The Simple Way

Taken from an audio recording of Calasanz

"But there is only one direction that is going to be done and delivered and that is the simple way."

- Calasanz

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This is uh... something that I want to talk about first of all to bring it to the attention of Frank Dux even if I don't mention his name I just want to be able to tell him, "Read it."

Just like how ________________ has written before about me as a kid, I knew probably Martial Art since I was born but didn't know that it was Martial Art or Boxing that I was doing until I got to the city when I was 14 or 15.  That was the time that I first went to a school and took my first class.  As I was watching, everything that they were teaching did not make sense to me because it was just brutal.  They were just hitting each other.  The first day I remember sparring and they would throw a front kick or round kick at me and I was using techniques of closing the gap to block them.  Lifting my leg and blocking the kicks.  For me it was nothing new.  It was something that I realized later on that I was born with.


I did not go back to take a class at the school or to train with Rafael Martinez their Master / head trainer or any of the other trainers there for about 3 months.  After I came back from 3 months I could beat anyone there, but I could have beaten anyone there even on my first day.


You see, on my own I was already doing movements within the traditional forms and katas.  I remember including some of those movements in a kata I put together in 1987 for a form we call "Bojitsu Ni".  I remember Matellen Coves was performing a weapons kata put together by Tameyoshi Sakamoto, Bojitsu Ichi, but traditionally it was just too short.  He was performing it perfectly but it was just too short and he was not winning.  So I took that same form or kata that was related to kobudo and I elaborated on it to put together the Bojitsu Ni.  In less than one year, or probably 3 or 4 tournaments he was number one in weapons Nationally and number one in New England for many of the other things that he was doing.



Now, Belts.

So, belts are not so important for me, but it is important and I do use them in our system.  You want to have a black belt in Physical Arts under our system.  Why?  Because that is just a little taste of what is the most well balanced system in the world.  Anything that we do we can divide a belt into whatever; 14, 300, 400... we can divide our belt system into any number of different levels by using our skill to bring people to the equivalent of a black belt and that could be in Karate, Kung Fu, Chinese Boxing, American Boxing, Wing Chun Ground Fighting... even for Boxing we have a black belt equivalent over here.

So belts are more of a respect for me.  I respect the Martial Arts more than anyone out there.  I spent a fortune in Martial Arts just out of respect for the teacher.  "Here you are Moy Yat.  I'm gonna give you a lot of money because you're teaching me the Wing Chun system.  Then I am going to teach it."  We had worked it out such that I knew that after three months of training under Moy Yat I would be certified to teach, and I did.  And Moy Yat did not care because he knew what was the skill that I had.

He said, "No, no, no.  Why put Calasanz in a class to pay $50 and spend 10...15 years doing 小念頭?"  No.  Somebody sent me to 梅逸 (Moy Yat) and in 1 year I had the system of Wing Chun.  Even myself, I had many students teaching 3 months after learning Wing Chun, Patrick Wilson, Pamela and many others.  So belts are important for me as a respect.  So many instructors like Mr. Chow in Wing Chun.  Frank Dux in all that he did.  Lee... in reality I retract that word, I don't want to mention that guy... but many others.

Whenever I went to a new school I had a way of talking with and working with their head instructors and owners.  They would say, "Oh, Calasanz, why don't you get a black belt in our system?"  You see, I can be a black belt in one day.  My obsession was so excessive and my skill was so beyond that I could reach that level in a very short time.  I remember when I went to Lee, I talked to George and taught him some of my skill and then he gave me in just one week all of their forms of Tae Kwon Do.  It was easy for me because I did TKD in the DR and I knew how to deliver all the kicks as TKD as well as in the style of Goju Ryu karate.

So when I went to this guy on the Post Road to learn Hapkido the first thing I said was, "I want to do this because I came to this country to be Bruce Lee.  I want to be well balanced.  I am good at Goju Ryu but I don't want to confuse what I learned.  I want to be at least the equivalent of a brown belt."

But I could be the equivalent of a brown belt of any system if I wanted because that was my skill.  I was born with it.  I spent a lot of time in school but I devoted to this after my formal study for the love of it.  I have 24 diplomas in all sorts of different fields.  But I devoted myself to Martial Arts because its what I wanted to do.  It was my obsession and my passion over anything else.

