Comment: looks like mr miyagi teaching muay thai. ive done muay thai for a while now and neva kicked a bag with pads on lol, and if my shins were to bruised up i just would kick the bag full stop!
Response: Thank you for your comment however misguided. Calasanz has been teaching martial arts longer than you’ve been on this earth, so he knows a thing or two about conditioning. Our shin conditioning goes beyond the usual slamming of the shin against a heavy bag. It is a multi-exercise approach that will gradually build up the shin so our students avoid serious injuries and blood clots. The taped bag that is being kicked in this video is very hard. If you can sustain a kick on this bag even with a shin pad, you’re okay. We prefer to train intelligently. If you want to cripple yourself, then go ahead. If you don’t train wisely in your 20’s, you will pay for it in your 50’s.
Some students are so eager to learn, devoted, and talented that we want to “groom” them for the future. We see so much hope and promise in them that we pour a lot of time, effort, and energy into their training, with the expectation that they will carry our dojo or system into the next generation. It can be devastating when this person walks out. We’re human and we’re going to feel let down, betrayed, disappointed and maybe even a little pissed off. This is not very “Zen-like.” In these situations, it is important to have to have a good balance of feelings and logic. One cannot dominate your personality. If you’re too emotional, you’ll be out of control. If you are too logical, you’ll be too cold. You have to have the right balance. Maintain your composure and realize that students have their own motivations for doing what they do. Appreciate the time you’ve had with them, but know that most will move on and we have to let go.
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.
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 is a Master Martial Artist who has spent a lifetime studying and teaching Karate, Kung Fu, and Kickboxing. To create his unique Physical Arts Training Program, Calasanz has combined not only his Martial Arts mastery, but his extensive training in dance, gymnastics, weight and fitness counseling. His unique system is based on ancient wisdom and modern sports medicine’s understanding of the body’s needs and capabilities. The Calasanz System has the capacity to help you create the body you’ve always dreamed of possessing, as it trains your mind and spirit to excel.
Calasanz has, for twenty-eight years, trained young and old, professional athletes and dancers, law enforcement officers, and a host of individuals from all walks of life, in a way that leads to fitness, focus, health, strength, confidence and longevity. He calls his System Calasanz Physical Arts.
Renowned as a hero in his native Dominican Republic, and star of the movie Crossing the Line, Calasanz firmly believes we all have the power to transform our lives, if we’re willing to commit ourselves to the process.
“My system,” Calasanz explains, “has the unique ability to allow anyone, of any age, who has the determination and the desire, to become a martial artist and to transform his or her life.”
In the interest of protecting the public against fraudulent claims, we have decided to list the names of those authorized to teach The Calasanz System, and Calasanz Martial Arts and Fitness. This list can be found at authorized-instructors-in-calasanz-system and is constantly being updated, so please check frequently. You are also welcomed to contact our main headquarters at Calasanz.com – contact to verify teaching credentials.
Imagine a complete circle represents all there is to know and master in the martial arts. The circle pictured represents all that Calasanz knows and has studied in the martial arts. Notice the space at the top; this space represents what he does not know. There is always room for improvement and new things to learn. Therefore, the circle will get closer and closer, but never become complete. The quest to become such a well-balanced martial artist for Calasanz is multi-faceted and has been a result of environmental factors and natural innate abilities.
The act of doing martial arts requires a high degree of athleticism and a knack for performing in front of people. Calasanz was blessed with both from day 1. Whether he was up first thing in the morning at a young age doing grueling farm work, honing his god-given strength, endurance, and athletic prowess; or singing and dancing for all the people in town by night; it was all the foundation for his life’s work.
Street fighting also prepared him, before he even took a martial arts lesson. Growing up in a 3rd world country like the Dominican Republic, he had no choice but to defend himself, friends, and family against bullies and thugs. After he started martial arts at 15 the fighting didn’t end. He would go to different dojo’s to challenge the best students and would attempt to take on hordes of people with just his nunchucks!
Even when he started martial arts it came very easy to him, he had everything in him he needed athletically, intellectually, and experientially to become one of the world’s most well balanced martial artists. But there are many people, who, in there particular athletic or intellectual line of work who have this potential, but most fail due to lack of drive and poor work ethic to develop their gifts beyond anyone else, but not Calasanz, for the next 30 years of his life, and even up to today he would spend hours training, studying, and teaching martial arts. This is how he has come so close to completing the circle, natural talent and a relentless drive.
Part 2 – The Calasanz System
One can only imagine the information, opinions, and theory’s one man has after hours and hours of study day after day, for years. From his experience and ability, Calasanz was able to take the most useful techniques and attributes from all the martial arts he studied, and combine them together into a unified system, he called this The Calasanz System. This is much like what Bruce Lee did in the 60’s and 70’s, and what MMA does today. The main difference though between Bruce Lee, today’s MMA, and Calasanz, is that Calasanz did not completely discard all the material he thought “useless” as the others have. He understands that he would not have completely understood their “uselessness” had he not tried them, and future students would not be as wholesome as him if they did not get a chance to experiment with the “uselessness”. So in his eyes, these particular techniques and attributes actually do have a use; they have the ability to make the student a more wholesome, well-rounded martial artist.
