Okay, so what makes Matt and I qualified to speak about this subject?

Well, as you may or may not know, I ran NAPMA / Martial Arts Professional magazine for many years and was with the company from day one when John Graden founded it out of the spare bedroom of his house in Saint Petersburg, Florida.

Eventually, NAPMA became the biggest information company in the North American martial arts industry and generated tens of millions a dollars during the time I was a leader within it.

Let me also add that I’m a career martial artist and very proud of that fact.  Been training now for over twenty-four years.

By the same token, Matt Furey is also a long time, serious martial artist. He won a gold medal in Kung Fu, plus he’s a champion collegiate wrestler and grappler. And, by all accounts, Matt’s the most successful martial arts information publisher there is – anywhere!

Matt currently earns millions of dollars a year selling martial arts, fitness, psychological and Zen-health related info products and services to “students” all over the world. But what’s interesting is that almost all of his earnings are pure profit. Matt has no employees, no overhead and he runs the entire operation from his home, right here near my home, in Florida.

He’s an amazing success story!

I don’t mind adding that some people in the information business right now are desperately trying to become all that Matt already is as an info publisher. And they’re failing miserably. Sucking wind. Oh, but I digress…

Matt Furey and Rob Colasanti - Gold Mine Photo Shoot

Anyhow, between the both of us – I guess you could say that Matt and I are two highly experienced martial arts guys, who have some serious knowledge when it comes to making big bucks in the information biz, while providing an outstanding level of quality and service. We know our stuff…and that you can take to the bank.

So we’ve joined forces to bring you this most extraordinary book on turning your martial arts knowledge – the knowledge you already have in your mind – into highly profitable, information products and services that sell like hotcakes!

As you’ll come to understand by reading this book, there’s never been a better time for any martial artist to enter the information business. That’s because pretty much anyone in the general public can benefit from the knowledge we martial artists bring to the table, i.e. confidence, self-defense, fitness, leadership skills for kids, self-discipline, stress relief, wellness, developing internal energy, self-control, winning attitude and more.

What WE teach is evergreen and HIGHLY marketable to virtually anyone…in virtually any economy.

This new book titled How To Turn Your Black Belt Into A Gold Mine contains the barely edited transcript of a three-hour interview I did with Matt, which reveals the timeline of his rags-to-riches story, plus many of his glorious secrets to success.

Furthermore, it is the uncensored story of how the “Fure-Cat” raised himself from failure to success in his fitness and martial arts business – and became an international best-selling author with customers in over 140 countries

No doubt, this book will pull you deep inside the mind of Furey and inspire you tremendously, as he eloquently explains his way of multiplying your income by increasing the ways you deliver your knowledge to humanity.

Let me tell ya…this was one heck of an interview – and I’m a guy who’s done more powerful interviews than anyone else in the martial arts field that I’m aware of. You won’t hear this amazing story anywhere else!

To grab a copy of the book, plus scoop up the bundle of FREE gifts we’re offering that’s valued at $3,000, simply visit www.mattfurey.com/gold-mine.html.

It’s time to turn YOUR black belt in to a “gold mine” – NOW!

During the phone call, Randy asked me if I’d be willing to do a cover story interview for their premier issue. I was quite flattered and gladly accepted his gracious offer.

Having been directly involved with the publication of Martial Arts Professional magazine from 1996 – 2008, I was directly responsible for putting many awesome individuals on our cover, i.e. Joe Lewis, Zig Ziglar, Steve LaVallee, Jackie Chan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dawn Barnes, Tony Robbins, Jhoon Rhee, Brian Tracy, Jean Claude Van Damme, Tom Hopkins, Evander Holyfield, etc.

However, I never put myself on the cover, though I had many opportunities to do so, being that I was President of the company. It just didn’t seem right to me.

Rob Colasanti - Dojo Digest Magazine Photo Shoot - 2010

So this was all the more reason that I felt so honored when Dojo Digest magazine called. They could have chosen anyone in the martial arts industry, but they chose me.

If you’d like to read my cover story interview, you may do so by clicking the banner on the home page of this site. Or, please visit dojodigest.com.

Finally, I wish Dojo Digest the best of success with their new magazine. From everything I’ve seen and heard from them thus far, it seems like their heart is in the right place. And that is a good thing for the martial arts industry.

It’s been the kind of day you dream about having every day of your life.

One thing right after the next has been a positive development, good news or the kind of feel-good-experience that makes me happy to still be drawing breathes on this oft-challenging planet I yet crawl upon.

Next thing ya know, I’m in my Daytimer adding some notes to my to-do-list. That’s when I happened to glance at the date in the upper left hand corner of the page.