Now, all these writings and recordings that I am doing here are related to one thing.  Respect.  I love to have a belt from many different systems just to have it out of respect.  But the fact is that belts are not so important for me, however, I like the respect of it.  And that is one thing that I want people to understand.  If someone offers me a belt, I want it.  But at this moment I have a system.  I have a system that I need and for me to accomplish my system and to leave it here; to give it to the world before I am gone I would need probably... easily, 10 lives.  If I am going to be 90 years old then I need another 90, another 90, another 90 and so on in order to leave it.

Calasanz and Tameyoshi

So I am concentrated on what I am today and on what I know today and this is the skill that I want to leave in the world.  Then to the world I leave those names that I respect and there are many of them, but one of them is Frank Dux.  Another, Moy Yat.  Another, Tameyoshi Sakamoto.  Another, Victor Lillianao and of course ____________.  But anyway, this is the fact of belts.  I don't mind getting a belt from anyone.  I don't mind learning today.  Today is June 12th 2014.  I do not want to learn a new self defense technique.  I have so much already that if I could leave behind at least one percent I would be so happy in life.  I want to talk about skillful people like Frank Dux for example, who is for real.  Moy Yat if he would be alive.  Tameyoshi if he would be alive.  Rafael Martinez.  Rafael Alvarez and many others.  I love to share.  I love kata.  That I want to learn a new form or a new self defense technique or a new elbow.... look, I can portray an elbow strike in 20 / 30 different directions.  But there is only one direction that is going to be done and delivered and that is the simple way.

We created our name by delivering 1 punch and 1 kick.  A side kick that no one, no one could block and no matter who it would be, an MMA fighter in the UFC... we could apply that sidekick to any fighter beautifully.  The System Kick we called it.  A kick coming from a short distance with lightning speed and power with the heel.  My guys just made people... you could call it shit.  Maybe there is a different word that Alan can find but... that just made them... it was a kick delivered to the gut that just made them... you know.  This is how we created the name.  So we don't need so much about that, but again, respect.

Anybody tomorrow that contacts me, "Oh let me get a belt in your system."  and I will spend 1 hour with you and give you a belt.  But the belt is really not what is helping you.  It is of course the time spent and what gets retained that is really important.  Anyone can wear a belt, not everyone can throw a good kick.  I don't have to do that but I respect those that love the Martial Arts.  I respect those that love the Martial Arts and do the Martial Arts for real.  No bull-shit.

Still I expect that this be written in a way that does not offend anyone.  Bull-shit could be misinterpreted as someone who is not too good as a fighter but is good at teaching and helping kids to be confident at something.  We don't criticize anyone.  And certainly teachers such as that are not bull-shit.  Martial Arts can be a lot of things.

It's like I told Kenny Lamara who said to me, "Calasanz, my kid goes to this school.  I don't know why I didn't send him to you."

I said, "Kenny if you sent him to me he wouldn't be with me."  He wouldn't have stayed with me because in those times I was tough on them.  I was tough an anyone.  It didn't matter their age or anything.  So those schools over there that take their time to teach a kid just how to feel it.  It's okay.  Its okay.  Good luck.  It's like Bas Rutten said, "I respect you."  You have a 3rd degree black belt in ____________, and I respect that.  But I wouldn't respect you if you say now you're gonna step into the UFC or if you want to step into the ring with me because that would be an offense.  You don't have to be a killer in order to have a black belt and have another Martial Art as a hobby.  You don't have to be a killer.  You can just be.  You can enjoy.  You can enjoy the Martial Art.  You can do the Martial Art soft but you must be careful when you open your big mouth.  [jokingly]  You know, don't say that.  But yes....

You know, this is what Bas Ruttan said.  Alan, the minute you see and follow him you will be inspired by him.  Every word that comes from his mouth is something that you want to save.  He is one guy that is the same type as me.  That is just logical.  Everything works.  Don't criticize some school because the guy just throws a kick and didn't do anything with the kick.  No.  They are enjoying that.  You see?  That helps them.  That is what makes TKD today.  That is why there is the big killer TKD and the other ones.  Okay?

So that is related Alan, that is what I want and probably I give you some time tomorrow, I want that you write that and even words can come even from your own development; your own skill.

I respect.  

