The Calasanz System, a martial arts and fitness style, is a blend of karate, kung fu, wing chun, boxing, kickboxing, MMA, ground fighting, and self-defense. The system appeals to men, women, and children of all ages because it is grounded in beauty and practicality, as you can see from the videos that have been posted. Calasanz, the creator of the system that bears his name, believes that effective martial artists must not only know technique, but also be physically fit. To help his students achieve this goal, he created Calasanz Physical Arts. Calasanz Physical Arts consists of holistic and functional exercises that are meant to increase strength, endurance, flexibility, balance, coordination, speed, agility, and body unity. These exercises can be used by all levels of athletes in all sports looking to enhance their athletic prowess and can also be used by anyone, any size, shape, age, or ability to increase mobility, health, and well being. The Calasanz System attributes its success to its simplicity; simple enough for beginners and unique and effective enough for professional martial artists. The Calasanz System has been in existence for over 30 years and continues to draw new students every year based on the goodwill it has generated. Simply stated, the system works.
My name is Nana Smith. For the past 10 years, I could not imagine that shopping for jeans can be a celebration. My joy of discovery is so great that I want all to know about it.
I had been training all my life. My passion for “workouts” started back home in Georgia – a small country on Black Sea. I had my personal trainer who taught me my first kicks and punches. I swam for several hours. I ran cross country. I skied. But upon coming to America, my life changed dramatically. My time was consumed working and struggling to provide everyday living necessities for myself. My beloved workouts went by the wayside for a while.
However, after a few years, I regained the time to allow “workouts” to re-enter my life. I did boot camps at 4:30 am. I ran along the Long Island Sound with a 20-pound backpack. I sweat like a pig – and I loved it. I totally loved it all except for two small problems: (1) I was gaining weight every day; becoming more and more muscular and larger. (2) My knees hurt so badly that sometimes I could not go up and down stairs. I felt heavy, old, huge and very often depressed.
It was time to change something in my training. I was 205 pounds with huge muscles all over my body when I started Bickram Yoga. I went in hot rooms seven days a week for one year; sometimes I took two classes in a row. Bickram softened me a bit. But the process was contrary to my natural desire for physical action. It was strange to sit still for 90 minutes in a dark room till almost fainting and repeating this process day after day. I kept telling myself, ‘this is good, you are losing weight,” but it still felt strange.
I was at the crossroads of changing my workout pattern again when I received an email from Calasanz Physical Arts. I knew about the place a bit. I knew that this is a place where celebrities trained and that the owner, Calasanz, had become a “celebrity” himself over the years. He is the creator of a unique physical development system, “Creating The Body You Want,” with more when 20 years experience training women.
I truly thought it would be way too expensive for me until I saw an advertisement stating that “we offer special rates to accommodate the rocky times of recession.” Putting things on a “to-do” list is not my nature, so I just picked up the phone right away and called. And to my surprise, Calasanz answered himself. (Celebrities usually do not answer their phones.) After a brief conversation, I went to see him.
The Calasanz dojo is anything but gym. It is a large, open, airy complex with many rooms, and fully equipped with mirrors, ballet bars, showers (the places I had trained in before had no showers whatsoever, even Bickram Yoga), lockers, and even a tea bar. There is no heavy equipment or machines. But there are a lot of different bars, punching bags, sticks, martial arts dummies and a myriad of hand weights.
The dojo is very symmetrical and has a natural warmth and very positive aura. Coming from Europe where the scale is much smaller, it was almost impossible for me to enjoy regular American gyms – too large, too hot in summer, too cold in winter and most of all, environments where I felt personally isolated. The positive aura of the dojo, plus Calasanz himself and his trainers and students makes me feel welcomed. Everybody’s attitude is very positive and they all display the great respect of the master. Calasanz himself is a charismatic, down-to-earth person. He likes to oversee the entire group. He is truly unique from all others I’ve trained with and his dojo is unique from all other gyms. He calls it a temple. And truly it feels like temple.
