Retired police officer and forensic expert

Martial arts grandmaster and founder

Friend, mentor, guide, teacher, surrogate father and brother to many

Lover of people and freedom

Truly one of a kind

The match has gone out. May the life-saving fire it lit forever rage.

From the beginning of his life, John’s mind worked differently. The smallest suggestion or challenge sparked infinite efforts and directions of seeking and solving. John’s inner life and imagination were unique and his efforts to share them with the world served to enrich, illuminate and save the lives of MANY who were lucky enough to have been touched by them.

As John’s mind worked differently, he learned to train his body to move and perceive differently as well. From his earliest challenges at age 5, dealing with his physically imposing family members, John knew he needed to figure out a different way. And so he did. The martial arts ideas and training methods he devised, based on his prodigious experiences with real violence and other training methods, coalesced into an utterly unique and effective martial art. It was through martial arts that most of us first came to know John, as it was his primary passion and tool for sharing his inner life with the world. John’s art, ingenious and adaptable, is simultaneously the best solution to quickly improve the self-defense capability of any student requiring a “quick fix” via short term training, while also providing more than a lifetime’s worth of depth and physical/mental/spiritual discovery for the most dedicated martial artist.

John highly valued freedom. His martial art emphasizes freedom of motion and freedom of thought, eschewing traditional patterns and prescribed techniques in favor of free associative training methods intended to allow the body and mind to adapt subconsciously and creatively to ever changing and unpredictable circumstances. John loved to help free his students from their physical and mental boxes, and to stimulate their martial and personal creativity. A child of the ‘60’s at heart, John had high hopes that the messages of free love and personal liberation he experienced at Woodstock would actually spread to bring peace and a higher consciousness to the world. While he was dismayed to see the march of freedom sometimes going backwards, particularly in politics, he succeeded in living his own life according to his principles.

Many of John’s closest friends have lamented that his life might have been more comfortable had he accepted or imposed some structure in his art, life and relationships. For better or worse, he would have none of that. He lived, loved and gave freely, without hesitation. All of us have benefited from his generosity. John retained close friends from childhood to his last day, and made countless others along the way. Even when circumstances forced some friends away for some time, John welcomed them back when they were ready. Acutely aware of his own and others’ frailties and foibles, John’s forgiveness and understanding were as limitless as his love.

John built his life helping people find their own freedom and creativity. He went to great lengths to ensure his martial arts circle became NOT a cult or hierarchy, but a loose band of partners eager to help each other. Many students who came to John for training after excelling in other martial arts were shocked to find such a talented and experienced martial arts master to be an exceptionally humble, jovial and engaging storyteller, in stark contrast to the depth and seriousness of his uncompromising teachings.

And ah, the stories. . . .

John’s life begat so many truly amazing, amusing and instructive stories, told by himself and many others, that it’s hard to fathom how they all fit into a mere 72 years. From encounters with murderously violent criminals, to life in a commune; from opera houses to the slums of Yonkers; from adventures in the mountains of upstate New York to dangerous security assignments overseas. John’s stories could fill several action movies, several more police memoirs, a few true romance novels, and maybe some travel and wilderness guides. John was always generous with his stories, for their educational and entertainment value. Having heard so many over the last 20 years, in class and in diners and over the phone, I was not surprised to learn that there were plenty I had never heard before, as of our last conversation, July 1. And we will no doubt enjoy many more, from his many friends and partners, for many years to come.

Over the last few years, John was certainly frustrated by the reduction in freedom of movement imposed by his thoroughly worn out body. However, his mind never stopped seeking and creating, coming up with more and better ways to help his students and friends along their journeys. The best way we can honor him is to continue to do the same. While I doubt any one of us has absorbed more than a tiny fraction of John’s knowledge, together we can carry on his legacy by doing our best to help others in the free, sharing spirit John personified.

Many people credit John and his teachings for saving their lives, in many cases physically, but also emotionally and spiritually. John empowered us all to do the same.

John, our beloved friend, mentor and guide, you are now truly free. We’d like to imagine you are enjoying limitless conversation and maybe even some training with Tim and your other friends and family who went before. Thank you for all that you gave and will continue to give, through the many you influenced. Until we meet again.

--Ari Kandel

New York Times Interview -- October 6th, 2006

Click to see the full Memorial Slide Show

If you’re training in the martial arts, you’ll be lucky if you find someone who opens your eyes and makes you change just about everything you’ve done up to that point.

John Perkins was one of those individuals.  Someone who had real world experience in life and death situations and questioned the status quo in the martial arts world.  His training method was unorthodox, but so many people with higher rankings in traditional martial arts came to train with him because they recognized the genius in his methods.  

