Not Wrong | Just Different

The best martial artists are those with open minds.  While every person has a style that speaks to them it is hard to be respected as a person or martial artist if there is not acceptance of others' ways and an openness to learning new approaches and methods.

It is commendable and demanding of respect when a person decides to dedicate themselves to a specific art and work within that sect of the martial arts community.  Yet it is deplorable when this same person scoffs and sneers at others efforts within a different sect.

While it is no doubt true that certain styles or approaches are more effective there is still validity within the practice of those so-called "less effective" styles.  Each person must decide for themselves why it is they practice.  After all, Bruce Lee did say that in the end all knowledge is self knowledge, including knowledge of martial arts.  Upon continued dedication the practitioner learns about himself in ways of which he was previously ignorant.  For example you will learn by taking just one kickboxing class how flexible / inflexible you are.

Getting back on point, when it comes to the different approaches, styles and training methods of different martial arts it is of course still another thing all together to come to blows and to fight.  That is to say that there can be a big difference between what you train for and the way a fight can go, especially out in the real world where there are any number of objects within the environment let alone the possibility of concealed weapons or firearms.

Now I could go on and say how useless it is for someone to spend their life learning empty hand forms and that they should instead take krav maga or Aikido to learn about disarming and control through joint manipulation.  But it would be against common sense to say that it is useless to learn a form.  For it has its own beauty and use there within.  Discipline, control, learning body mechanics through movement and developing strength, power, flexibility and muscle memory of technique and perhaps the public performance of this form would even inspire others to seek out and enjoy the world of martial arts.

So what is the best and most effective martial art?  It is a trick question.  First you must ask yourself, "What is my goal through practice?"  From there you poke around and decide which art is a good fit for you.  Take note now as well and don't let yourself get brainwashed as so many do within their own space.  The first martial art you dive into will forever be a large part of your life but don't let it weigh you down or cloud your mind when branching out to something new or conversing with someone with background in a different style.  There is much to be learned but it is difficult for that learning to occur through closed doors.

Take your knowledge from school to school always filling your cup more and more.  Remember what you learn and be open to receiving more and more.  Again, when two martial artists meet it is not that there is one wrong and one right.  They are simply different and it is through appreciation and acceptance of this difference that both can learn and grow.

What is Physical Arts?

Let us make it simple here. 98% of those who go to a gym or do any other sort of training are not in touch with their age.


If you are 18, 20, 23, etc... you can do anything, but still young people can get hurt if they do not do it right or are careless. What happens here is the fact that there are many people over 40, 50 and 60 years old. If you are older you cannot do all the things that young people are doing here.


Just for you to know, learn how to do it right.  Learn about your body.  Then remember and don't forget, there is not age.  Just train properly.  Learn to know your limit.  Learn to do it right and take it home with you.  It is in fact very important and it is what makes Calasanz and his system so unique.  Come to Calasanz because you want to take something home with you.


The first link on this post, I can never get enough of it or her. I can watch it her all day. Why? She is the type of person that listened. She respected what she was learning, she wanted to learn it and she knew how much it did for her. Many others did the same, but she was unique in respect to style and character. She is remembered at Calasanz forever.

Today there are many who have learned and continue learning the skill and concept of Physical Art under Calasanz.

Long ago men started also training and doing these movements the same as the women I trained. Physical Arts for a while was done mostly by women, primarily on the 90's. Today physical art is being done by men, women and children.

"Come to Calasanz because you want to be coordinated, you want to be strong, balanced, poised, grounded etc. Come and Learn Physical Arts under the Calasanz System"

www.calasanz.com

www.westportboxing.com

Calasanz Martial Arts

507 Westport Avenue

Norwalk, CT 06851

203-846-3321
203-847-6528

Style Development (Pt. 1)

When it comes to developing a style or more accurately when it comes to developing YOUR style we are not talking about a certain school of thought or training regarding Martial Art.  We are talking more broadly about expression.

As you undertake, for example, the study of a traditional Martial Art such as Karate you will learn how to express a punch in a certain way.  Someone who is learning from a boxing coach will also learn how to throw a punch but it will be expressed differently according to the rules and norms of boxing.