I don't want belts.  I do not want to learn anything.  I just want to see if I can leave before I am gone to the world 10 to 15 percent of the most simple Martial Arts in the world.  This is all I care about today.  But I do care about respect.  I do care about sharing with people and so on.  This is what I want.

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Martial Arts and the Perfectionist

"Don’t be afraid to correct perfectionists because you feel it will upset them. An instructor who feeds into this is not really teaching. Constant praise is counterproductive and doesn’t help the student learn."

I appreciate martial arts students who want to do everything perfectly. They are usually very committed and hard working.  They sign up for classes ready to train and full of enthusiasm.  Unfortunately, this enthusiasm disappears very quickly.  The one problem is that perfectionists worry themselves to death.  They start off with a very positive attitude, but set the bar so high that they get depressed and disappointed if they can’t meet their expectations often times allowing the slightest error to completely deflate the moment and block reception of the lesson.

Students with such high anxiety also tend to ask a lot of questions and over-analyze the lesson or the techniques.  What happens then is that instead of enjoying their martial arts training, it becomes stressful.  Some don’t want to take promotion tests because in their minds, they are never really ready.  Usually they are of the mind that nothing they do is ever good enough.

I’ve taught martial arts for over 30 years because I love teaching.  I've said it again and again, I don’t like to give up on anyone, perfectionists included.  They can be superior athletes if trained properly.  My best approach is to encourage them to lighten up.  I have to constantly remind them not to be so hard on themselves.

I will limit the amount of questions I allow during a class.  As a sincere teacher and instructor I can’t ignore all questions because some are legitimate but sometimes the barrage of inquisitions gets out of hand.  A martial arts class, however, should not consist of a lot of chit-chat.  Most people want to work up a sweat and learn the art; talking simply inhibits the experience.  Too many questions can also bore and even agitate the other students so maintaining focus on everyone getting a good workout is important.

During open workout sessions, I specifically direct perfectionists on what they should work on for that hour.  Some students are so self-directed that they show up to an open workout with an agenda of what they want to work on and can keep themselves busy for an hour.  Although, if the Perfectionist needs a plan... Give it to them!  They will rise to the occasion.

Don’t be afraid to correct perfectionists because you feel it will upset them. An instructor who feeds into this is not really teaching. Constant praise is counterproductive and doesn’t help the student learn. Make constructive corrections and tell the student how to improve!

Above all, focus on the overall learning experience!  When directed by a knowledgeable instructor perfectionists have the potential to be, to become, outstanding Martial Artists.  Encourage them to enjoy the journey!

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Real Power through Simplicity

The Straight-Forwardness of Wing Chun Kung Fu

 

In the world of engineering often times the most celebrated solutions are also the most simple.  When it comes to martial art there is none more simple than Wing Chun

Review this video, especially those of you who have studied Wing Chun traditionally.  We love traditional wing chun programs but have also managed to cross the threshold by developing Wing Chun into something practical for more than just self-defense and street survival.

Calasanz studied Wing Chun under Moyat privately investing probably 3 times more than those who just love to talk.  When it comes to Wing Chun, even if you are not an expert or even if you are a beginner, just by taking Wing Chun you are already better than many other martial artists.  No matter what you do, no matter how abysmal your Wing Chun is, you are still getting 90% more than what you would get from any other martial arts school granted you are not making a concerted effort to ignore the lesson or refuse any sort of attempt at understanding the system.

 

Calasanz built his name by giving lessons to professional fighters who needed it.  You see, Wing Chun on the street is unmatched, but most guys who fight on the street don't know how to fight.  It's easy to win a fight on the street.  Watching a Wing Chun guy take down 10 guys on the street would only naturally make one of the mind that Wing Chun is best.  But again, those guys on the street probably are not good fighters.  So, when it comes to stepping into a ring, or now a cage you encounter a completely different animal.  Now you are fighting a fighter, a gladiator.  Now you are fighting someone who trains to fight.

That being said, Wing Chun designed for competition has to be more than just the traditional.  It has to evolve into something beyond.  While the traditional has much to offer in the marks of technique, body mechanics, spiritual development and general fitness it must be augmented for the cage when faced with the reality of fighting and with the knowledge and input gathered over time in order to participate in evolution proper.  Keep in mind, however, that evolution does not imply greater complexity.  In fact, it may even imply a step in the opposite direction towards greater simplicity.

