The Early Years – Part Four: A Lifetime of Lessons – Calasanz Extended Biography

Continued from “A Lifetime of Lessons – Calasanz Extended Biography:The Early Years – Part Three”

Santiago is a tough city.  When I first arrived, I had to quickly become accustomed to surviving in an urban environment.  There are two stories that stick in my mind to this day that involved two local tough guys.  One was named Calier, the other, Dario.  Calier was so bad that the police didn’t even want to deal with him.  I remember he tried to fight me one day.  I hit him with a right and he went flying over the hood of a car.  I was surprised because I barely put a lot of power into the punch.  This altercation turned into a nightmare.  I was concerned about his bad reputation.  Fortunately, things cooled down after a while.  The other guy, Dario, thought he was above the law and demanded respect from everyone. Dario was one of the most accomplished mechanics in the Dominican Republic.  He worked on racing cars and was the manager of one of the biggest body shop in town.  I had gotten a part-time job with him in order to make some extra money.  Dario was determined to pick a fight with me.  One day he got his wish.  Unfortunately for him, he found himself on the ground with two broken teeth.  The next day, over 25 neighborhood kids, including two of Dario’s brothers, came to see me and start taking classes with me. 

Two months after I started my martial arts training, I was asked by some friends to come to a town called San Jose de Las Matas to perform for them and their girlfriends.  I was just a white belt at the time and all I focused on was martial arts, work and school.  I put on a comedic martial arts demonstration and even had some black belts come and watch.  My performance was very aggressive and funny, and no one even bothered challenging me. I would go on to do many demonstrations in the Dominican Republic and in the United States, including my Super Breaks.  

One of my closest friends, Felo, had come with me to the first karate demonstration.  He started training in karate on the same day I started.  He couldn’t continue his studies, so I became his teacher.  Four months later, Felo was fighting black belts. There was a local martial arts club that needed a teacher.  Now Felo was in competition with me and wanted this job badly.  Felo challenged me to a fight to take place at the martial arts club.  Felo was much bigger than me. We started by teaching a formal class.  We then had a sparring session were the students fought each other as well as with us. Finally, Felo and I were left standing.  He came after me as if he wanted to kill.  I threw one of my favorite kicks.  I threw an extremely hard kick that landed on his head.  His mouth, ears, and eyes started to bleed.  Felo retired from martial arts after the match.  I had used this kick on an earlier challenger who came after me with the same vengeance as Felo.  He was smart enough to quit after he saw me throw the same kick.  

As a martial artist, I had no desire to compete in tournaments.  There were plenty of opportunities in the Dominican Republic, but I wasn’t interested.  I wanted to become a real fighter.  This meant fighting without pads, rules or referees. I upset my teacher once when I refused to enter a karate tournament he was sponsoring.  I took it upon myself to find out who won the point-fighting category.  I was determined to prove a point.  I didn’t believe in using gloves.  I found the winner, challenged him to a match and beat him.

 To be continued…

Calasanz Martial Arts and Fitness

507 Westport Ave. Norwalk, CT 06851

www.calasanz.com

www.interdojo.com

www.the-perfectfit.com

Published in: on February 28, 2011 at 10:04 pm  Leave a Comment  
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A Lifetime of Lessons – Calasanz Extended Biography: Introduction

I came to the United States in 1979 and established one of the most successful martial arts schools in the country.  While many schools struggle to keep their doors open, my business has grown every year since I emigrated from the Dominican Republic.  My success has not been by accident or stroke of luck.  It took a lot of hard work.  I had to prove myself as a martial artist and make a name for myself in a country where I was unknown.

From the first day I stepped into a martial arts club, I knew that I was not going to be a competitor in the traditional sense of the word.  I knew in my heart that I had a gift for the martial arts and that I was going to devote my life to practicing and teaching.  “What if I don’t compete?” I asked myself, “Will I still learn how to fight?” I knew I had to be real and as you will see by my story, went to great lengths to prove it. 