Students of any Martial Art can show you a leading hand attack within the realm of that Martial Art be it a closed fist punch of Karate, open hand strike of any particular Kung Fu or the darting finger of Wing Chun.  Each strike has its purpose and usefulness in any given scenario yet the core movement and basics of each strike remain the same while the differences are expressed in the delivery into that space to be occupied furthest from the body.  That means that 98% of the movement is the same.  The difference is the hand or structure that is breaching that open space and initiating contact.

Strict adherence to a particular style is necessary when formally learning Martial Art and should be followed if tradition is where you place value.  After all, many schools and masters have been training within certain parameters for quite some time and their practice and knowledge is not to be brushed away without thought.  However, it is important to separate formal learning from the reality of a fight.  A formal Karate practitioner would have a great time getting his teeth kicked in if he were to go into a fight and expect to win by going through the specific set of movements executed in the specific order he learned in training.  Remember, traditional forms are simply the building blocks and tools to be used during a fight.  It is up to the practitioner to put the proper movements and techniques in their proper place and in proper time during those fleeting moments of combat to become victorious.

But this still begs the question.  How do you develop YOUR style?  The best advice I can offer is that you start with something that interests you.  Start with something that you like.  Don't get hung up on the usefulness or lack there-of of a particular style.  If you like it and you are practicing with focus there are more personal benefits that come with regular practice than can be written here.  Master something.  It takes time, patience, drive, discipline, determination and consistency; all of which are necessary in order to express something well and all will be useful qualities when/if you do decide to branch out to other styles or schools.


One pitfall that is very common, especially within those formal traditions, is the strict adherence to said tradition.  You cannot develop a style within a person unless they want it.  Yes, you've been perfecting your boxing punch for years and it is phenomenal. But that does not discredit or devalue the expression of a Karate punch.  It is not a question of one being wrong and the other right.  They are both right within their own realms.  Despite their being at least 80% the same they are just different punches.


So when you go developing it is important to use what you've learned and apply it to anything else you might take up.  You meld them.  Can you be a great boxer and go through a beginner Karate form?  Yes.  It doesn't make you any less of a boxer, it just means you have more tools at your disposal mentally and physically.  If you take boxing lessons and close your mind completely to the possibility of another style being valid or valued it is like a self inflicted lobotomy and only limiting development.

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Calasanz Takes a Hit : «Be Alert While Training­«

We recount an unfortunate training accident which occurred at Calasanz Physical Art and Martial Arts Center.

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A guy, [we call him J for confidentiality purposes], he was here training for over 5 years.

He is a kid that just wouldn't grasp the lesson when someone was teaching him, either out of incompetence or stubbornness... at least any lesson involving martial art.  There was nothing you could do.  So what I did was I remembered the system.  "We can teach anybody."  "We can teach ANY body." and J was somebody, so we taught him.

What did I put J to do?  I put him to get stronger.  I gave him techniques to build power.  He got over here at age of 16.  He had been training here for 5 years, he was 21 years old now.  Just knowing the kind of punch that this guy capable of delivering after 5 years of training with me.  And I prepared him to do it.  I trained him to throw a punch like that.

He would come to the school and he would hit the bag non-stop for over one hour... bare fist.

Just imagine I have you hitting that bag here all the time because you cannot learn the form, you cannot learn the kata, you cannot learn the dummy, so you know what I said... "I'm gonna make him good.. I'm gonna make him as good as anyone."  Because you know he cannot learn the kata, but with this training at least he can survive, he can kill the person.  So that's what I did with this guy.

And then all that turned.  Turns out he was preparing.  The reason that the punch got up so...  Because the punch was so hard... 

 

It was.. I was just in the office and I came out to explain something to the boxers training here because I was watching them from the office.  But you know, if you are like Bruce Lee, if you are like me and you love the martial art you want to help no matter what.  So I came out to explain to them a little bit about blocking, about closing the gap by showing them blocking different techniques.

I put J to demonstrate, for the others to help me show them something in training, in calm training.  But here I was sitting on the ring and he was in front of me with no weight on his front leg.  I saw that at the time, that he was waiting, getting ready to deliver something big, getting ready to unload a punch, just to see if I could block an unreserved shot delivered purposefully, hard and fast towards my head.  But even that was not enough,  as my gaze shifted to one of my boxers to explain the concept J goes and throws the punch.