I see that it’s March 10^th, think nothing of it and then begin making some more notes. ‘Hmmm…how am I gonna make this day really count?’

That’s when it hit me like a ton of bricks…

March tenth!

That’s the day in 1986 that I officially began taking martial arts lessons at John Graden’s USA Karate in St. Petersburg, Florida. I was a “pre-sale” and the first student to join his new school.

Rob Colasanti's "business card contract" for martial arts lessons in 1986.

The tuition was $470 dollars for unlimited training on an 18 month cash out. (See the included scan of my original “contract” written on the back of Mr. Graden’s business card, which still sits in my photo album today.)

March 10th was the day that I began training at a real martial arts school, rather than in my across the street neighbor’s backyard. This was the day when my martial arts career officially began. Of course, it blossomed quite nicely from then on.

Interesting. Could this be why today has been such a great day? Is there more to this day than meets the eye?

Now I’m not knowledgeable in the areas of numerology or fortune telling. And I’m not psychic. But I definitely believe that this day has some kind of significance for me. It must. All I can say is…I FEEL that it does. And, I’m going with my gut.

So, here we are on my twenty-fourth anniversary of being in the martial arts. I can honestly say that for the most part the martial arts has been good to me, and I believe that I have been good to it.

I’ve learned a whole lot during my journey. Especially, from being so high up at the industry level for approximately fifteen years.

On this special day, there is one important bit of wisdom that I would like to share with you. A piece of advice you should heed. A lesson that I did not follow, but that has been on my mind quite a bit lately. So I will pass it along to you now. That lesson is:

BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU TRUST.

In and out of the martial arts industry, there are many individuals who truly are the proverbial “wolves in sheep’s clothing.”  They are not what they appear to be.  And they are really good at hiding this from you.

If you are an honest guy or gal and somewhat gullible and naïve like me, you will be looked upon as an easy target. They will work you. And if you are not careful you might just get taken.

Lord knows – I’ve been hit.

Recently, I’ve had my clock seriously cleaned on more than one occasion.  While I can’t go into specifics on this public forum, let me just say that many people out there are all smoke ‘n mirrors. They WILL fool you.

Don’t fall for their BS, their lies or their scams.

Always keep your guard up and do your homework before you get involved. Do your due diligence. Ask your lawyer, your friends and your family for input. In particular, before you give anyone your hard earned dollars.

Most of the time, money is what they will be after from you. They’ll tell you what you want to hear – whatever it may be – because their objective is to get into your pockets and Hoover out as much as they can.

Now, don’t be scared. Don’t hide under a rock. Just KEEP YOUR GUARD UP and only take calculated risks that you’ve thoroughly checked into first.

These are things that I did not do nearly as well as I should have. I was waaaay too trusting and I paid the price dearly. It’s sad to say, but do not be too trusting of others as I was.

So learn from my mistakes in this area. You’ll be glad you did.

On a brighter note…

Last night, it was a real treat to give my five-year-old son Austin another martial arts lesson. It brought me a great amount of joy to watch him practice some of the techniques I’ve been teaching him since he was three; jab, reverse punch, front kick, knee strikes, ridge hand, elbow strikes, body dig, back knuckle, push ups, jumping jacks, sit ups, round kick, opposite and equal reaction punching, etc.

Rob Colasanti with Arnold Schwarzenegger and MAPro Magazine Cover Story

Tonight, on my 24^th anniversary of being a student of the martial arts, I will give Austin another lesson. I will continue to pass my  knowledge (of my victories, as well as my defeats) along to him and inspire him to be a leader in life.  To become a strong, healthy and good person. That’s what being a dad is all about.

Yep, we all have to pass the torch, eventually. Right?

Katie is survived by her adoring husband, one of my best friends, the one-and-only Fred Degerberg, founder of the famous Degerberg Academy in Chicago, Illinois.

Katie was one of the sweetest, most patient, generous, supportive and pragmatic people I’ve ever known.  She was always such a joy to be around. Whether it was at an EFC show, a NAPMA convention, a restaurant, or just chatting on the phone, Katie always brightened up the room the minute she arrived. She always made others smile. I loved being in her company.

I don’t mind saying that if more people were like Katie Degerberg, then the world would be a far better place. Katie was a precious gem!

It’s clear to me that Katie was also one tough “fighter.” Though she had been battling a variety of severe health problems for many years, she always remained positive and optimistic.

However, as Katie’s health declined, she was actually pronounced clinically deceased on more than one occasion in the recent past. But somehow, miraculously, she returned to fight another round… again and again and again. Katie was no quitter. And she never complained. Instead, she fought right to the end, with all her might and her chin up, like a true champion… and for that I admire her greatly.

