techniques and exercises of any martial system, but
more importantly to the point of understanding your own body.  By
reaching this level of understanding you can train the exercises and
techniques to look good and beautiful doing them.  In understanding
your body in this way anything you participate in in daily life will
be improved.

Train to elongate your muscle.  Work out with the purpose of
developing a nice posture.  All of these things can be improved under
the Calasanz system and training Physical Arts.  The techniques are
applied to more than just American Boxing, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu
or other martial systems.  They are applicable to universal movement,
general motion, everyday action.

When you train to become a competitor things change within the mind.
Your view is to train hard and hurt people.  Looking at Muhammad Ali
or Bruce Lee their movement looks so natural and beautiful, the
harming of their opponents is almost a secondary component.  The
fruits of their training are apparent.  In the ring they are as
graceful as ballroom dancers.  They are killers but still look good.
Sometimes you must be born with that, but if you are not so endowed
training is where you gain it.  First you must gain posture,
coordination, technique, rhythm, balance, and control.  After
acquiring these you can develop flexibility, strength, sensitivity and
power at alarming rates to become a Bruce Lee, to become a Muhammed
Ali.  You will know yourself, you will be yourself.

Inspired by Calasanz
Written by Alan Wedell

The concept, design, and purpose behind Calasanz' Interdojo and Videos

The concept, design, and purpose behind Calasanz' Interdojo and Videos

Subliminal input softens the mind. The way ancient martial arts used transmitted was very different from how we pass along our talents, skill sets (and "secrets") today.  In the past the students were told by the grand master to follow the movements.  He would demonstrate the movement a few times and then put the students to practice it for several hours.  This was not only practical seeing as in order to punch better you must practice punching, but was also a 'test' of each individual.  As the master would walk around or watch from around the facility he would notice who was dedicated and disciplined and who was lazy or became bored and started goofing around.

As the students progressed (or didn't) the master would give the students who were ready the next movements and left those who hadn't mastered the techniques yet with only the same lesson.  Today we are not holding back on anybody.

Simply following the master would help the students understand the techniques better by giving them an experienced and developed visualization of the technique.  This visualization is absorbed in the student's mind while following and is then reinforced significantly when practiced in solace or practiced at all.  Following the lesson and practice the dedicated student might even be patient enough to sit, listen and receive focused instruction from the teacher afterwards.

The idea behind the Calasanz' interdojo and DVDs is based on watching a movement or technique 3 to 10 times BEFORE being taught.  You don't have to be interested in learning the specific motion depicted, but is watched just to see a movement to allow your brain to process and understand human movement.   This softens the mind and relaxes the brain to better understand movement itself and afterwards when the master teaches you, your understanding will be enhanced and deeper in comparison.

Immediately an experienced instructor makes an assessment of how slow or fast you can learn.  He will determine if you are ready to be taught or only ready to follow the movements.  You usually see this done in the practice of Kung Fu, especially by the monks participating at Shaolin schools.  But, you don't have to be as dedicated to martial arts as they are to learn in the same way.  You can still learn by watching or following.  Anyone can learn in the traditional way without having to be a monk.  People learn both ways, traditionally and non-traditionally and we recognize that fact and entertain both paths of learning.

Imagine a master or teacher that wants to teach you the first 5 movements of a kata or form without you ever having watched it or having followed him.  This might take you 2 eternities to learn without a demonstration or visual aid.

Imagine now that you watch a video clip of the first 5 movements 10 times or simply follow your teacher 10 times.  Now you have at least a general idea of the movements and the flow of the form.  With this "leg-up" some learn the first 5 movements in as little as 10 minutes, what a time saver!  The difference is what we call softening the mind and relaxing the brain to capture, memorize, learn, and understand something more deeply and in a shorter amount of time.  This is the skill, idea and concept behind the Calasanz System videos.

Notice also that there is almost no talking within the Calasanz videos.  The intent is for the viewer to follow the movements, not listen to words.  It is much harder to synthesize words into meaningful movement than it is to capture a movement visually to reproduce it.  It is a much longer and more complicated process to teach someone through words as it is not only necessary to be said and heard, it must also be interpreted correctly to produce the desired results.  However, a short talking lesson can greatly augment a visual one to help the student make sense of the movement and its purpose.