He throws a punch like he is in a fight; as if he was in immediate and express danger even, as if his life depended on that punch.  He throws that punch so hard, and fully extended with everything he had, it was 100%, nothing held back.  He threw every ounce of power his body could generate into that punch.  With that power I had helped build for him, that I had taught him how to build over the last 5 years.  That amount of energy was thrown straight at me in that punch. If my head wasn't in the way it would have finished well behind my head, that punch was ready to go through my skull, but then it landed, it landed straight into my eye.

There has not been one person who did that ever before, who punched like that in training, in that cool  atmosphere.  That punch was so hard, he threw that punch to pass through.  It was a punch, he was trying to test me.  He was delivering this punch trying to test me.

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 (Perspective Shift)

As an outsider and witness to this event, [call me K for confidentiality purposes] I was stretching on the low table when it occurred not 20 feet in full view in front of me.  I can assure you this was no ordinary punch.  It caught Calasanz just in they left eye socket as he was turning his head to speak to another student, a boxer named Nick, seated on his right.  Calasanz reacted as a blind man to a silent punch, meaning he did not react at all.  (and as we all know the first thing he'll teach you is "head movement" plus he's always made it look the best with that hair)  But no, he did not react; with vision averted it could properly be labelled a 'sucker punch'.  Without movement of his head it landed solidly.

It sounded like a car accident.

It barreled him backwards from his favourite seated position on the outside of the ring into the ropes then swaying back forward slowly.  He grabbed his head immediately, almost curling up, and did not move for several breaths.  He went to the bathroom as he was ready and re-emerged to ask me how bad it looked.  Somehow he kept his composure with student J.  There was a small cut on his eyelid which was bleeding slowly and a slightly swollen redness began to emerge around his eyes before my very own.


He would heal from this punch over the next 4 weeks or more wearing an eye patch to hide the injury.  Every so often he would adjust it to reveal a rainbow, ranging from deep purple to an almost indistinguishable yellow-green radiating outwards from the eye.  Still sometimes when he is tired you can almost see something lingering about that area.  This was no ordinary punch.

As a first hand witness observer I can assure you this punch was purposefully thrown the way that it was thrown, but I also believe the pugilist was oblivious himself as to why he performed it suchly.

Perhaps he had built someone up so much in his head, perhaps he'd seen too many Dragon Ball Z episodes and just somehow forgot he was dealing within tangible reality, facing a fallible human and not an immortal, fictitious, super-powered psychic-warrior.   The world may never know, but this was no ordinary punch.

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Taken from Audio of recording with Calasanz

Developed and Transcribed by Alan Wedell

Coaching 3 Lady Martial Artists

 Commentary taken from an Audio Recording of Calasanz:

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Coaching vids:

 

The movements when I coach them, the movements.  

Remember head movement is 98 percent of the battle of you not getting hurt.  That is head movement.  That is why no one who trains within our system gets hurt.  Its because of head movement.  Closing the gap, the best defense, the best grounding, the best balance, that is the Calasanz System.  To see them doing a Thai boxer's block so well.  The balance they could present.  To see them clenching a fist or doing a side kick or breaking a board, they were and they are excellent.


But then as you watch these 3 girls, Jenifer Lee, Lisa C., and Amanda P. .. to see these people getting coached, Lisa, with beautiful front kicks and round kicks.  That is martial art.  There is a kick over there delivered by Amanda, it even nearly got me.  I mean, she is a lady that can fight that the kick was so hard, so well delivered that anyone who gets hit by it.. oh my!  Her leg is so powerful and the kick is delivered so well according to body anatomy, it is passing through someone, it is not just making contact.  I mean, just.. Wow.  And that is done by Amanda P.  The same thing with Jenifer and Lisa.  Some of those attacks they were delivering to me, and am I just to trying to imagine what they are really capable of if pushed too far.. I don't even want to think about.  Anyone getting hit by those strikes is in serious trouble.

Just describing and following and watching what these ladies are doing in that video, during that show during one of those Saturday Night Fights that we used to have.  That alone makes any instructor or anyone, any audience member to get excited, to get inspired.  Incredible.  And that is what we did and what we had back then.  Because we were at that time when we did those shows, we were beyond, and we did not understand, we did not care, leaving everything other than the reality of what is beautiful, the reality of Martial Arts.

  And that is the story of that video, of those 3 girls. 