He was a person who had significant health problems, but still moved like no one else I’ve ever seen.  A great teacher who knew what you needed to get better, and gently guided you in that direction.  He was so jovial and easygoing in his training you had to remind yourself he could just crush you if he turned it on.  

For decades I had been trying to connect the dots on how to make my tai chi training into something I could really use if I was called to use it to defend myself.  One session with John and his students was exactly what I needed to broaden my horizons, and I made a number of trips out to their school in NY because I knew they had what I needed to get better.

John died yesterday in NY, and his loss is huge.

All of his students benefitted greatly from his teachings, but we still had so much to learn…

--Evan Yeung

I am heartbroken to learn that we lost a legend of a man yesterday, John Perkins. I first met John in my early days with the YPD (still with the YPD, he sang the national anthem at my swearing in) and then trained under him in combat martial arts on and off for more than 25 years. I can think of at least two incidents where I am certain that the skills that John taught me saved my life and likely the lives of others. He was the greatest teacher I’ve ever known.

There are very few people I’ve met in my lifetime who’ve had more impact in my life than John and I am certain that there are hundreds of others who’d say the same.

Warrior, cop, author, martial artist, friend and yes, opera singer. John wore many hats. He was kind, humble, funny, brilliant and supremely talented. He was truly one of a kind and the world is a little less of a place without him today.
Rest in Peace Grandmaster John Perkins.

--PBA Pres. Keith Olsen

"I'm going to put something into your subconscious." John always started private lessons with me by saying that.  He never said what the "something" was & fortunately I somehow had enough sense not to ask.  At first, his teaching methods seemed a bit nebulous to my highly logical thought process (which I was born with and, unfortunately, is the antithesis of GC) until I later learned that he always knew exactly what each student needed to have added to their GC skills at any point in their training.  I never really consciously knew what he had taught me in any private lesson until sometime later in a GC class, when I'd feel myself spontaneously moving effectively in some fashion that I had never moved before -- still didn't know what he had taught me but realized that he had improved my GC skills.  And so, perhaps that's why, after a lesson with John, I always felt that some subtle, indefinable change had taken place in my subconscious mind -- that I was now somewhat different than I was before the lesson & would never be quite my previous self again.

I treasure the times that I was fortunate enough to spend with John, who selflessly gave all of us the priceless gift of Guided Chaos.  I wish you fair winds & following seas, my friend -- you're sailing now.

--Ted Baker

Karma. Perkins had a massive heart attack over a year ago. 25% heart function left. Stents, pacemaker, defibrillator placed. He was also diabetic. We talked on the phone almost everyday. Then he said, "If your gonna come see me, better make it soon…"

So I just spent the last 3 weeks with him reminiscing, laughing, visiting old haunts, drove him up to Glen Spey to sit in the Gompa and circumambulate the Temple in a wheel chair. He had never been there before. Really good time. But when I left Chicago for NY to see him, one of my cats, Jasmine, had started to die. She was old and had ongoing health issues. She was comfortable but just starting to lose energy and waste away. But slowly. So I figured I had time, three weeks, to see Perkins.
 
The plot thickens: Carol, the love of my life, was keeping me appraised of her condition. So I get a call that Jasmine was fading faster than we anticipated. I decided to cut my trip short by 3 days and head home. Jasmine was still alive when I arrived home.

The punch line: The day I got home, Perkins...passed. In a head-on collision CAR CRASH. He was driving back from breakfast. If I had not left when I did to spend the last hours of her life with little Jasmine… WE would have been driving back from breakfast.

The take away: Karma is tricky. Everything is impermanent. Take care of the ones you love (everybody) as best you can. Worry is a useless emotion. Relax. NOTHING is under control.
 

PS. Say a little prayer for Jasmine too.
I am doing POWA [a Tibetan Buddhist Practice for helping the deceased transition to a better realm] for them both. 49 days.

--Drew Miller

I had always hoped that one day I would train with John, it would have been incredible, and I know I would have learned SO much. Grandmaster Perkins offered me and gave me, the truth of what I had been searching for throughout my martial arts journey, on and off, over the last 45 years.

In his teachings, I knew I had found the essence of what was real. It is the only art I have found that gave me the skill-set that was real, and I have loved it. I have enjoyed passing my knowledge on and helping to develop others in their understanding, and remain totally convinced in the effectiveness and philosophies behind Guided Chaos.
 

Over the years I have trained many arts, to different levels – Karate, Aikido, Savate, Jiu Jitsu, JKD and offshoots (RAT/Progressive Fighting Systems), Wing Chun, Combatives. Whilst I have enjoyed them, had good instructors, looked for systems taught with a more 'street' based ethos, it starts and finishes with Guided Chaos. It is the real deal.
 
