January - February 2002

WORLD GRANDMASTER'S COUNCIL


Editor: Soke Frank E. Sanchez / Layout: Sensei Matthew Sanchez

Ph: 904-745-6019 6035

Fax: 904-744-4625 (24hours/day)

Ft. Caroline Rd. Unit 22 Jacksonville, Fl 32277


 

GRANDMASTER/ GENERAL ALEXANDER RETUINSKIH'S R.O.S.S. Organization opens up MARTIAL ARTS MUSEUM IN ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA..Featured in the museum are photos of prominent WHFSC Members which will be on display along with the history of the Russian R.O.S.S. movement Internationally. We thank our friends & colleagues, GRANDMASTER/ GENERAL ALEXANDER RETUINSKIH, WHFSC Member &  Founder of the Russian  R.O.S.S. System & its General Director NIKOLAY TRAVKIN for this great honor.




SOKE KEIDO YAMAUE OPENS SHINGON BUDDHIST TEMPLE SHUUDOJI IN COPENHAGEN


SOKE KEIDO YAMAUE of DENMARK who is also an ordained Buddhist Priest, officially opened up SHINGON BUDDHIST TEMPLE SHUUDOJI in Copenhagen on January 31st.  The SHUUDOJI TEMPLE is under the DAISHOJI IMPERIAL ROYAL TEMPLE of Okayama, Japan. & is also a  Budo-Dojo for  the practice of GOJU RYU KARATE, NORD SHAOLIN KUNG-FU & YAMAUE AIKI JUTSU.

GRANDMASTER JIM ARVANITIS, the "FATHER OF MODERN PANKRATION" reports that he is currently in negotiations to republish his 2nd book and is working on completing his 3rd which will deal the the history of Greek combat sport & war arts & the mythologies that embrace them.

GRANDMASTER EDDIE DeLUCA from New Mexico reports that his "better half", MASTER AMBER DeLUCA, who starred in the popular AMERICAN GLADIATORS TV
Series of a few years back was recently named WOMAN OF THE YEAR by FILIPINO MARTIAL ARTS MAGAZINE & featured on its front cover..Aside from being a top
rated female martial artist, AMBER is also a professional body builder, recently winning the N.A.B.B.A.  MS. FIGURE AMERICA Title & placing 2nd in the U.S.A. BODYBUILDING CHAMPIONSHIPS. She also has several articles appearing in various muscle magazines, as well as martial arts publications & is the current Manager of Top 5 ranked No Holds Barred Fighter & 3rd ranked "PRIDE" Competitor, Heath Herring. For more information on AMBER, who is an Honorary Member of the  WHFSC, you can access her official website at www.GladiatorGirl.com

"ISSHINRYU PLUS" GRANDMASTER GARY ALEXANDER  e-mailed to say that legendary fighter, Howard Jackson is in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy treatments. Please send your "get well" wishes to Jackson c/o of  Tarzana Regional Medical Center, Room 314,   18321 Clark St., Tarzana, Calif. 91356 or you can call direct to his room at (818) 708-5314...GARY'S legendary 39th I.A.M.A. KARATE CHAMPIONSHIPS, billed as the longest running martial arts event in the world,  also takes place April 7th in New Jersey. For more information you can e-mail GARY directly at garyalex@bellatlantic.net ...

SOKE JOSEPH RUIZ's 12th ANNUAL KEISHIN KARATE KAI was  held on February 16th in Norcross, Georgia..By all accounts it turned out to be a great event as usual!

NEW MOTION PICTURE CO-STARRING HANSHI SID CAMPBELL PREMIERES IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA..The new film by DR. ZEE LO which also features HANSHI SID CAMPBELL premiered during Chinese New Year here. The original plan was for the film entitled "MARTIAL MEDICINE" to be released as a weekly TV series, but plans have now changed to release it as a full length major motion picture! Several of SID's students were also featured in the film. We will let you know more about the film's progress in the coming months as more information becomes available.