 

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Inspired by Calasanz

Developed by Alan Wedell

Remembering Our Students - A Tribute

Rachel Sanfilippo

Transcribed from an audio recording of Master Calasanz:

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As a trainer I have trained many many girls, many men, many children, many young athletes, older people.  I have never trained someone even close to the skill that Rachel Sanfilippo demonstrates.

Yet with her skill there are minuses and pluses as with anyone else.  The minus was the focus.  When I was training her and before I trained her I was made to understand that she was a good, a very good, and excellent gymnast.  Given that, and that she got burnt out it was understandable how it was hard for her to focus 100% on other sports.  Especially kick boxing like she was doing.

I would do anything to have the chance to make her one of the best kick boxers.  She is so naturally beautiful, and so powerful.  She has everything.  She has it all over there.  I wouldn't have her fight if she didn't want to.  I would have loved to take her to the top even if she didn't compete.  Rachel, being a Junior Olympian, breaking records all over the place... She could do anything when she puts her mind to it.

She would do things that I never saw girls capable of before.  I would put her to do some of our exercises, just to see her doing them it was amazing.  Just to see her doing some of the exercises that we do, one that we call super split.  The minute I start putting more than 20 pounds on my legs when I do this exercise I support myself and go slowly to make sure I don't get hurt.  She would take 20 or 30 pounds, strap it on her legs, open the legs, close, open the legs... like it was nothing.  Amazing.

This lady was so strong, so muscular it was unbelievable.  She had good muscle all in the right place but unfortunately I can't say that I ever had her going 100%.  She would be ready one day with a lot of energy, ready to do the incredible but the next day she would be at her worst.  There was no consistency at all.  That is sometimes frustrating for her, and at the same time frustrating for me, I wanted to do so much.  I just believe that I could have put her to do some of the best exciting movements and exercises so beautifully and perfectly to bring her to another level, but I never had that opportunity to really really see in her that consistency of really getting there and doing it.

She would come over here at all hours.  She would come over here sometimes 11 o'clock, 12 o'clock.  I mean she could just train at any time.  Early morning, very late, 2 hours, 3 hours.  She could go for 3 hours kicking, she could kick for 3 hours.  In the video we show, the axe kick, that day she was doing it at about 20% of the ability she is capable of.  When she throws a round kick at full speed it is just incredible.  High.  Strong.  Its just the most perfect kick you can see.  When she does an inside out or outside in axe kick.  She makes the perfect motion, going straight into the skull of the person, or to the ground.  Just perfect.  But again, we get back to her lack of consistency.  The times when we needed her to do the kick, she couldn't perform or wouldn't perform.  At that point she hadn't registered in her mind that she wanted to be a world class martial artist and that she could be so good at it.  I would have loved to get more footage of her so she could do something with it, to see and to become the amazing person that she is.  She was great, and she is great.

I really do not know what she is doing today, if she continued with kick boxing but really she is just incredible.   But then understand, being incredible when you are a gymnast from childhood is not that hard.  They already have so much flexibility and are very strong from their gymnastics training.  I know gymnasts and they are some of the most fit and most coordinated people that I've ever trained.  They have it all. 

The thing is I learned so much from Rachel Sanfilippo that it is even hard to believe what this girl is capable of doing.  I know 100% that she is a great student and a great person.  When she makes a mistake she knows it and corrects it.  She is great.  She is a very logical person and she is going to go far, I have no doubt about that.  But I would have loved that I would have gotten more out of her when it comes to kickboxing and boxing.

She is not a person I would suggest to anyone to make her angry.  She can get a temper and she has all the tools to be a deadly and fierce fighter, besides she is very, very smart.  She can kick!

Unfortunately she got burnt out as a gymnast, traveling, and enduring a lot of pressure.

Rachel had support.. tremendous support from her family and her father.  But when you start to do gymnastics with the purpose of going to the Olympics that is a lot of pressure on her and her parents. No matter who you are, there is going to be a lot of pressure, especially if you are training to be an Olympian, especially in gymnastics.