When I came to the United States, I would hear some martial artists’ claim that Bruce Lee “couldn’t fight his way out of a paper bag.”  This is just plain jealousy.  If you read Bruce Lee’s Fighting Method Volume 2: Basic Training (a book I highly recommend and have reviewed on my website), you will see that he is a real fighter.  These insults regarding a great man made a great impression on me. My goal has always been to prove that I am a real fighter and not one that is manufactured by the tournament circuit. That’s why I made it a point to prove this in my career, even going to the extent of stepping into the ring and fighting a boxer who was sixty pounds heavier than me.  This has become part of my teaching philosophy

Those who have followed my career over the last twenty-six years are familiar with my story and reputation.  New students however, have lots of questions and tend to ask the same ones over and over again.  This is my attempt to give my new students an understanding of where I came from and who I am.  I am writing this for the benefit of a new generation of Calasanz students and as an introduction to my history and martial arts philosophy.

Calasanz Martial Arts and Fitness located at 507 Westport Ave Norwalk, CT 

www.calasanz.com

www.interdojo.com

www.the-perfectfit.com

Published in: on February 19, 2011 at 7:30 pm  Leave a Comment  
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The Eyes Have It!! Eye Contact and the Martial Artist: by Calasanz



In The Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi admonishes Daniel-san for not looking him in the eyes.  In Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee points to the moon and tells his student not to concentrate on the finger or he will lose all the heavenly glory.  Some martial artists, however, spend a lot of time working on their basics, polishing their forms, but little or no time developing proper eye contact and focus.  Why are the eyes important in martial arts training? 

The eyes are a declaration of your fighting spirit.  What kind of self-confidence do you exude if you can’t look your attacker in the eye?  Is your sparring opponent going to take you seriously? Are you looking away? Are you looking down?  Look him right in the eye at the start.  This type of body language says you mean business! This is particularly important in self-defense situations on the street.  The eyes can be weak or hold the intimidation factor you will need to defend yourself.   

The eyes show respect and gratitude.  When bowing to our opponents, we maintain eye contact as a courtesy.  When we shake hands before and after sparring or working on self-defense, we thank our partners for their participation in our growth as martial artists.  That technique you had to use on the street was honed in a school with the help of a partner willing to practice with you.  Look him or her in the eye and thank them for being there. There are no second chances or “do over’s” with that attacker on the street. 

The eyes tell you where the attack is coming from.  The boxer has to worry about two hands.  Martial artists are concerned with four limbs and a variety of attacks.  It is important to maintain your eyes on the centerline, drawing your focus on the upper chest or collarbone.  This will give you a good scan of the entire body. Developing good peripheral vision is also important.  Practice looking out of the “corner of your eye.” This may help you avoid that roundhouse kick headed for your skull!

The eyes can “telegraph” your next move.  Don’t look at the target or you might as well tell your opponent where you’re going to hit him so he’s good and ready for you!

The eyes can trick your opponent by looking in one direction and striking at another.  “Fake” a glance at his thigh and strike at the head instead.  Bruce Lee, for example, deceived his opponent by looking him straight in the eye and dropping him to the ground with his famous foot sweep.  They never saw it coming!  

So remember, next time you’re in class working on sparring or practicing with a classmates, don’t neglect the eyes.  Applying these principles will add a new dimension to your training.

What kind of background must you have to benefit?

It doesn’t matter what you background is, Calasanz has worked and continues to work with people of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, and experiences.  From beginners at the dawn of their athletic experience, to professional athletes, seasoned martial artists from any and all disciplines, the physically challenged, athletes of all sports transitioning to (or supplementing their training with) the martial arts, Calasanz can help everyone!

If you study Karate (soft or hard style), Kung Fu (Northern or Southern style), Tae Kwon Do, Ninjitsu, Calasanz can help you improve.  If you are into competitive contact martial arts; Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Boxing, MMA, Brazilian Jujitsu, point fighters, Calasanz can help both strikers and submission specialists sharpen their fighting skills.  If you’re a performance martial artist (wushu, kata or breaking competitor), dancer, gymnast, or acrobat, Calasanz can help make your form and style more beautiful.  If you are in law enforcement, the armed services, fire fighter, body guard, bouncer, or are just looking to defend yourself in the street, Calasanz will improve your self defense skills.  If your looking to get in great shape or you’re an athlete (basketball, football, baseball, hockey, tennis, soccer, golf, lacrosse, or body building) looking for superior conditioning, Calasanz has the formula to increase your strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, speed, body awareness, and athletic prowess.