On my fist day, he greeted me at the door, gave me a tour and then took me upstairs for the first training. He told me, “You are in the right place; now you will receive the best guidance, and we will fix everything.” I just smiled. Calasanz’s approach is gentle on the body. I could feel my muscles stretching. I could feel them working out in a natural manner using mostly body strength and different hand and ankle weights. I took a few classes with Calasanz and then signed for the entire year … and this was the best thing I could have done for myself!
While training, I watch myself in mirrors as all others do … and day after day I see my astounding transformation. I started as a middle age woman of 185 pounds (truly needing size 14 clothes) who was bottled up in her inner self. In less than 2 months of training, I now look at myself in the mirror and I see a young, elegant, open woman. My body shrunk in the right places and developed where it should be developed. I came down to size 8. I look and feel like I am in my 30s again! I now love shopping for clothes. And I even catch admiring eyes and find men holding doors for me. I have more energy than I ever had. I not only look younger, I feel younger. I sleep less and want to do more. The result is totally magnificent!
The best part of it is that exercises are safe and natural. My pains and aches are gone. My knees, back, and overall muscles feel rejuvenated. Calasanz often says that he is body scientist and now I understand what he means. He not only understands physical anatomy, he also knows what kind of exercises suit your body type. So a person can become leaner, lighter, more graceful, more elegant and simply beautiful without hurting him or herself in an optimal time frame. And it is never boring because he rotates exercises on a daily basis – making it fun to do and assuring muscles don’t adjust to the same movement over and over again.
Programs are versatile and schedules are very flexible. He has group and private classes as well as boot camps. Calasanz is one of the best Marital Artists in the world and offers a huge selection of Martial Arts Forms to learn. We can also access his library with hundreds of DVDs featuring specific training courses and that capture Calasanz in the action. And there is more to come as he is now developing his Calasnaz Systems Yoga methodology.
The Calasanz dojo is open 7 days a week, day and night, 365 days a year. If you are seriously interested in transforming your body, getting a thinking man or woman’s workout, learning the art of self-defense or martial arts forms at large, I urge you to take a complimentary session with Calasanz. It will change your life. And in my case, experience the added benefit of enjoying shopping for jeans!
The ancient, Eastern method of teaching the martial arts required the student to watch the instructor and then mimic his movements without one word being exchanged. Western students demand a lot more explanation and often ask too many questions. This leads to over-analyzing on the student’s part, making the learning process much more stressful than it really needs to be. Perfection of the movements in the Eastern sense comes with time as the student matures. Sometimes, it’s best to just watch, see the bigger picture, and then start practicing.
In keeping with this ancient tradition, Calasanz has created a series of instructional DVDs designed to help you grasp the “bigger picture.” Watching the DVDs at home or here at the dojo before class lets you know what to expect and helps you relax the mind as you visualize yourself doing the movements. The result is that if you do your “homework,” your time in class will be more productive. The reason being for watching the DVDs at the Center is to keep you from making excuses if you bring them home, most of the time it makes impossible for you to spend 10 minutes them before going to the School.
Calasanz offers over 700 videos covering topics such as basics, forms, self-defense, weaponry, kickboxing, Regular Boxing Recreational Boxing, Wing Chun, Goju Ryu, traditional and 20 Arm Wooden Dummy, Chinese Boxing and physical conditioning through Calasanz Physical Arts.Special DVDs are also available to help you improve your athletic performance in non-martial art related sports like golf, tennis, soccer, baseball, football, and ice hockey. The DVDs are easy to understand and are a great instructional tool for students at any level of training.
Make an appointment with Calasanz today to choose the right DVD to help enhance your martial arts training! Young Athletes will be watching the DVDs upstairs, they will spend 10 minutes either before their session of during their session. Many of the Young Athletes who train privately upstairs with Calasanz, they don’t have to worry, Calasanz already knows what DVDs best for them.
I’m a mother who has been taking martial arts classes at Calasanz Physical Artssince January of 2010. During the cold winter, I noticed a young teenager named Leo, who trained with Calasanz on what seemed to be a daily basis. Leo was a quiet kid who didn’t speak much.