She would call me, "I am not coming."  But then she would call back at 11 o'clock at night and ask "Calasanz, will you teach me now."  But the thing that impressed me the most was the ankle weights, oh my god.  She would take
the ankle weights, up and down back and forth like there was no weight.  She just has muscle that flows well.  Her muscle was so unique, she was a gymnast, everything flowed, everything was soft, I have never seen someone with muscle so unique.
..
Someone like her you can not miss her when you see her.  What a great person with such a wonderful character.  She would bring bags and bags for me to send to the Dominican for the charity my sister runs down there, in fact I think I still owe her a small debt!

She loved kick boxing and she could be the best.
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What the F*&! is so Great About Calasanz?

Here is Calasanz showing one of his best exercises based on Physical Arts under his self-titled 'Calasanz System'.  Physical Arts is Martial Arts, but Martial meaning in a general balanced term.

The Calasanz System - What is it?

Calasanz has spent a lifetime studying various martial arts and fitness trends. Over the years, he has dissected the best parts of each and combined them into what has become known as THE CALASANZ SYSTEM – a unique and effective style that has wide range appeal. THE CALASANZ SYSTEM includes a physical conditioning program that improves your overall strength, flexibility and endurance. This conditioning program builds a more functionally fit body than traditional weight lifting programs or other fitness routines.   

Calasanz has spent the last 30 years here in the U.S. developing and perfecting his system of martial arts and fitness training.  His unique teaching methods have helped countless men, women and children of all shapes, sizes and fitness levels enjoy the martial arts while getting fit.  His professional expertise and unique approach are why people like you have made Calasanz their number one destination for superior martial arts and fitness training.

 

We're Unique, - What Makes Us Different? 

Many martial arts clubs have a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching. Calasanz tailors an individual program specifically for each single person that walks through the door.  Whether you’re a seasoned martial artist looking to improve your skills or a beginner looking for a great way to get fit, Calasanz and his team will work with you in creating a program that meets your fitness and Martial Art goals. In this system a natural athlete can be passed on to more challenging feats while extra attention can be spent on developing the abilities that will help advance those at the dawn of their athletic experience. Our One-on-One training is the most superior method of enhancing your body and your skills.

Combining the Three Aspects

First is breathing.  Next comes awareness of the breath.  Then comes control of the breath.  Afterwards the breath is forgotten.  Followed by remembrance of the breath.  And finally a return to just breathing.

The three aspects of martial arts are the Physical, Mental and Spiritual.  Discussed in an earlier entry rudimentarily we will now delve deeper into these different facets and discuss the interplay between them for a deeper understanding and more open discourse about them.

At all times these three realities are present and are constantly being expressed, independent of the user's being aware of it or not.  In fact, it is not possible to consciously express all of them at once, for the simple reason that as soon as consciousness gets involved the moment becomes primarily mental.  For example, at this moment the processes leading to comprehension of these words puts the mental understanding of their meaning at the fore-front of the current experience which is being used to affect spiritual change within; all the while this comprehension is only achievable with the assistance of the physical events of eye-movement, sensory input, and brain synapse activity.  These physical happenings are combining with the mental capacity to understand in order to produce an amalgamation ending in a significant and inner spiritually altering experience.

This "three way amalgamation" is at all times occurring to create the present experience in which genesis and conclusion are in exact equilibrium through what is properly called time.




The concept of Nirvana within the Indian Tradition is described as a state of pure bliss or "ultimate reality".  It's opposite being "samsara" or a state of "non-nirvana".  Yogis and gurus have discovered certain methods of achieving this state of "ultimate reality" (most are based on awareness and control of the breath) and here I will let the proverbial cat out of the bag and let you all in on the big secret.  Nirvana, again might be described in this discourse as an instantaneous and simultaneous realization of the association of the three aspects: physical mental and spiritual.  Nirvana, however, cannot be experienced through solely a spiritual, mental, or physical means by itself.

One reaches Nirvana through a combination of mental and physical stimuli affecting the entity in the present to induce a spiritual realization and mental state.  It can occur at any moment, either through extended practice or even by surprise for no explicit reason, or anywhere there inbetween.  The moment of realization culminates into what has been referred to by Alan Watts as the "cosmological experience". and this experience is embodied by two different extremes at opposite ends of a spectrum.  One may feel as if he is the Omnipotent himself, a feeling that one is simultaneously producing and maintaining the entirety of reality (sometimes leading to delusions of grandeur among the unpracticed) or as if he is completely subordinate to reality under complete control of his surroundings / environment. (sometimes leading to a more nihilistic outlook or a feeling of ultimate surrender).