For memory’s sake, I’ve included some photos in this post that were taken during a fabulous dinner that Fred, Katie, me, and others once enjoyed at a fine restaurant in Florida.

What a wonderful evening!

Rob Colasanti and Fred Degerberg

Lobsters, wine, lots of laughs, a view of the ocean and great friends. Seems like it was just yesterday.

My goodness, it’s amazing how life changes.

I’ll miss you Katie!

Rest in peace…

PS: If you wish to contact the Degerberg Academy, you can do so by clicking the banner located right here on my site.

This morning I awoke to such a finding.

My good friend Joe Lewis emailed me an amazing photo that he recently discovered. It was snapped during the making of a movie called The Wrecking Crew, starring Dean Martin and Sharron Tate, filmed in 1969, at Columbia Pictures in Hollywood, California.

This was Joe Lewis’ first feature film.  Here, you see the champ demonstrating the drop side kick in front of an all-star cast of martial arts greats.

In the shot with Joe Lewis is Mike Stone (wearing the white slacks), who doubled for Dean Martin during the film. Stone was one of the toughest karate fighters EVER and the man for whom Priscilla Presley left Elvis.

We also see Ed Parker (villain in the back left) in this shot. Parker was the founder of the American Kenpo system of martial arts, and by happenstance, was also one of Elvis Presley’s martial arts instructors and personal bodyguards.

Also, watching Joe Lewis demonstrate the kick is the one-and-only Bruce Lee, who was one of the film’s fight sequence choreographers. To this day, Bruce Lee is still the most famous martial artist of all time. And I don’t think that will ever change.

Is this a cool picture or what?

According to Lewis, “My fight scene with Dean Martin appears at 6:27 on the You Tube clip, which can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R37NB_B7u3Y. Ed Parker’s is just before mine. During the first walk through, when I fired the first spin back-kick, my pants split from my butt all the way to my frontal apparatus. Wardrobe had no replacements and so they shut the production down until my pants were stitched up.

Dean was a bit tippy as you can tell from his eyes throughout the film so I was warned to take it REAL easy with him. I kicked as slow as a white belt to make sure that spin back-kick at Dean’s head missed—-everyone held their breath; I was not known for hitting softly. I had to put a LOT of daylight between my moves and Dean’s body which regrettably make it looked staged; however, not bad, we did it in one take. My first film choreography—-Bruce Lee, the film’s fight scene choreographer, approved.”

Joe Lewis is truly a one of a kind; a living legend.

If you’d like Mr. Lewis to consider making an appearance, teaching a seminar or delivering a keynote speech at your next big event, then you are welcome to shoot me an email (see contact page on this site). As long as you’re serious, I’d be happy to connect you with Mr. Lewis.

What can I say? Professor Maley is a one of a kind. He’s one of the most benevolent and authentic martial arts masters I’ve ever known. His heart is truly in the right place. Plus, he’s always been rooting for me in the background and has regularly called me over the years to offer me pats on the back when deserved, as well as sound advice.

I really appreciate his wisdom and I’m proud that he’s my friend. When somebody’s got your back…you just know it. You can just feel it. The opposite is also true.

But the reason I’m writing this post about Professor Maley is because I want to congratulate him for a huge accomplishment. Professor Maley has just celebrated his 60th anniversary as a judo teacher. And he’s still teaching nearly every day. WOW! Think about that for a moment. 60 years on the mat!

Professor Maley began training at the Kodokan in 1949, as a young man in the air force. And he’s never stopped!

Among his many high caliber qualifications are the following: Class “A” teaching certificate; 7 years undefeated Florida overall state champion; Black Belt Hall of Fame; World Hall of Fame; GI Hall of Fame; National East Coast Air Force Champ; overall New England and East Coast champion; overall Eighth Air Force champion, remaining undefeated. He is a Hachidan (8th degree red and white belt) in judo. He is also a 4th degree black belt in Karate and an O-Sensei in Jiu-Jitsu as well as an experienced and licensed physical massage therapist.

Some of Professor’s top students are Dewey Mitchell and Tom Masterson, both Judo icons in their own right. His biggest program is at a YMCA, where he teaches for FREE. Heck, this Saturday he’ll have more than 80 students in his class, mostly kids. How about that?

Today in his eighties, Professor Maley has had a huge impact on the lives of his countless students, as well as his community; the Hillsborough County Commissioner has even declared an official Ed Maley Day.

Furthermore, just yesterday I received a surprise phone call from my good friend the legendary Gene “The Godfather of Grappling” LeBell. As I’m sure you know, Gene is also a judo man and one of the most respected grapplers the world has ever known. (Plus, Gene has done work in over a thousand movies and sitcoms from Raging Bull to an Elvis film.)

