# Shaolin Kempo Karate in Kentucky



## KempoGuy06 (Aug 9, 2006)

Apparently the is supposed to be a SKK event in Georgetown Kentucky in October. The date is not set in stone yet according to my instructor but that in the next couple of weeks there will be more information available. All i know is that it will last a couple of hours and that a grandmaster will be giving lessons. If anyone has any info and comments or anything let me know.

B


----------



## KempoShaun (Aug 9, 2006)

any idea who the Grandmaster is? If I have that info, I can give you an informed decision :asian:


----------



## KempoGuy06 (Aug 9, 2006)

I know how to pronounce it but i have no idea how to spell it. Vallari (sorry if i completely butchered it). I dont know if this is right this maybe influenced a little by the fact that i see his name on this site a lot but im pretty sure thats what i heard. I apologize if im wrong

B


----------



## KempoShaun (Aug 9, 2006)

Well, to be fair, and I WAS a member of the Villari organization a while back, assistant to the president actually...  Fred's stuff is pretty cool, but not really useful for anyone brown belt or above, at least that's what I've found from the numerous black belt workouts and seminars on DVD I have from him in the late 80's and early 90's, plus my own experiences with the organization.  Now if it was John Fritz, that would be worth it!  Most of what Fred teaches, when doing "shaolin" (which it isn't) is mostly stuff he got from books on kung fu, like the plum tree blocking system and such.  The animal forms above black belt have some kempo techniques, some hung gar and a hodepodge of other kung fu styles, but as I said, can be found in books.  If you do go, be sure to give us a review!


----------



## KempoGuy06 (Aug 9, 2006)

Thats cool. Like i said i dont know for sure if thats the name i heard. Do you know if there is anyone with the last Vasard (sp?) or anything similar to that? Also i will deffinitely give a review if i go.

B


----------



## KempoShaun (Aug 9, 2006)

hmmmm...  I know there was a Master in Canada by the name of Yves Savard...  Not sure if he's still with Fred or not though, but he was a SKK practitioner.


----------



## bill007 (Aug 9, 2006)

KempoShaun said:
			
		

> hmmmm... I know there was a Master in Canada by the name of Yves Savard... Not sure if he's still with Fred or not though, but he was a SKK practitioner.


 
I know Master Paquette left Villari but have no idea for Master Savard.


----------



## KempoGuy06 (Aug 10, 2006)

Like I said I will find out tonight when i go to class. Thanks for all the input.

B


----------



## KempoGuy06 (Aug 11, 2006)

I found out the name it is grandmaster Brasard. Does anyone know him?

B


----------



## KempoGuy06 (Aug 11, 2006)

WOW. Well ive only heard good things about him. Apparently he is my instructor's(1st degree), instructor's(6th degree) instructor. I will probably go anyway just to see what it is like. 

B


----------



## KempoShaun (Aug 11, 2006)

http://jamesbrassard.com/

There's some info there, I was never very familiar with him, so I'll refrain from comments until I've met him and seen him move


----------



## KempoGuy06 (Aug 18, 2006)

fnorfurfoot said:
			
		

> Up until 6 months ago he was a 7th degree .


 
This is true that he was a 7th degree. He went to test for his 8th and was given his 10th. This is the info coming from my instructor

B


----------



## Matt (Aug 18, 2006)

KempoGuy06 said:
			
		

> This is true that he was a 7th degree. He went to test for his 8th and was given his 10th. This is the info coming from my instructor
> 
> B



The information in the newspaper article linked at his site indicated that he 'sent away for it' and was surprised by what he received in the mail. 

By the way, can anyone find the contact information for the groups that 'sponsored' his promotion? Google is failing me at the moment. 

Matt


----------



## KempoGuy06 (Aug 18, 2006)

Matt said:
			
		

> The information in the newspaper article linked at his site indicated that he 'sent away for it' and was surprised by what he received in the mail.
> 
> By the way, can anyone find the contact information for the groups that 'sponsored' his promotion? Google is failing me at the moment.
> 
> Matt


 
Thats cool, im just letting you what i heard from my instructor. Either way im only a yellow belt which means im going to learn stuff that i would learn for a while if i didny go to the seminar.

B


----------



## Matt (Aug 19, 2006)

KempoGuy06 said:
			
		

> Thats cool, im just letting you what i heard from my instructor. Either way im only a yellow belt which means im going to learn stuff that i would learn for a while if i didny go to the seminar.
> 
> B




That's true. It's not like you have to be his best pal or invite him over to meet your mom or anything. If you learn something at the seminar, great. I've seen clips of him moving, and watched his cable access show (we're not that far apart), and he certainly isn't the worst fellow to get his 10th dan in the mail this year. He moves pretty well. I just tell people to steer clear of his school for other reasons. 

