Story Taken and Transcribed from an Audio Recording of Calasanz
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Okay, So we already spoke about Roger Mayers and Reggie Blackwell getting 1st place and 2nd place (read more)fighting each other at a 1986 Kyokushinkai tournament in Brooklyn New York. But now, getting in a little deeper it must be understood that on that day we had about 5 fighters we trained to compete. And here we arrive at 13 year old Glenn Van Lesser.Glenn Van Lesser then was just a kid from New Canaan. Glenn trained with us during those times. A very tough kid from New Canaan who had never done or had any martial arts training before, I took him as a student and in as little as 3 months I took him aside to tell him, "Listen, if you are tough I will train you to go and fight in Brooklyn New York in this tournament and you are going to win." and I never told him "if they put you with the right guy."
To be clear, at that point I did not know so much about Kyokushinkai. I personally believe that this was the 1st or 2nd tournament of that kind that we entered. If this would have happened in '96 / '97 we would have been familiar already with Kyokushinkai and Oyama and more knowing of what to expect. By that time we would have seen what was going on at these tournaments and it would be a different story altogether.
Moving on, this kid that didn't have any experience with anything, no combat, no nothing, just trained by me, Calasanz, personally fighting under the sole conditions that he was healthy enough to fight and he could move and had the stamina to do it. But how can I make you understand? This kid had only 3 months in martial arts, he was at the stage of infancy or less in the world of martial arts.
Just go back now. If you know anything about Kyokushinkai, just go back and put yourself in the category of Kyokushinkai in the 1980's. Putting yourself there and being aware of the circumstance you will know that this is an intense, serious and even dangerous situation. Glenn's opponent, a kid 16 years old with a Black Belt coming from Canada, coming internationally to fight in Brooklyn, New York. Think about that, that this kid Glenn was fighting has already competed and won 2 or 3 times these types of tournaments.
Before the fight started I got into the center of the ring. The center of the tournament. Talking, yelling even to all these Japanese to stop the fight. But by that time they did not care. They terrorized, they were terror, I was angry. They did not listen. I said, "How can you do this? No, you cannot allow this to happen. You cannot!" But the problem is that also they pushed me to the limit in front of everyone and said that the kid has to fight. I was trying to take the kid out of the fight. I tried to take the kid out of the fight. I said, "No, you cannot put that kid [Glenn], 3 years younger, only a white belt and with only 3 months training up against someone a Black Belt in Kyokushinkai that has competed for years already and won tournaments."
But do you know what? In Kyokushinkai, if you were below 18 you would be put to fight anyone, from white belt to black belt. Can you believe that? If you today would talk about something like that you would probably ask, how many lawsuits did they endure? You see, in 1980 there were not lawsuits going around like there are today. When you hear about what happened to this kid, you're gonna see that this guy from New Canaan probably should have sued them for what happened, but no in those times people would just take it; not even worrying about that sort of thing. Nothing was organized. If it would happen today you would find attorneys all over to take the case because it was the craziest thing we've ever seen.
So... the fight started. I couldn't stop it. If I would try to stop it there would have been pandemonium at the venue, there would have been a massive fight with them. What was I to do? We were in Brooklyn, New York in 1986 surrounded by hundreds of Black Belt Kyokushinkai guys over there... and we were only 5 or 6 people from Connecticut. ...When you hear about what happened after they started fighting you are going to just listen to what this kid did. I taught this kid to close the gap and deliver one. That was what he was taught. I told him again and again, "No matter what comes, close the gap, deliver one." We are the only system that teaches anyone to survive or even win and defeat anybody out there. Just like the history shows, we have hundreds of my guys not being boxers and knocking out guys with two or three golden gloves championships. A perfect example: Lou Petrillo. And there are many others.
When the fight starts Glenn is there and guy comes to kill him.. I mean this is a guy black belt 16 years old and again Glen Van Lesser is 13 years old. Immediately the guy comes to him. Glenn closes the gap and delivers a hard punch. *BOOM* "One Point" says the referee. (It was a 'hard point' tournament but 'hard point' in Kyokushinkai at that time was no different from a knockdown tournament in Kyokushinkai) They reset and again the guy comes with kicks and punches all over. Glenn Van Lesser defends perfectly, closes the gap and *BOOM* another hard punch to the body. Remember, that in Kyokushinkai competitors can kick to the head but cannot punch to the head. If the fighters could be punching to the head today the story that we are telling here would be different because Glenn Van Lesser would have defeated the guy.As the fight progressed Glenn has 2 points and his opponent scores 2 points to tie. They reset again and as they recovered and got ready and recovered the guy from Canada 16 came straight at him with all of his experience and delivered the hardest kick he had to Glenn's head and it landed solid. Everybody watching that day thought that my kid, Glenn Van Lesser, was dead. It was something nobody ever wants to see. That we have this story today and have to say that these people, the Japanese, got away with that... It's insane. It's abusive. It's impossible to believe that they could get away with something like that, and they did get away with it.
Today it is 2013, it is August 8th 2013. And by now I haven't heard from Glenn Van Lesser since about 15 years. I don't know what happened to Glenn Van Lesser... All I know is that still he is suffering from that shot. I am confident that it is something from which Glenn Van Lesser will never totally recover.
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Story told by Calasanz
Transcribed and Developed by Alan Wedell
Epilogue:
Now this is what I said not getting hurt, when we mention Glenn van lesser that was not something that counts... okay. For example, do you count that if you are in a shoot-out and you are the best shooter and you are going to have a shoot-out with someone; but the day of the shooting the other shooter has a revolver, and you do not. Now you get shot. Do you count that as a loss if you don't die or a win for the other? No, you didn't have a gun. And this happened with Glenn Van Lesser. He did not belong standing in front of a 16 year old, 4 time tournament champion... its like an unknown-boxer that did a little bit of boxing getting in the ring with Mayweather or Oscar De La Hoya or whatever. Its the same thing.. Alright, and that is not getting hurt.
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