Ph. (904) 745-6019
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Jacksonville, Fl. 32277.

Editor: Soke Frank E. Sanchez

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

 

APRIL - JUNE 2007

 

WORLD GRANDMASTERS COUNCIL


 


Before we begin this newsletter, we would like to offer our sincere condolences to our member, GRANDMASTER S. SRINIVASAN, Founder of BINO RYU KARATE in India on the death of his older Brother who passed away on May 17th from a long term illness. GRANDMASTER SRINIVASAN wrote to say that he would be attending our 15th Annual WHFSC Annual Meeting, International seminar symposium & Awards Dinner on May 25th-26th in Orlando, Florida when he was called back to India on May 18th to attend to the death of his only Brother. Our heartfelt sympathies on your loss.

 

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Grandmaster. S. Srinivasan of India

Dr. Dan McEaddy performs song written about Council.

General Alexander Retuinskih
(portrait from Russian book)

For those of you who could not attend our 15th Annual event in Orlando, Florida, DR. DAN McEADDY of ANGELIC NIN-JUTSU previewed a song off a new CD he recorded dedicated to our Council. We hope to have the recorded song on our website soon as the Council's official song. Also, if you haven't visited our website, I would invite you to take a peek at the new improvements put in by SOKE DANIEL VERKERKE, our Communications Manager & Webmaster. We will also have a link featuring our grandmasters doing brief demos of their arts. To take part, please send a brief video tape or DVD of yourself in action to me for pre-screening (note: your items will not be returned, so please do not send your only copies!)- there is no charge for this as this is excellent way to showcase both yourself & this Council; Also, why we are talking about DAN, I was surprised to learn that his Sister is a very popular up & coming singer/ recording artist in Canada who's name is "Serena Ryder". You can visit his Sister's site at http://www.SerenaRyder.com ;

Also in the making is a book of our members as suggested by GRANDMASTER DON WARRENER. So please forward a favorite pic to me along with a few sentences about yourself for the book (again, as with the tapes mentioned above, do not send your only copies as we would not be able to return them due to financial considerations ). I will need these as soon as possible so that we can begin work on it. Please send these items either by e-mail to San_Jitsu@yahoo.com  or mail your items to the WHFSC address shown above on our Letterhead;

Our Representative in Russia, GENERAL ALEXANDER RETUINSKIH was recently honored with the distinction of being one of Russia's top 100 influential people & his portrait drawn by Russian painter, I.M. Kravtsov is featured in a book of paintings of famous people in Russia entitled ST. PETERSBURG (RUSSIA) PORTRAITURES. CONGRATULATIONS GENERAL!

GRANDMASTER LEON WRIGHT from Virginia, currently serving as a Civilian Contractor in Afghanistan received 2 awards from the U.S. Military for teaching martial arts in Afghanistan for the last 4

 

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Grandmaster Leon Wright

GM Sanchez receives congratulations for15th
yr. Anniversary of WHFSC from Russian Fed.
of Martial Arts rep, Gen. Alexander Retuinskh

 

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GM. Gary Wasniewski
(left) with GM Sanchez

Grandmaster Leo Fong
California

Grandmaster Jon Bluming (right) w/
the late Grandmaster Mas Oyama

GRANDMASTER GARY WASNIEWSKI (AKA "JAMES BOND") from England wrote to say that he is starring in a new film called "THE REVENGE OF THE GRANDMASTERS" set to film in California in July. The Director of the film is another illustrious WHFSC Member, GRANDMASTER LEO FONG, whose company SKY DRAGON ENTERTAINMENT is producing the film.

GRANDMASTER JON BLUMING of Holland was featured in an interview recently on Grandmaster Bob Wall's WORLD BLACK BELT INC. Website. The legendary Karateka/ Judoka who is known for his fierce fighting style & "no nonsense" views on martial arts talked candidly about the early days of his studies & the training which turned him into a worldwide legend.

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Grandmaster Bram Frank (right) receives award in Germany

Grandmaster Dan Tosh w/ Grandmaster Bob Wall in background.

Dr. Richard Hackworth aka wrestler, "Rick Love" prepares to take the onslaught of Japanese wrestler Kendo Nagasaki-Richard's "action figure "(below)

GRANDMASTER BRAM FRANK received an award for "Tactical Knife of the Year" from the 7th Annual IWA INTERNATIONAL KNIFE AWARDS held in Europe recently for his latest knife invention, the LAPU LAPU CORTO.