...You and the Guys are the new Guardians, and I look forward to continuing this amazing journey.

--Adrian Smith

Last week, the world in general and the world of martial arts and self-defense in particular, lost one of its most unique grandmasters. Unique because his extreme high level of competence was only transcended by his humbleness. Unique because he didn't hide himself in mysterious clouds and was as approachable as one could be. Unique because of his out-of-the-box approach to self-defense and its teaching methodologies. An approach which was/is more often than not rarely understood.

In 2001, a friend of mine gave me advice to read the book "Attack Proof". At the time, I was doing a project on behalf of the Dutch Police Academy. The goal of the project was to analyse international trends in self-defense and subject control and come up with a plan to improve both the teaching methodology and the tactical aspects of police training. During this time, I trained and analyzed every so-called 'reality-based' system in the world and much more, ranging from Krav Maga to Systema. The latter caught my interest, because already for years I had studied and trained internal martial arts, because I thought, and still think, that the solution for effective and efficient self-defense and subject control can be found in those principles. The Russians showed that this was indeed possible.

However, the Russians did not have a teaching methodology which could help Western students to understand what was going on.

The book "Attack Proof", however, provided me with 1,001 ideas. Later, I bought, studied and worked with all the DVD materials the GC group produced. And again, the out-of-the-box approach and at the same time very clear explicit instructions with a tremendous implicit effect, just blew my mind and offered exactly that to fill the gaps Systema left open.

This is how I came to know Guided Chaos and its founder, John Perkins. And although we made several attempts to meet each other in person, it never happened. We did, however, speak to each other many times throughout the past years.

 
Most of the time, the conversation started with John sending me a video showing a violent encounter. Because he knew that I also act as a forensic expert on human violence, he then asked me to give my opinion. Then he shared his and we discussed this for hours.

Also, we discussed teaching methodology. John always asked: "If this is the reality of fighting, how can we improve our teaching methodology in such a way that it actually prepares our students for such an encounter?"

John was always looking for improvement. Unlike many other so-called self-defense experts, he was not looking for an easy-to sell product. In fact, John chose the hard way in that sense. More often than not, his ideas were / could only be understood by the very few willing to dive in the Perkins Sea.

I experienced John as a unique personality with an incredibly open mind. The way he analyzed violence and developed teaching methods based on his findings were utterly unique and reflected his genius mind. John was ahead of his time. Way ahead!

The way many reacted to John and his Guided Chaos made me think of a part of the song "Vincent" by Don McLean: "This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you".

Dear John, just remember Don McLean's words: "They would not listen, they did not know how. Perhaps they'll listen now."

And that brings me to the GC clan. To Al, Tina, Ari, Dave, Kevin, Michael. My dear friends, John left some big shoes to step in. I wish all of you all the strength in the world to be able to cope with this loss and hope in time you'll find the courage and energy to step into them and continue the path John has paved.

With the warmest regards,

Dr. Jan Bloem

Jan (1971) is an international top-level expert in the field of self-defense and martial movement arts, specializing in teaching methodology based on neuroscientific insights. He holds masters degrees in human movement science, neuroscience, and movement therapy. His subject of study was how to train professionals if you want them to perceive, think and act professionally in high-pressure circumstances. Jan trained in martial arts and self defense from the age of four and is considered to be one of the most talented martial artists and teachers in Europe.  
 

Meeting with Master John Perkins

A great joy

John is very flexible on any angles of his free body movements. I was amazed to see him moving like a sharp young man.

He was calm and graceful when I saw him walk into the coffee shop with a walking stick in his right hand.  He looks younger than in his picture.  When we sat at the table, he was moving his upper body like a dancer, talking intelligently with respect and a sense of humor. I felt like I had known this John for an era.  

John is a heart opener for communication and Guided Chaos.  He shared his talented students’ stories with me. The students are models, tattoo artists, writers and editors, nurse practitioners and many other professions.  He adores his students with love and care.  

I asked John, what was your most meaningful accomplishment as a police officer? I admire police officers so much.  He took out his police badge with pride and discretely showed me his real guns in his pocket.  I felt his pride in being a police officer in his life.  His badge looked 1000 years old, he used a rubber band to keep everything together.  I enjoyed deeply how he perceives the whole world in his rich mind. He is a unique person, who I would spend a lifetime discovering his real thinking in Guided Chaos.

Dream work on Friday

Teaching Vs Working together

John is highly sensitive and creative while teaching each student his art.  I was flattered that he invited Tina to work with me on Friday. It was truly a dream come true.  I wasn’t feeling the best of myself that day, yet he brought a great experience, allowing me to move freely with Tina.

