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Editor: Soke Frank E. Sanchez

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JULY - SEPTEMBER 2005

 

WORLD GRANDMASTERS COUNCIL


 

 


Grandmaster Bram Frank conducts his seminar during seminar symposium featuring world grandmasters & masters  Sept. 2nd-3rd, 2005 

Introductions are made before the start of the 2005 WHFSC  world banquet held September 3, 2005 at the Doubletree Hotel in Orlando,Florida

2005 12th ANNUAL MEETING decides "new" direction for Council in issuing rank - The WHFSC will now be able to assist those seeking grade promotions who have lost their instructors or who have lost the ability to be upgraded in rank due to other viable reasons. The criteria for this will be based on the circumstances surrounding the request; a physical evaluation of the candidate's abilities & a rigorous background check. For more information, please contact our Hombu; or Screen Committee Chairman, PROFESSOR GARY DILL at PDillJKD@aol.com / mail address: P.O. Box 3396, Bartlesville, Oklahoma USA 74006.

 CONGRATULATIONS to GRANDMASTER RON "THE BLACK DRAGON" VAN CLIEF whose house will soon hear the "pitter patter" of little "dragon" feet. His Wife, Semina is expecting their first child in early March! RON is also set to star in his own reality TV series called the "THE ART OF WAR" being sponsored by Hall Mark & Spike TV. The series features young hopefuls training to enter a point sparring competition where the prize is $100,000.00! "THANK YOU" RON for extending an invitation to me to possibly be one of the trainers in the series, along with yourself. Unfortunately, my current schedule won't allow me the privilege of participating in the month-to-month video-taping required for the show . Your graciousness & friendship is appreciated though & I hope it's a  B-I-G  HIT for you!!

 CANADIAN member & WHFSC Webmaster/ Communications Manager, SOKE DAN VERKERKE reports that he has been busy teaching around the world. His latest seminar was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 24th where he taught representatives of the local sheriffs & police departments, as well as school police & private security. DAN was in Pittsburgh last April teaching the sheriffs department & they were so impressed that they officially adopted his martial arts program.

 CONGRATULATIONS to SOKE JOSEPH RUIZ of GEORGIA whose 50 years in the martial arts was officially celebrated on October 1st by his students & members of the INTERNATIONAL KARATE KOBUDO UNION�..Sorry I couldn't be in attendance JOE. We'll be issuing a certificate to certify the new 10th dan ranking given to you by the grading board of your Association at next year's Annual Meeting of the WHFSC.

 GRANDMASTER GARY ALEXANDER's INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MARTIAL ARTISTS will be having their 2005 ceremonies on November 19th in WOODSBRIDGE, NEW JERSEY. Many of the top illuminaries from the East Coast, including myself,  will be in attendance.

 The 9TH ANNUAL U.M.A.R.A. REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS TOURNAMENT held for member GRANDMASTER MARTY MANUEL on October 1st in BUENA, NEW JERSEY was as in years past, a huge success. For more information on this yearly event you can e-mail umara2000@yahoo.com

 On a recent trip to the Philippines, GRANDMASTER BRAM FRANK was awarded  recognition by the SENIOR MASTER COUNCIL OF MODERN ARNIS as a SENIOR MASTER INSTRUCTOR & practitioner of MODERN ARNIS & as a first generation student of the late Grandmaster Remy Presas. The SENIOR COUNCIL also recognized BRAM's grandmastership of the CSSD/SC - Martial Blade Craft.  "ARNIS PHILIPPINES", the government regulatory branch of Arnis also recognized BRAM as a SENIOR MASTER of MODERN ARNIS & for his contributions to MODERN ARNIS & ARNIS.

 GRANDMASTER STEVE LEE SWIFT of Florida is branching out in to another facet of martial arts aside from teaching WING CHUN KUNG-FU & his Hong Kong movie exploits. STEVE is now praising the benefits of good nutrition & is endorsing a new martial arts vitamin supplement containing Chinese herbs called "Chi Vitamins" which will be on the market soon. Be watching for the first ad which is scheduled to appear in INSIDE KUNG-FU Magazine. For more information, you can also contact STEVE directly at  SwiftWingChun@vortexnetworks.com  or write to him at: 6115 NATIVE WOODS DR., TAMPA, FL. 33625.

SIGUNG GLENN WILSON is one of the sponsors of a SHAOLIN KUNG-FU TOUR taking place on  March 7-19, 2006 along with WORLD BLACK BELT INC. & Daniel Pinkowski of Regent China Tours. The program will feature a tour of the fabulous sites there; training at the famous facilities of the Beijing Shaolin Wushu School, the Shaolin Temple, Tai Chi practice with local practititioners & great dining. For more information you can call (407) 856-9040 or visit the website of http://www.regenttour.com/

 Speaking of WORLD BLACK BELT INC. If you are interested in joining a "legitimate" martial arts website community which features news of the marital arts world with discount offerings on martial arts goods, then WORLD BLACK BELT is for you. A site which was originally started by martial arts super star, Chuck Norris & movie actor/ martial artist, Bob Wall. It is one of the premier martial arts websites on the internet. You can check them out at  http://www.worldblackbelt.com/

 Grandmaster Maurice Elmalem of BUDO INTERNATIONAL AMERICA called to let me know that their 2nd ANNUAL BUDO INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE HALL OF FAME (BUDO INTERNATIONAL Magazine is the largest martial arts magazine in the world owned by Mr. Alfredo Tucci of Spain) will take place June 10th -11th of next year at the Laguardia Marriott Hotel in New York. Be sure to support it. It is a great event & will feature their first ever BUDO INTERNATIONAL MARTIAL ARTS CHAMPIONSHIPS! For more information you can e-mail Grandmaster Elmalem at: Mauricenterprise@aol.com

 Our own WHFSC INTERNATIONAL EVENT which is usually scheduled around the Labor Day Weekend in the U.S. is being moved so that it is outside the hurricane season here in Florida. The weather people are saying that Florida is in a 20 year cycle now for increased hurricane activity & it is important for the safety of all that we do this. When a date is finally confirmed for the 2006 function, we will let you know.

