Grandmaster Frank Sanchez - 10 Degree

Guam Martial Arts  San Jitsu - Founder

Founder and Director Of 

The World Head Of Family Sokeship Council

By Carmen Katsaitis

I have known Grandmaster Frank Sanchez for over 6 years now and The Karate Voice has done articles on his system and his elite Grandmasters Council. A good business man and family man, he also excels in the martial arts. I recently had the opportunity to get an interview on some more of his background and thoughts.....

CK: We know that your art of San-jitsu is the first Internationally recognized style of martial art from Guam, but what are the martial arts roots linked with San-jitsu?

GMFS: San-jitsu comes from a number of different styles, starting with Nikko Ju-jitsu as taught to me by the late, great Sig Kufferath. He was the appointed successor to Henry Okazaki's Hawaiian Danzan Ryu Ju-jitsu System. It also contains elements of Judo as taught to me by one of Hawaii's most brilliant Judo stylists, Sensei Yoshitoshi "Moon" Watanabe. Other arts which contributed to the development of San-jitsu included Karate, Jing Jow Pai Kung-fu, wrestling and western boxing that I learned from my father who boxed in the Navy. All of these styles were mixed to produce some unusual hybrid techniques to compliment the normal basic elements of these arts. Since I am small (5'5''), I also incorporated street techniques learned from fights I either started or was forced into....Now, that I am 51, I realize the folly of my ways in getting into fights, but it was a great "proving ground" at the time to see what worked!

CK: What would you say makes San-jitsu a unique art?

GMFS: San-Jitsu, because it is a street fighting art and incorporates a lot of "overkill" (or "overskill" as my good friend and martial arts pioneer, Maestro Peter Urban likes to call it). The techniques which are unique to San-jitsu involve rolling techniques against the joints to destroy the limbs of the opponent and some unique ways of striking such as the San-jitsu punch where we strike with the thumb slightly extended to damage the tissues of the opponent's face or eyes. The combinations we use for defense are also a bit different than the norm as we will sometimes go down with the opponent to apply a finishing technique instead of remaining on our feet. Aside from these obvious differences we also employ the basic standing techniques used in most grappling and striking arts.

                          Grandmaster Frank Sanchez demonstrating Self Defense Technique

CK: Give our readers some family background (were your parents involved in the martial arts?)

GMFS: My father and mother are both native Islanders of Guam and my brother and I were also born on Guam. Because my father was in the navy we ended up living in California for awhile. My brother Fred remained in California while I moved back to Guam and then finally to Florida....But, to answer your question, none in my family ever studied the martial arts prior to me although as I said before my Father was a boxer in the Navy.....

CK: Some extremists regard traditional martial arts as "cults" please comment

GMFS: I think a lot of this has to do with not knowing Oriental customs and mistaking something for which it is not....For instance, in a typical traditional martial arts class they bow to the flags, to the teacher and one another....This is not a "worshipping" type gesture, but simply a way of "saluting" or " acknowledging" something or someone in a respectful manner.....A "cult" is any activity which transcends the activity the person is involved in and which spills over into the person's life in a "negative" way. This certainly does not describe any type of martial art that I'm aware of...Although, there may be "some" who set themselves up as "Gods" in their organizations. This of course is blatently wrong and such organizations might rightfully be called "cults".

CK: Do you think traditional martial arts stands a chance in the ever changing modern martial arts world?

GMFS: Regardless of whether a person studies a traditional or modern martial art, the effectiveness of either is directly proportional to how much knowledge a person has about his own art and how much "fighting spirit" he has...The person who knows his art "backwards and forwards" and who has the most "fighting spirit" will usually prevail regardlessly of the style he practices....In SANJITSU developing ferocious "fighting spirit" is uppermost, along with developing the body and the mind of course.

CK: Give us your comments on No-Holds Barred Contests. Do you think that they are a good testing grounds for martial arts or just "blood sports"?

GMFS: No-holds Barred Contests are "blood sports" geared to the biggest and most physical athletes....They will never really be a testing ground for martial arts unless they allow the martial artist to use his complete repertoire of pressure point strikes, limb breaks, eye gouges, groin kicks, knee kicks, etc...."Sports" martial artists have faired pretty well in these types of competitions as have brawlers, because it is still a sport run by rules....Combat arts would not work because what you have been taught to use in a fight would be highly illegal in this type of arena. So "no" they are not a good "testing ground" for combat oriented martial arts. These types of contests are geared to the martial arts athlete and have their place, along with other types of sport oriented "contests" in the martial arts world.

CK: Where do you see your Grandmasters Council heading? How do you think "The Council" will benefit true grandmasters?

GMFS: The World Head Of Family Sokeship Council was created by myself six years ago and began with 3 members. It now numbers over 150 grandmasters strong and is the largest and most elite of the grandmasters councils currently in existence today! It has managed to survive and grow thanks to the efforts of its members in keeping in contact with one another and in contributing their time and efforts to the development of new ideas for the promotion of the martial arts. The Council will in time become the "United Nations" for the martial arts where problems between instructors and systems can be worked out and where the sharing of ideas will generate a more cohesive martial arts community.

CK: Do you think God can be linked with martial arts philosophy?

GMFS: "Yes", it can, in fact Dr. Kent Haralson of the "Gospel Martial Arts Union" wrote a brilliant piece on martial arts originating in Biblical times. The first martial artist according to him was David who slew Goliath with a sling. In my studies of the martial arts, I have found that regardless of where the art comes from whether it be from Russia, the Orient or "what have you", there is an underlying sense of morality in dealing with an opponent. This concern over the welfare of ones opponent causes the martial artist to use his knowledge only as a last resort. It is completely in accord with the religious principles of tolerance towards one's enemies. The fact that some martial art systems also practice resuscitating their fallen enemy or activating pressure points to relieve their pain also seems to imply a sense of brotherly concern for one's foes in keeping with the doctrines of a Higher Being.....

The Karate Voice supports Grandmaster Frank Sanchez and his Grandmasters Council with good wishes and good works into The New Millennium.