Tina and I had never met before.  When I stepped out of John’s car, I saw her on the grass from a distance. We ran towards each other like old friends, making our very first “Nice to Meet You” greeting.  I was overwhelmingly excited that she talked Chinese to me.  We laughed freely. It was spontaneous and joyful.  

John was standing in front of his car like a child with pure joy in his eyes. John was laughing at me and Tina. We hugged and laughed again. When we walked to the bench, I was wearing my high heels and feeling like a sleepy crab. Tina and I started flowing and I was singing. It was a dream flow with Tina.  I felt transformative and free like a bird.  

John didn’t teach me any techniques.  Tina is very intuitive when working with me.  I told them I tend to speed up, so, please remind me if I go too fast. They said, just relax your shoulders and hands, and move.  Tina said, I will flow with you.  I didn’t even notice my speed during flow with Tina.  There was no judgment or structure when we worked together.  John was sitting on the bench, he encouraged Tina and me to continue to work.  It was free-minded work instead of correcting each other.

Getting to know the community

We really look forward to working together again and again.

On a late Saturday afternoon, John called me to tell me that Robert made a smoothie for everyone, including a newcomer from China. I told Robert that I wanted to have exactly what John has.  Robert was very warm and friendly.  I felt invited and included in the community.  

A Sunday to remember

When I arrived in Elmsford on a rainy morning,  John, Tina, Peter, Joe, Robert and Matt arrived gradually.  John introduced me to everyone. He called me Asian Tina.  Tina and I started working together. Tina wanted to put music on.  She asked me to play anything I liked. I thought about Asian music because she would speak Mandarin.  We flew together like butterfly lovers.  John gave me great observation that I should use my body unity.  Matt, Joe, Robert showed me how to work on solo drills and use all body movements for contact flow.  John told me to fight like a “girl”, pure Yin energy.  It was direct and visual transformation.  Everybody gave me their unique attention.  John created an invisible weapon drill, using a simple pen for me to practice body movements.  He allowed me to keep it as a protective weapon when I travelled to different places.  He used his walking stick to create another practical drill by using a BOB as a target to hit. Then he brought two BOBs for us to practice on.  It was so much fun.

Working with John, there will never be a second when I feel bored or have nothing to do.  His teaching is like flowing water.  He works with different students based on their own strengths and abilities.  He also extended the practice with his creative ideas.  Tina is a talented partner to work with.  Her wild spirit in Martial Arts broke my mental barriers to stay close to my opponent during contact flow.

I’ve got to see you again.

I wish to have more time to work with each of them. The time was precious and the growth was permanent.

Thank you for training me in Guided Chaos!

~Joanne

October, 2019

 John Perkins Memorial GoFundMe

For all those who asked what they could do to help, please find below the link to the GoFundMe campaign to aid in all the associated costs of the final expenses for John and arrangements for his memorial service on Sunday August 6th. Thank you for bearing with us and all the continued support throughout this difficult time.

If you would like to make an in-person donation to this fund, please reach out to Tina at JohnPerkinsMemorial@gmail[DOT]com (replace [DOT] with a period...we do this to prevent spam) or 914-297-8878.
https://gofund.me/fcb9a21e

Beginning from his youth growing up in Harlem and the South Bronx, Bob had the desire for knowledge and self discipline. He became a young Marine Cadet at age 13 and at age 17 served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1967-1971. He was a US Marine Combat Veteran/ R.V.N. in Vietnam 1969-1970.

In the mid 1970’s Bob settled in Ulster County. Over the last many decades he offered his expertise as a Chimney Sweep, Yoga student/teacher, Acupuncturist, Asian Medical Practitioner, QiGong specialist, Martial Arts blackbelt instructor (Aikido and Guided Chaos Adaptive Defense), Tango dancer, and for the past fifteen years, Direct Service Professional at the Anderson School.

Bob lived a quiet, studious, deliberate life as a lifelong learner and healer and gave to others his honesty, loyalty, guidance, and protection. Health issues and social losses during this pandemic greatly impacted him. He lived and died as a warrior.

Bob is survived and loved by his daughter Willow May Allen-Joffee, sister Lori Lytle and her husband Don, Judy Joffee and her husband Bob Hughes, grandson Sebastian Allen Joffee-Pereira and granddaughter Camila Rose Azcurrain-Joffee. He is greatly missed by Rick and Theresa Regan, Len and Hilary Kobrinsky, Bill Leicht, Carol Hanisch, Vicente Rubio, John Perkins, Raji Nevin, Joe Martarano, Joe Kellar, Dave Randel, and many other friends and colleagues.

Sharing his words:  “I lived the warrior’s life, a good life, with no regrets. I have been a good father, US Marine, homeowner, business owner, lifetime martial artist and lifelong student practitioner of healing arts and life-affirming philosophies. I have been very happy here and have lived a full vibrant life of family and friends and thank you all.”