For example, when you read a book you can often reiterate the essence of the book's meaning but recounting every specific detail is quite difficult.  When it comes to physical exercise the process is much the same.  The videos are designed to give the viewer an idea of the general essence of the movements so they have a grander picture of what it is they are aspiring to.  After watching and gaining this larger perspective of what is being taught the instructor comes in to fill out the details.  This way of learning develops a student's understanding right away and helps them progress much faster than the traditional way of study which usually involves seemingly endless repetition and (until the last movements are taught) an incomplete picture.

There are easily two types of intelligence.  When it comes to Physical Art, the smarter you are in regards to book study the slower you will learn movements that require physical ability.  This is the dichotomy between mentally gifted and physically gifted minds or people.  That is not to say that a bright person cannot be taught, it just means that there is a steeper learning curve for those with mental prowess when it comes to understanding physical movement.  This idea is being exposed all the time.  Those who are book smart, are very capable of understanding and completing ideas, concepts and mental processes.  However, it is often difficult for them to understand or assimilate things in the same way when it comes to physical action.  (The opposite holds for those who fall on the other side of the spectrum.  They may be able to perform physical actions easily but find it difficult to entertain the abstract.)

The visuals provided on www.interdojo.com and by Calasanz' DVDs are designed to bridge the gap.  They are designed to soften the mind to give the viewer full perspective of the movements and techniques to reduce learning time and enhance his or her understanding regardless of their natural disposition towards a more mental or a more physical prowess.

This tells you the entire story of what Calasanz brings with the interdojo.

Again and again you can watch his videos, it does not have to be a professionally filmed video or formula video.  It can be any video, even a home made video.  We intentionally avoid words and verbage within many of the videos to allow the viewer to fully capture the movements in focused isolation. The goal is to soften the mind first, because then it will give a better understanding of what is being taught to enhance the learning process.  Calasanz' advice is that before and even during downtime after a workout, while you are resting, watch a DVD or video, or even just have it on in the background to relax the mind and absorb.

Physical Arts: Superior Results

As you watch our Physical Arts System its logic is readily visible and is often captured, but not always consciously.  Often times while watching the performed exercises or movements people are distracted by the powerful breathing they hear coming from Calasanz and cannot get past it.  These are simple minded people without imagination who do not recognize the simple beauty and logical effectiveness of the movements themselves.  Notice the movements.  Notice their fluidity.  Notice their synchronicity.  Notice the flexibility.  Notice the ability.  Look at the anatomical correctness and the perfect balance and control of the entire body necessary, from start to finish, to perform them correctly and perfectly.  The body is completely in synch with itself throughout the exercises as should the breathing be to boot. 

Take a look at this video for example.  The entire body goes into each movement starting from a neutral but active position.  Then each movement goes into a structurally sound stance with the legs and extends the arms fully from the inside out to maximize gains and to keep the focus of the exercise centralized on the core to increase true power and results.

Listen now, young grasshopper, and read as we explicate why this is important and superior to traditional weights exercises and machines.

First and foremost, all exercises within the system the core is activated, this generates and develops true power which will radiate to the rest of your body through natural pathways.  Second, by entering into a wider horse stance you are engaging the lower body into the movement to work the legs.  This stance change works an individual's coordination and gets the upper and lower body working together in-synch to generate more power and maximize energy use and efficiency.  Also, while different movements go in different directions each movement on its own requires the entire body to participate and gets everything working together to perform the movement instead of isolating a single muscle or muscle group to the benefit of one small particularity. 

Physical Arts is what makes our system unique and what puts us a step up from any other workout program out there.  The martial arts background of the system makes sure that the movements are efficient, effective, productive, and useful towards improving strength AND flexibility at the same time.  The movements can even be perceived as fighting techniques with weighted resistance, so even in performing the lifts and exercises you are not only developing strength and flexibility, but also perfecting an anatomically strong and proper punch or kick.

