March - April  2001

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


 

Just returned from Germany where I did seminars for a student-instructor in Bielefeld and for another gentleman who teaches Shotokan in Emden……

Before we begin this newsletter, I would like to call your attention to two worthy causes which need your immediate attention. The first concerns a young boy who needs extensive surgery to save his life. A benefit is being sponsored by GRANDMASTER BUDDY AMATO in New Jersey for the young child and donations of time, money and talent are welcome. Please see the enclosed flyer concerning the specifics. The other need is for an instructor here in Jacksonville who was burned doing a nun-chaku routine with fire. Master Lee Barden, a local Karate instructor known for his black light performances with the nun-chucks is currently at Orlando Regional Hospital in Orlando, Florida recovering from 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns. PROFESSOR JOHN CHAMBERS is sponsoring the effort and has a Trust Fund set-up on his behalf. Those wishing to donate to help Lee and his family can contact GRANDMASTER CHAMBERS at 352-726-3711 or e-mail him at johnmausa@aol.com

CIRCLE OF MASTERS WITH STUDENTS – Front row: (middle) Dan Verkerke, (2nd from right) Dan McEaddy / Back row: (3rd from right) Rudy Timmerman – (2nd from right) Doug Devlin

CIRCLE OF MASTERS EVENT HELD IN CANADA – The International CIRCLE OF MASTERS held it’s first Canadian gathering April 4, 2001. Internationally acknowledged grandmasters in attendance were: GRANDMASTER DAN MCEADDY of the ANGELIC NINJUTSU SYSTEM, GRANDMASTER DOUG DEVLIN of the POLICE MARTIAL ARTS ASSOCIATION, GRANDMASTER RUDY TIMMERMAN of the NATIONAL KOREAN MARTIAL ARTS ASSOCIATION and GRANDMASTER DANIEL VERKERKE of the SEICHO JUTSU SYSTEM. To view complete coverage of this event (click here)

SOKE DANIEL VERKERKE, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER for the WORLD HEAD OF FAMILY SOKESHIP COUNCIL and host member for the Canadian meeting was promoted to 10th dan Ninjutsu by Grandmaster Dr. Dan McEaddy…..PROFESSOR CHAS GAVIN of South Africa was also promoted recently to 10th dan during a special ceremony held in Capetown, South Africa, sanctioned by the WHFSC. This represents the first time a grading has ever been sanctioned by the WHFSC…. PROFESSOR GAVIN has had over 50 years in the arts and is one of the original pioneers in Africa for martial arts. He is in poor health right now and we pray for his speedy recovery!

NEW TO OUR WEBSITE…..Please note that we have a new "EVENTS SECTION" which is available for you to list your seminars and special events…..This particular section is also open to visitors of our website……Just log on at http://bushido.org/whfsc and enter it on-line!

A student of mine, Jon Haupt, recently won First Place honors at the 5th Annual AAA State SKA Florida Pankration Tournament held April 7th in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The competition pitted all belt levels and styles of grappling against one another. Jon is an Orange Belt in my system of SAN-JITSU.

BLACK BELT MAGAZINE HALL OF FAMER, PROFESSOR EDWIN MALEY of Tampa has "closed up shop" on MacDill Avenue after operating there for a good number of years as one of the oldest schools in Florida……The good professor is now teaching in the YMCA’s there…..As the old saying goes "You can’t keep a good man down"….Nor a great teacher, for that matter!

WHFSC Police Trainers Certification available……The WHFSC in conjunction with the POLICE MARTIAL ARTS ASSOCIATION (Grandmasters McCloud and Devlin) of Canada will be holding a 4 hour police training course on Sunday – September 2nd in Orlando, Florida……The course is part of our International Hall of Fame activities taking place on August 31st – September 2nd, Labor Day Weekend. The course is $50.00 per individual and entitles the participant to a WHFSC Police Trainers Certificate upon successful completion (all qualified individuals must be of Black Belt ranking and meet certain age criteria to participate….Anyone from a qualified police training agency such as ASLET, etc., may also receive a certificate upon presentation of their membership card and the $50.00 fee)…..The RUSSIAN FEDERATION OF RUSSIAN MARTIAL ART will also be presenting their seminar on the dynamic R.O.S.S. System that same Sunday with its featured presenter being its Founder and WHFSC Russian Representative, GENERAL ALEXANDER RETUINSKIH!.…It should be one FABULOUS weekend with seminars taking place Friday and Saturday (over 25 "free" grandmaster/ master seminars), the International Hall of Fame on Saturday night and the special pay seminars on Sunday with the Police Martial Arts Association and Russian Federation of Russian Martial Art….So, make your plans to attend our 7TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL MARTIAL ARTS HALL OF FAME/ SEMINAR SYMPOSIUM NOW! (if you haven’t already…..).