This state, however, is as temporary as anything else and does not usually last very long.  Understand that as one approaches an extreme, eventually there will only be one way to go.  As a great teacher once told me, "Something that turns so far into itself will begin to turn into its opposite."  This reversal can happen both spontaneously, or over a duration of time, just the same as the achievement of Nirvana.  However, the effect of the user achieving this state or having this realization is ever-lasting and never forgotten.

The first time Nirvana is achieved the experience is baffling, after which the user is often confused, amazed, unsettled and shocked all at the same time.  However, through practice and repeated achievement he will come to a realization which is what all religious traditions in the world today are paraphrasing in their own ways.  It is that Nirvana and Samsara are identical.  That they are, in the end, a simple pair of symbiotic opposites used to symbolize and conceptualize the contrasting perspectives of reality we experience.

In the Christian Tradition these are named "Heaven" and "Hell".  Here we refer to "heaven" and "hell" in the sense that they are not ethereal, postmortem destinations, but are instead the perceived, readily tangible and (fortunately) malleable expressions of reality here within.  For example, someone who is suffering is, at that time, in hell and someone who is experiencing joy is, at that time, in heaven.  The defiant, wayward rebellion of Adam and Eve within the Christian tradition being representative of our capacity to change and shape our own reality for better or worse towards heaven, or hell.

So how can I explain this interplay to you?  It is perhaps difficult to explicitly lay it out.  We are, after all, talking about the interaction between physical reality and abstract realms which is an incredibly complicated topic and one that is exceptionally challenging to understand intellectually. (Good on you if you are following this!)  This interplay might be described as a trinity of ever-present realms unified in concept; in which each aspect separately retains its certain individual properties while constantly adapting in accordance with the others and concurrently influencing them outwardly.  This interaction implicitly results in life and in harmony.  A harmony who's 'tune' and beauty originates from the balance between the three.

First is breathing.  Next comes awareness of the breath.  Then comes control of the breath.  Afterwards the breath is forgotten.  Remembrance of the breath follows.  And finally a return to just breathing.


Thanks for Reading and Share it if this helped you or spoke to you in any way!


Concept Develped and Written by:
Alan Wedell

Presentness Through Life and Kung Fu

When it comes to training the body for the long term, for the dedication to a prolonged life and for real longevity we are, in the end, talking about Kung Fu proper.

As a term that is thrown around in Western culture, often mentioned only in passing and almost never actually discussed or explored in any real depth, as if a joke or a farce, "Kung Fu" is very much a part of every day life and is an important practice for those living in those areas where Kung Fu was birthed and developed.  As life continues so too Kung Fu continues to develop along with it, independent of geographical location.  Do note, however, that the expression of Kung Fu in different geographical locations differs vastly from one place to the next and does not necessarily involve the complicated forms or movement sequences often brought to mind upon the utterance of the words "Kung Fu" (note: the existence and practice of said forms classically denotes a highly developed but still changing expression of Kung Fu).  For example, eating is Kung Fu, training is Kung Fu, sleeping is Kung Fu.  If you are breathing, if you are living you are in fact doing Kung Fu.

So, if we can agree that Kung Fu is synonymous with life it is also understood that any action taken which delays the Reaper's inevitable scythe is good Kung Fu, and any action which quickens the dark and final blow is directly at odds with the natural inertia of existence.  The good practitioner has a harmonious aptitude and a complete understanding, even without the understanding of every particular.  The good practitioner visualizes his life's path knowing that his present action affects his course directly.  It is difficult to consistently keep this vision front and center in sight and in mind, especially with the ever multiplying measure of external stimuli in today's world.

The good practitioner can develop and hone his ability to keep this vision at the forefront through meditation and more specifically control of the breath.  It's amazing that even the most minuscule lapse of judgment; the most concise, fleeting moment can cause a resounding deviation from the envisioned path.  Situations where this is the case might be called "accidents".  A mental consistency of awareness and a grounded recognition of reality must be maintained to a certain degree at all times to curb the likelihood of "accidents"actualizing themselves.  Reducing their possibility is best done by avoidance of the prerequisite conditions necessary for the accident to occur and using foresight to recognize those conditions.

