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.
With all due respect Mr.Calasanz. I find your boasts of having to defend some random and esoteric “internal arts master’s school from trespassers looking to start trouble” and that “it was Calasanz that had to do the fighting. The internal artists retreated in the background.” a bit sensational and outlandish. Much like your biographical passage…
“One day on the farm, Calasanz was ordered to milk the nastiest cow. She did not want to be milked that day, so she kicked him in the stomach. Calasanz’s reflexes caused him to automatically kick her back and to his surprise, he knocked the cow out cold..”
Lets be honest here, your martial arts lineage is spotty at best yet you claim to have been learned by this and that master of this and that style yet you only mention “Tamajoshi” Sakamoto by name, and even THEN its mis-spelled, I’ve trained under two great masters, Tadashi Yamashita & Ma Jin Long for over 24 years! I would never mis-spell there names. Meanwhile these other so called “masters” you claim to have learned from/ defended are just mere mentions in some grand self righteous egocentric story about what an amazing martial artist you are.
In my professional opinion Mr.Calasanz, your ego overshadows your grip on reality. While you ARE physically fit, very flexible, and a great performance artist. You surely not a martial arts master of any kind.
Sincerely,
Sensei Tony Perez
Reponse:
We appreciate your comments but would like an opportunity to respond. Regarding the scene in the internal martial arts school, Calasanz was there, you were not. The account is true and is told for the purposes of illustrating to students the importance of balancing hard and soft approaches to martial arts training.
In 1987, Wing Chun instructor Phillip Holder came to Connecticut and began attacking Calasanz Wing Chun credentials much like you are right now. Calasanz brought his Wing Chun master, Moyat to his dojo, proved that he had been his private student and put this issue to rest.
Calasanz doesn’t need a “grip on reality” as you so put it. He has real credentials, a real successful martial arts business, and real students who see the value in his training philosophy. What he has done differently is to go outside of the traditional arts and incorporate innovative ideas that tend to ruffle the feathers of more conservative martial artists. His approach and those like him in the martial arts world always attract critics.
This is a man who has spent over 30 years in the martial arts, working night and day on his craft. He may need to check his spelling once in a while; that we will admit. However, make no mistake about his credentials and commitment to his students and his community. We are glad that you are proud of your spelling abilities and that you have never misspelled your teachers’ names. We will take that criticism under advisement and admonish our editors to be more careful next time. As far as your other comments are concerned, we have been dealing with naysayers for a long time and will long after you are out of the picture. At the end of the day, Calasanz and his system still stand strong and so do his credentials.
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.
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.
Only The Strong was a 1993 martial arts movie that showcased the ancient art of Capoeira. Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that combines fighting with dancing, and musical and vocal accompaniment. This art originated in Angola and was brought to Brazil by African slaves in the 16th Century. Slave masters banned slaves from practicing any type of martial art for fear of rebellion. To keep their fighting skills sharp, slaves disguised this fighting art in dance like movements. In this movie, a karate champion stationed in South America for the US Army, returns to his home in America to find his former high school infested with drug dealers and criminals. He takes on a clean up project by teaching the art of Capoeira to others in hopes of eliminating the menace in his community. The movie features Mark Dacascos and Paco Christian Prieto and includes appearances by Calasanz.
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
Expression is an essential component to getting your martial arts practice to “come to life.” I recognized this early on in my training and chose to study dance and gymnastics so that my martial arts would have an “expressive” and “energetic” quality. I wanted this to come across, not only to those watching my performances, but more importantly, to myself. I knew these forms of self-expression would take my forms to a whole new level. I also ventured into other martial art styles in search of this “energy” and was fortunate to have found it in Chang Chuan.
Chang Chuan is a style of kung fu that is characterized by smooth, extended and fluid movements. It is called a long range fighting system as opposed to styles like Wing Chun for example, that focus on close quarter or short range fighting. The system is rich in forms, weapons, and self-defense, as well as throwing and locking techniques known as Chin Na. Chang Chuan includes acrobatic, spinning, jumping kicks as well as fluid, circular arm movements. It is the expressive nature of Chang Chuan that drew me to this style. I devoted many hours to studying Chang Chuan and it eventually became a great influence on my own martial arts style known as The Calasanz System™.
Chang chuan was a perfect supplemental art to my traditional karate training. I liked its extension and its fluidity. This is the exact quality I wanted to bring to my kata practice. Martial arts students that have had no dance or performance experience tend to be stiff and dull in their kata practice until they learn how to make their katas come to “life.” So I encouraged my students to also adopt the essence of Chang Chuan in their forms. I’ve trained many dancers and they knew exactly what I was talking about.
I also found Chang Chuan to be a great form of physical exercise. Its forms practice improves coordination and cardiovascular health. When done under the watchful eye of a competent instructor, Chang Chaun also helps strengthen the joints and tendons. This type of training develops flexibility and overall support around the bones and muscles, which is especially important in avoiding injuries.
Traditionalists once frowned upon exploring and experimenting with the essence of other styles or forms of physical expression. This is now the exception and not the rule as more martial artists seek to expand their skills. Incorporating something new into your martial arts routine can transform a routine kata into an inspirational, uplifting form of movement.
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.
Truth be known, Calasanz/Shadowind quit the practice of goju at a green belt level, when he figured he didn’t need to learn any more. He still falsely claims to have a black belt in goju. Too bad his ego exceeds his learning capacity. This is not goju, it is calasanz bullshitziu.
Response:
Let’s get a few things straight before we go on any further. When you speak to “Shadowind,” you are speaking to a variety of staff members who work for Calasanz. He is too busy teaching and running a successful school. As far as your assessment of his credentials, you are extremely incorrect regarding his rank. If he were such a “bullshitziu” practitioner as you so disrespectfully call him, his teacher, Tameyoshi Sakamoto, father of Goju Ryu in the Dominican Republic, would have turned his back on him a long time ago.
Note: In a seminar in October 2009 at the Calasanz Dojo in Norwalk, CT, Tameyoshi Sakamoto awarded Calasanz a 5th degree in Goju Ryu Karate.
Sorry, regardless of Mr Calasanz’s background in Gojuryu, once he chooses to stray from the core principles of Goju, it is no longer Goju. If Mr Calasanz wants to have his own system, I have no drama with that, but this IS NOT GOJU…
And yes, I do “know something about martial arts”, having studied Gojuryu myself for over 40 years.
Enjoy your training with Mr C, but understand that it is not Gojuryu; it has morphed into something else entirely.
That in itself doesn’t make it a bad thing, it just isn’t Goju……….!
Response:
Thank you for your comments and observations. Calasanz martial art roots are in traditional Goju Ryu Karate, having trained with Master Sakamoto Tamajoshi for many years in the Dominican Republic. Calasanz still respects his traditional roots and the terms often end up in the titles of some of these video posts, even if remotely connected. The Calasanz System evolved over years of teaching and training and tuning in to what the general public is looking for in the martial arts. This system has endured for many years and continues to do so today, as evidenced by the many individuals who have trained with us. Unfortunately in today’s society, there is very little patience for the painstaking work that it takes to devote oneself to a traditional art, as someone with your many years of experience would know. Here in the United States, traditional schools are closing their doors at an alarming rate and surviving as a business involves growing and changing with the demands of the modern student.