 

Jeet Kune Do developed by Bruce Lee for example.  Lee introduced that concept of 'longest weapon attacks nearest target' which is undeniably and obviously sensible yet was strangely overlooked or undervalued for so long until its more recent revelation.  JKD was developed by Bruce Lee because upon coming to America he ran into trouble taking traditional Wing Chun into competition; meaning it needed to be converted into something effective for use in the ring against those trained to fight.  Behold the creation of JKD, behold the evolution of Wing Chun. 

 

 

 

 

 

Calasanz' Contemporary Recounts the Past

"I was on the circuit myself for years and was competing in tournaments and that's how I got to meet a lot of people throughout the country.  Some were real while some were just tackin' 'em in there."

An Ex-Instructor Describes His Experience with Calasanz

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Over the years we would host tournaments at the local YMCA for forms, fighting, weapons and breaking.  Calasanz would perform in the breaking events to demonstrate his breaking ability which was pretty fantastic.  He performed an incredible amount of breaks.  At the time he did Ed Brown's tournament he did the most amount of breaks I have ever seen at any point in time in my life, it must have been some sort of record.  I believe he broke a baseball bat with his shin and generally, anything I heard about Calasanz I usually took as true because I had seen what he would do and could do in real life.

Ed would run these tournaments twice a year which would draw in the top competitors locally, and more than that.  People would come from all over the North East.  It gave the top competitors quality competition in those disciplines of: forms, fighting, breaking and weapons without having to travel into New York City.  I first met Calasanz at one of these local tournaments.

Calasanz, as long as I've known has always been an innovator when it comes to martial arts.  He was always working on developing new programs and classes; always trying to do something to better the martial arts.  I remember he called me over to his school years ago to have a look at a new class he was running.  He wanted to know what I thought about it.  Today they call it "cardio - karate".  He was an innovator of this and he had it going before all those names came out which I thought was really interesting, and again Mr. Calasanz as far as I was concerned was a quality, was a real martial artist.  He was a guy that just kept doing, kept training, kept making his art and is someone I've always respected.  He teaches martial art as something to be real, not just a place to pay money and get a 5th / 7th / 10th degree belt.

One of the hang-ups I had years ago was that you could have a school and if you were a real "traditional" martial arts instructor you weren't going to make any money.  So a lot of those real teachers left the industry.  The reason was that everyone wanted their kids to look like a black belt.  They wanted their kids to be able to throw 55 different leg kicks.  People didn't want to take the time to do what they needed.  They needed forms, meditation, exercises... the real stuff.

Most places having anything to do with martial arts at that time was more for show and tell than anything else because it was such that in those times you could only survive by teaching a lot of kids, and that meant doing a lot of things that weren't so much the traditional way.  There are still a lot of those places around that want to get 1000 students and keep them coming in for prizes [belts].


There were, however, at that time other instructors that really were teaching traditionally.  I call them traditional martial artists, that really stuck to the old ways.  They knew how a martial art was performed, how it was received and how it was really taught.  I always think of "Karate Kid" you know, 'paint the fence'.  I've always respected that Calasanz taught Martial Art as something to be real.  But let's say you went to Japan to learn martial art.  You would sit outside for months to get in and you would just sit outside waiting to get in.

So there was a difference between Martial Artists even before I was there.  What I saw in Calasanz was a REAL martial artist.  He was always real.  He meant to perfect his craft, always trying to progress it.

He was a for real guy is what I am trying to say.  A good guy.  I really like him.  He was one of the guys that had real fighting going on back then.  He was having full contact fights at his school, [similar to MMA today],  "Friday Night Fights" I think they called it.  It wasn't so big because the laws of the times wouldn't allow you to openly do what they were doing; but I remember that at one time he was trying to get that going.  The boxing commissioner was giving him the hardest time because they didn't want it to take away from Boxing's lime-light.

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Non-Conventional Training : The Martial Artist's Way

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Why didn't they get hurt?  In the early 80's I had my people training in what was called "non-conventional martial arts".  Today the people training are doing the same thing to get ready for MMA and the UFC.  We've been doing it here since our origination.  That is why challengers in the past were so often leaving disappointed.