Within the Physical Arts system the importance of breath synchronization along with the body movements is emphasized.  If you perform these exercises and do not release the breath they are not being performed correctly.  In the realm of yoga breathing properly is more important than the asanas (poses) themselves.  In fact someone simply sitting in a chair with good posture and breathing properly is practicing better than one who is going through the poses without conscious awareness and control of their breath.  Breathe deeply into the lower abdomen and allow the lungs to fill from the bottom up; it will greatly increase the oxygen input to the blood stream to produce greater results and increased focus.  Release the breath naturally, do not fight to hold the breath or strain by holding onto an air column.  If the breath does not feel natural it is not in synch with the movement or with the body.

The Physical Arts System is designed to get all components of the body working together.  This is not something that comes quickly and takes time and practice to develop; but now with a bit of explication the learning curve is exponentially improved if you put the information into practice and experientially witness it and develop yourself.

Inspired by Calasanz
Written by Alan Wedell

Wing Chun discourse on HARD and SOFT Energies

Inspired by Calasanz

Today we will explore the concepts of being both soft and hard within martial arts.

A great deal of people have heard of the technique of being soft and then becoming hard just at the point of impact. To be perfectly clear the technique involves being loose through most of the motion and then tensing the muscles just as contact is made, just as the punch lands.  Followed there after by an immediate relaxing of the tension within so as not to be 'frozen' by the flexing of your muscles. It is important to note, however, that it takes a dedicated amount of time and training in order to execute this technique successfully. It is an acquired technique.  Acquired meaning its not something an amateur can learn in an afternoon.  As Bruce Lee exploded into cinema and onto the silver screen everyone wanted to learn things like the 'touch of death', soft and hard applications in a real environment, among other advanced techniques. They assumed that these were things that could be transmitted to the desiring pupil in a few short minutes if the teacher was worth his weight in salt.  

 

So, many people would ask instructors, “Can you demonstrate the death touch just like Bruce Lee?” and the instructors that were real martial artists would say that they have not practiced that technique yet, or that they had not yet attained that level. Others would respond in the affirmative and attempt to demonstrate the technique even if it meant permanent embarrassment.  Many amateurs would get hurt attempting to train these advanced techniques without the knowledge or experience to be aware of what they were actually doing. They would end up hurting themselves and quitting or find out just how much training is necessary to attain the skill they see in films and pulled back from accomplishing these martial arts achievements.  It is often forgotten that Bruce Lee did not spend his time watching Bruce Lee movies to achieve his level of skill, he trained year, after year, after year to attain his talents and abilities.

It takes time to learn the difference between soft and hard. Perhaps we can help to expedite the process through word. Soft does not mean floppy and limp; it is better described as present. Hardness is almost equivocal to tension.

For example, one can have a closed hand up by the face in a ready fighting stance. The hand is in front of the face ready to strike, it is present. This is soft. Hard would mean that the hand in the same position is gripping and clenched tightly as if life depended on it. Having a hard hand here would only hinder the muscles' flexibility, as well as the mobility of the muscles around it (such as the forearm, elbow and even up to the shoulder) and limit its reactive capabilities through the radiating nature of the flex. (Also, keep in mind if the hard hand his knocked back into you, you will essentially be injuring your own hand with your own head.)

Sometimes it takes longer for someone even just to understand how to be soft and relaxed. Many people come into a martial arts academy or school full of tension without even knowing it. Common among newer martial arts students, it is thought that to execute a technique with speed and power is the measure of skill when in reality it is the person who executes with greater control and precision that truly knows what he is doing and why he is training.

While fast, strong movements are appealing to the eye , they are meaningless without true control. Better to practice a punch perfectly 10 times and take 1 minute for each punch than to do 10 sloppy punches in 1 second.  


With control comes power, with accuracy comes speed.  Speed is always available to the user, but keep in mind it is to be able to utilize this speed with precision that is going to finish the fight.  To be fast and erratic is one of the easiest ways to get countered and knocked the ***k out.

Thinking of softness like a net, or a cloth, it is capable of reacting, catching and flowing, yet still must maintain its structure without collapsing. Hardness is like a piece of metal in its solid state. It will absorb and take damage, but is apt to dent or simply break altogether. 

This is why one is never more important than the other.  It is the interplay; the ability to adapt between the two, and the wisdom of knowing what is more suitable and when that denotes a true master.