Calasanz Martial Arts and Fitness / 800-414-9455 / 507 Westport Ave. Norwalk, CT / www.calasanz.com / www.interdojo.com / www.the-perfectfit.com

 

Published in: on January 28, 2011 at 3:53 pm  Leave a Comment  
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20 Arm Dummy Training

In the early 80’s, Calasanz was in search of a training device that would help get a group of students ready for tournament fighting within a very short period of time.  What emerged was the 20 Arm Dummy.  Calasanz got the idea from his training in the art of Wing Chun. Wing Chun master, Yip Man, created the traditional wooden dummy or mook jong as a training tool for practitioners. A staple in any Wing Chun class, the wooden dummy is basically a post with protruding “arms” and “legs” so you can simulate fighting a real opponent. 

The main difference between the 20 Arm Wooden Dummy and the traditional mook jong is that you train to fight in four directions on five opponents.  The 20 Arm Wooden Dummy frames consist of four corner posts plus a traditional dummy that is mounted to the floor. In addition to including the traditional wooden dummy, the four corner posts have several “arms” and “legs” attached to each post so you can attack or defend.  This allows you to fight at different angles, heights and directions and work on adjusting distance.

The 20 Arm Wooden Dummy is a great training aid not just for Wing Chun students, but any martial artist who wants to practice different combinations of punches, strikes and kicks. It also develops blocking skills, close quarter fighting techniques and builds up your arms and legs as you absorb the shock of striking the various parts of the dummy.  Calasanz has also designed a 20 Arm Wooden Dummy form that promotes cardiovascular fitness by requiring you to execute these techniques while moving from one post to another.

Calasanz Personal Training

Published in: on August 18, 2010 at 1:07 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Respecting the Roots of Traditional Martial Arts

Youtuber Comment:

I have been an instructor for 26 years, my family has a long history in the martial arts. My highest rank is in Goju and Kung fu. My katas have been getting high reviews. In our motto we believe the answers are on the floor. I done many katas and there are different variations. So you can see the idea of what they look like. Now I have heard that Calasanz beat the hell out of Morio Higaonna, that’s what someone is telling me.

Response:

Thanks for your comment.  Calasanz respects the roots of Goju Ryu and credits it as well as other styles as the foundational arts for his System.  References to Goju Ryu or any other style are historical in nature.  Calasanz has created a name by giving constructive lessons to those who damage the martial arts. All of these lessons were done using non-violent diversionary techniques. Here you’re seeing a small piece of Calasanz training regime and martial art expertise.  He has spent his entire lifetime striving to be a well balanced martial artist. In addition to the traditional martial arts, he has also incorporated aerobics and dance into his training.  While some martial artists would shy away from this type of training, Calasanz sees the benefits of rounding out a rugged training regime with disciplines that focus on balance, grace and fluidity.  There are a variety of videos on this site showing the different sides of his training so just viewing one or two of them doesn’t really give you a sense of the wide range of his training. His success lies in his ability to incorporate these various disciplines into a complex system that seems simple at first glance. Thanks again and best of luck to you

Calasanz Martial Arts and Fitness Training images and videos!

Published in: on June 28, 2010 at 3:34 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Calasanz Monday Night Fight School

Interested in MMA????  Short on cash and time but want to get in a good workout?  Drop-in on our Monday Night Fight School!  Learn the basics of mixed martial arts fighting at Calasanz Physical Arts, Monday nights, from 6-8PM.  Different instructors who will guide you in building a well-rounded martial arts background present new topics each week.  Start with a great conditioning workout and then go on to learn striking fundamentals like punching, kicking, blocking, footwork, and the use of elbows and knees. Classes progress to submission techniques from judo, wrestling, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu under a qualified instructor’s supervision.  No pre-registration, no contracts, and no traditional training. Just mixed martial arts at the drop-in rate of $15.00 per class! You pick the nights you want to train! No previous experience is necessary! If you have experience, this is a great way to keep your skills sharp!

