JAN - MAR  2009

Left: Great Grandmaster Helio Gracie Center: Grandmaster Roland Dantes Right: Sijo Adriano Emperado

 Since the time of Jigaro Kano and the creation of Judo, no one has had a bigger impact on the art of grappling then the Gracie family. We mourn the passing of one of its legends, Grand Patriarch, Great Grandmaster Helio Gracie. He passed away in his sleep on January 29th in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at the age of 95. In the Philippines, internationally known martial arts action star, body building champion ( 5 times "Mr. Philippines") & Arnis grandmaster, Roland Dantes passed away of heart failure on March 16th and lastly, in early April, one of Hawaii's' greatest martial artists passed away, Sijo Adriano Emperado. He was one of the 5 founders of Kajukenbo & the Founder of Hawaii's Kajukenbo Self Defense Institute. He died April 4th in his beloved Hawaii & though this is our January - March edition of the newsletter I am including his name in this issue. All 3 men were members of this Council & icons in the martial arts. They will be sorely missed by us all. According to Grandmaster Al Dacascos in Hawaii, the first service for Sijo will be May 23rd on Maui & his final resting place will be in Oahu on May 30th. As for the other 2 martial arts greats, we have not heard anything yet as of this writing & will pass along the news as soon as we hear it.

Also, special get well wishes go out to Grandmaster Ben Largusa of the Villabrille-Largusa Kali System who was admitted to the hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada in a diabetic coma on February 12th & is recovering. Special thanks to Grandmaster Bram Frank for letting us know of this.

PROTECTING THE GOOD NAME AND REPUTATION OF THE WHFSC



Grandmaster Mark Colangelo

Doshu Mark J. Colangelo is a member of the Council's "Technical Advisory Committee" & has been active protecting the name & reputation of the WHFSC on 2 fronts. First, he has successfully sued a former Grandmaster, his martial arts association & one of his senior minions for Defamation - Libel per se which included defamatory remarks concerning the Council. Additionally, Doshu Colangelo (a former civil litigation attorney) sent out a letter on our behalf to terminate & eliminate an individual's defamatory remarks about the Council on a few martial arts comment / blog websites. The individual responded in part by saying, "You have successfully made me shut-up ". Our thanks to Doshu Colangelo for defending the WHFSC. As we all know, there are a number of organizations that attempt to imitate us by using similar words in their titles. Unfortunately, many in the martial arts community confuse our Council with these other organizations. However the most significant differences between the two is that they: require annual dues; require substantial fees for rank validations, certifications & / or recognitions, as well as the caliber & reputation of the members. As WHFSC members, we should endeavor to distinguish ourselves from these other organizations as well as attempt to "amicably" address defamatory material if found to be expressed in writing, & / or in a public forum. If any of you find or hear of such postings or forums attacking our credibility, please direct them to the attention of both myself at San_Jitsu@yahoo.com  & GM Mark at M.Colangelo@cox.net  . We have been kind enough to let these misgivings & in some cases, purposeful negative attacks by people with hidden agendas go unanswered in the spirit of "staying away from politics", but this does not seem to be working. We will be actively responding with a "friendly" warning to desist or face legal action to those who slander us because they are either mistakenly confusing us with some other organization or are trying to perpetuate a mistruth to gain something from it.

GM Sabree (right) w/ President of MAGMA Dato Suhaimi Ibrahim & Minister of Youth & Sports, Datu Seri Yaacob

MAGMA Logo

Members of MAGMA are greeted by Minister Seri Yaacob in Kuala Lumpur

THE MALAYSIAN MARTIAL ARTS GRANDMASTERS ASSOCIATION (MAGMA) is "alive & well" according to WHFSC member & co-founder of MAGMA, Dr. Sallah Sabree- After being recognized by the WHFSC in 2007, 45 of their members met for a dialog with the Honorable Dato Seri Ismail Sabree Yaacob, the Malaysian Minister of Youth & Sports at the Parliament House in Kuala Lumpur with several events being planned for this year, including its Annual General Meeting to take place in April & a National Championship tournament to take place June 12th - 14th of this year.