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As we live there is a perpetual culmination of circumstances occurring at every moment in a constant fleeting genesis and it is here, within the moment, where lies the potential for all that is present to affect (for better or worse) the immediate circumstances towards a future reality.  Again, the potential there lies, in the moment, for us to bend our reality to a new extreme, or more likely to a new moderate circumstance as time passes.  Whether an extreme will actualize itself or not is uncertain, and the likelihood of a situation's development into an extreme reality a priori (meaning before the entrance of any empirical information) can properly be modeled by the mathematicians bell curve.  As we are great effectors of our own circumstance we must remain focused and resolute to ensure that as long as we are in control we do not breach over into an extreme displacement unless absolutely necessary.  But, if a breach of extreme does occur either by "accident" or through willful, deliberate action we must do our best to maintain control using our wisdom and intuition to characteristically proceed with magnanimity and honest virtue to reestablish equilibrium.

So we bring it back now to the topic at hand which is longevity.  Physical development is something that is also perpetual throughout a lifetime until death, so it is important that one understands how to develop safely and without injury as injury is properly a physical regression, which is the opposite of the desired outcome of development, progression.  So please!  Don't get hurt!  Our Physical Arts Exercises with the anatomical logicality of its holistic movements all centered on the core are the most simple and most effective exercises to promote longevity and real, internal power.  These exercises, when performed correctly and safely (meaning not with excessive weight) promote coordination, dexterity, power, proficiency and skill simply through their execution.  With this system the physical realm can be mastered in record time leaving the mental and spiritual realms ready to be conquered.

A Master of Kung Fu lives longer through dedicated physical training, spiritual serenity, and mental patience all contributing to a stressless life and ever-present mind.

Live Longer, Live Better, Kung Fu

Inspired by Calasanz
Written by Alan Wedell

What is Martial Arts?

So..  What is it?  Let us explore the topic in more detail so our readers [thanks guys :D ] might get a deeper understanding of what we are discussing here.

Martial Art is not something that can be defined with any absolute certainty, but here we will attempt such an impossible feat.  Martial Art.  It is an art form that is never stagnant, always moving and as long as one lives one is always a participant within it.  A musician, for example, plays a piece from beginning to end.  A painter applies pigment to canvas to create a painting to a conclusion.  A writer thoughtfully scribes a story from beginning, to middle, from middle, to end.  Martial Art, in contrast, is in constant practice.  Even if one is not training traditionally or even "training" at all, one is constantly in the act of producing their Martial Masterpiece simply by their propagation of life.  Every act we engage ourselves in is a stroke of the brush, a crescendo, a poem.  Understand, this is not said to downplay artists of other mediums, but to point out that musicians, painters, writers, artists of all kinds, and all people in general are intrinsically practitioners of Martial Art.  In a sentence, Martial Art is Life.

Now, something interesting happens when we open the topic to the three aspects.  We speak of the Mental, Spiritual, and Physical (Mind, Spirit and Body respectively).  Let us discuss each individually.

The Physical aspect of Martial Arts demands much respect as it is the realm in which bodies interact and the realm in which bodily injury occurs.  We look now at fighters.  Fighters are people without fear of physical harm or even those who harbor a love of it.  Fighters are dedicated to the mastery of the physical domain and set out to build their bodies to compete.  They train to take punishment and to unleash it upon their opponents.  It is the most visible and easily altered realm.  Also, realize now that the physical realm is controlled through the mental and spiritual aspects of the user as each of these three aspects are interconnected and act on one another through symbiotic relationships.  (A topic that deserves much further discussion, but is best reserved for a composition where it is the center of focus).  

The Mental aspect is the side of analyzing a movement or a technique.  It is the quiet pondering and conscious deliberation over the physical movements.  The samurai, for example, before they would practice would go through a fight sequence or exercise, sitting quietly, executing it purely mentally first before even picking up the sword.  This is as important as physical practice as it allows the user to critically and creatively experiment with the technique or exercise prior to its execution, the fudging of which may end up being physically harmful if not performed well.  Don't be fooled though, physical practice and mental analysis can occur simultaneously and in fact should be exercised both in tandem and independently.  This sort of 'cross-training' is critical to becoming well-rounded.