One of Bob’s favorite songs was  “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” and he requested to be remembered as a scholar, warrior and friend.

(Obit from Robert's family which gave permission to  post).

------

Bradley J. Steiner, internationally recognized instructor of martial arts and physical training, died on Saturday, December 5, 2020.

Brad Steiner was born in The Bronx, New York on June 4, 1947. He began his study of martial arts in the 1950's with instructors including Sgt. Charles ("Charlie") Nelson at his School of Self Defense. Brad was a devotee of sensible weight training since the early 1960's. He also studied hypnosis for more than 40 years and was a Washington state licensed hypnotherapist for 22 years, specializing in mental conditioning training for police and military personnel, as well as for private citizens.

In 1975, Professor Steiner founded the American Combato system of self-defense and close combat, also called Jen-Do-Tao, The Way of Combat. He was acknowledged as a 10th Degree Black Belt - "Shinan" - the "originator" of that self-defense system. He was certified by the legendary Col. Rex Applegate to teach methods of close combat developed during World War II by Applegate and his British counterpart, William Ewart Fairbairn, in training Allied commandos.

During his career, Steiner authored over two dozen books and thousands of articles on martial arts and physical training, published in magazines and through his website SeattleCombatives.com.

In Seattle, he taught at his school, the Academy of Self Defense, and continued to instruct his students and publish his writings up until his untimely passing.

He is survived by his wife, Anna Steiner.

On Thanksgiving morning, 2014, Tim Carron passed away near his studio in Cold Spring NY. He was 66 years old. The Guided Chaos family lost a superlative practitioner, teacher and friend. The world lost one of its greatest artists, martial and otherwise. Guided Chaos creator John Perkins lost a very close friend and student of nearly 35 years. I personally lost a unique role model, teacher and friend of 8 years, whose influence far exceeded the fairly limited frequency of our interactions.

Many of my early lessons from Tim are chronicled in the first few years' posts of the Attack Proof blog, http://attackproof.blogspot.com/. I had to stop writing about my lessons with Tim when they started to get too deep and amazing to do justice to in words. After I learned to relax, flow with and observe what was going on, without speeding up, judging or trying to accomplish anything in particular (especially trying to impress Tim), the learning floodgates opened up. I was more and more amazed in each session by the effortless precision, attention to detail and limitless lethal elegance of Tim's movement. As I improved in Guided Chaos (ever so slightly, by Tim's uncompromising standards), I was able to perceive more and more of what Tim was doing to render me helpless, right up until my last lesson with him in November of 2014. The tiniest details of his movement (placement of a finger, synchronization of his body with my hand, and much more), when broken down in explanation, were so simple and logical, yet so powerful and seamless in execution. In each and every lesson, Tim exposed me to a new level of effortless simplicity and sensitivity.

"Mary Ann was a 3rd degree black belt..She had a zest in life that always showed in her eyes...A great cook who shared many meals on many occasions with all of us...She cooked along with Tim and was the perfect hostess...She could flow effortlessly when training and was a patient teacher...Deep thinker who could talk about any subject...A true hearted and loyal friend...She is missed..."

--GM Perkins
 

Gregory Joseph Madison (1961 - 2013)

Gregory Joseph Madison, age 52, of Hastings-on-Hudson died Tuesday, July 2, 2013. Gregory was born February 14, 1961 in Yonkers, NY the son of Roger and Josephine (Otivich) Madison. He was employed as an Electrician for Local 3. He is survived by his beloved companion Sharon Wilson, his loving children Kevin Daniel Madison and Kristyn Madison. He was the brother of Christopher Madison and Stephen Madison.

Greg was a gifted and devoted student of John Perkins and Guided Chaos, attaining the rank of 3rd degree black belt on top of his already formidable training in Close Quarters Combat under the legendary Charles Nelson. Greg was also instrumental in helping find the old Hastings American Legion Hall Guided Chaos dojo location.

A relentlessly dedicated and happy warrior, Greg was always ready for an impromptu workout outside of regular class, either in his home-built gym in his basement or in the parks around Hastings. Many of us had some of our best workouts doing Contact Flow with Greg outside along the Saw Mill River just off the Parkway.

His training paid off. He once was attacked on the street by a gang of thugs and he wrecked them all like a human tornado.

Greg was taken from us way too soon and will be sorely missed.

"Stathis Kaperonis was one of our best. He was taken from us far too early in a tragic freak accident.

I remember the first day of training with him. He was a young man of 12 years. He had strong charisma and was a natural athlete. Stathis was big for his age and had shoulders that were  nearly as wide as my own.