Having two grown sons of my own, it was very natural for me to be concerned for Leo. I tried to be friendly and say hello on occasion but I got no response. I tried to rationalize an explanation for his behavior. I thought, well, teenage boys are not very chatty or the days were so dark and cold that maybe Leo suffered from the “winter blues.”
Five months later, I found myself working out with Leo on the upper deck at Calasanz dojo. I expected the usual silent treatment, but on this day, he actually said “hello.” I was in shock! I was even more surprised when I saw this boy hit the bag with strong, precise, kicks and punches. I was so impressed that I asked him to demonstrate some kicks in slow motion. For the next 20 minutes, not only did Leo patiently show me how to execute these kicks, but he also took the time to explain the mechanics of each technique for my benefit. I saw a major change in Leo. He was now a secure, well-mannered, disciplined young man who was highly skilled in the martial arts.
I mentioned my experience to Calasanz and it was then that I learned more about Leo’s journey. Leo joined Calasanz about a year ago at the age of 14. Leo had some difficulty when he first joined but Calasanz was confident that he could help. He’s worked with kids like Leo before and knew exactly what to do. With a lot of patience and amazing coaching skills, Calasanz worked with Leo every day.
A year later, Leo now teaches an adult martial arts class at Calasanz. He is an inspiration for anyone who comes into contact with him. Who would have known that a year of martial arts training would have yielded such amazing results?
The martial arts are not just about developing the body; a good instructor and supportive environment can also bring out the spirit of the individual. What emerged was a strong, courageous, and confident young man. Martial art training is not about producing the “ultimate fighting machine”… but rather producing a person of great character. As a mother, I can only imagine how proud Leo’s parents are of his transformation.
For over 20 years, Calasanz has helped young people improve their athletic performance in youth hockey, football, soccer, tennis, little league baseball and competitive martial arts. Calasanz Young Athletesprogram, is a consolidation of the best movements of karate, kung fu, boxing, kickboxing and Chinese boxing into an exciting program designed to enhance your child’s performance in his or her sport.
Participants begin by learning the basics. Strength training and stretching exercises are emphasized to develop muscular endurance and increase flexibility. Balancing and plyometric exercises are incorporated to maximize control over the body while in motion. Breathing techniques traditionally practiced in the martial arts are also taught for the purpose of bringing a fresh supply of oxygen to the body and helping the athlete remain calm under pressure. The program also offers other benefits such as developing concentration, stamina and hand-eye coordination.
After the basics, it’s on to the martial art portion of the program. The kicks, punches, blocks, strikes, stances and footwork unique to each discipline are what make Young Athletes an effective athletic training program. The techniques of Calasanz Kickboxing and Goju Ryu Karate yield explosive leg power along with shoulder and forearm strength. Traditional Wing Chun Kung Fu and American Boxing techniques help develop powerful hip movements and increased hand speed, while Chinese Boxing enhances grounding and balancing skills.
Young Athletes is designed to complement your child’s athletic performance and teach him or her how to train safely and intelligently. Participants who put the time and effort into this program will enjoy the results. It’s also a fun and exciting cross-training alternative.
This fully illustrated hardcover book exhibits the basic exercises of the Calasanz System of physical development for men, women and children. It contains Calasanz’s sixteen basic floor and bar exercises for the gradual development of an agile, strong and elegant body. Each stretching exercise incorporates martial arts techniques intended to strengthen and elongate muscles. They stress flexibility, body conditioning and safety. This goal-oriented, ergonomically designed book lies flat on the floor beside you, to guide you step-by-step through each exercise. It features hundreds of sequentially linked photographs, functioning as a visual guide for each routine. “Creating The Body You Want” takes the reader on a brief journey into the history and philosophy of Martial Arts and uncovers ancient oriental wisdom and inspiration.
The book also comes with a 2 disk DVD which includes a visual demonstration of each exercise by Calasanz himself.
Creating the Body You Want, the Calasanz workout book
I was 40 years old when I found Calasanz. I’d been riding and jumping horses for exercise until an Indian Vision Quest experience showed me that there would be a serious riding accident in my future, if I didn’t stop.
I needed a new sport – but as one who historically was bored silly by most of the sports I’d tried, I was stymied as to how to replace my equestrian workouts.
