Traditionalists

Motion

Z-Ultimate comes out with 2020 China tour

Sadly, due to Covid, was cancelled.

Legends of the martial arts

(from the USSD Facebook page)

The late Professor Nick Cerio, a pioneer in the martial arts and Kempo community. In 1993, Professor Cerio and Headmaster Charles Mattera hosted the Legends of the Martial Arts seminar at the Bren Events Center for over 700 USSD students. This event would go on to be one of the largest seminars in the Professor’s 35 year career.

Sparring

(from the USSD Facebook page)

At USSD, students engage in controlled sparring to learn real-time tactics such as timing and gauging, where your opponents moves are unpredictable. Although certain limitations arise with the use of protective equipment, many of the basic functions of self defense can still be applied.

The Checkered G i

(from Mr. Ted Sumner's Facebook page, June 6th, 2019)

There seems to be a great deal of confusion concerning the origin and purpose of the Tracy Checkered Gi. As I am one of the few who was there when this all occurred allow me to elucidate and possibly clear up any misunderstandings.

In the spring of 1970 we met at the Tracy’s West San Carlos Street dojo for a fighting seminar with the Tracy’s National Coordinator, World Champion Joe Lewis. At the conclusion of the all day seminar Joe presented his newest creation, the checke...red gi top. He then spent the next hour explaining and demonstrating it’s functionality. Understand that these are Joe’s hypothesis and theories.

1. Wearing a white gi makes one appear faster. The whiter and brighter the gi the greater the illusion of speed.

2. Wearing a black gi makes one’s movements more deceptive and more difficult to detect.

3. Mixing the two in the checkered pattern confuses the brains ability to focus on either.

All this was intended to give the fighter wearing the checkered gi some advantage, however slight, over his opponent. Whether it accomplished that goal or not I can tell you it did have a psychological effect in that invariably when we arrived at a competition event you could hear murmurings of “Shit, they’re here” across the auditorium.

Initially the checkered gi’s were awarded to the fighters who had a record of success or had demonstrated a level of ferocity that Joe wanted associated with the gi. Not all Tracy fighters were permitted to wear the gi, only those of whom Joe approved, and it soon became a highly sought after mark of distinction. Like the Combat Infantry Badge, the Airborne Wings or the Ranger patch it became a designation of one’s membership in an elite band of brothers bonded with blood. Alas, with the decline of the popularity of point fighting in the mid 70’s the checkered gi’s found their way into storage or rummage.

Somewhere around 2000 Al Tracy found a manufacturer who could replicate the checkered gi and once again made it available, this time to be purchased by anyone with $100. Unfortunately, the manufacturer also included checkered pants. We had always worn the checkered gi top with black pants but now some people took to wearing the checkered top with the checkered pants only to take on the comical look of a circus clown. There was never intended to be any checkered pants. Even Al Tracy was appalled when he first saw the pants.

Now days the checkered gi has ceased to be the indicator of a great fighter and has become a mere novelty item to most, but a sad reminder of bygone glory days for some of us.

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comments:

Tom Spellman - I remember the night many of our Tracy brothers bedded down at Bob Leonard's studio in Long Beach the night before the International's Team championships. Wall to wall killers in a moderate space. And the next day I got to carry some of the Checkered Gi boxes from the back of Al's car into a large bathroom in the Long Beach Arena for the teams to change into in secret with a guard at the door so no one could get a look before the unveiling. What an entrance we all made onto the floor with our checkered gi tops/black pants, Brown or Black belt hanging about our waists and the word TRACY'S in bright red emblazoned across the back in beautiful embroidery. A grand day to remember.

Jefferson Davis - the checkered Gi was also called the infinity gi since it was supposed to confuse opponents in the ring. However, I see this gi as a badge of honor for all those fighters who earned them the old way; Kicking ass! And being recognized for it! .... Only a fighter who had earned one could award one to another. If you had not earned one...you could not award one or even wear one! This tradition had nothing to do with rank at all...but the violent skill of winning fights in the old often bloody conflicts that prevailed at most tournaments in the 1970s and into the 1980s. I earned mine from Roger Greene in 1976. Regarding the checkered pants? A pipe dream of the maker of the gis Al Tracy had made...I find them very humorous!

Anthony Verbergt - This is the tab on n the original top sewed on the hem at the base of the lower left side of the gi top. The only white is the material is the inside hem of the sleeves and base.

Mattera takedown

(from the USSD Facebook page)

Professor Mattera demonstrates a takedown at the 2014 Laws of Kenpo seminar.

David Torres and Mr. Parker

(from the Ed Parker Sr. Facebook page)

Mr. Torres was one of the many friends who helped the Parker family run the Long Beach International Karate Championships