A "MISS MARTIAL ARTS U.S.A." PAGEANT?.. GRANDMASTER STEVE LEE SWIFT will be the main host of  this show which is currently in the works & I have been asked to be one of the judges (gee, what hard work this is going to be, but hey... somebody's got to do it!)....The production company handling the project is also asking our organization to get heavily involved in it, which sounds really good to me..We will just have to wait on the specifics of it.

RECIPROCATION FOR MY LETTER IN "BLACK BELT"?? (see "In the Media this Time Around" below)...YOURS TRULY had a recent visitor  intent on proving himself at my SAN-JITSU Headquarters in Jacksonville..Signing the guest register with "I just came here to kick some a _ _", the idiot sat around just long enough to watch our opening drills which consisted of one on one & multiple attack exercises and than decided to POLITELY "excuse himself" quietly closing the door behind him so as not to attract attention...Guess he had a change of heart..LUCKY HIM..






GRANDMASTER BUDDY AMATO stands before his school's 9-11-01 Memorial



GRANDMASTER BUDDY AMATO's memorial to those who died during the September 11th terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York was officially dedicated on January 29th at AMATO'S KARATE ACADEMY in Keansburg, New Jersey & received coverage in THE COURIER News.  Attending the ceremony were numerous area dignitaries including the Mayor of Hazlet County, Christopher Cullen; Monmouth County Sheriff, Joseph W. Oxley & several town committee members as well as representatives of law enforcement agencies throughout the New Jersey Bayshore area.  Notably, following the September 11th tragedy, Amato not only raised money for the monument, but also distributed thousands of dollars to area families touched by the carnage of the terror attack.  In addition he has pledged to teach karate, for free, to anyone whose Mother or Father died in the attack, for the rest of their lives.Certainly a very impressive humanitarian gesture, BUDDY!

SHORINRYU GRANDMASTER GLENN PREMRU'S NIAGARA FALLS BUDO CAMP has been re-scheduled to the first week in March...For more information you can call
the OKINAWAN KARATE FEDERATION at 702-304-9071 or e-mail grpsoken@aol.com

The 15th ANNUAL SOUTHEASTERN REGIONAL MARTIAL ARTS CLINIC sponsored by DR. KENT HARALSON'S GOSPEL MARTIAL ARTS UNION takes place March 1st - 2nd in West Palm Beach, Florida. For more information e-mail philipswpb@aol.com


CONGRATULATIONS to HANSHI LOU ANGEL who became a Grandpa on December 31st!...The little girl's name is ZOE & she was made the youngest member ever of LOU's  NATIONAL COLLEGE OF MARTIAL ARTS INTERNATIONAL...If she turns out anything like her Grandpa, she won't have to worry about keeping those boys "in line" when she gets older! From Hawaii, SOKE EDWARD BADIANG reports that the late GRANDMASTER ED PARKER SR., posthumous WHFSC Member & creator of AMERICAN KENPO was finally honored with induction into Hawaii's Sports Hall of Fame for forming America's first martial art system...This was certainly long over due & we are happy to see it finally happen!

Our youngest official member of the Council & keeper of his family's system of  WU JIA QUAN SHU , SIFU JOHNNY WU of Ohio is finally opening his style to the public!...Johnny was last seen judging at the recent ARNOLD BATTLE OF COLUMBUS in Columbus, Ohio which is held yearly by new member, GRANDMASTER JOON CHOI & will be doing a demonstration for the CULTURAL JOURNEY EVENT on March 24th  which is being sponsored  by the CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM SOCIETY.


OUR LATEST MEMBER FOR THE WHFSC was awarded his certificate during the above mentioned prestigious ARNOLD BATTLE OF COLUMBUS. He is the Founder of MOO GONG RYU & the host of this event which takes place yearly during the Arnold Schwarzenegger Fitness Weekend in Ohio. None other than 9TH Dan GRANDMASTER JOON PYO CHOI..WELCOME to our great Council!

