Ph. (904) 745-6019
6035 Ft. Caroline Rd.
Suite 22
Jacksonville, Fl. 32277.

Editor: Soke Frank E. Sanchez

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

 

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2006

 

WORLD GRANDMASTERS
COUNCIL


 

.

 Grandmaster Bart Vale
Shoot Fighting


Grandmaster Frank E. Sanchez (right)
San-Jitsu

AWARD PRESENTATIONS - GRANDMASTER BART VALE finally received recognition at long last from BLACK BELT Magazine for being one of the Pioneers of mixed martial arts fighting in America. The world champion practitioner of SHOOT FIGHTING was inducted into BLACK BELT Magazine's 2006 Hall of Fame held recently in Long Beach, California. The venerable PROFESSOR WALLY JAY was also honored for his accomplishments with induction into the MARTIAL ARTS HISTORY MUSEUM on October 14th in Canago Park, California along with our newest member, SUPREME GRANDMASTER CACOY CANETE; and YOURS TRULY received awards acknowledging my teachings & contributions to the world martial arts community by European Associations, the MARTIAL ARTS ASSOCIATION - INTERNATIONAL & the INTERNATIONAL MARTIAL ARTS FEDERATION - GERMANY.

Hailey Danielle Verkerke

 

Hanshi Tom Hunnicutt

Kentaro Seagal

  CONTRATULATIONS to SOKE DANIEL VERKERKE on the birth of his beautiful Granddaughter Hailey Danielle Verkerke in Canada!  The future "little Ninja" was born 9/15/06

 HANSHI TOM HUNNICUTT of Arkansas has put his martial arts career on hold for awhile while his Country music career has " taken off" at the ripe young age of  60+ years. Tom sings Patriotic Blue Grass songs that he's written &  recorded under the stage name of "Captain T" (in reference to his being a retired U.S. Marine Captain) which have earned him fans from as far away as Australia. You can access TOM's official music website at www.HunnicuttCaptainT.com/  

 Actor, Stephen Seagal's Son, Kentaro Seagal is the featured actor in a new martial arts film called "Death Trance" according to our member, MASTER MIYAKO FUJITANI of Japan (Kentaro's Mother & the former Mrs. Stephen Seagal). You can purchase your copy of  the film through http://Global.yesAsia.com/   

 GRANDMASTER  RON VAN CLIEF reports that in January 2007, UTOPIAN PICTURES of the U.K. is releasing a 90 minute bio-pic of his life entitled THE LEGEND OF RON VAN CLIEF. DRAGON DYNASTY in conjunction with RON VAN CLIEF ENTERPRISES is also releasing a 6 film DVD collection this October of RON's past movies.  To add to all his activites,  RON's moved his family to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands and is now neighbors with another WHFSC Member who made the move to St. Thomas, GRANDMASTER CHAKA ZULU.

Grandmaster Jim Arvanitis

Grandmaster Gerardo Cantore

GREEK GRANDMASTER JIM ARVANITIS, the "FATHER OF MODERN PANKRATION" appeared in the August 20th Edition of the NEW YORK TIMES Newspaper. The article entitled "CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE STREET FIGHTER" outlines his involvement in the martial arts instructional video industry.

 HANSHI GERARDO CANTORE of  Argentina has a new video out  produced by GRANDMASTER GEORGE ALEXANDER's YAMAZATO PRODUCTIONS on AIKI-JUJITSU.  For more information you can contact GEORGE at  AlexYama@mindspring.com  GEORGE by the way, is the new Historian for Grandmasters Chuck Norris & Bob Wall's website of www.WorldBlackBelt.com of which I am a Founding Member; & was also one of the emcees for BUDO INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE's 2ND INTERNATIONAL HALL OF FAME  held this year in New York, along with GRANDMASTER JOHN PELLEGRINI.

 JUDO/ JIU-JITSU Pioneer, PROFESSOR EDWIN MALEY was featured in the Tampa, Florida September/ October issue of YMCA "Y LIFE" Magazine in an article entitled "TEACHING THOUSANDS" highlighting his teaching since 1963 in the Tampa Bay area.

 DR. KENT HARALSON, Chairman of the GOSPEL MARTIAL ARTS UNION states that the recent NATIONAL CONFERENCE of the GMAU was the largest in its 20 year history with well over 250 attendees participating. 20 world class instructors also taught subjects ranging from fencing, Tai Chi, grappling, Judo, Kumite, Chi/ Ki, single strike technology, Kempo Chi Na, pressure points, sword drills, kata, unitary motion, reflexive drills, women's self-defense, Aikido & kicking.  