 Written by: Alan Wedell

A Message to the Haters

In this short discourse I will outline why it is that some people do not accept Calasanz as the most well-rounded Master of Martial Arts that he is.

There is a certain mystery that surrounds Calasanz; as one of his close students I can personally attest to that. As with anything that we do not understand, there comes a natural fear of it and immediately a barrier is raised up against that which is misunderstood, or simply not comprehended at all. This is not uncommon, and again it is in fact 100% natural. We as humans fear what we don't understand. We as humans fear what we don't comprehend. And the logical progression from there is to attack that which we fear, to eradicate it, that we might remain comfortable in our present reality without interference from the ground-breaking “unknown”. A great example of this can be seen in the history of the Catholic Church's condemnation of Copernicus and other notable Mathematicians and scientists of the same era.

People such as these were (as we say today) “ahead of their time”. In reality they were right on time, but brought something to light that the world was not yet ready for.

As people attack and question his background (which is extensive ex: he was taught Gojo Ryu by Tameyoshi Sakamoto, and Wing Chun by Moyat) they seem to forget the skill and ability they are seeing right before their very eyes. Also take heed that Martial Arts is what he does, it is the only thing he does. For him it is not a hobby or past time. It is his life's dedication. He has spent his entire life practicing, teaching, and redefining the world of Martial Arts.

Those who badmouth or talk as if they know better have not spent the hours, days, weeks, months, years that Calasanz has spent honing, refining, and developing. Most of these people have had one teacher and as such are single minded due to their lack of experience. They have not yet opened their minds to the Universe that is Martial Arts and are scared of taking in new perspectives. This is not to say that there is anything wrong, it is a simple lack of development.

As Descartes said, first you must admit you know nothing, only then can knowledge come forth and only then can true learning begin.  Instead, bring now what you have in your cup and let it become more full.  Close your eyes and take a fresh look at Calasanz. 

Written by Alan Wedell

A Quick Commentary

Here we share a comment recently received by DrRGRiveraScientist.  He himself has a great channel with wonderful eye-opening, mind-opening and relevant blurbs.  We thank him for his support and compliment him for really hitting the nail on the head with this one!!

Thanks Again Doc!

	DrRGRiveraScientist has posted a comment on your channel You can reply to this comment by visiting your comments page. THE KINEMATICS OF YOUR MOVEMENTS ARE UNIQUE BECAUSE FEW HAVE FOUND THEM. YOU HOWEVER HAVE FOUND THE UNRECOGNIZED AND IGNORED NATURAL LEVERS OF OUR DESIGN AND ARE USING THEM AS THEY WERE DESIGNED TO FUNCTION. BEAUTIFUL!

Calasanz the Guru and Why our System Produces Superior Results

Throughout the ages certain gurus have brought wisdoms with them to this planet to share with the people for the betterment of mankind. To name a few, the famous Indian guru, Ghandi. The ancient Chinese Guru Confucius. The great guru Nanak. The Dalai Lama and many more throughout the history of man.

These people in their time created great shifts in thought and being with the gifts and insights they've brought with them to such a magnitude that their impacts still reverberate today and continue to influence the world around. People such as these crop up rarely in the human population and can come from any country or culture.

Calasanz is one of these people in the modern age. He has brought with him a vast knowledge of the development of the human body and created a name on this world in the realm of martial arts as a perfect venue to demonstrate the fruits of his system and through a lifetime of dedication to extensive training in a multitude of martial systems. The system he has created and revealed to mankind is dedicated to the cultivation and ideal development of the human body for growth, improvement, and progress towards perfection within a lifetime for an individual's health and general well-being.

The Calasanz System has made its way to this planet through the cosmos and appeared here in the United States thanks to Calasanz Martinez. He has spent his entire life developing and refining his personal system of human development. This system has created some of the biggest names in Martial Sports since the 1980's and has outlasted myriad schools and even more schools of thought over the past decades which can be read about in “Calasanz: A Lifetime of Lessons”.

The uniqueness of the Calasanz system is unmatched and the superiority of it over all others has been clear since its origin and the reason is simple. The Calasanz system is universal. The Calasanz system is all encompassing. It takes everything into account, the physical body as well as the mental aspects of the human brain, and it develops these different aspects slowly, and properly towards perfection over time. 