Grandmaster Eddie DeLuca

Gladiator Magazine

Grandmaster Ted Gambordella

Grandmaster Eddie DeLuca has a new column which he is doing for GLADIATOR Magazine entitled, "Power and Strength". For more information you can contact GM Eddie at delucathefamily@aol.com   Another martial artist of note on our Council, Dr. Ted Gambordella who has some 38 books & 24 DVDs to his credit is offering his services to any of the grandmasters on our Council interested in learning how to do a book or DVD of their system. You can visit Dr. Ted's website at www.blackbeltinabox.com  or contact him at drtedg@gmail.com  .

Though not a member of our Council, Sensei Hans Ingebretsen, President of the Kilohana Association in California is a good friend & supporter of our organization, having founded the Kilohana Association there with one of my late instructors & member of this Council, the great Professor Sig Kufferath of Danzan Ryu Jiu-Jitsu. His organization is having its 2009 Mokomoko Invitational Karate, Ju-Jitsu & Eskrima Tournament on April 25th at the Campbell Community Center in Campbell, California. For more information you can contact Professor Ingebretsen at HansIngebretsen@yahoo.com  or WHFSC member, Professor Russ Coelho at Russell.Coelho@comcast.net  .

Grandmaster Gary Wasniewski Stars in "Thunderkick II - The Kill Factor"

(L to R) GM Wasniewski, Dr. Leo Fong, GM Sanchez & Dan Severn pose on set of "Thunderkick II"

Grandmaster Frank E. Sanchez  receives write up on Guam

Grandmaster Don Warrener

Grandmaster Emil Farkas

Grandmaster Yousef Shirzad

Grandmaster Gary Wasniewski's latest flick entitled "Thunderkick II - The Kill Factor" recently wrapped in California. The Producer of the film was legendary Grandmaster Leo Fong with UFC Hall of Famer, Dan Severn playing the villain in the film. Yours truly did a cameo in the movie as well. While in California I also had the chance to meet & dine with Grandmasters Don Warrener & Emil Farkas at one of Hollywood's outdoor Chinese diners. The company & dinner was of course outstanding! GM Warrener also revealed that he is currently negotiating with working on an upcoming movie with Grandmaster Yousef Shirzad of Iran entitled, "The Brotherhood". On February 27th I was interviewed by Reporter, Nadia Fernandez of the Pacific Daily News in Guam. "Special thanks" to Grandmasters Ron Van Clief, Gary "Thunderkick" Wasniewski, Don Warrener, Emil Farkas & Kilohana President, Sensei Hans Ingebretsen for their kind words of support for the article which covered my origins in Guam, the creation of Guam's first Internationally recognized martial art system of San-Jitsu & the founding of America's first grandmasters council, the World Head of Family Sokeship Council.

Also, a special note of thanks to Grandmaster Alan Goldberg of Action Martial Arts News for mentioning our Council activities over the years. He has an outstanding combination trade show/ Hall of Fame event each year in Atlantic City, New Jersey. For more information on this yearly event, you can contact Sifu Alan at 4martialarts@earthlink.net  .

Master Mark Dacascos

GM Al Dacascos

GM Rick Alemany

Martial arts movie star, Master Mark Dacascos is in Thailand filming his new movie "The Lost Medallion" while his Father, Grandmaster Al Dacasos is in Hawaii with Grandmaster Rick Alemany planning for an upcoming tournament in Hawaii called the "2009 Hawaiian Islands Martial Arts Tournament" scheduled for October 11th . For more information you can contact either Sifu Al at SifuAl@aol.com  or GM Rick at GrandmasterAlemany@yahoo.com  . Grandmaster Gary Alexander just wrapped-up his 46th Annual "IAMA Annual Karate, TKD, Kung-Fu Championships & Trade Show held April 19th at the Radisson Hotel in Piscataway, New Jersey. As usual, it was a huge success. For information on getting involved with GM Gary's next tournament, you can contact him at GaryAlex2@verizon.net 

