Thoughts of a Well Balanced Martial Artist

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on August 9, 2012 at 10:10 PM Leave a Comment
Tags: balanced, counter attack, Exercise, fighting, Fitness, Self Defense, Traditional, Training, unique and personal

The Calasanz System – Over 30 years of Excellence.

Calasanz has spent over 30 years 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. Here are four reasons why people like you have made Calasanz their number one destination for superior martial arts and fitness training.

One-on-One Training: Many martial arts clubs have a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching. Calasanz and his Certified Personal Trainers tailor a program just for you. 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.

Science: 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.

Personal Choice: Calasanz has set out to disprove the misconception that martial arts are all about fighting. At Calasanz, you have a choice. Do you want to study martial arts to learn how to fight or for self-defense? Or do you want to pursue the arts for physical fitness or creative expression? You choose the path your training will take; Calasanz and his experienced trainers will get you there.

Infinite Possibilities: Staying interested in your exercise plan is very often the biggest challenge to reaching your fitness goals. You may have started a traditional martial arts or modern fitness program with the greatest enthusiasm only to get bored after having to endure a strict, dull, repetitious routine. Calasanz attributes much of his success to the variety of training possibilities available to his students. There is so much to do and so much to learn in this system that it is possible that you may never have the same workout twice. Here is a list of what THE CALASANZ SYSTEM™ has to offer:

Kickboxing, Wing Chun Kung Fu, American Boxing, Recreational Boxing, Chinese Boxing, Okinawa Goju Ryu Karate, Tai Chi Wing Chun, Street Survival & Self Defense, Wing Chun Ground Fighting, Aerobic Self Defense, Aerobic Isolation & Isometrics.

THE CALASANZ SYSTEM™ blends the best parts of these disciplines into a unified whole. You can try all of them or concentrate on one that is most appealing to you. Again, the choice is yours. There is so much in this system to choose from.

For instance, if you are interested in fitness, you may want to focus on Aerobic Isolation & Isometric. If you’d like to experience the boxer’s workout without having to get into a ring to fight, American Boxing may be for you. This program includes the exercises boxers use to burn calories and work different muscle groups. This is a popular program that helps you improve strength, flexibility, speed, and endurance by doing isometric exercises.

If you’re looking for practical self-defense, Street Survival may be for you. If you have a black belt in Karate, you may choose to round out your training with a softer style like Chinese Boxing or Wing Chun Kung Fu. If you’re looking to get into great physical shape, American Boxing may be for you.

Whether it’s THE CALASANZ SYSTEM™ as a whole or one of its components, you’ll never be bored! Let Calasanz and his Certified Personal Trainers create the program that’s right for you.

Calasanz Martial Arts and Fitness

507 Westport Ave, Norwalk CT06851

203-847-6528

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on June 25, 2012 at 1:57 PM Leave a Comment
Tags: balanced, Calasanz System, conditioning, Disipline, Exercise, fighting, Fitness, Flexibility, Karate, Kickboxing, Kung Fu, Martial Arts, Self Defense, Training, unique and personal

Personal Training

One-on-one Training – Personal training that designs a workout that is just right for you.

Science – A life time of experience studying the function and potential of the human body and applying effective methods that will achieve peak physical conditioning.

Personal Choice – The best results come when a person truly enjoys our fitness program. Choose martial arts training, aerobic dance, yoga, boxing, weight training, and much more.

Infinite Possibilities – Change it up. Calasanz offers such a wide range of disciplines to choose from, being like every other school is just not an option. Start your training at Calasanz by calling him at (203)-847-6528, by visiting the dojo at 507 Westport Avenue, in Norwalk, Connecticut, or by checking out the website at http://www.calasanz.com/. Come on by for a free trial class.