The Calasanz System incorporates strength training, most notably core strength, and flexibility training which is stressed as a cornerstone of physical fitness and aptitude. To be able to place your legs, arms, hands, and feet in more physical spaces automatically gives you and your body more capabilities and affords you more options inside the ring, and outside during anything you participate in physically. All of the movements and exercises within the system are designed to use the body correctly according to the body's anatomical construction and body mechanics. By studying and practicing this system you will greatly enhance your bodily awareness and develop body coordination to a highly advanced degree that no other system can match, and whats more, it will develop these faster than anything else.

But this system is not just physical. Although the physical realm is one way in which the system is expressed, can be seen, and duplicated the system encourages and cultivates human spiritual and mental development throughout the process. As your body develops and improves in its abilities so too will your mind open to new levels of consciousness and thought. For example, as your flexibility increases you will be able to place a kick somewhere that was previously not within your range of motion. The simple knowledge of this option will change not only your ability to take down an opponent but how your mind thinks about how to take down an opponent, and this in turn will open more and more ideas of how to deal with physical confrontation.

The beauty of this system is its simplicity. Often times people who are new to the system pass it off because it seems too easy. What is happening here is that subconsciously they already understand the system without realizing it. This is why many people have come and gone. They think that they are not being taught anything. Usually this is because they are already smart enough and do not need to be taught, being that the entire system is based on common sense. It is logical. For these, it is not a matter of learning, it is simply a matter of persistence; to actually put in the necessary work to attain their perfect form and many do not possess the necessary strength of will to achieve this. However, for many it is not until this is pointed out or transformed into language through an explanation that this common reaction is illuminated.

On the other hand some people are in need of extensive instruction to learn and understand the system. Generally these people become some of the best students and teachers within the Calasanz system and family.

Most people, however, recognize the beauty and simplicity of the Calasanz system and become students within to see how far they can take it and just how far we can help them to progress towards their individual goals and ultimately, perfection. It should be said now that, for the average person, what is attainable through our system is only as limited as the student's desire to progress and their inner self-dedication as a practitioner towards their own personal development.

We are not talking about a “get-ripped quick” program, although by following this system you will indeed see fantastic results quickly if the proper time and effort are applied. We are talking about a system to follow for the long term that will give you a body you didn't think was attainable. But don't take our word for it. Go to our website, read some of our testimonials. Go to youtube, watch some of our videos. You will see for yourself the bodies that Calasanz has created and the ability he himself has achieved through his own body development system. 

It is this system that we now share with you and with the world.

Happy Practicing!

Calasanz Is and Was

Even in the early years of my life I understood who Bruce Lee was.  He was a very talented martial artist who trained for the real world and at the same time he was a natural and excellent actor.  He trained martial arts around his life and more; he trained martial arts as the way of life.  At one point I heard people saying that he could not fight his way out of a paper bag because he would not compete.  And while it is true that he was not a competitor, it is not because he did not know how to fight.

Since day one I've always understood that the best, bright, smart and intelligent martial artists are not the ones in the ring.  A true martial artist is too smart to be taking those sorts of punches because they understand how this will effect their brain later on.  They are smart enough to put foresight to use and thinking about life in a broader sense; recognizing that there is more to life than what happens between the ropes.  Fighters, they don't think about those things, so don't let yourself be fooled.  Those good, excellent martial artists like Bruce Lee are fully capable of fighting but are mentally cognizant of the avoidable long term effects that will be seriously crippling later in life.

Since day one my idea was to fight the competitor, the champion, that is what I have done.  I don't go into the specifics on this topic here, but if you'd like to hear about the champions that fell before me and the stories behind it look for "Calasanz A Lifetime of Lessons".  This will give you a deeper understanding of how I think and who I am.

I train to win against the competitor, anybody can be a fighter but not everybody can be a competitor in the ring.  Many people don't want to be around Calasanz, especially if they are very good.  Why? Very simple, they have an ego and they believe that they are best, then they get close to Calasanz and they feel that they have a lot of work to do, so many of those who come will stay for awhile but will then leave because they want to be themselves, they don't want the truth.  For example, I gave a lesson to a talented martial artist.  He thought he was the best and he trained with the best but he forgot the philosophy and techniques of building a tough shin.  I put him to fight with a student of mine, who was not in great shape mind you, and my student brought him to his knees with just one kick.