 DR. GLENN MORRIS of LOUISIANA escaped the ravages of Hurricane Katrina (please keep the people of Lousiana, Mississippi & Alabama in your prayers for a speedy recovery from the devastation they endured) & reports that he will have two books out in time for Christmas: "THE CLUELESS SOUL" & "MEDITATION & ESOTERIC ENERGY". His book called "PATH NOTES" also earned him a nomination for the prestigious TEMPLETON AWARD (like the Nobel Prize in science & religion). CONGRATULATIONS GLENN!  

And while we are on the subject of books, OLOHE SOLOMON KAIHEWALU has a first ever book on his family's system of Hawaiian LUA being published. For more information you can  access OLOHE's website at www.olohe.com

 GRANDMASTER FRANK DUX called to say that he has a new martial arts interview show set to come out in California

 KERIOS GRANDMASTER JIM ARVANITIS, the FATHER OF MODERN PANKRATION reports that he was recently in Colorado filming a new video series on PANKRATION for PALADIN PRESS.

 YOURS TRULY was contacted by NAPMA (National Association of Professional Martial Artists) President, Rob Colasanti to set-up an interview for a CD going to their membership base on my martial art system of SAN-JITSU & dog defense (per my recent article in TAEKWONDO TIMES Magazine).

 From CALIFORNIA, GRANDMASTER SID CAMPBELL's  third installment of BRUCE LEE'S OAKLAND YEARS entitled "REMEMBERING THE MASTER: BRUCE LEE, JAMES YIMM LEE AND THE CREATION OF JEET KUNE DO" is set for worldwide release this November. For more information you can contact SID at Dragun3@aol.com or write to him c/o W.O.S.K.K.A., 2019 MAcARTHUR BLVD, OAKLAND, CA. 94602.

 "Thank you" to DR. RIC BLACK of the UNITED STATES POLICE DEFENSIVE TACTICS ASSOCIATION for the honorary membership in his Association.

 GRANDMASTER ANDY MANWARRING of ENGLAND, current Chairman for the INTERNATIONAL AIKI-BUDO COUNCIL, lead a 6 man team of instructors to Russia to teach & peform dan gradings for the Russian IABC in June. ANDY says that the newspapers & television stations in each of the cities they visited covered their visit.

 MASTER MIYAKO FUJITANI of JAPAN reports that the rebuilding of her TENSHIN DOJO which was mentioned in our last issue,  is progressing well & should be completed about the time she travels to do a seminar in England on September 23rd of next year. Also, MIYAKO's Mother who was in the hospital passed away in February of this year. Our heartfelt condolences over your loss, MIYAKO.

 And now to our latest members. from ROSSELLE PARK, NEW JERSEY, we have GRANDMASTER CARL PLUCHINO, Founder of SEIKEI RYU JIU-JITSU. From HACKLEFORDS, VIRGINIA,  HANSHI LEON D. WRIGHT, Head of SOUSEIKI RYU SEKKINSEN SHAIGAISEN URBAN WARRIOR TRAINING And last, but not least, we have DR. ZAHALAN MAN, grandmaster of SILAT KALAM from MALAYSIA WELCOME gentlemen to our elite family of world grandmasters & masters!

 In the media this time around..BLACK BELT's November issue features a cover article on KERIOS GRANDMASTER JIM ARVANITIS; a press release on MASTER JACKIE CHAN receiving a medal from Paris Mayor, Bertrand DeLance; GRANDMASTER BILL WALLACE's monthly "Full Contact" Column; & BLACK BELT Magazine's 2004 Hall of Fame list honoring GRANDMASTER JOHN PELLEGRINI as its "Instructor of the Year". CONGRATULATIONS, JOHN!......The November issue of INSIDE KUNG-FU has mentions of GRANDMASTERS AL DACASCOS & RALPH CASTRO receiving inductions into the Martial Arts Museum Hall of Fame,  as well as mentions of MASTER JACKIE CHAN & SENSEI KA'IMI KUOHA..BUDO INTERNATIONAL's September/ October issue features a technique demonstration of COMBAT HAPKIDO with GRANDMASTER JOHN PELLEGRINI & a mention of film star, MASTER JACKIE CHAN. The October issue of COMBAT Magazine features a cover story on GRANDMASTER GARY WASNIEWSKI with mention of MASTER JACKIE CHAN in the cinema. and lastly, the November issue of TAEKWONDO TIMES features mentions of GRANDMASTERS GARY ALEXANDER, BILL WALLACE, KALAII GRIFFIN, JOHN PELLEGRINI, GEORGE ALEXANDER, SANTIAGO SANCHIS, VINCENT LYN, RON VAN CLIEF, BILL WALLACE, MARK SHUEY, GARY WASNIEWSKI & YOURS TRULY at BUDO INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE's FIRST ANNUAL GALA HALL OF FAME; along with a mention of GRANDMASTER SERGE BAUBIL's appointment of a new representative for his HOSHINKIDO organization in New York.

 Well, this concludes our latest issue this time around. Please remember to send in your news for the next issue & until next time "stay aggressive & fair in all you do"!

 




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.