Matt


----------



## RevIV (Aug 24, 2006)

KempoShaun said:
			
		

> http://jamesbrassard.com/
> 
> There's some info there, I was never very familiar with him, so I'll refrain from comments until I've met him and seen him move


 
Shaun what are you doing to me.. here i am trying to go to sleep and you force me to go to this page and read the whole thing... Well i'm awake now.  Hope all is well in your neck of the woods
In peace
Jesse


----------



## KempoShaun (Aug 25, 2006)

LOL!  I'm doing ok Jesse.  Have a minor surgery Monday to remove a growth of some sort on my kidney, but you know me, I'm always sick, and I'll bounce back again  :wink2:  Thanks again for the great work you did at the East meets West gathering, and hopefully see you soon my friend!


----------



## Carol (Aug 25, 2006)

Sorry to hear the news, Shaun.  Hope the surgery goes well and you have an easy recovery


----------



## Gentle Fist (Aug 25, 2006)

Matt said:
			
		

> That's true. It's not like you have to be his best pal or invite him over to meet your mom or anything. If you learn something at the seminar, great. I've seen clips of him moving, and watched his cable access show (we're not that far apart), and he certainly isn't the worst fellow to get his 10th dan in the mail this year. He moves pretty well. I just tell people to steer clear of his school for other reasons.
> 
> Matt


 
Ok Matt, I dare you to name one this year that is not from Nebra... I mean the Mid West!


----------



## KempoGuy06 (Aug 30, 2006)

The day of the seminar is Oct 14 in Georgetown Kentucky.

B


----------



## ackenpo (Sep 21, 2006)

As a martial artist and a student of Mr. Brassard I feel the need to comment on the slanderous allegations made by a member a short while back. The first point I would like to address is the calling into question of Mr. Brassards rank. Mr. Brassard did not ask for this recognition it was awarded to him by the president of the sokieship council, Dr. Thomas, and a council of 17- 10th degree grandmaster's from around the world. If anyone would like to contact Dr. Thomas and check on Mr. Brassards standing his number is 365-939-0780. At the present time Dr. Thomass website is down but it will be up and running soon. Where Mr. Brassard will also be listed as the Grandmaster of the year, for 2006.
The second point I would like to make is this member called into question Mr. Brassards ranking but had no problem presenting himself as a 4th degree that which Mr Brassard granted him. In my book this is an extremely hypocritical thing to do.
My third point has to do with the longevity of Mr Brassards students. On this point fnorfurfoot is simply lying. Master Wright in Kentucky has been a student of Mr. Brassard for 26 years!! Some people reading this or practicing martial arts havent been involved in them for 26 years never mind being a student of his for 26 YEARS! Over the summer I personally trained with a young lady who has been training with Mr. Brassard for 15 years. There is also another on and off student of Mr. Brassards of 20 years, who runs a school in Falmouth who just this month returned to seek training under Mr. Brassard. There are more but I think I have made my point!
My last point is that I have been training with Mr. Brassard at least 3 hours every week, 52 weeks a year for the last 6 years. Mr. fnorfurfoot has seen him maybe 2 hours a month for the last 6 years. In all of my time with Mr. Brassard I have never witnessed any of the slanderous allegations made pertaining to Mr. Brassards character. 
Just so people know where I am coming from I have 13 years of martial arts experience in 4 different styles. I have a green belt in USA Goju-ryu karate, a brown belt in Okinawan Shorei-ryu karate, a 1st degree black belt in taekwondo, and a 3rd degree black belt in Shaolin /American Kempo. In my experience Mr. Brassard has more ability and knowledge of the mechanics, physics and logistics in the martial arts then anyone I have meet or trained with thus far. To the people of Kentucky who had the misfortune of reading these comments, all I can say is to go to his seminar....you won't be disappointed, or just ask the people who went to his seminars before.
"Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds." Albert Einstein


----------



## KenpoDave (Sep 21, 2006)

KempoGuy06 said:


> The day of the seminar is Oct 14 in Georgetown Kentucky.
> 
> B


 
It's only 18 miles to Lexington.  Steve Finn has a kenpo school there.  You won't find any better.  I promise.


----------



## John Bishop (Sep 22, 2006)

Just out of curiosity, how many 10th degree Shaolin Kempo masters are there in New England?


----------



## RevIV (Sep 22, 2006)

John Bishop said:


> Just out of curiosity, how many 10th degree Shaolin Kempo masters are there in New England?


 
John,  good question,  off the top of my head and Chris Hatch's we came up with
SGM George Pesare
Steve Demasco
Al Cunningham
Bobby "Tokyo Joe" Lamatinna
and we think Mike Brown (international Karate Centers)
we were wondering how many 7th and 8th degree Kaju Guys are out here in NY and New England that were former Shaolin guys who are now ranked with you?
Hope my info helped, i also hope you will be able to help me with my question
In Peace
Jesse


----------



## John Bishop (Sep 22, 2006)

RevIV said:


> we were wondering how many 7th and 8th degree Kaju Guys are out here in NY and New England that were former Shaolin guys who are now ranked with you?
> Hope my info helped, i also hope you will be able to help me with my question
> In Peace
> Jesse