Calasanz Martial Arts and Fitness

800-414-9544

507 Westport Ave, Norwalk CT06851

Published in:

on January 11, 2012 at 1:37 PM Leave a Comment
Tags: balanced, Boxing, Calasanz System, Disipline, Exercise, Martial Arts, unique and personal, yoga

Being a Well Balanced Martial Artist for Self Defense

My main job is to teach students to understand their bodies and themselves. When people come to our martial arts and fitness center, they will take something home with them, knowledge. But above all, it is important to teach students how to do martial arts and exercise without causing them injury. That is my primary focus in my studio.

Since day one, I have met fighters who think they can fight with anyone. When you are a well balanced martial artist, you meet students who are good fighters, but are very tight, meaning their body is not relaxed. It is not just how tight they are but it is their belief of how great a fighter they think they are. Another common problem is that people forget to breathe when fighting. You can be a tough guy when you study at a traditional school, but they will not teach you what is necessary when you actually go up against a real fighter, that in itself is completely different. You cannot trade punches with a boxer who is relaxed when you are not even breathing. You can get away with this when fighting people on the street or at your school, but to step on the ring with a competitor is a different story. Here my school we can help you with relaxation and breathing when you fight.

I had one student that studied martial arts for about six years and nobody taught him how to correctly position and relax his shoulders. It was very difficult but it took me just two hours in a private session to correct this person that was carrying this problem for nearly six years. Do you have any idea how badly you can get hurt when your shoulder rises up and gets tight immediately? Many people, especially women, have the tendency to tense up which lots of times comes from being abused or scared. This is just an example of just one thing we here at Calasanz can help you with among many others.

Calasanz Martial Arts and Fitness

507 Westport Ave,Norwalk CT06851

1.800.414.9544

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on October 26, 2011 at 2:07 PM Comments (1)
Tags: balanced, Calasanz System, Competition, fighters, fighting, Karate, martial artists, Martial Arts, Self Defense, Traditional, Training, unique and personal

The Story of Calasanz Martial Arts and its Students

Calasanz came to the United States with a dream. That dream was realized after watching Bruce Lee in the movie “Enter the Dragon.” Coming to America to make a movie became a goal for Calasanz. To promote his name, he chose over 60 students, most of which were the best street fighters alive. In the early 80s, the best street fighters were here in Norwalk, Connecticut and were citizens there as well. Calasanz devoted his life to the martial arts because he was born with a gift for it. Calasanz is not a regular black belt, he is more than that and he has proved that, not just in America, but as a 14 year old he went to take a class at a karate school and did not return to the school for three months. Why? He noticed too many mistakes but mostly he did not like the excessive brutality. In his mind, he said “There is no reason for this.” Going back to those Calasanz chose to promote, these students were courageous people, but also they were nice human beings. His students were not thugs; they were good people just like Calasanz.

Calasanz’s students that helped promote the system are Darryl Dash (Dash has a separate blog entry dedicated to him), who was the first black belt in the system, John Courtney (the man who really helped Calasanz to succeed and to get where he is today), but there are many others like Mike Gibson, Roger Mayers, Joe Perreira, Reggie Blackwell, Bill Sullivan, James Cassanell, Tyre Stwart, and Patrick Murphy. They will never be forgotten for their contributions. After 1987, when the business was up and running, many students came along that are great friends to Calasanz to this day. He considers them to be as close as family. Some of them deserve to be mentioned: Robert Sapiro, Grace Luppino, Noram Bloom, Mario Contaccesi, Dee Hohn, Angel Llanos, Peter Valis, Chris Schrade, Gerry Manning, David Been, Dennis Grimaldi, Beth Arthur, Renee Fortin, Rod Kathabi, Dave Tartaglia, Jeff Prescott, Adam Colberg, Andrew Dominick, Luis Vega, Wesley Elizabeth Cullin, Bill Smith, Amy Gery, Tom Barcello, Dalila Willian, Jennifer Li, Rebecca Lyon, and of course Jacquie, Ron Lake, and hundreds of others.