DR. KENT HARALSON of Montana’s GOSPEL MARTIAL ARTS UNION is now offering correspondence courses though its COLLEGE OF CHRISTIAN MARTIAL ARTS (a division of GREAT PLAINS BAPTIST COLLEGE AND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY) where you can earn your B.S., M.S. and PH.D. in Christian oriented martial arts. For more information on the program, you can contact DR. KENT HARALSON at haralson@lewistown.net or write to: COLLEGE OF CHRISTIAN MARTIAL ARTS, 129 Sunset St., Lewistown, MT. 59457.

PROFESSOR GARY DILL of Oklahoma reports that his new SELF-DEFENSE SYSTEMS Website will be functional around the 1st of May……

GRANDMASTER JIM ARVANITIS, "FATHER OF MODERN PANKRATION" reports that he has a new book and video series planned for later this year……Pankration Instructor, Eric Hill will also be representing him in the IFC Cage Fights planned for May in Greece.

After almost 18 years of researching and writing about Bruce Lee and James Yim Lee’s life and times in Oakland, California (1962-1965) co-authors, Gregion Yim Lee (James Lee’s Son) and SHORIN-RYU Pioneer, SID CAMPBELL have finally completed their monumental epic titled "DRAGON & TIGER’……THE OAKLAND JKD YEARS". The site contains 2000 pages of Oakland years archives covering virtually every part of Bruce and James Yimm Lee’s lives during those early times when martial arts were coming into public notoriety. The site www.oaklandjkd.ws which will be coming soon to the "net" also contains hyperlinks to over 15 other sites that relate to Bruce Lee at various levels during his lifetime.

AND now to the latest members of our Council!……From CALIFORNIA, we have popular KENPO Stylist, GRANDMASTER RICHARD (RICK) ALEMANY, Co-founder of ATAMA (American Teachers Association for the Martial Arts)….. From SINGAPORE, 9th Dan GRANDMASTER of FLYING EAGLE HAPKIDO and HAP-BOXERCISE, JACK WANG JAD HAW…..and lastly, granted "SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP" because of his young age, SIFU JOHNNY WU of Ohio, the keeper of his family’s 2800 year old system of WU JIA QUAN SHU ……WELCOME GENTLEMEN TO OUR "FAMILY" OF THE WORLD’S MARTIAL ART ELITE!

IN THE MAGAZINES THIS TIME AROUND…….The April issue of BLACK BELT features articles on GRANDMASTER GARY ALEXANDER and MASTER RICKSON GRACIE with a by-line column by GRANDMASTER BILL WALLACE….the May issue of BLACK BELT features YOURS TRULY in an article on gang attack techniques…..and the June Issue of BLACK BELT features GRANDMASTER BILL WALLACE’s column…..MARTIAL ARTS & COMBAT SPORTS "The May issue of MARTIAL ARTS & COMBAT SPORTS features a cover story on GRANDMASTER SAM KUOHA with Daughter, KA'IMI and column by GRANDMASTER BILL WALLACE - the June
Issue of MARTIAL ARTS & COMBAT SPORTS has an article on MASTER JACKIE CHAN's stunt team with monthly column by GRANDMASTER BILL WALLACE......The May issue of INSIDE KUNG-FU features an article on Pai Lum Tao’s Ghost Techniques by GRANDMASTER GLENN WILSON….and the KARATE VOICE features mentions of GRANDMASTERS JIM ARVANITIS, GARY ALEXANDER, PAN QUING FU, JURG ZIEGLER and a picture - article of YOURS TRULY with an interview of its Publisher, KRATIOS MASTER VASILIOS KATSAITIS and columns by MAESTRO PETER URBAN and SHEE JUNG JAMES LACY

Well, this concludes our newsletter for this bi-monthly period…..Until next time, stay "aggressive" and "fair" in all you do….and don’t forget to send in your nominations for our Hall of Fame, if you haven’t already…..Stay well!!

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.