Calasanz was born with a gift.  Some people say he is a natural.  Anybody can be a natural, but not anybody can have it since birth.  Calasanz has it, he's always had it.

Today we celebrate one of our long time students, Kim Leonard.  She came here with minimal martial arts experience and knowledge.  As Calasanz says, she was like a little frog.  Through her time here she progressed rapidly and very far in her martial arts career.  In training she learned several katas (forms) and improved her body beyond what any gym might have done for her through Physical Art.

 The time spent together with her was fruitful, meaningful, and very productive.  In a few short months she progressed through to a green belt, as seen in this video.  We show you only short segments of her 30 minute test which was truly a challenge and would be a trying half hour for even top athletes.

Notice her during the kata, stomping and grunting.  This is a major expenditure of energy and she powered through the katas emphatically and energetically the whole way.  WOW!

She got through it seemingly with ease and was still ready to train after the entire ordeal.  Thanks again Kim for your time spent here, you will never be forgotten!

Calasanz on the birth and development of his system.

The birth of my system I must say coincides with my very birth. From the day I was born I've known the natural workings of the human body. How it works, how to optimize. Even when I was a child in karate class, I would hide my movements from my instructor because I didn't want to get in trouble.

Throughout my years I've learned to apply the knowledge I was born with regarding the functional movements of the body to real fighting situations and have also developed it into a physical system for naturally improving the body. The system is called Physical Art. It utilizes natural holistic movements and is aimed at the long term development and maintenance of the human body over a lifetime.

This is not a "get ripped" program. It is not a superficial body building regimen. It is Physical Art. It is making your body into a walking masterpiece. Welcome to Calasanz Physical Art.

Over my lifetime I have spent every day dedicated to martial arts. Somehow I knew from the time I was a child that this was my calling. The first martial arts school I attended was a Karate School. Upon visiting this school I noticed that there were a lot of punches landing between the two contenders, too many. For me fighting is not trading blows and determining the winner by he who has the best physique. A real fighter will defend against an attack and then try to connect with the target. While the karate approach may be a good way to condition the body to take a punch, it is not real fighting.

Real fighting is common-sensible.

First, be aware that your body performs best when it is in perfect working order. To have a broken arm in a fight is a great disadvantage when fighting a two armed man. Protecting the physical body is of primary importance in a fight. It is essential. Foundational. Your body being in perfect working order gives you the best chance of survival. This is achieved by blocking or evading successfully. Essentially, a good defense is imperative.

The next element of real fighting is to be able to disable or eliminate the threat to your physical body as quickly as possible. This is achieved through Wing Chun. Common sensibly the body that remains fully functional for longer and acts most efficiently and effectively is bound to prevail.

 Now we come to size. Size is something a lot of people deem to be a good judge of strength and even fighting ability. Often times people will fear an opponent due to sheer size. Let us consider now, two rifles aimed towards two watermelons. Place in front of one, 10 inches of marshmallows. Place in front of the other 1 inch of steel. Which watermelon would you stand behind if the triggers were flicked? Size doesn't seem to matter much now. While it should be taken into consideration, it is not always of great import, and this is no different when it comes to fighting. Similarly the size of the man matters not, but it is his mettle, his character, what he is actually capable of that holds greater bearing.

It has been proven again and again in the real world, as well as in boxing, and other martial sports. Frequently a larger opponent with an incredible physique is set against a smaller man who's physique is comparatively lacking. While the larger man seems more formidable, this is merely in appearance. It has been seen repeatedly that a contender inferior in stature can easily be victorious with superior technique. A phenomenal physique can only give someone an advantage up to a point. If technique is lacking and a contender's offense is unwieldy, it is easy for a proficient fighter to penetrate and take advantage of an opponents untrained flailing, capitalize on exposed vulnerabilities, and dismantle his opponent. It is important to realize that just because you have the biggest body it does not mean that you are capable of functionally using that body to be effective in a fight.