I trained my guys in only the most basic fighting techniques and let them master these.  After that the fight mostly becomes natural and reactive.  Most of my students were police officers or street fighters anyways, they didn't need the more advanced stuff, but I would teach these to those dedicated and interested students.  That is why I tell my guys, "Learn body anatomy."  Secondary is the "non-conventional" aspect of training, that being our unique Physical Arts exercises.  These prepare the body to produce more power than any other system at a greater range of motion than any other system.  We taught (and still teach) striking that originates from the core for more solid and more effective strikes than what anyone else was doing at the time and still no one else does.  Getting hit by one of my guys is not the same as getting hit by someone else's.

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Now, when I got to this country, my main training was pounding, horses.

I remember one day doing kata taikyoko geden.  We call it "Kata 1" over 100 times at Bridgeport University.  I remember that was when I came to the country, I was at Bridgeport University.  What is repeated in that form over and over?  Horses.  So that is one of the main training techniques to build power, coordination, balance and grounding.

Squatting.  Today they say some of the UFC fighters do over 1000 squats per week as part of their training.  I was doing 1000 squats in one day non-stop.  I would start at 6 in the morning and just do squatting until probably 6 o'clock at night.  Doing nothing but squatting, squatting, squatting.  I built one of the most scary names in the 80's that carries on up to today with these methods.

But we always go one step further.  How did I make squatting MORE effective for my system?  I would put on ankle weights and jump from a rock down onto pavement into a horse or a squatting stance.  It's what people do using tires or platform tables today, but really you can do it with anything.  There was I jumping with weights on each leg up onto a rock and coming down hard on solid cement.  I trained my students to do it with 5 pounds on each leg.  I even did it myself with 60/70 pounds on each leg.  This is something I do not recommend to anyone today. 

 What about the sledge hammer?  I was known for using the sledge hammer.  I would use it in such a unique way, here I was training and did it just to see if I could and it turned out just perfect. [at 2:07]  But again, this is what we are talking about when we say "non-conventional" training.

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You see a guy lifting dumbbells and you say, "Wow he is strong and training very well."  You see a guy working with an iron long-staff, do you say the same?  It is just a different training tool.  Non-conventional?  Yes.  Just as effective?  Yes, and maybe some say more so.


 Taken and Developed from an Audio Recording of Calasanz

Calasanz Loses Student : Glenn Van Lesser Scarred for Life

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.

Calasanz Wins Kyokoshinkai Tournament : Loses Student

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 What else could you want to know about us?

Mas Oyama

During the early 80's there was a wave of influence from Japanese Martial Artists including the well-known, and late, Mas Oyama (1923-1994) In America too there was a fad, cult following of this traditional style going on. Up to today Mas Oyama is credited with the creation and introduction of Kyokushinkai to the world and to the realm of Martial Arts. Our school (Calasanz Physical Arts) in the 80's, in the hay-day of Kyokushinkai karate, defeated the top international kyokoshinkai competitors... that will tell you what Calasnaz did using non-conventional and non-brutal training that he has practiced, taught and developed since the early 80's. What's more is that today, as Calasanz still lives, his system continues to evolve as a way of martial arts, self-defense, fitness and beauty.



Calasanz' students Roger Mayers (who is now a state trooper) and Reggie Blackwell ended up fighting each other for 1st place in a Mas Oyama Kyokushinkai tournament.  It took place in Brooklyn New York, 1986. 

If you go back and ask, "What was the most brutal martial arts with the best killers in the world in the 20th century within the martial discipline of karate?"  In order to answer you must then talk about Mas Oyama's Kyokushinkai.  These people did not have so many blocks, they did not train to block so they just learned the traditional blocks.  But they trained not to be human.  These people would spend in training half-hour to fourty-five minutes just punching each other in the chest with punches that were capable of killing someone instantly.  And these people would just take it.  Yes, this made them tough, but what happens to them as they lose their shape and as time passes is a different story.  A story that has to be understood and has to be said. 


When you physically prepare yourself like a body builder or a football player then yes, you are in great shape.  But when you stop training, when you stop playing football the whole picture changes.  The only thing that stays with you is the spiritual part of it, the mental and spiritual part of it.  The physical, you just lose it.  That is what happened over time to those practitioners of Kyokushinkai from the 80's until about 2000.