The Spiritual aspect is the understanding of purpose.  Mindless training without understanding will no doubt produce a physical result, but in the end is properly brutish and nonsensicle as it is not conducive to wholesome constructive development, but instead actuates ignorant stasis.  This understanding is not easily attained however.  The user will naturally have some sense of purpose to begin with and his understanding will deepen ever deeper through continued physical practice, mental analysis and meditation, unending.

Martial Arts is the dedication to these three aspects and most importantly the wisdom to balance them harmoniously. 

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Inspired by Calasanz

Written by Alan Wedell

Challengers Welcome Part 2

Calasanz was and continues to be the biggest name in martial arts in the surrounding area of Norwalk Connecticut, not to mention his name's international renown. People after seeing his skill would often talk, “Wow, he's even better than Bruce Lee!” With a reputation such as that it was repeatedly required of Calasanz to uphold such a high acclaim. In fact, until recently there was always a sign on the door welcoming challengers to walk in.

Often times the meanest, 'baddest' punks in town would walk in with inflated egos and idealistic conceptions of themselves and of how their one punch would end the fight in seconds, only to find themselves realistically confined to roles reversed. Other times more skilled and practiced martial artists with a bone to pick would enter through the doors with their inflated egos and idealistic conceptions of themselves and of how their superior technique would end the fight in seconds, again, only to find themselves realistically confined to roles reversed. We are reminded especially of the story depicting Calasanz' fight against Kenny at George's Gym.

Today however we have unearthed, from the piles and piles of tapes, a video never seen before of footage taken when an entire school came to make good on the sign's promise. We look now at Roger Mayers, one of Calasanz most honest, loyal and recognized students.

In his time he was one of the best and fastest point fighters. Roger is a guy with great defense, great reflexes, and a great heart. He went up against people nobody wanted to fight, like Raul Ortiz, and he won tournaments so large he would go home with trophies as tall as 6 feet. His nickname, “Flash” fully characterizes the reaction people had when watching him fight. To see him moving around in a fight is like watching a Bruce Lee, and everyone who trained with him knew that if you touched him he would make you pay for it. He moved so fast people could barely see him attack. One of Roger's best moments was when he competed in a kyokushinkai tournament and ended up taking first place, his fellow student is in the background here and took 2^nd place.

In these videos Roger “Flash” Mayers fights Dennis White, click here for a short anecdote about Dennis's personal encounter with Calasanz prior to this day, and a man named Michael.

Roger v. Dennis White:

As you watch the fights you will notice Roger landing many kicks to the hips of his opponents. After the rounds of fighting and sparring the schools meant to go out to lunch but the opponents were having trouble walking from taking these blows to the hips and unfortunately could not join us for the meal. But after all was said and done their aim of usurping Calasanz position and proving him a fraud was once again denied despite their best efforts.

Roger v. Michael - Round 1:

Roger v. Michael - Round 2:

Roger v. Michael - Round 3:

The sign has since weathered and was taken down after the school remained unopposed for such an extended spell. But the stories of those who came to challenge still remain within our walls and are testament to the resilience and truth about Calasanz and his system.


All the STRIKES!

Challengers Welcome - Part 1

Calasanz Physical Arts and Martial Arts Center in Norwalk has been teaching and training some of the best Martial Artists in the world since the 1970's.

People come to challenge the master when they cannot even defeat his students.  The clock strikes high noon while the best fighters in the area walk through the door unannounced.

Here is the story behind Darrel Dash and Dennis White.

Daryl Dash, in the white shirt with flat-top, was the first Black Belt under Calasanz.  He was known at this time for having the fastest head movement and his devastating countering ability, known as the master of counter.  Calasanz himself admits that if he was not 100% when working and moving around with Daryl he would have been in trouble.

Dennis White, in the full gi and beard, had an extensive Martial Arts background fighting people in schools all around the country.  For example, he had a 7th degree black belt in Judo but that is really only scratching the surface of his training.  This day he came with his Master and fellow students to the Calasanz center unannounced.

This group, from Stamford, made their living and their name by going to other schools, challenging them and converting students after showcasing their skills.  They were great fighters to be able to do that.  On this day at the Calasanz center they would be disappointed after their efforts.

Calasanz, without fore-warning, of their arrival had only his students in attendance to enter the fray while most of his best students were not present at the time.  Still, having faith in his system and his students he put them to fight.

Enjoy the fight, comment and like!