How many do you know of?  The only one I can think of is Rick Fescina, who I hear was with Shaolin Kempo before he went to Nick Cerio's group, and then to Walter Godin after Cerio's death.  
The Kajukenbo groups in New Jersey and Vermont come from Puerto Rico and the Peralta/Ortega lienage.  
Kalaii Griffin in Mass. was from EPAK until Mr. Parker passed away.  I think he has a few students teaching in Mass.
There was a Won Hop Kuen Do college club in Waltham, Mass, but that instructor has tansferred to North Carolina for his graduate work.   
In New York there's also Dusty Rhodes in New Rochelle,  Tom Bisio in NYC. Tom Bisio is from Vince Black's lineage.  I don't know anything about Dusty Rhodes.  And there's Victor Ballesteros in Nyack.  
Other then Griffin and Fescina, I don't think any of these guys are higher then 5th.  A couple are 2nd and 3rd, and one is a 1st.
Other then Fescina, are any of these guys originally from SKK?


----------



## RevIV (Sep 23, 2006)

John Bishop said:


> How many do you know of? The only one I can think of is Rick Fescina, who I hear was with Shaolin Kempo before he went to Nick Cerio's group, and then to Walter Godin after Cerio's death.
> 
> Barely any John.  I am pretty sure that Rick Fescina was a student of Tom Ingargiola until problems arose,, in fact i heard some of Fescina's students stopped by Prof. I's school recently but did not get across what they had hoped by going there.  A martial friend of mine knows Dusty Rhodes i believe and he likes him. I dont know many thats a fact. maybe you can answer this or i can write Prof. Shuras but I thought Prof. Shuras was ranked in Kajukenbo also.. sorry to write it if it is wrong.. you know how someone might read this and a year from now will say it as fact.  Thanks for the reply..  Back to your orginal question, can you think of any more 10th Dans out here from SKK?
> In Peace
> Jesse


----------



## John Bishop (Sep 23, 2006)

RevIV said:


> Barely any John.  I am pretty sure that Rick Fescina was a student of Tom Ingargiola until problems arose,, in fact i heard some of Fescina's students stopped by Prof. I's school recently but did not get across what they had hoped by going there.



Although I see Rick at differant Kajukenbo events, I've never really talked to him.  I read recently a post from one of his students saying that he was affliated with Steven Demasco in his early days, but like I said I've never talked to Rick, so I don't know his exact background.



RevIV said:


> A martial friend of mine knows Dusty Rhodes i believe and he likes him. I dont know many thats a fact. maybe you can answer this or i can write Prof. Shuras but I thought Prof. Shuras was ranked in Kajukenbo also.. sorry to write it if it is wrong.. you know how someone might read this and a year from now will say it as fact.  Thanks for the reply..  Back to your orginal question, can you think of any more 10th Dans out here from SKK?
> In Peace
> Jesse



As I understand it, Joe Shurus was cross ranked by Gerry Scott a few years ago.  You'd have to either ask Joe or Gerry about the circumstances.



RevIV said:


> Thanks for the reply..  Back to your orginal question, can you think of any more 10th Dans out here from SKK?
> In Peace



Actually, the only one's I knew about was Villari and Cunningham.  I never really considered Pesare a Shaolin Kempo BB.   I thought SKK was the invention of Fred Villari. 
But I was curious after one of the members here said something like "you can't swing a dead cat in Mass without hitting a 10th degree".


----------



## RevIV (Sep 23, 2006)

Actually, the only one's I knew about was Villari and Cunningham. I never really considered Pesare a Shaolin Kempo BB. I thought SKK was the invention of Fred Villari. 
But I was curious after one of the members here said something like "you can't swing a dead cat in Mass without hitting a 10th degree".[/quote]

You are right,  SGM Pesare would kick my *** if i were to put him in the same category, i was just going through the lineage and he is always the first i think of out here.  Bobby "Tokyo Joe" Lamatinna is now a 10th dan and was with Villari's but left during the major break in the early 90's but went on his own.  off subject - just saw my first shoot fight in Tokyo, what a riot, 3rd row seats and the last 2 fights were just brawls.. well im outta here.  3 more days then a long flight back to Boston.. oh, there is another gentlemen who is a 10th in NH. but the name eludes me, i will find out when i get home.
In peace
Jesse


----------



## RevIV (Sep 23, 2006)

After re-reading my last post i just wanted to clarify something.  When i wrote same category i was referring to GM Villari and SGM Pesare.  I do not know the relationship between SGM Pesare and GM Cunningham, sorry if people read into that one.  
In Peace
Jesse


----------



## CTKempo Todd (Sep 27, 2006)

Safe trip back Jesse...

Hopefully see you when you get home.


----------



## KempoGuy06 (Oct 9, 2006)

The seminar is this saturday at 11am in Georgetown, KY. As far as I know it is open to anyone with $55. Last year Mr. Brasard was there for almost 4hrs and he said he would only be there for 2. Im anxious to go, I will give a review when I return. 

B


----------