From the 80's until the 90's was probably the best decade of Kyokushinkai and when it had its largest following because during those times Mas Oyama opened a lot of schools in the United States.  Hundreds of them.  One or two years later most of them were closed because nobody could take the training, especially for extended periods of time.  And that is going to tell you what the Calasanz System was in the 80's when these two guys Roger and Reggie went to and won the Kyokushinkai tournament in Brooklyn.

In those times you could not distinguish a knock down tournament from a hard point tournament within Kyokushinkai.  Competitors for both trained the same.  And there were Calasanz' guys, delivering kicks and punches and winning.  One of the things that helped them the most was what we call the "system kick" or "system side kick".  Kyokushinkai did not have blocks for a fast strong side kick.  Again, we call it the "system kick".  And it was delivered there many times by Roger Mayers and Reggie Blackwell.

So they went, and one got first place while the other got second place.  That was during the 1984/5/6 era.  This particular example happened in 1986.  That was one of the toughest days that I ever could mention here in respect to Kyokushinkai and I'll explain why on the topic of another student of mine, Glenn Van Lesser (read more).

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News Flash! Karate and Kung Fu : Not So Different

Teaching Traditionally

Don't Teach : Teach How To Learn

Transcribed from an Audio Recording of Calasanz

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I just finished with a student, [we will call him R for privacy].  R is a guy who comes and works out over here and has signed up on a 3 month commitment.  He comes here to work out several days a week.  I go giving him several techniques every other day or so.  He already has about 9 techniques on the 20 arm wooden dummy.  Today I went to teach him one of the techniques where you go into a front stance and block with the bong shou.  He has to get into a front stance and block using the bong shou block, the middle block.  In karate middle block is a bong shou.  In Chinese Wing Chun bong shou is a middle block.

Bruce Lee called it the intercepting fist.  You block the fist then you attack.  It's also known in Wing Chun as Lop Sau.  As I explain to him for about 2 minutes and repeat the movement for him he is looking directly at my eyes, and I am watching that.  When I told him to go ahead and replicate it I watched as he went and did something completely differently.  I mean, he went and did something really, very different.

Wing Chun : Bong Shou

Karate : Middle Block

I said, "R... How you could have gotten that, because you were watching straight to my eyes."  It's like Bruce Lee said, "Don't concentrate on the finger or you lose all the heavenly glory."  You have to look, visualize, observe and capture the entire person.

Now, I said to him as a joke, "You want to bet?  You know what, we're gonna bet.  I need 10 dollars, we're gonna bet 10 dollars because I need it for food."  So he laughed and then I said, "All you gonna do is that you're gonna go into a front stance.  Look and visualize me.  Now, bring the right hand to block the fist.  And that is all you're gonna do, in a front stance."  It took about 10 to 15 seconds.  He went to perform it again; this time it was perfectly done.


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This is a little example about what traditional learning is except as you can see we are speeding up the process.  The Chinese Master would teach the student a technique.   If the student did it wrong he would not teach the student more and would order so many more iterations of the technique until the student became exhausted, gave up, or became proficient and got it right.  The master knowing all-the-while that even just spending that time has improved not only the student's ability to perform the technique & kept the student working out all day; but has also given the student a slew of physical benefits increasing endurance, balance, flexibility and coordination just to name a few.  Here we don't want to waste that time.  We have the best exercises and movements for these benefits and will teach them to you such that you learn it well enough to take it home with you.

Ancient Techniques with a Modern Approach at:

Calasanz Physical Arts
Norwalk, CT 06851
507 Westport Avenue
203-663-6651

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Calasanz Hosts Charity Kick-a-thon : Frank Dux Runs Seminar

 Back since the school's foundation we have always been involved in charity towards the community and other community efforts.  Now we run a clothing and goods donation within the school where we send items big or small directly to Calasanz' sister (Cipri) in the Dominican Republic where she supplies them to the farmers and the [much] less fortunate.

(You Can Donate Monetarily Here : Every Dollar Helps)

 

In the past Calasanz Physical Art would hold charity events like the 'Kick-A'-Thon' or the 'Train Like a Fighter for LLS' events.  At one such event one of our main instructors at the time, Frank Dux, was scheduled to hold several seminars over the course of the weekend at our dojo, our school, for treatment of muscular dystrophy.

So the story goes that ...