Stathis was large enough in fact that he trained with full grown men. He was so skilled that within a year of training he was able to work with many of our most advanced instructors. His appetite for KCD was voracious. At first when he would move with the adults I thought that he was being foolhardy and had a lack of understanding of the danger of training with the amount of speed and force he would use. Later I found that he actually was just plain brave. He fought like a young lion.

He was adept at all forms of training from Eleftheri Pali to advanced weapons training.

Whatever he was presented with he worked out to the maximum at all times.

There were a couple of years where as a teen he traveled in Greece and Europe and fought with quite a few high level martial artists. There was one particular man in Athens who was a top full contact karate champion who fought in Europe who fell to Stathis within a few seconds of their engagement. The only comment made by the champion was that Stathis had no recognizable style and tried again only to fall even faster.

Training with Mike Tyson's sparring partners at full contact for many months gave him a higher level of confidence. I remember him striking at breakneck speed with punches that would take down even the largest fighters. At that rate of speed it was only the fact that myself, Tim Carron and Thomas Barnett were able to absorb at a high level that kept us from serious injury."
--John Perkins

Brian, Stathis' brother in law, wrote:

"…he was a wonderful, big hearted person who loved life and all people and always, always respected the art that John taught him…he surely is missed everyday."

Master Ronald Anton Hoffmann (1948 - 2014)
Founder: House of TaiJi

"Sifu Ron Hoffman was a true natural in martial arts...Recognized highly by Grand Master Yamashita and the renowned Wayson Liao...

Ron was a most formidable fighter and teacher of Tai Chi Chuan and was a true warrior in the best sense all of his life...

When I met him in 1971 I had a very small idea of how to do Tai Chi Chuan...Master Drew Miller introduced me to Ron at that time...

Ron bounced me with a true one hand push/punch from seemingly nowhere...I flew up and back about 12 feet into a closet door and my hand broke the wooden molding at the top...I felt nothing until I hit...

On another day I asked Ron how would it be possible for me to fight with my short reach...He said that I should just use my whole body as a weapon...A light went on in my head and with what Ron said along with what I learned from Master Miller and advice from Grand Master Liao some primary elements of KCD/GC were born....

Ron was generous and tireless in his teaching...

He will be sorely missed..."

--John Perkins

Carl P. Cestari (1958-2007)
 
World-renowned close combat scholar, master, and instructor Carl Cestari died at his home on July 23.  Carl was undoubtedly the world’s foremost authority on the WWII-era close combat methods pioneered by Fairbairn, Sykes, O’Neill, Applegate and others.

I first met Carl long ago when we were both close combat students of WWII Marine Charlie Nelson in New York City.  Carl would come to Charlie’s with his training partner (Bob Kasper, RIP), and when they weren’t picking Charlie’s brain they would practice combat judo throws, driving each other hard into the threadbare carpet, making the old brownstone tremble.  Charlie would just shake his head and smile.

But I really met Carl a decade later when I and some close friends (several of whom are now respected instructors of Carl’s methods) were invited to join him in his basement (also known as “the dungeon”) for some intensive close combat training.  We trained hard, once or twice a week, for years.  The training was simple, direct, no-frills close combat—just what worked.  (Don’t even think about not wearing a cup!)  No self-defense or martial topic was out of bounds; Carl would dissect and analyze any technique, situation, or experience we’d bring up—stripping it down to its essentials, cutting out the BS, showing how to make it work under stress.  Beyond mere technique, Carl opened my eyes to the attitude, intensity, and level of commitment required to defend oneself for real.

The dungeon itself was a sight to behold, containing all manner of unusual and specialized training devices: from unique spring-mounted targets for practicing tiger claws, chin jabs, axe hands, and foot stomps, to suspended dummies for recreating Fairbairn’s “mad minute,” to homemade “Simunitions” (non-lethal marking bullets) for close-range point shooting in strobe-lit darkness.  If Carl thought it might possibly give him a training edge, he’d try it.

Carl believed that any part of the body could be a weapon, if you trained it—and he did.  Once, when asked about the viability of a finger jab, he simply stepped out into the hall and drove his fingers through the wood paneling.  That’s how he was.  Though an irrepressible story teller and always quick with a joke, he had little patience for those who talked the talk but didn’t train.  Getting hit by any part of Carl felt like getting slammed by a steel bar—yet he had the control and precision of a surgeon.

Carl was a world-class authority on all aspects of hand-to-hand combat and self-defense.  His personal library was jammed with thousands of books, tapes, obscure military and civilian manuals and reports—many quite rare.  An indefatigable researcher, he would spare no effort in tracking down an elusive book or seeking out anyone alive with old-school training or experience.  In turn, he was sought out by people the world over for his expertise and willingness to share and teach what he had learned the hard way.  (The late close combat scion Col. Rex Applegate himself was very impressed by Carl’s abilities and knowledge.  One of the many “road trips” I took with Carl was to meet with Applegate.)