Street fighters, for example, believe they are good fighters based on the fact that they are aggressive and willing to fight. However, when a street fighter squares off with someone who is a trained and an accomplished practitioner of the art it is clear within seconds that their overly aggressive approach does not work. I experienced this first hand in the early 80's when street fighters would challenge me and my students constantly. No doubt in an attempt to debunk me personally and the system I have come to develop. In time I would infact, place a sign on the door welcoming challengers. I remember two gentlemen distinctly, Jay and Kenny.

I met these two gentlemen in Norwalk in 1987 after attending the same gym for a time called George's Gym. Jay, at this point, was considered the biggest body builder in CT. He also did not like me very much when I started going to that gym and everybody wondered how long I would stay there given his disposition. Kenny, now, was known at this time as the "Terror of Norwalk". Everybody knew him either from getting in trouble or simply knowing of his preceding reputation of beating young guys. George's Gym at this time had, without a doubt, some of the toughest street fighters coming through there, not to mention some volatile body builders as well. I remember telling somebody, "I need one week here before everybody is training under me." And it was just exactly that which ended up happening.  After demonstrating to Jay my power, speed, endurance, and grounding, based purely on martial arts skill, Jay signed with me immediately for a month of private training. I remember, also, Jay being at the gym pressing 1500 to 2000 pounds with his legs using a machine.

One day I put Jay to the test and asked him to pick up his leg and push against my stomach. Jay could not even do so much as make me budge, and in less than a second I was showing Jay a new way under my system. There was a difference of understanding between our two mindsets. In his mind, and in that of much of the Western world, to push iron and pack muscle onto his frame was the ideal. This is achieved through monotonous movement and mechanical repetition creating tight, inflexible muscle.

In my mind natural, flexible, long muscle built through physical art is what brings the ideal into fruition. This is achieved through exercising motions that naturally accommodate the anatomy of the human body and develop real strength by engaging the entire body as a whole. Synchronizing breath and motion into pure, fluid, natural, transformative moments of life itself. To this day he remains a faithful convert.

Kenny, on the other hand is a bit of a different story. He is 6' 5" and always made his mark on his opponents. As we continued to spend time in the same building his frustration with me continued to fester and grow. He eventually took the liberty to invite every member of the gym to come and see how easily he would defeat me. The terror of Norwalk once more coming against an opponent to validate his status in front of everyone; his ego eager for all to gather and see for its own satisfaction. Only this time he did not know who he was up against, me, Calasanz.

On that day, the fight was over almost as soon as it began. We touched fists, and from that moment sympathy ceased to exist. The fight, it had to be stopped in less than 10 seconds after a single blow. I had placed the heal of my foot into Kenny's hips, and after taking the shot Kenny's gait was knocked off its axis and he would not walk properly for a time afterwards. The kick was powerful enough to nearly dislocate Kenny's hips and caused stop to his offense immediately. I can't remember if he ever came back.

After that day I ended up training many of these street fighters, and I trained them for free. Over time they would go to competitions and compete in my stead. Within three years the name Calasanz was recognized all over the United States and even internationally. Fighters under my system were making significant impressions every where they went spreading the name, Calasanz. One competition in particular stands out in my mind, one involving KYOKUSHINKAI where two of my students won. Each of them competing within their own brackets and finishing on top.

 Looking closer now at the KYOKUSHINKAI practice itself, it is a brutal form of martial arts popularized in the 1980's. When competing, full force kicks are thrown towards opponents' heads or anywhere else for that matter and no protective gear is used. Punches are allowed but are only directed towards the chest. Often times in a KYOKUSHINKAI tournament there will be a great number of knock downs and knock outs from head kicks. The kick being the most powerful weapon an unarmed fighter possesses, you can imagine the danger in combating someone trained in this practice. My students competed with full confidence and continued to win the tournament in their respective brackets.

Again, keep in mind that at this time KYOKOSHINKAI was a very popular martial art with a multitude of dedicated practitioners making it vital for a competitor to practice as more than just a hobby. In such brutal competition one must really have their wits about them else he may get knocked out, or even killed, very quickly. My students showed their talents. Both of them victorious under my coaching and Physical Arts Body Development system.