Obsession is something that affects everyone in its own way. Some people become obsessed with gambling, others with sports, others with "what-have-you". Calasanz' obsession is Martial Art. His obsession began when he was still a boy on a farm in the Dominican Republic. His father took him to see the wildly famous Bruce Lee film, "Enter the Dragon". From that moment on he knew his life's purpose and he began dreaming of going to America to become a Bruce Lee, to become the world's most well balanced martial artist.
His dream would begin to actualize in the early 1980's when he finally made it to this country, the United States of America. Now he had some work to do. While he will tell you that he was born with the gift of knowing martial art and especially understanding Wing Chun he also knew that in order to become well balanced he would have to learn a variety of styles and given its 'pot-luck' nature there was no better place to do that than in America. He took a very logical approach. He would pick some novel systems to learn to achieve his ends, study them and practice them down to their root.While we examine and get into his course of study its important to know that his study of each particular style is not cut and dry. Language will, unfortunately, limit the way in which I can convey, and the ways in which you can comprehend his progression of training but it is important to remember he as a living human was and is doing so much more than what can be exposed here through prose. That is to say that as the topic changes schools or instructors, remember that his study and practice of previous styles or systems did not end. In fact even today he continues to develop his skill of styles previously studied while adding the knowledge and training of newly learned systems, never throwing away what was obtained in years passed. Still to this day he continues to develop, involve and evolve aspects of each of the styles he has trained within his system because as any real martial artist will tell you, you are never done developing.
He began his training in the Dominican Republic at a myriad of schools training disciplines including Karate and Taekwondo. The first school he attended within the U.S., however, was under Moyat in New York City to improve and perfect his Wing Chun. After one year with Moyat in Chinatown he moved on. Years later Moyat would come to Calasanz' dojo for a seminar to promote Calasanz and instruct some of his more advanced students.
On his endeavor to become the most well balanced martial artist in the world he undertook the study of Cheng Chuang (translates to "Long Fist"). He studied this system with Angel Rodriguez under a Chinese master with only one English name, Henry, in New York City for 6 years, all the while improving his Wing Chun and developing aspects of body control through dance classes and gymnastics. Cheng Chuang remains a large influence on his art and teaching style emphasizing extension and flexibility for greater range and a more capable body.
Each day he trained and learned he became aware that he could not satisfy his obsession. He grew hungrier and hungrier. His appetite for martial arts would grow faster than he could take it in.
As he kept learning, practicing, and developing he would augment his previous Hapkido and Taekwondo training in the Dominican Republic with lessons under Master Lee in Darien, Connecticut.
He would also attend Gleason's Gym in New York City regularly to soak in what he could of boxing. I say soak in because at Gleason's Gym he could not step into the ring. He was already making videos and doing the incredible and those who attended Gleason's thought he was crazy. They would not even put him to spar.
As time passed he integrated all of these styles, taking Bruce Lee's ancient aphorism to heart, to take what is useful and disregard what is useless. And like Bruce Lee, Calasanz understood the importance of dance. He took up dance classes in several different styles including ballet, jazz, tap, modeling jazz and modeling ballet. And, while dancing is not necessarily martial art, martial art is most definitely dancing. Dancing, as another practice of bodily control and presentation, gave Calasanz another perspective and allowed him to grow as a martial artist in ways strictly martial systems had not. This opened the mind and gave him another leg to stand on so to speak to be more well-balanced and more well-rounded as a martial artist.
His obsession had led him deep within the martial arts world and even outside of it altogether. He would learn a lot by taking a step outside that realm and looking in through a different lens. As he continued training his learned martial systems he would again branch out, this time into the world of gymnastics. He would train under Darko, a Russian instructor in Westport at the time. Darko is noted as being baffled at Calasanz' ability and workout routines.
The people surrounding and training Calasanz were more often than not confused by him. They could not comprehend what he was doing, and more, how he was doing it. His obsession drove him to extremes so far from so-called "normal" that many, including those at Gleason's Gym, dismissed him as crazy. But this is exactly what happens to someone with an obsession so advanced and a desire so deep. In anything he trained he would always want to know the meaning of the technique or movement. He wouldn't stop. For those on the outside looking in it is difficult to understand a person obsessed and their actions because they simply do not share the same motivations and desires. Simply, they do not have the same obsession.
Surrendering to an obsession and to then pursue it with such vigor and passion does not come without a price. As Calasanz trained doing rigorous activity for unhealthy and extended periods of time, his body paid a price. He had successfully destroyed the joints in his body through over-training. His obsession had become a destructive force and over time a lesson would be learned. Even with the world's best body development system in his hands, the pitfall of excess showed its face.
It is, however, exactly that, his obsession, and his relentless feeding of that obsession which spring-boarded Calasanz as a martial artist above and beyond all those around him including his instructors. His inability to be satisfied, his unrelenting hunger to be the best, most well balanced martial artist in the world, and his determination and strength of will to do what was necessary to achieve that goal has led him in this lifetime to the fulfillment of that self same goal.
This is Calasanz, the Most Well Balanced Martial Artist in the World
Inspired by Calasanz
Written by Alan Wedell
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