GRANDMASTER DAN TOSH received a nice write-up in the Brentwood Press News in California regarding his recent promotion to 10th dan by the WORLD OKINAWAN SHORINRYU KARATE DO & KOBUDO ASSOCATION

HAEMUKWAN HAPKIDO Founder, DR. RICHARD HACKWORTH is now the new SECRETARY GENERAL for the KOREAN MARTIAL ARTS INSTRUCTORS ASSOCIATION & will be moving to Korea to take on this new position. GRANDMASTER GREG LEE will officially fill the KMAIA's INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR POSITION vacated by HACKWORTH. Upon his arrival, RICHARD will also be returning to the "NEVER DIE" TV show on Skylife Channel in Asia to reprieve his character of "bad guy" wrestler, "RICK LOVE", one of the most hated bad guys in Asian Pro Wrestling history.

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the late GM Harold Long
Tennessee

Soke Gerardo Cantore
Argentina

Master Minoru Yasuhara
at Budokan in Japan

Enclosed with this newsletter is a petition for the late GRANDMASTER HAROLD LONG of LONG-SHIMABUKU ISSHINRYU to be inducted into the Tennessee Hall of Fame. We would appreciate your making copies of the petition, signing it & passing it around to your students & friends for their signature, as well. Once you have done this please mail or e-mail the petitions to GRANDMASTER PHIL LITTLE, Inheritor of LONG-SHIMABUKU ISSHINRYU at 2202 Surfside Dr., Anderson, SC. 29625 / USIKA@charter.net  . The Long Family would like to see GRANDMASTER LONG mentioned in the Tennessee Hall of Fame for being one of the first individuals to bring ISSHINRYU KARATE to the United States. We would certainly like to see this as well.

 SOKE GERARDO CANTORE announces that he has a new web page for his system of SHINSHINKAN KARATE DO http://www.ShinshinkanKarateDo.com.ar  . His student, MASTER MINORU YASUHARA has also been given permission to teach the style at the BUDOKAN in Japan. CONGRATULATIONS GERARDO!

 .

The late Grandmaster Moses
Powell of New York

Mrs. Gina Barnett-Powell gives blessing for late
husband's induction at 2007 WHFSC Event

And now to our latest members. From New York by way of posthumous induction into our Council through his beloved Widow, Mrs. Gina Barnett-Powell, we have the late GRANDMASTER MOSES POWELL of SANUCES RYU. From Uruguay, as sponsored by members SOKE GERARDO CANTORE & SOKE JUAN CASTRO who were former students, we have the late SOKE GEORGES LONDON of AIKITAI-JIUJITSU, the "Father" of martial arts in Uruguay. From Alabama, we have the new Director of the U.S. Martial Arts Association, DR. LARRY BEARD by sponsorship of PROFESSOR JOHN CHAMERS. Also, after having passed our stringent background & physical testing for membership, we have HANSHI CHRIS SPRUIEL from Tennessee, Founder of ISSHIN-JUJITSU as sponsored by member, GRANDMASTER PHIL LITTLE & SHUSO MARK J. COLANGELO from California, Founder of CUONG NHU VO DAO as sponsored by member, PROFESSOR ERNIE CATES.

 

Grandmaster Carl Stone on cover of
The Karate Voice News


In the magazines this month (note: some magazines were not out at the time of this printing). BLACK BELT Magazine's August issue features GRANDMASTER RICHARD RYAN'S comments in Black Belt's "Full Contact" Column along with mentions of GRANDMASTERS JOON PYO CHOI, PAN QING FU, STEPHEN HAYES & MASTER JACKIE CHAN. INSIDE KUNG-FU's August issue features an article by GRANDMASTER GLEN WILSON & mention of GREAT GRANDMASTER CACOY CANETE. COMBAT Magazine's June issue features an article on GRANDMASTER BILL WALLACE. & last but not least, THE KARATE VOICE's January/ March issue features a cover story on GRANDMASTER CARL STONE with Editorial by Publisher, KRATIOS GRANDMASTER VASILIOS KATSAITIS.



Well, this concludes this issue of our newsletter, please remember to send in your news as always to our
Headquarters & 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.