Calasanz can only name so many people since there have been so many students over the years, some of them not only learned martial arts from him, but they helped out. Calasanz will always remember them, and he hopes they will always remember him.

Calasanz came to the U.S., he wanted to promote his name. Two days after being here, his name became very popular in Bridgeport,Connecticut, especially at the University of Bridgeport; they could not believe what he was capable of doing. They asked him to put on an event for the freshman students, and soon after that, Calasanz was called upon to put on a show to be seen internationally on TV, called back then, Miss Venus USA. Being there really helped Calasanz to believe that he would become as good as or better than Bruce Lee.

Today, Calasanz is promoting his system that started in 2001, but also the school is also promoting Goju Ryu is his own way and dubbed it Calasanz Goju Ryu. Students or teachers from other styles of Goju Ryu will learn that this system is one of the most practical and realistic styles in the world today.

Calasanz Main style, Goju Ryu, Wing Chun, Cheng Chuang, Chinese boxing, Wing Chun Ground Fighting, General Kickboxing, MMA, Boxing, and Recreational Boxing are the roots of Calasanz Physical Arts.

This is just an idea of how far Calasanz is going with his martial arts system.

Calasanz Martial Arts and Fitness

507 Westport Ave,Norwalk CT06851

1.800.414.9544

The Perfect Fit In Home Personal Training

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on October 24, 2011 at 12:35 PM Leave a Comment
Tags: Bruce Lee, Calasanz System, Disipline, Dominican Republic, fighting, Karate, Kickboxing, Kung Fu, Martial Arts, Self Defense, unique and personal, Wing Chun

Calasanz and One-on-One Personal Training: by Calasanz

Over the last four years, I briefly departed from solely teaching on a one-on-one basis and ventured into small group classes. I began teaching martial arts in the early 80’s and built my reputation by training students one-on-one. I am pleased to say that I have decided to go back to my roots and concentrate on One-on-One Personal Training.

For 25 years, I’ve privately trained Wall Street executives, CEOs from major corporations, professional athletes like the Hartford Whalers ice hockey team, tennis star Ivan Lendl, best-selling authors Cathy Cash Spellman and Patty Davis Reagan, as well as Henry Kissinger’s personal bodyguard, and members of the military and law enforcement services.

I have decided to make this change because this is what I enjoy most and it is where I see the most progress with my students. Understanding that private martial arts training can be a costly, I have offered packages over the last 20 years packages for one, two, three, and even four years at a considerable savings for a long term commitment. A package avoids the high cost of private lessons, which can individually run from $95 to $380 per hour.

Many of you have been comfortable purchasing long term packages not only for the savings, but with the knowledge that I have been in business for over 30 years and am not some “fly by night” operation that is going to close its doors and leave you flat.

I am currently offering long-term packages at great prices for those of you interested in embracing the martial arts as a hobby or as something special that you just do for yourself.

If you are interested in working toward the goal of earning your black belt for instance, you can commit to one year with a savings of more than half of what it would cost you in a month-to-month program. If you have already committed to a 3, 6, 9 month or one year program and would like to enroll long-term, you can still take advantage of the discounted program. Just see me and we can easily make an adjustment to your program.

For those of you who decide to take advantage of a package, I’d like to sit down with you and determine your ultimate goal. Would you like to:

Become proficient in Wing Chun?

Train like a fighter?

Box? Spar? Point fight? Kickbox?

Lose Weight? Get fit? Try our Physical Arts program?

Many of you want to learn self-defense and how to be more self-confident. This is and has been our specialty for over 30 years. I not only focus on the physical aspect of learning street defense, but also how not to “lose it” in a confrontation. Remember that Ted Bundy killed over 100 young women and was stopped by the one who fought back and got away! It was her description of this monster that finally put him behind bars. Bundy didn’t expect her to fight back…but she did and stunned him with the element of surprise.