 In police & security news COLONEL SANTIAGO SANCHIS of Spain will be conducting his 4TH ANNUAL WORLD POLICE CONFERENCE on October 20th  in Valencia in coordination with his 2006 WORLDWIDE MARTIAL ARTS HALL OF FAME   ENGLAND's GRANDMASTER GARY WASNIEWSKI (aka "James Bond") will be teaching the New York Police Department come January 2007 , PROFESSOR GARY DILL of Oklahoma was just appointed to the AMERICAN BOARD FOR CERTIFICATION IN HOMELAND SECURITY's  BOARD FOR DEFENSE TACTICS & was also asked to be on the "PREPARATION & RESPONSE" TEAM which is a national response team in various locations around the U.S. that will be called to action in the event of a national crisis regarding terrorism;  and GRANDMASTER VINCENT MARCHETTI of New Jersey, Director of the POLICE TACTICS INSTRUCTORS OF AMERICA held classes recently for the U.S. Army's Advance SWAT Team & the U.S. Marshal's Counter Terrorism Unit. He was also featured in articles in the KEARNY/ HARRISON & EAST NEWARK JOURNAL & in THE OBSERVER NEIGHBORHOOD News of New Jersey.

Grandmaster Vincent Marchetti (3rd from left)
With Heads of Rapid Response & Military SWAT Teams

From the WUMA Federation in England, HANSHI RICHARD "DD" HOPKINS reports that his Federation now has 26,000 members & 923 schools in the U.K. He is also set to move into a new larger Headquarters next month that features 5 offices, 2 dojos, shop, cafe, reception & storage area for equipment.

 From France, HANSHI DANIEL BLANCHET reports that he was elected the new Vice-President of the EUROPEAN JUJUTSU UNION (E.J.J.U.) and also the National French Director SHIBUCHO for the KODO BUTOKU RENMEI (Japanese Federation for the old values of Budo).

 From Hawaii, PROFESSOR JAIME ABREGANA, Head of the HAWAII MARTIAL ARTS INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY e-mailed to say that the HMAIS has undergone a structural change this last year & that the SOCIETY which has as its members some of the greatest martial artists from the Islands has also secured a place in the Blaisdell Auditorium there to showcase photos of the Island's martial arts legends ("thank you" for including me as well, JAIME)

Grandmaster S. Srinivasan

Grandmaster Yousef Shirzad

From India, GRANDMASTER S. SRINIVASAN of BINORYU KARATE International wishes us to know that his ALL INDIA FULL CONTACT KARATE CHAMPIONSHIPS held July 22nd - 23rd in Tamilnadu, India was a great success. In this tournament held only for Black Belts, over 240 competed in 3 round matches representing a "first" for India. From November 4th to the 12th, his all Indian National Karate Team will be traveling to Madrid, Spain to compete in the WKA WORLD KARATE & KICKBOXING CHAMPIONSHIPS; & from November 30th to December 3rd, GRANDMASTER SRINIVISAN's 14th NATIONAL BINORYU NATIONAL KARATE CHAMPIONSHIPS will take place in Maharshtra with over 2000 participants expected to take part from 23 States across India.

 From Iran, GRANDMASTER YOUSEF SHIRZAD reports that his INTERNATIONAL SHIRZAD KYOKUSHIN ORGANIZATION (SHINZEN) will be holding a world championship "knockdown" karate tournament in Emirates in April of 2007, Due to deteriorating relations between Iran & the United States, YOUSEF expressed his apologizes for not being to attend our WHFSC world event held in Orlando, Florida in May & is holding his world event in Emirates so that U.S. participants can attend. For those wishing to participate, you can contact YOUSEF at Y_Shirzad_ISKO@hotmail.com   

 From Germany, MASTER JENS FRICKE of our MASTERS DIVISION reports that the INTERNATIONAL MARTIAL ARTS FEDERATION HEADQUARTERS Branch in Germany will be holding its 1st WORLD OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS on May 27th in Emden, Germany.

 And lastly, my apologies go out to GRANDMASTER JOE WILLIAMS for not being able to attend his GOLD COAST MARTIAL ARTS HALL OF FAME held September 23rd in Davie, Florida. As I understand the event was a great success with Master Herbie Thompson of GOJU RYU KARATE receiving the Legend Award & a special appearance by Actor Martin Kove who played "Sensei Kreese" in the KARATE KID series.

