October-November 2004

INSTRUCTORS TAKE TO THE STAGE FOR SOME GOOD NATURED FUN TO THE DELIGHT OF THE CROWD IN ATTENDANCE
AT OUR 11^th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL HALL OF FAME  IN ORLANDO FLORIDA

OCTOBER 24^th  RESCHEDULED WHFSC INTERNATIONAL HALL OF FAME A SOLID SUCCESS!!!.....Despite the cancellation of our original event by Hurricane Frances which touched down to ruin the plans for our function on September 3^rd-4^th, everyone who attended the rescheduled event at the Doubletree Hotel in Orlando, Florida  had nothing but praise for it! Aside from the great turn out & seminars given by some of the world's finest martial artists, the night's banquet also featured a demo by one of Arnis' greatest practitioners, GRANDMASTER BOBBY TOBOADA; an exciting demo by MASTER GEORGE DENSON's talented &  precision packed G FORCE  TEAM;  &  a musical show performance by one of Orlando's top Polynesian bands, the KELENA OHANA BAND. The event also showed the resiliency of the Council by "bouncing back" from the effects of Hurricane Frances to produce what some have called our best Hall of Fame to date..Wait ‘till next year friends!

 A special thank you to SENSEI DAVID DYE & PROFESSOR JOHN DeNORA for notifying me of the recent passing of SHIHAN OTTO JOHNSON who was a  member of our MASTERS DIVISION.  SHIHAN JOHNSON held the distinction of being the Senior most representative for WADO RYU KARATE in the United States & his presence will be sorely missed by those who knew & loved him on this Council. His untimely death was the result of a hit and run accident in San Bernadino, California on November 2^nd when he was struck by an automobile while walking home from Church.  A special Memorial Service & Reception celebrating his life was held on November 11^th at SENSEI DAVID DYE's SHUYOKAN DOJO in Costa Mesa, California. OLOHE SOLOMON KAHAIWALU of Hawaiian LUA did the honors of leading the prayer vigil for the Memorial Service..

The 8^th Annual U.M.A.R.A. (United Martial Arts Referees Association) Regional Championships Tournament to raise funds for one of New Jersey's most beloved "handi-capable" instructors, GRANDMASTER  MARTY MANUAL,  was held October 2^nd in Buena, New Jersey..By all accounts, it was a great success!

GRANDMASTER JOE WILLIAMS' recent GOLD COAST MARTIAL ARTS ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME  held in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida brought out some of South Florida's top tournament champions, including GRANDMASTERS BART VALE, BILL WALLACE & JOE HESS.. Also in attendance were POLICE TACTICS INSTRUCTORS OF AMERICA Directors, GRANDMASTERS VINCENT MARCHETTI, President & NEAL HUMMERSTONE , Vice-President..Really enjoyed it, JOE & "thank you"  for the Legend Award given to me that night.... Also awarded at the recent KARATE VOICE NEWS HALL OF FAME under KRATIOS GRANDMASTER VASILIOS KATSAITIS was a posthumous Legend Award for the late MAESTRO PETER URBAN which I accepted on behalf of the late MAESTRO & which will be sent to his student, Master John Hooker for inclusion in URBAN's private  museum.

CONGRATULATIONS to GRANDMASTER RON "THE BLACK DRAGON" VAN CLIEF from New York who e-mailed me to say that he would be Wedding his beautiful Bride-to-be, SIMINA in Hawaii on December 30^th..You two make a great couple, RON & I know that you will have many, many years of wedded bliss together..Wishing you much love & happiness from MAE & I  to  you & SIMINA, as well as from our Council!...... Also JUST MARRIED,  PROFESSOR ERNIE CATES & MASTER MARY DAVIS of North Carolina..Both are members of our Council with PROFESSOR CATES of Judo/ Ju-Jitsu  fame being a member of our GRANDMASTERS DIVISION & MARY representing the Vietnamese art of CUONG NHU in our MASTERS DIVISION..Sorry I missed both of you when you were here in Jacksonville giving a seminar for the CUONG NHU organization..Like yourselves & the rest of our membership, I tend to travel allot & I missed seeing you both when I was on the road..CONGRATULATIONS on your recent marriage & much love from all of us to you!