IN THE MEDIA THIS TIME AROUND...The March issue of BLACK BELT Magazine features mentions of PROFESSOR WALLY JAY who is back "on the road" doing
seminars again after major heart surgery in 1998 (FANTASTIC to hear your back in "the swing of things" Wally!); new member, GRANDMASTER JOON CHOI's ANNUAL BATTLE OF COLUMBUS & the GRACIES new ARNOLD WORLD GRACIE SUBMISSION CHAMPIONSHIP which were both major attractions at this years'  Arnold Schwarzenegger Fitness Weekend held in Columbus Ohio on February 22-24th; also in this issue were letters by GRANDMASTERS GARY ALEXANDER & JAMES LACY
addressing the need for more martial arts training & awareness since the events of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the U.S...The April issue of BLACK BELT features mentions of MASTER JACKIE CHAN's movie "RUSH HOUR 2"; with feature articles by GRANDMASTERS RORION GRACIE & BART VALE; a letter by YOURS TRULY concerning street fighters vs. martial artists (is there any doubt that a skilled martial artist would win in such a confrontation? - NONE WHAT-SO-EVER!) & by-line by GRANDMASTER BILL WALLACE..The March issue of MARTIAL ARTS & COMBAT SPORTS features articles on PROFESSOR WALLY JAY, the late DR. RICHARD KIM & mentions of GRANDMASTER SAM & SENSEI KA'IMI KUOHA 's attendance at the recent Dragon Fest in California & by-line by GRANDMASTER BILL WALLACE..The April issue of INSIDE KUNG-FU also spotlights GRANDMASTER SAM & SENSEI KA'IMI KUOHA's  attendance of Gerald Okamura's Dragon Fest...MARTIAL ARTS PROFESSIONAL Magazine features a cover article on GRANDMASTER STEPHEN HAYES & mention of the new on-line adventure show for children featuring MASTER JACKIE CHAN entitled "JACKIE CHAN  ADVENTURES"...and lastly, THE KARATE VOICE features a cover article on the late DR. RICHARD KIM, as well as mentions of  GRANDMASTERS NEAL HUMMERSTONE, VINCENT MARCHETTI, JOE WILLIAMS, JON BLUMING & YOURS TRULY with columns by MAESTRO PETER URBAN & GRANDMASTER JAMES LACY with an Editorial by  KRATIOS MASTER VASILIOS KATSAITIS.

Before we close, don't forget to send in the enclosed ballot with your nominations (you can make extra copies from the enclosed sheet if you need to or you can go on-line at http://Bushido.org/~whfsc & make your nominations there) for our next WHFSC INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS, ANNUAL MEETING & SEMINAR SYMPOSIUM EVENT scheduled for August 31st - September 1st , 2002 at the RADISSON UNIVERSAL HOTEL in Orlando, Florida..Aside from some GREAT SURPRISES, rumor has it that GRANDMASTER GLENN WILSON's celebrity actor students, DON WILSON & CYNTHIA ROTHROCK will be in attendance to do a threesome seminar for the attendees on Sunday, September 2nd following the day of the banquet along with our WHFSC Seminar for police tactics & the usual great seminars by our student body of the GREATEST GRANDMASTERS & MASTERS in the world (not just "hype", but the truth, folks) . DON'T MISS OUT...This is YOUR event where the "BEST OF THE BEST" come together!

Well, this concludes this newsletter for the bi-monthly period of January - February...As you can tell by the ending photo, I am now "signing off" in formal attire...The suggestion was made to me by MAESTRO PETER URBAN that I should quit appearing in a gi for this & use formal wear to present a more professional appearance. In the words of MAESTRO URBAN "EUREKA"!... & "THANKYOU" MAESTRO for the suggestion.. OSU...Remember gentlemen & ladies to remain AGGRESSIVE & FAIR in all you do until next time!

Sincerely yours in martial arts brotherhood,





Grandmaster Frank E. Sanchez
10th dan (judan)
Founder/ Executive Director International

NOTE: The WHFSC has been in existence since May of 1993 and is a private enterprise of Soke Frank E. Sanchez in service to its grandmaster membership. Any additions or deletions to its membership must be in writing. All 2 year membership certificates are not automatically renewed and MUST be renewed by written request to our Headquarters.