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A student and friend of Calasanz, Bill Smith, was helping to organize, plan, run and promote the event.  Bill, the great guy that he is, worked very hard on the event for us even knowing how Calasanz was, how Calasanz would just destroy money.  He would make money, but just destroyed it.  It came to a point that the school no longer had any money to destroy.  But Bill, Bill worked with the school anyways and he continued helping.

At that time Frank Dux was at our dojo regularly.  Calasanz says, "Remember, I was the guy who promoted Frank Dux.  He was looking for someone to promote him when he was very famous from the movie 'Blood Sport'.  Frank Dux knew that I was one of the biggest schools and had one of the most real schools of those times."  And it's true.  His name, Calasanz, was [and still is] recognized locally and internationally in the martial arts world long before Frank Dux came here.

It's not like today where you see a lot of real schools.  Now there are a lot of real schools all over the place since the UFC came out; but again my school is not just being real, its being complete.  Good Karate.  Good Kung Fu.  Good Energy.  Good Practical Approach.  You don't have to be a professional fighter over here.  It's the only school probably that has that, I don't know who else can do that.  We could do that and we've been doing that and we have many many names, we have hundreds of names of people coming through here who fought the pros, who could fight anyone, and many of them won."

And so... Frank Dux was here to do a seminar that we had promoted all over Connecticut.   There ended up being 70, 80, maybe 100 people here after spending over $50,000 dollars on promotion.  The school didn't even make 25% of the money back.  But again, that was Calasanz, destroying money.  How could he do something like that?  Well, at that time he was so into the passion and the love for Martial Art that the last thing he was doing was planning for anything, he just spent money.  He would tell his people, "Here, go to WeBe 108 with $10,000 dollars.  Make a deal for promotion." Sending them off with check in hand.

We were the first school to do the best commercials of martial arts without a doubt.  We even had commercials on Larry King Live.  We would spend for those commercials $7,000 or $8,000 to have the best martial arts commercials on television, if not the only martial arts commercials on television at the time.  So it came to the seminar, the event.  Jenifer Lee was there working with us.

"I was there but so focused all I could do was focus, not looking at anyone, focused on how I am going to portray my technique on Live T.V."

But What Happened with Frank Dux?

"It's a long story, it's a story that Frank Dux denies today, but at that point everything went wrong.  I tried to keep everything quiet but what went wrong was beyond belief.  Nobody put it together but me.  Look, after taking thousands and thousands of dollars, writing checks all over the place and to believe I could make that money back out of signing people... only I would think something like that.  So that seminar it was a disaster on the fact that Frank Dux left.  The next day he came back in the afternoon, everybody had been waiting for 3 hours or more...


Everything went wrong over there.  But Paco Prieto and all of the people there were enjoying themselves and there was I, Calasanz, trying to keep faith, to keep a face, to do what I
could.  The day of the second seminar all I could do was run the seminar myself, to perform.  But since I could ... it's not the thing I like to talk about but that anyone knew I could do 10 times what Frank Dux could do.  Besides he had such a conflicting schedule everybody started asking, "Calasanz, why don't you do the seminar yourself?"  Because I wanted to keep faith, everybody had been waiting.  Everybody asked me that.

"I respect Frank Dux and he is the best.  He is a very good guy and he is for real.  I respect that.  But yeah.. that I had more to offer back then than even him?  Yeah... Because I am a guy born with a gift.  Because I am devoted 24 hours.  So the second and third days it was mostly me doing the seminar, giving techniques, exercises, doing all this stuff with the people.  The people were ready and excited when Frank Dux finally came.  So the experience there with Frank Dux was not a thing anybody wants to experience but we did it and we had the event."

The Above is transcribed and developed from an Audio Recording of Calasanz

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While the intentions of the event were noble and high minded those most important and trust bearing duties were not fulfilled.  Although everybody involved put forward their best efforts, somehow the event fell to shreds. The relationship between Calasanz and Frank Dux is deeper than this and will be brought to light in due time in another entry.  Stay tuned.

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Calasanz Near Death : Finds a Way to Come Back

Taken From an Audio Recording of Calasanz

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That you set out to find another man more determined, more mental, more spiritual, more physical, more super crazy than me?  You won't find it on this earth.  Even if they find people on mars, never can you find it. 

