May, 2004

What another busy month! With all of the planning for our upcoming Europe trip in June, our 5th Annual Warrior Quest Martial Arts Championship, and the Black Sash Summit Camp, it's a miracle that we can all think straight.

Before we get into WQ5, let me update you on news from Portugal. I recently received e-mails and pictures from several events in Portugal. Inst. Nelson Pinto is getting ready for the upcoming seminar and demos in Portugal, as well as getting ready to present his 2nd Dan Black Belt test in Poland. And as if that were not enough, he has done several demos and seminars of his own, as well as conducting color belt testing. Great job Sir! Way to go, and take care of business. We are very proud of you and the FMS students in Portugal. I'll be seeing you all very soon!

News from WHQ: We have been very, very busy filming and editing the much anticipated video requirements for the black belt levels. At this time we have 1st Dan Vols. 1, 2 & 3, as well as 2nd Dan Vols. 1, 2 & 3. Volumes one contains ALL the forms, (Empty Hand and Weapons), and the remaining volumes cover all of the self defense sets required for that level. They are professionally edited, including sub-titles, graphics and original music. They complement the written training manuals perfectly, and the response so far has been very positive and appreciative (I wish I had these tapes when I was coming up!). Of course these tapes are only for FMS black belts of the given level. We will continue filming and producing the entire black belt Dan levels up to 5th Dan.

While we had various instructors and students visiting from NY, it turns out that Kaiso Dave Bendigkeight of Pacifica invited us once again to perform on the television show: Mind, Body and Spirit. We were very honored, and excited to do it. This segment focused on the Weapons of Modern Farang Mu Sul®. It was a great experience. We managed to squeeze into a 30 min show, performances by Inst. Joseph Spataro, Inst. Mike Iannone, Inst. John Stenson, Inst. Terry King, Asst. Inst. Stuart McCalla, Big Mike Cataldo, Thomas & Brandon De Alba, and myself. Whew...how did we do it? Thank you once again Kaiso, you are the best.

Other news from WHQ: And now for THE BEST news anyone could hope for: Serious props and HUGE congratulations to Inst. John Stenson from WHQ-SF upon graduating from San Francisco State College! He majored in Business Marketing, and we know he's going to do great. As a matter of fact, I think we have a job for him here at WHQ. I was proud and honored to join with John's parents and watch him receive his diploma, wearing his cap and gown. Also, much to my pleasant surprise was the fact that at the on that same day, another student from WHQ, Dante Dillon (originally a student of the FMS - SF State club) also graduated. Wow, I feel like such a proud papa. You guys are amazing. Your dedication, sacrifice and focus for all these years has finally brought you here, and now, sky's the limit! We are behind you all the way, and you know that you can continue to count on us for anything.

And now, let's review one of the most anticipated event in years:

Many Came, all were Winners...The Biggest and the Best One Yet!

When I think of WQ5, one word comes to mind: HUGE, ......no actually, ACTION PACKED (no that's 2 words).....Fun and Family (no that's 3 words).... Well, I guess one word doesn't work. It was all the above and more. This year saw FMS students converge into SF from all over. From Spokane, WA to New York, they all came, for a rockin' good time. Forms, Weapons, Stand Up Sparring, Grappling, Self Defense, Demos and Stick and Knife Sparring were the events where everyone brought their best game. Inst. Schleeter and the Spataro brothers put on a demonstration that had the audience electrified.

Once again, HUGE thanks to all the FMS instructors and students who traveled here to make this event the memorable occasion that it has become. Inst. Chris Knight and the Spokane FMS crew, Inst. Carlos Sanchez from Denver, Inst. Patrick Schleeter, Inst. Beth Dudzik, Inst. Earl Boyd, Inst. Chris Dudzik and all the Hollister FMS family, Inst. David Dehnert from LA, Asst. Inst. Jeff Winters from Mt. Shasta, Inst. Jeremy Talbott from Chicago, Inst. Anthony Spataro, Inst. Joseph Spataro, Inst. Mike Iannone, Inst. Veronica Spataro and all the NY FMS family, and all the rest. You guys are awesome! Thank you soo much.

And as always, thank you for the superb job to all the WHQ instructors and students: Master James De Alba, Inst. Terry King, Inst. Kimberly Leith, Inst. John Stenson, Inst. Joseph Gumina, Inst. Marlon Sims, Asst. Inst. Stuart McCalla, Asst. Inst. Mike De Alba Jr, Asst. Inst. Alessandro Padovani, Paul Corea, Mark Ruffalo, Justine De Alba, David Dueñas, Elliot Silva De Alba, Chris Silva De Alba, Kenny Silva De Alba, Thomas De Alba, Brandon De Alba, Joe Shire, Frank and Pat Busalacci, and all the rest.

And a very special thank you to all the masters that supported in no small way to the success of this event: GM Ruby Navarro, Prof. Bill Grossman, Simu Patti Grossman, Sensei Eric Reed, Sifu Rod Reape, Prof. Leroy Rodrigues, GM Rick Alemany, Sifu Paul Shepperd, Sifu Mike Goodwin, Master Jino Kang, Prof. Bill Dewart, Shihan Ferrol Arce, and everyone else. From the bottom of my heart: THANK YOU.

You wouldn't believe the competition in the color belt divisions. It was intense! Not to be outdone, the black belt action took it up a few notches. What a blast. In the finals it was hard to root for anyone as it invariably turned out to be FMS student vs. FMS student. But it sure was fun to watch. Loud Ki-Ahps, Sharp Techniques, Impeccable Punches, Flashing Weapons, High Flying Kicks, Gritty Ground Fighting, Awesome Stick and Knife Fighting matches and more were on full display. And best of all, everyone exemplified the highest qualities of being true martial artists: Discipline, Respect, Humility, Indomitable Spirit, Heart, Character, Love, Compassion and True Brotherhood. Wow, who could ask for more?

Especially impressive to watch were Inst. Marlon Sims from WHQ who swept thru the Black Belt Lt. Wt. stand up division and Grappling divisions bringing home the gold, and Asst. Inst. Alessandro Padovani also from WHQ (via Italy) who waded thru all the competition and also took 1st place in Knife AND Middle Stick sparring. Inst. Joseph Spataro from NY took 1st in Md. Wt. Grappling, Big Joe from Hollister repeated his first place win in the Hvy Wt. Grappling, with yet another duel with Inst. Knight from Spokane, and in the Black Belt Hvy Wt. Stand Up, the winner was...(big surprise....?) Inst. Joseph Gumina from WHQ. Inst. Jeremy Talbott from Chicago took the top honors in Black Belt Weapon Forms, and, from Hollister, Inst. Patrick Schleeter FINALLY won the big prize in the Black Belt Self Defense division, with an awe inspiring performance that brought the entire crowd to their feet, cheering. Very impressive indeed gentlemen. Thank you for all of the fun. I can't wait for next year. We are in the process of compiling the best footage from Warrior Quest #1 - 5 into one "Best of Warrior Quest" video. Stay tuned.

Check out early pictures: 5th Annual Warrior Quest - Pics

That's all for now, With brotherhood,

Kuk Sa – De Alba

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