A gifted instructor, Carl knew how to reach and inspire.  He knew just what to do to make sure every studentgot it.  He came alive when he taught.  Few realized the intense physical pain that he often battled.  When he stepped onto the floor or the mat he would just shake it off and smile.  He was one tough SOB.  His blend of good humor, charisma, intelligence, and hard-core toughness bred a fierce loyalty among his students.

There’s no way to repay the debt one owes an instructor and friend such as Carl.  For the hard training, the expert instruction, the stories, the road trips, the days spent searching for rare books, the seminars, the good times, all I can say is thanks.  Rest in Peace, brother.

- Al Tino

Note: Clint Sporman, one of Carl’s most dedicated students and instructors, has put together a memorial site containing some of Carl’s web writings and a few video clips (you might even recognize a few faces):  www.carlcestari.com.

I was introduced to Carl Cestari by my first close combat teacher, Al Tino.  I have little to add to what Al has said, beyond pointing out that to have known and trained with Carl, even just intermittently for a few short years, was a unique, cherished, life-changing experience.  What always struck me most about Carl (yes, even more than his iron hands) was the man’s warmth.  In stark contrast to his reputation as a master of armed and unarmed mayhem, Carl was an extremely kind, open, passionate and compassionate human being.  Despite the cold, efficient, merciless pragmatism of the combat methods he taught, he managed to get across extremely deep lessons about honesty, righteousness and simply being a good man.  Anyone who would attempt to judge his total personality based on his aggressive, in-your-face written and video instructions of close combat would be WAY off the mark.  He truly taught others both to kill and to love.  Thanks for the lessons, Carl.

- Ari Kandel

9/25/05

We regret to inform you of the sudden passing of martial arts master Bill Dempsey who was a friend to many of us here in John Perkins' school. He was a humble and gentle man that always had a kind word of advice or inspiration the many times he came to one of our seminars. He will be greatly missed.

The following is courtesy of Steven Permuy:

BILL DEMPSEY

9/27/1949 – 9/21/2005

"Of all the properties which belong to honorable men, not one is so highly prized as that of character."

There's always a story…and my introduction to Bill was by way of one.  I was a lowly student at a North Jersey Jujitsu dojo (or school), and I was one evening practicing technique for an exam I was taking for my "green" belt.  Then I heard someone, like an old uncle, comment on an aspect of what I was practicing.  Rather than plainly tell me exactly what I was not doing optimally he went into a story where HE was the student practicing the same technique, but this time we hear the foreign sounding voice of his teacher's teacher (a diminutive Japanese man) who despite having his head turned away was able to hear what was not being done correctly.

You see, Bill was a great story teller.   And telling a story was his device for including you in one of his many diverse and exotic life experiences-whether it was the martial arts, photography, the Air force, secret service, his two girls, counterintelligence equipment, his travels to far-away places, fast cars, computers, people he knew, and those he loved and called his friends and wife. 

Talking about Bill [here today] reminds me of the movie "Big Fish" with Albert Finney.  It's a story about a son who is trying to learn more about his father by piecing together the stories he has gathered over the years.

You asked Bill a simple question and rather than provide you with a pithy statement, he would take you on a journey through one of his many anecdotes and life lessons, replete with a prologue, dossier on the protagonists and antagonists, climax, outcome, but most of all, he would lead you into a world laden with conspiracy and intrigue that would somehow tie back to your initial question.  By the time he was done, though, you may have forgotten the question you asked, but he left you with many mental snapshots, postcards, and restaurant match books for your collection.

Bill enjoyed sharing what he had, and apart from material things, he wanted you to experience the bliss and achievements he lived and sometimes, serving as a lesson, to be one step ahead of his regrets.

He always wanted to put you "there."

If it was about the Fire that occurred in the study of Nixon's San Clemente home in 1970 when he was on detail with the Secret Service, you were there;

If it was about the first Cuban MiG to defect to the United States and be clandestinely secured at Homestead Air Force Base, you were there;

If it was about how Bill saved Lloyd's of London millions of dollars in executive kidnapping claims in the 1980s through his technical security consulting services, you were there;

If it was about how in 1977 he founded a satellite Jujitsu club in Florida that became the largest membership base for the International Federation of Ju-Jitsuans; you were there;

When Bill brought one of his daughters to London and as a piece d' resistance had her taken by chauffeured-driven Rolls to a local fast food restaurant; you were there;

When Bill described how he serendipitously discovered, his dovetail and soul mate, his soon-to-be wife, Agnes, who was experiencing most of what he was going through in that moment of his life, he made sure you were there.