So there is, in a sense 2 parts of The Calasanz system 1) The combined, blended, unified system of karate, wing chun, boxing, kickboxing, ground fighting, and physical arts consisting of only the techniques and attributes that work. 2) The complete versions of all the arts that make up The Calasanz System, other martial arts, and supplementary exercise systems. Part 2 focuses on The Calasanz System.
The Calasanz System is a system of martial arts techniques and exercises that prepare the body and the person to defend themselves against violence, whether controlled (combat sports) or uncontrolled (abusive attack, self defense, street fight). The system has a track record of teaching beginners a number of techniques that they can use immediately to protect themselves and help them understand the dynamics of a violent acts (controlled or uncontrolled) faster then most martial art in the world.
The system also includes a set of holistic exercises called physical arts that build strength, endurance, flexibility, coordination, balance, body unity, and proper alignment. Many of the physical art exercises are also functional; meaning that a technique is being learned at the same time the person is conditioning his/her body.
Simplicity, power, centerline, interplay of hard and soft, simple blocks, counterstrikes, reactions, bone conditioning, head movement, and physical arts.
Part 3 – Complete Art Systems and other Martial Arts within The Calasanz System
Imagine a circle inside a bigger circle. The inner circle represents the Calasanz System the outer circle is one we’ve spoke of before representing all techniques and knowledge in the martial arts and all exercises systems.
There are parts of the outer circle that exist within the inner circle. And the outer circle contains the arts that Calasanz has mastered: Goju-Ryu Karate and Wing Chun Kung Fu; the arts that he has studied to at least brown belt: aikido, judo, jujitsu, chen chuan long fist; arts that he has studied such as dance, ballet, jazz, and ballroom; combat sports he has competed in and/or trained others in: boxing, kickboxing, MMA, full contact karate, and point fighting; exercise systems he has trained in and taught: aerobics, isometrics, weight lifting, and calisthenics; and all other martial arts and exercise systems he has not trained in and taught, but can see inside of (more on this in Part 4) such as: ninjitsu, yoga, Pilates, tae kwon do, krav maga, northern and southern kung fu’s.
American boxing, American kickboxing, MMA, full Goju, Wing Chun, and Kung Fu forms. Combine the Calasanz System with anything you want, while Calasanz may not agree with your choices he is not the type of teacher to abolish your actions or step in the way of your path, rather he walks on the side and just makes suggestions but lets you chose your own path.
Part 4 – Calasanz
In part 3 it was mentioned that Calasanz could look “inside” martial arts that he has not even studied. This is not as far fetched or egotistical as it might seem with some proper explanation.
Einstein’s Unified equation, thirst for knowledge and natural ability (vertical leap), broken down to the most basic, general rhythms and movements of the body, allows him to see inside technique and body attributes so like a doctor prescribes medicine, Calasanz can prescribe certain techniques to develop, exercises to do, and critiques on performance to enhance any type of martial arts or exercise techniques.
The goals of a good martial arts curriculum is progress. Regardless of the style you have chosen to study, all of them begin with the fundamentals and can take you to the level of mastery. Success however depends on two things: commitment on your part and a skilled instructor who not only teaches you the art, but also challenges you.
To some, progression in the martial arts is about earning another belt or stripe. The space between these belts and stripes however is where the martial artist makes his real gains. This is where all the hard work takes place. In addition to learning the new techniques required by your style’s curriculum, you will be tested physically and mentally.
Increasing your fitness level will be challenging, as you push yourself to become faster, stronger and more agile. You can learn thousands of techniques, but if you are not physically fit enough to execute them, they will be of little or no use. This is why it’s important for a martial arts curriculum to include conditioning exercises. Take them seriously because they’re part of the whole package.
You have to discipline yourself to get to the dojo and train hard on nights when all you want to do is go home and lay on the couch. You may want to eat healthier so you spend more time training and less time digesting! You will have to take all that your instructor has taught you and incorporate it into sparring or self-defense practice. While you’ve learned many attacks and counterattacks, you may find that you only use a few. This is where you experiment with what really works.
Now it’s time for your instructor to do his part. A good instructor will push you beyond your comfort zone. He knows that in order for you to go beyond where you are now, he’s going to have to make you work. He’s going to have to mix up the physical training so your routine doesn’t get stale. He may change up a workout that you’ve gotten used to. He may ask you to train with different classmates or to train alone. He may ask you to work on your least favorite techniques or learn a really hard form.
Don’t get upset if one day he walks into class and turns it all upside down. His experience tells him that a stale routine stalls your progress. The only way to get to the next level is to push past whatever is in your way. Work diligently on what is asked of you. The day of your test is merely icing on the cake. All the work necessary to progress is done between the belts!