I’d seen The Karate Kid and traveled extensively in Asia. Intrigued by what seemed like an exercise program that was also an intellectual and spiritual challenge, I set out to find a dojo. The ones I visited were a big turn-off. Mr. Miyagi was nowhere in sight, and the instructors, most of whom seemed to have learned their skills in the Military, were not at all what I was looking for.
Then I found Calasanz and my life changed forever.
“Can I do this at 40?” I asked him.
“That depends on how much you want to do this,” he responded. Just the right answer.
I began to train. Calasanz has a gift for motivation, not just Martial Arts. He somehow made me believe I could do the feats he expected of me. And little by little, I found he was right.
A profound knowledge of anatomy, a brilliant grasp on what motivates someone to succeed, and a great showman’s ability to display undreamed of feats and make them seem possible – all these gifts combined to make Calasanz the perfect teacher. Never in my life, have I found a teacher of anything who was more extraordinary, or more inspiring.
So for 6 or 7 years, 6 days a week, at 5 a.m. I showed up to train. It wasn’t that Calasanz demanded this schedule, it was that I had fallen in love with Martial Arts.
I built a dojo in my home so I could train there, too… I read every word I could find… I practiced with the great step-by-step videos Calasanz offered me. And I learned Karate and Wing Chun Kung Fu, the katas and the fighting forms, the history, discipline, focus and magic that set Martial Arts apart from other sports. My body changed to the greatest shape of my life… but far more than that changed.
Calasanz taught me to believe that I could exceed my own limits. His conditioning program was so knowledgeable and so gradual that I could train hard in the morning and still write books all day – my concentration on work sharpened by the skills I had learned at the dojo.
Strength… agility… focus… determination. These are a few of the gifts I gratefully received, and then honed, while working out with Calasanz. Black Belt rank was my goal and the thrill of achieving it was phenomenal – but I’ve since realized that the real gifts from Calasanz were far greater. A divorce and a move to New York ended my daily workouts at Calasanz dojo, but all that he taught me will always be with me.
I wish everyone had the privilege and pleasure of being taught by Calasanz – the world would be a better, safer, healthier and happier place.
Cathy Cash Spellman is a bestselling author of five books that have appeared on The New York Times and International Bestseller List.She also has written for Self, Harper’s Bazaar, Mademoiselle and a wide variety of other magazines.
Calasanz First Hand Circle Club is for those of you who see the martial arts as a path to perfecting yourself both physically and mentally. Thisis a special training option offered at Calasanz where he is personally in control of your progress, challenging you to go beyond your greatest expectations with his personal support and guidance. If you are new to martial arts or a current Calasanz member that wants to take your training to the next level, the Calasanz First Circle Club is the best way to reach your goals. By training with Calasanz from the start, you avoid corrections and adjustments and progress at a more sophisticated level.
Members of Calasanz First Circle Club enjoy a variety of benefits including two to seven hours of one-on-one training with Calasanz, lessons scheduled at your convenience, access to the new addition at our Norwalk headquarters for open workouts or quiet meditation, exclusive downloads of techniques, exercises and training tips for working out away from home, a free one-time pass to our special website section for a friend, relative or business associate interested in the Calasanz System, and invitations to participate in Calasanz performances, commercials, talk shows, website articles and videos. Calasanz First Circle Club is also perfect for those who don’t live near the dojo and want to take advantage of our distance-learning program.
Calasanz Martial Arts & Fitness images and videos!
Train with Calasanz…because you want something more than the usual gym workout that has gotten you nowhere!
Train with Calasanz…because you want to learn how to defend yourself and work on your physical fitness at the same time!
Train with Calasanz…because you’re gotten out of shape and need to take action!
Train with Calasanz…because you want to take control of your life!
If you’re a Returning Member or a Current Member ready to renew your membership, here’s what you get with the following special offer as an incentive to keep training…
40% discount on membership fee!
3 private lessons with one of our instructors! This is a great way to reassess your goals and along with your instructor, create a new workout routine!
If you are a returning member dealing with an injury or health problem, speak to Calasanz to set up a special training plan!
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.