Published in: on June 7, 2010 at 4:16 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Developing self-control as a martial artist

Developing self-control for a martial artist is essential for many reasons.  First, Calasanz trained many fighters who competed in point and semi-contact tournaments.  If you have no self-control, you will get disqualified and the fight goes to your opponent.  Secondly, a martial artist who lacks self-control in a fight will be judged harshly in a court of law for using “excessive force.” You have to know when to stop and when enough is enough.  Lastly, over the years, Calasanz has had a number of people stop by the school to “challenge” either Calasanz or one of his students.  His philosophy is to teach the intruder a lesson without beating the daylights out of him…just enough to get his point across. Calasanz demonstrates amazing self-control and is not just doing it for the purpose of “showing off.” All Calasanz students have faith in his technique and the fact that he’s never hit anyone by accident when demonstrating. An experienced martial artist without self-control however is a scary thing.  

Calasanz Personal Training images and videos!

Published in: on May 31, 2010 at 9:58 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Train Like A Competitor Without Competing

It takes a special person to be a competitor – Less then 1% of 1% of the population has the ability.  But the good news is that the rest of the world can train like these competitors, without the brutality and gain all the benefits that come along with it.

Train Like a Fighter Without Fighting

Published in: on May 11, 2010 at 1:44 pm  Leave a Comment  
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My Side of the Story: Martial Arts Mistakes, Breaking Failures, and Bloopers

One of my students found this video on You Tube – The “expert” that is narrating in the video is Michael Kinney – He must have been a competitor or a spectator, filmed or gotten a hold of the demonstration video, and decided to go on cable access in Florida and use my performance as an example of bad martial arts. In his TV, as well as his You Tube comments he lied, about me and the results of the demonstration. Here’s the video, his You Tube comments, and my response.

Michael Kinney’s You Tube Comments:

the reason I included the clip of the guy in red pants was because of the simplicity, redundancy, and his never ending array of breaks. I think that one good break, would have been just as effective. His judgement was impaired. His routine was scored in last place of 21 competitors for these reasons.
Thanks again. Check out my channel on youtube: michaelkinney
MK

My Response:

The purpose of Calasanz Super Break was to demonstrate stamina, which is crucial in martial arts, especially for fighters. The other purpose was to entertain audiences who enjoyed the martial arts. The materials (bats, bricks, boards) for Calasanz Super Break were all purchased that morning and there was no tampering with any of these materials. The judges were told that Calasanz had tampered with the materials, which was a blatant lie. The judges were also shown materials that had been tampered with that did not belong to Calasanz. There was plenty of debris all over the place that day and the situation was easily manipulated. Calasanz won 3rd place, which turned into a big controversy that night, due to the sabotage that took place. When the winner was announced, Calasanz, his 33 students who came to assist him and many members of the audience were stunned with the results, some becoming very angry and aggressive. Calasanz did a lot of damage control that day to avoid a fiasco and graciously accepted 3rd place. While Kinney may view Calasanz Super Break as “redundant” and “simplistic” there are still people coming through Calasanz doors that enjoyed Super Break and considered that experience enough to train with him, to enroll their children in his school and to recommend him to friends and family.

Published in: on December 18, 2009 at 10:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Defeating a Real Fighter

Never in a life time I can forget when Kevin came to study with me. With 260 pounds of muscle, he was a crazy, natural fighter, I was 145 pounds. He was a college football athlete. I trained him. In 3 months he fought a fighter who at that time was supposed to be the next Dennis Alexio. Kevin was in the Marine Corps and he knew how to survive. He begged me to let him into the ring. I did…and he embarrassed the upcoming fighter.

Published in: on March 16, 2009 at 10:48 am  Leave a Comment  
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