Eight years had passed since Calasanz came to the U.S. to make his movie and it seemed that that time was slipping away. His students goaded him constantly, asking him, “Hey Calasanz, when will we ever see this film?” Even though the time and circumstances were not ideal, Calasanz felt compelled to act and realize his dream.
One of Calasanz private students, an aspiring filmmaker who we’ll call Mike, wanted to help Calasanz with the film. So the team started by making a few commercials and eventually turned its attention to producing an independent film.
One of the first things they needed was a good script. Calasanz had been developing his version of the perfect script for over 10 years, but needed his ideas to be formalized by a professional. Another student who was a Hollywood scriptwriter gave Calasanz some good ideas, but it needed more work. Mike agreed to get the script in working order. This would require many revisions and Calasanz was assured that it would be ready.
Sounds good up until this point, but many obstacles got in the way. Calasanz suffered a shin injury in a bizarre situation that hampered his ability to train as well as keep his business afloat. (See:http://blog.calasanz.com/2009/05/27/how-one-out-of-control-cook-changed-my-life/) On the day that production was supposed to start, the script was nowhere near completion. Frustrated, Calasanz took his original script out of the director’s hands and from that point on; the movie became an improvised production.
Financial problems also plagued the movie. The first version of the film was not up to Calasanz standards and the only way to improve it was to invest more money into its production. While many involved in the making of the movie were well intentioned, inexperience proved to be very costly.
The price tag quickly escalated from a budget of $350,000 to almost a million dollars. Calasanz did whatever he could to raise the funds to make the movie, including borrowing from friends and students. When the movie did not produce the financial rewards expected, Calasanz was left with a pile of debt. Advised by many to discharge these debts in bankruptcy, Calasanz refused, and made it his mission to pay back all his investors with cash, memberships, or a combination of both.
In the eyes of the world, Calasanz may have failed because his movie wasn’t a blockbuster. In fact, Calasanz doesn’t look at it this way. The making of the movie had many successes beyond what you see on the screen. Calasanz was a pioneer in making movies in the State of Connecticut. Now in 2009, Connecticut is one of the premiere locations in the country for moviemakers. Calasanz made his vision come true in the 80’s and saw the potential for creative works in this state. Calasanz also used the making of the movie and the publicity surrounding it to promote his name, which has proved to be invaluable as far as promoting the goodwill of his martial arts business. He also learned there were many people who believed in him. That’s why it was so important for Calasanz not to file for bankruptcy.
Not many people out there can say that they actually made their own movie and paid for it. The movie played in theaters on the East Coast and also in the Dominican Republic, where Calasanz is a national hero. In the end, Crossing the Line was a great success. It all really depends on how you measure it.
Walk into Calasanz dojo or visit his website and you can’t help but notice the posters for his movie, Crossing the Line. Most students and visitors can’t resist picking up a copy of a movie that was made right here in Fairfield County. In the film, Calasanz stars as Jose Fernandez, a hard-hitting kick boxer and martial arts instructor. Jose rises to stardom after winning the world championship. His popularity attracts the attention of Jimmy Scarfone, a local hoodlum and owner of sleazy strip clubs, who becomes obsessed with the fighter’s new celebrity status, and begins to stalk him. Jose’s every move becomes the subject of Scarfone’s Americas Most Violent Videos. Soon Scarfone finds the ordinary life of a fighter is not exciting enough and sets about to change that. A series of violent encounters, lead to the eventual kidnapping of the champion.
What you may not know about the film is what led up to its making and why it was so important for Calasanz to put his neck on the line to produce an independent movie.
Calasanz was born in the Dominican Republic and like most boys his age, enjoyed action movies. In 1975, his father took him to see Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon and he was hooked. His mission in life from that day forward was to come to America, make a movie and become as famous as his matinee movie idol. While his father wanted him to become a competitive boxer, Calasanz wanted something more than jumping into a ring and beating up on his opponent. There was a spiritual aspect to the martial arts that drew him to it. From that point on, he did everything he could do to make his dream come true. Calasanz went to the city to pursue his academic studies and quickly found a traditional martial arts school. He trained long, hard hours, studied and worked at a bank to support himself. All along, he kept his goal in sight. As a valued employee, the bank wanted to invest in his future, so they agreed to send him to the United States on a student visa to study English as a second language. Once he set foot on U.S. soil, Calasanz never cracked open a book, but instead jumped head first into the martial arts.
Calasanz made his desire to make a movie well known to anyone who was willing to listen. All his students and colleagues knew that his sole purpose for coming to America was to make an independent martial arts movie without having to deal with the politics of the mainstream movie industry. He’d heard about how Bruce Lee had to actually leave the United States and make movies in Hong Kong because the industry had a hard time respecting a foreign actor. But in order to do get this movie made, Calasanz needed money and time, two things that are in short supply for a martial arts teacher busy building a business from the bottom up.