My system is designed for the real world, for real people. It is practical enough to teach you the skills you need without brutal training regimes that serve you no purpose. For whatever your goals, I can work out a long-term package for you that will motivate you and save you money at the same time. Just make an appointment with me and we can work out the details. A good example to be aware of If you sign for a package to finish it on 6 months, if you decided to finish on 4 years still you don’t have to pay extra while you have lessons left, which is why a package is designed to be paid in advance, that is the purpose of the commitment and that is why you are saving more than half of the cost.

Calasanz Martial Arts and Fitness

507 Westport Ave.Norwalk,CT06851

1-800-414-9544

Published in:

on July 25, 2011 at 9:31 PM Leave a Comment
Tags: balanced, black belt, Calasanz System, conditioning, Exercise, fighting, Kickboxing, Kung Fu, Martial Arts, Self Defense, Sparring, unique and personal

Martial Arts American Style – Part two: A Lifetime of Lessons – Calasanz Extended Biography

Continued from “: Martial Arts American Style – Part one: A Lifetime of Lessons – Calasanz Extended Biography”

I had earned the reputation of one of the best waiters at Victoria Station. I was quick, courteous and efficient. One night, I served a table of twenty-five and worked my tail off for them. When they were finished, they got up from the table and went into the bar. They left me a tip of $5.00. I went into the bar and asked if they were not pleased with the service because they didn’t leave me the customary 15%. They were so obnoxious and condescending that I lost it. I grabbed the biggest guy by the hair, brought him to the ground and pressed his face into the carpet with my fist. The police were called and immediately five cops were pulling me off of this guy. Because I had become a fixture jogging through the streets at all hours of the day and night, the police were kind enough to convince the restaurant to return this parties money so that they would not press charges against me.

It was now time to get started on my original plan for coming to the United States. I wanted to become a well-rounded martial artist. My first plan was to spend at least two years of hard work on my Goju Ryu forms, since this was the primary martial art I had devoted the first half of my life to. I next planned to extract three to four concepts from a group of carefully selected disciplines-Wing Chun, Cheng Chuang Long Fist, Hapkido, American Boxing and dance. I made it very clear to all my teachers that my main style was Okinawan Goju Ryu and while I had great respect for their style, I only wanted to learn some basics.

I heard that some of the best martial artists and boxers were in New York City. I was curious to see how my skills would match up against boxers, so I trained at Gleason’ Gym for a while. I also studied tai chi from a master who lived there. As a sign of respect for this man, I paid him $4,000 to come to Connecticut to correct my form. I also studied Cheng Chuang Long Fist and wanted to learn four forms very well. My teacher however, didn’t understand. He was interested in teaching me over ninety forms!! This would take a lifetime and was not part of my plan. While I respected his skill and what he taught me, we started having philosophical differences. Another instructor would call me into his office every two weeks and badger me about my training. I explained where I was coming from and that our deal was that I pay in exchange for lessons. Once I achieved an advanced rank in his school, he started giving me problems. He was under the impression that I wanted to teach his style, but this could not be further from the truth. I wanted to learn some basics. I had already envisioned how my system would look like and I didn’t want to be confined by one style. I shook his hand, wished him well and haven’t seen him since.

I then went to study with Moyat, a Wing Chun master who also had a school in New York City. Challengers would come to the school from time to time to fight Moyat’s students. Many of his students, even those who had been with him for many years, were not allowed to use the wooden dummy. The wooden dummy is a martial arts training tool that is indispensable in learning how to fight. I was not about to back down from a challenge. I went on to fight some of these karate practitioners who wanted to challenge the Wing Chun system. Wing Chun is a very practical martial art and a lot of these guys learned how effective it was when we took them on in the name of our school. Moyat saw my skill and told me that I could be teaching Wing Chun within four months if I applied myself to intensive training. I accepted his offer.

To be continued…

Calasanz Martial Arts and Fitness

507 Westport Ave. Norwalk, CT 06851