At one point I am testing 120 people, I am training them with the help of the wonderful, beautiful Renee F.  At that time Renee, she was a very nice person, but for some reason that day she was very tough to deal with.

We had started testing at 4 in the morning but then at some point Renee decided that she was going to give me the finger and leave because she was angry.  I couldn't say why she was angry, its a mystery to me.  Why would she go and get angry at a saint like me?

So, she left and I said to myself, "You believe that you're gonna make a mess out of me?  No way Jose, there is not going to be a mess."

I had over 100 students testing that day and I did it all.  I held boards, picked up the broken ones; I got the belts, I lead, I coached, I held more boards, I talked to them, I talked about philosophy, I bowed again and again, I gave the exercises.  I did it all by myself.  I did not use anyone to even write down who payed.  I did it all, collected money, collected whatever.  I didn't take any time to eat, just tested.  I ran the show, I ran the whole thing.  I did it all without even a bite of food.

Then at around 11 o'clock that night I had a vision, I saw the building falling in on me.  I picked up the phone and I pushed the number 9 to dial 911.  I didn't know what was happening to me.  After pressing '9' I caught a glimpse of the water fountain.  I ran to it immediately and began to drink.  I probably  drank enough water to drown myself, but after drinking that water I was restored to some degree of normalcy.

That was when I really found out about the curative properties of water.  From drinking that water I was able to come back to be myself again... and I realized then also that... "Wow, I didn't drink any water all day."  I hadn't eaten or drank at all that day being so busy.

You see, nobody came and told me, "Calasanz, you can do this by yourself without eating food, but without drinking water, it will kill you."  Nobody told me that.  Seems like nobody cared or maybe because I didn't speak up, or I didn't talk about it.  I am not stupid, but I was so busy I couldn't even remember 'I am supposed to drink water'.  Maybe I could have gotten away with not eating food for that time, but then without drinking water, it nearly killed me.

To tell you the truth, it was one of those times that you remember and go thinking back on and say, "My goodness, they could have found me dead over here." 

I remember another incident like that when I was very young.

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I was painting cars at one of those well known car dealer repair shops in the Dominican Republic.  I worked there because I was going to school and working; working and going to school.  Of course I had to make a little extra money because my father couldn't pay for everything.

But that was the purpose, that was in the DR [Dominican Republic], I remember... I have history, still up to today there, I did so much stuff over at that well-known dealership, Albreo.  The car racers in the mid 80's and 90's they were known all over the world for having some of the best cars and racing in the DR.

I went over there and in just 1 hour I would make more money than probably any one over there because I could paint in 20 minutes or 30 minutes what another person takes 5/6/7 hours to paint.  I was so energetic and so focused that I could do that, so that was me.   Like I said...

Anything I do, I do it with courage, I do it with passion and whatever, but that day I can never forget because I said after an event... "I'm supposed to be dead!"... the electricity burned everything around me and left this 14 / 15 year old kid there, alive like nothing had happened.  I remember standing there watching electricity and sparks go all over the place.

It was like fire works.  

I was standing downstairs painting in that auto-shop with cars all around, then...  something happened.  A loud bang came.  Something had broken on one of the cars and all this electricity came from nowhere and was all around me like fireworks going everywhere.  Everything was whizzing, sparkling and burning, another guy who was working there painting outside came running.  There he was and he saw this kid about 14 years old in the basement.  He looked at me and his face said it all.  It was saying,

"How this guy is alive?  He's supposed to be electrocuted..."
 Meanwhile the manger was sitting there thinking, "I'm gonna get sued."   

The other workers, they couldn't get into the place because of the explosion, but I just was there, I stepped into the water, I stepped out of the water and I got out.  But no, the electricity didn't come to me... It would have electrocuted anything standing in that water but no, this child lived.  I was alive, I survived.  Thinking on it now, probably I survived only because I was wearing shoes.

And I have the same feeling, about that day when I had over 120 people testing... I ask myself now... How could you not drink any water??

But I proved my point that day, that I really was a mentally strong, spiritually strong and physically.. forget it... super strong person.  And that was me.

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If you've had a near-death experience please leave it in the comments.

We'd love to hear about your experience!

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Calasanz Physical Art
507 Westport Avenue
Norwalk CT  06851

203-663-6651

Story Inspired by Calasanz
Transcribed and Developed by Alan Wedell

Happy Training!