DON WARRENER of RISING SUN PRODUCTIONS in California has two new DVDs out which will be of interest to our  members, co-written by DON WARRENER & EMIL FARKAS. One is entitled AMERICAN MASTERS & CHAMPIONS which features over 100 of the top Masters in America ( the late legendary GRANDMASTERS ROBERT TRIAS, ED PARKER & PETER URBAN are  featured in this video, along  with  GRANDMASTERS SID CAMPBELL, GARY ALEXANDER, EMIL FARKAS,  WALLY JAY, MYSELF & OTHERS..Sorry, but I don't have a DVD Player, so I can't tell you who else is on it..you will just have to buy the DVD ) . The other is JAPANESE/ OKINAWAN BUDO MASTERS OF THE MARTIAL ARTS..For ordering information, you can contact MASTERSLINE VIDEO PRODUCTIONS, INC. at 628 N. Doheny Dr., Los Angeles, Calif. USA 90069/ Fax (310) 278-1783  or you can e-mail MASTER WARRENER at donrw@earthlink.net

Also, with a new video out is Shihan Minoru Yasuhara, the personal student of our member from Argentina, SOKE GERARDO CANTORE. The video entitled "THE DYNAMICS OF ISSHINRYU KARATE"  is being handled by GRANDMASTER GEORGE ALEXANDER's YAMAZATO VIDEOS of Tennessee. For more information, you can e-mail  Alexyama@mindspring.com 

One of PROFESSOR JOHN CASAREZ's students in Ohio was featured in the  news recently..The student was at a local convenience store when it was being robbed & disarmed the gun wielding  robber, breaking the fella's fingers in the process..The student mentioned that he was a teacher at JOHN's dojo when he was being interviewed by the Press..GREAT PUBLICITY for both JOHN's school AND the martial arts!

SIFU JOHNNY WU of Ohio wants us to know that pictures of his latest film project which we talked about in our last newsletter are available at http://www.mdifilm.com/forum/index.php?method=showhtmllist&list=message&rollid=3%2C5&clearoff=1 . You can also watch the video at http://www.mdifilm.com/joker/media.html   

DID YOU KNOW THAT...It has been many years since I wrote the first feature article defending the development of new martial art systems in the November 1996 issue of BLACK BELT Magazine. The piece entitled "In Defense of Eclectic Martial Arts" was written at the request of BLACK BELT,  as a counterpoint to an article written attacking those who were trying to develop new systems. It "opened the door" for newer systems to be featured in their magazine. Now as I look back many years later, I see how the "Newer" systems developed by the respected innovators of today (there is a difference of course between a system developed by a Master of the arts & a "wannabe" with no real experience or technique whose art is nothing but a "sham")  now have much more credence & acceptance in today's world.  As I stated in the article, the so-called traditional systems of yester year such as Judo, Isshinryu, Shotokan, Hapkido, etc, were actually the eclectic systems of their time period. Time will tell which of the newer systems of today will survive over the years to become the traditional arts of tomorrow..

GRANDMASTER JIM ARVANITIS, the "Father of Modern Pankration"  & Founder of MU TAU  ™  is currently featured on the cover of KUMITE WORLD Magazine from Greece.

MASTER ROBERT FERGUSON was featured on CNN Headline News on October 15^th  touting the benefits of exercise & dieting..He is also opening up a new state of the art wellness, fitness & martial art facility in Westlake Village, California called "THE KNOCKOUT" .  The grand opening takes place on December 10^th                 

PROFESSOR JOHN DeNORA of DAITO RYU USA is on the USJA's (United States Judo Association) Development Committee for Universities & Colleges for JUDO..You can visit his website at www.JohnDeNora.com

MASTERS JEFF SPEAKMAN & MARTY MANUEL have been recently recognized as new members of our GRANDMASTERS DIVISION-----MASTER SPEAKMAN by way of a certificate signed by his former instructor,  HANSHI LOU ANGEL with supporting signatures by members at our recent Annual grandmasters meeting held on October 24^th & MASTER MARTY MANUEL by way of one of MAESTRO URBAN's last acts of signing a certificate granting MARTY the title of  "GRANDMASTER" in his GOJU System..CONGRATULATIONS gentlemen on your "new" titles & on your acceptance to our GRANDMASTERS DIVISION!

IN THE MAGAZINES THIS TIME AROUND...A special "thank you" goes out to MR. PAUL CLIFTON, Publisher of COMBAT; TRADITIONAL KARATE; &  TKD & KOREAN MARTIAL ARTS Magazines from England who sent the latest issues of his publications to me.  For those interested in submitting articles,  news or subscribing to these fine publications of Mr. Clifton, you can write to: REGENT HOUSE, 135 ALDRIDGE RD, PERRY BAR, BIRMINGHAM B42 2ET, ENGLAND/ Ph. 0121 344 3737/ Fax 0121 356 7300..and now to our members in the news..The November issue of BUDO INTERNATIONAL  features GRANDMASTER JOHN PELLEGRINI on the cover with articles on GRANDMASTER GLENN WILSON & MASTER JACKIE CHAN..The January issue of INSIDE KUNG-FU features mentions of SIJO ADRIANO & appointed Successor DECHI EMPERADO's recent K.S.D.I. Open Martial Arts Tournament; seminar & 75^th Birthday Bash for SIJO, along with mentions of GRANDMASTER SID CAMPBELL, KALII GRIFFIN, STEPHEN HAYES, RONALD DUNCAN, GARY ALEXANDER, BILL WALLACE & MASTER DON "THE  DRAGON" WILSON.