GM Gary Alexander

Prof. Vincent Lyn

GM Mark Shuey

GM Leon Wright

Professor Vincent Lyn had to close down his hotmail acct recently because of a hacker who was sending e-mails out from that acct. The gist of the phony messages stated that he was stranded in Malaysia & needed money sent to a sponsor there to help him out. Needless to say Prof. Vincent was not in Malaysia nor did he need any financial assistance. His new address for those who want to contact him is LingGarLyn@gmail.com  . On a much brighter note, his new book, "Kung-Fu in the Real World" sold out in its first printing !. GM Mark Shuey is still making waves. According to a press release from GM Marks' office, he was featured in the May / June issue of AARP Magazine, as well as 3 newspapers & in Afghanistan, GM Leon Wright e-mailed to say that he was awarded a citation for teaching martial arts & combatives for almost 6 years in a combat zone.

GM Ron Van Clief

Kajukenbo" by Sijo Adriano Emperado

Grandmaster Ron "The Black Dragon" Van Clief reports from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands where he now resides that he has been chosen to be a technical advisor on a 90 minute special being produced by the PBS/ Discovery Channel entitled, "The Black Kung Fu Experience". Finally in our international news, in a fitting tribute to Sijo Adriano Emperado's life, Sijo produced a book on his beloved Kajukenbo when he was alive. The book is available through Grandmaster Don Warreners' Rising Sun Productions. For more info you can contact GM Don at DonRW@earthlink.net 

In our new members department, we are proud to welcome Grandmaster Tayari Casel to our elite worldwide family. Grandmaster Casel comes to us from Maryland & has graced the covers of such magazines as OFFICIAL KARATE & INSIDE KUNG-FU. Most recently he was a featured demonstrator of African Gung-Fu at Grandmaster Ron Van Cliefs' 1st Annual Ron Van Clief Cup Martial Arts Classic along with another WHFSC member, Nin-Jutsu great, Grandmaster Ronald Duncan. WELCOME GM Tayari to your new martial arts family!!

Grandmaster Tayari Casel Gung-Fu - African connection

Grandmaster George Alexander on cover of Action Martial Arts Magazine

In the magazines, we caught only 3 magazines this time around at Books-a-Million with another one mailed in to me, BLACK BELT Magazines' April issue features Grandmaster Bill Wallace's monthly "Full Contact" Column, MASTERS Magazine's latest issue features an article on Great Grandmaster Cacoy Canete & Doce Pares Eskrima, TAEKWONDO TIMES March issue features mentions of Grandmaster John Pellegrini conducting CQC training in Iraq; Grandmaster Michael DeAlba's seminars in Portugal; promotions by Dojunim Ji Han Jae in Pennsylvania; & my pending inclusion in Guam's Guampedia website of its people & history & ACTION MARTIAL ARTS NEWS features a cover story on Grandmaster George Alexander with a mention of the World Head of Family Sokeship Council in its latest issue.

HISTORICAL PHOTOS

Grandmaster Reylson Gracie (L) when he was presented membership in the WHFSC by the late Professor John DeNora

The "Classical Man", the late Dr. Richard Kim was a proud member of the WHFSC when he was alive

 Lastly, we would like to express our moral support & sympathies to Grandmaster Vincent Marchetti & Soke Joseph Ruiz who just lost their Mothers; to Grandmaster Joe Williams who lost his Father; & to Grandmaster Ron Van Clief who is having to take care of his ailing Mother. Much love to all of you gentlemen.

Well this concludes our newsletter for January - March. Until next time please stay "aggressive & fair in all you do"!

Sincerely yours in martial arts brotherhood,  Grandmaster Frank E. Sanchez 10th dan (judan) Founder/ Executive Director International

WHFSC on Facebook

Join Us in Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=622802887&k=56F4XY6XSV5M5DBCWC44SP