 AND NOW TO OUR LATEST MEMBERS; We are proud to "WELCOME" SUPREME GRANDMASTER CACOY CANETE, 12 dan in ESCRIMA & member of the world famous CANETE Family from the PHILIPPINES to our GRANDMASTERS DIVISION & MASTER FRANK ENHLE of TAMPA, FLORIDA, 4th dan in HAPKIDO under the WORLD HAPKIDO ASSOCIATION to our MASTERS DIVISION. You can also view MASTER ENHLE's comments about our last WHFSC function held last May in Orlando which was printed in the WORLD HAPKIDO ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER at http://www.WorldHapkido.com/news-past30.htm . We "THANK YOU" FRANK for the kind words & hope to see all of our WHFSC Members & their students & families at the next WHFSC function being held FRIDAY -MAY 25TH & SATURDAY - MAY 26TH in Orlando, Florida  

 In the magazines this time around; BLACK BELT Magazine's November issue features the monthly column of GRANDMASTER RICHARD RYAN with an article entitled "Where's the Chi?" along with a promotional review of a video-tape produced by SOKE DANIEL VERKERKE, The November issue of INSIDE KUNG-FU features a great article on AMA GURO RAFFY PAMBUAN & his family system of PAMBUAN ARNIS & a mention of MASTER JACKIE CHAN starring in an upcoming animated comedy entitled, "KUNG-FU PANDA". BUDO INTERNATIONAL Magazine's September / October issue contains an article on YOURS TRULY & my art of SAN-JITSU with mentions of GRANDMASTER GLENN WILSON's trip to China where he exchanged vows of Brotherhood with Monk, Lama Shi Dechao of the Shaolin Temple & MASTER DON WILSON's new movie, THE LAST SENTINEL. COMBAT Magazine's September issue features a mention about our 13th Annual WHFSC gathering held this year in Orlando, Florida.  The September issue of TRADITIONAL KARATE  mentions SOKE KEIDO YAMAUE's upcoming seminars in Scotland & in the Southern part of England; GRANDMASTER DON WARRENER's 1st Annual BUTOKU-DO FESTIVAL held in May in Ontario, Canada; and the WHFSC's 13th Annual gathering, TAEKWONDO TIMES September issue features mentions of GRANDMASTER RUDY TIMMERMAN traveling to take part in the 2006 HAPKIDO Championships held in April in Korea & the WHFSC 2006 gathering, The November issue of TAEKWONDO TIMES features an article by DR. KENT HARALSON entitled "Unraveling the Myth of Ki Power"; a news release on martial arts Heads attending our 2006 WHFSC meeting with over 500 in attendance; GRANDMASTER RUDY TIMMERMAN's seminar in Portland, Oregon; & mentions of GRANDMASTERS JOHN PELLEGRINI, GEORGE ALEXANDER &  MASTER DON "THE DRAGON" WILSON Attending the 2nd Annual BUDO INTERNATIONAL MARTIAL ARTS HALL OF FAME held June 17th in New York by Grandmaster Maurice Elmalem, Editor of BUDO's American / Canadian division . ACTION MARTIAL ARTS NEWS published by Master Alan Goldberg of New York (congrats Alan on your being inducted into BLACK BELT Magazine's  2006 Hall of Fame!) features articles by GRANDMASTERS GARY ALEXANDER, RICHARD HACKWORTH & GEORGE ALEXANDER with mentions of our WHFSC gathering,  MASTER DON WILSON'S new movie, THE LAST SENTINEL; & GRANDMASTER GARY WASNIEWSKI's LONDON INTERNATIONAL HALL OF FAME held in England (next year's date is scheduled for June 2nd  according to GARY) with mentions of GRANDMASTERS VINCENT LYN, VINCENT MARCHETTI, NEAL HUMMERSTONE, EUGENE HUMESKY, JOE WILLIAMS, FOSTER McCLOUD, DOUG DEVLIN & YOURS TRULY & Last, but not least, the ASIAN MARTIAL ARTS JOURNAL features articles on PROFESSOR WALLY JAY's SMALL CIRCLE JU-JITSU System & GREAT GRANDMASTER JI HAN JAE's SIN MOO HAPKIDO.

This concludes our July - September Newsletter. In closing we would like to extend our condolences to Grandmaster Michael DePasquale Jr. & his family over the passing of his Father, one of America's most loved martial artists & one of Jiu-Jitsu's pioneers, O'Sensei Michael DePasquale Sr. Our prayers are with you, Michael.

Please remember to send your news in for our next issue, either by e-mailing it to me at San_Jitsu@yahoo.com  or by mailing it to our Headquarters address shown on our Letterhead. In the meantime, remember to stay "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 membership. Any additions or deletions to its membership must be in writing. RECEIVING THIS NEWSLETTER DOES NOT CONSTITUTE YOUR BEING AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THIS COUNCIL. All membership certificates with an expiration date are NOT automatically renewed and MUST be renewed by written request to our Headquarters.