Bill was James Bond's doppelganger AND the shopper at Lowes Home Improvement that made the employees think twice about what they were recommending.  (He was quite fastidious and usually right.)

He was an ebullience of generosity for those who were lucky enough to be called his friend (yep, he was generous to a fault); and he was a champion of people's talents and a gadfly to mediocrity.

In the martial arts Bill was a liaison and impresario of many fellow teachers and systems, respectively, along the east coast.  And he didn't care what "style" you "played" so long as he felt you were good enough to back him up in a dark alley with two-by-four wielding maniacs. 

He had about ten patented phrases that he would use as conjunctions or connectors to his story-telling.  He would use them so colloquially and frequently in speech that I dubbed them "Bill-isms" and Agnes would help with their cataloguing.  However, at this moment in time, and as much as I'm trying to think of all of them, I can only think of one: "Back at the barn."

So, "back at the barn" I got my green belt and Bill became my mentor and friend all the way through my black belt and beyond. 

Bill's rank and designation in Jujutsu was Shihan, which to many martial artists is a revered title given for tenure and contribution to a particular martial art.

Now I'm going to give you a brief Japanese lesson, but there's a point to it, so please bear with me. 

The "han" in Shihan means "an example, model or pattern." The "shi" in Shihan means teacher or master.  So Shihan denotes a master teacher, a model for the art and student.  Shihan Bill, as he was called by his fellow martial artists, was a master teacher, not because of his gift of technique or his famous stories that were used to quench a question but because he was selfless with what he gave.  And to what end?  Well, like the CEO of a company that proudly encourages his or her salespeople to earn more than him or her as a barometer of the company's success, Bill wanted those around him to be better than him, and that's the true distinguishing character of a Shihan.

Bill gave me my first hakama (a Japanese pleated skirt) and my first black belt.  I will always think of him.  And when I'm called to instruct that technique that served as Bill's introduction to me, I invariably find myself repeating his anecdote with the same verve and vibrancy about his teacher's teacher to a student rather than just plainly pointing out that the back foot should be nailed to the floor when you pivot.

I sent Bill an e-mail Thursday night as a final good-bye.  I also thought that if there was chance of him replying, he'd have one heck of a story to share.


****
BILL DEMPSEY


He was made Renshi Shihan (Shichidan-7th) by Mike DePasquale, Sr, in Yoshitsune Ju-Jitsu
 
(He started with Mike, Sr. in the late sixties when he was still in high school, and as far as I know, Mike, Sr. was his primary Jujutsu teacher, although he did interact with Saul Cohe-Mike Sr's, first black belt, and Soke Sensei of Tsugiashi Do Jujitsu-and Dennis Palumbo of Hakkoryu Jujutsu.).
 
Yudansha ranking in Kodokan Judo via the USJA
 
Yudansha ranking in Shorin-Ryu Karate
 
 
After Bill left high school he got a job as a photographer working for what is now the Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY.  Unbeknownst to him at that time, he was given "government" clearance to photograph field projects that were funded by the federal government.  As Vietnam reared its ugly head, he proactively enlisted in the Air Force, but rather than going on with his enlisted class he was sent to an Air Force base in Texas for two months where he waited for an assignment.  During that time, he was teaching Jujitsu to security services, which was part of his dossier and a factor in his new assignment.  Due to his prior clearance and martial arts background he was "loaned" to the Secret Service while being trained in various Air Force support roles.  (As he explained to me, he worked for the Secret Service but was on the Air Force's payroll.)  He was trained in Fire & Emergency services, electronics, as a support pilot-the guy behind the main pilot-on transcontinental flights (don't recall the jet type), and as a physician's assistant, to name a few.
 
If he was on detail in California, he would fly back via an Air Force jet to Florida where he was based (usually taking controls over the Midwest to give the primary pilot some rest time).  After being discharged, around 1975, he was able to parlay the contacts he made in the military and in Federal government service into an enterprising business based in Miami that offered Surveillance Counter Measures, Technical Security Consulting, and Personal Protection.  (He told me he did personal protection work for Hall & Oates.)
 
As a hobby, Bill liked to refurbish desktop and laptop computers, play with his home PBX system and the last thing he was toying with was voice recognition polygraphy equipment.
 

It is with deep sadness that I wish to announce the untimely death of CHRIS MURRAY one of our beloved members of the Guided Chaos family...Chris passed on April 4, 2020...Many of you may remember him as an exceptional martial artist, gifted photographer and skilled knife-maker among a litany of achievements...He will be missed...He died doing what he loved...R.I.P. my friend...

--John Perkins