I mentioned Ed Maley’s name to Gene and right away he started rattling off Professor Maley’s victories, background and accomplishments. Then he said, “That guy is for real. He’s one of my heroes. He’s one of the good guys.” Coming from Gene LeBell….geez…that’s one helluva comment.

In conclusion, I want to say that if I’ve ever seen a martial arts success story, Professor Maley symbolizes it. Everyone loves him. His track record is proven. He’s happy, spry and sharp. He brings joy to the world and he’s a giver. I truly hope that I’m like Ed Maley when I reach my 80’s.

You don’t need me to say this, but keep up the great work Professor Maley!

In fact, if you go to my photo gallery on this site you can see Joe issuing me a lighthearted beating at a seminar at John Graden’s USA Karate school back when I was just a teenager.

Ahh, yes, I could write a book about all of the fun times (goofing off again to the left), unique experiences and things I’ve learned from Joe Lewis throughout the years.

This past Saturday night I had the honor and privilege of attending the banquet at his 10^th Annual Joe Lewis Research Conference in Tampa, Florida. (I would have trained at the conference again this year, but my arthritic hips have really slowed me down as of late.)

To put it mildly, Joe Lewis looked great. At age 65 he just seems to get stronger and more energetic over time. Plus, he continues to innovate and evolve his already masterful teachings and fight strategies. He never stops growing as a martial artist. Nobody does it like Joe.

And the place was packed. They had a solid turnout…despite these difficult recessionary times we’re all experiencing.

But that’s no surprise. Joe’s people are dedicated and loyal!

It’s a family…

Mike Lee Kanarek, Steve Smith, Danny Dring, Dr. Maung Gyi, Walt Lysak, Dennis Nackord, Jeff Troshane, Dr. Roger Greene, Mike Allen, Phil Maldonado, Russell Wright, Mark and Jim Graden, Steve Snyder, Kim Cox, Richard Ryan, Phil Beatty, Craig Smith, Nelson Lebron, Kevin Walker and many, many other serious, hardcore martial artists train under Joe. (I trained under Joe for approximately 15 years prior to transitioning from the school/fighter level to the industry level.)

Jim Graden, Joe Lewis, Kevin Deeb, Kevin Walker and Rob Colasanti

Let me also add that pretty much everyone I know in Joe Lewis’ organization does martial arts for the art and not for the money. These guys and gals are ultra-serious about being top quality fighters and well…martial artists, first. The money comes second. These folks are for real! And that’s just the way I like it.

Now back to the banquet. This was a special part of the event for many reasons. But one highlight that I’d like to mention here is that Joe gave his prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award to his longtime friend, the one-and-only Bill “Superfoot” Wallace. The crowd immediately responded with a heartfelt standing ovation. That was a tremendous moment that I won’t soon forget.

Bill Wallace and Rob Colasanti - 2009

(Incidentally, I conducted an absolutely fantastic audio interview during 2008 with Bill “Superfoot” Wallace called Legendary Perspectives, Super-Duper Advice, Hamburgers and Tales of Elvis. One of my favorite interviews of my career. Loaded with great advice and lots of laughs, I hope you heard this interview somewhere along the way.)

Anyhow, I want to publicly congratulate everyone in Joe’s organization for throwing another excellent Research Conference, but especially Mike Allen and his family who worked so hard as usual to pull off another first class event.

Also allow me to thank everyone in Joe Lewis Fighting Systems from the association’s Senior Mentor Dr. Maung Gyi on down for being so gracious to me as always. You’ve made it clear…we are family!

And for those of you who have not been to Joe’s conference yet, you’re really missing out on an outstanding sweat pouring, knowledge-loaded, no-nonsense training camp that will definitely take your skills to the next level.

Make plans to attend his event next year by keeping your eye on joelewisfightingsystmes.com. You’ll be glad you did!

“The Legend” said he was going to be in Orlando, Florida during the third week of September and wanted to get together for dinner.

Frank was coming to town from California to meet with the company that’s producing his video game due out in 2010, as well as to do a book signing for his wildly popular MMA For Dummies book.

I willingly accepted Frank’s gracious invite and made the trek to Orlando with my wife and son.  Anja, Austin and I met up with Frank at the luxurious Grand Bohemian hotel where he was lodging.

This place was fancy-shmancy to say the least.

The hotel comes complete with an extensive art gallery, 19th-century Viennese elegance, velvet accoutrements, fine sculptures decorating the halls and a very rare Imperial Grand Bosendorfer Piano that was clearly the hotel’s pride and joy. Only three such pianos exist in the world today.

Now, I could write an entire book about the many interesting topics that Frank and I discussed that evening. Man, the hours just flew by.

But one thing that I would like to mention here is that Frank Shamrock is still as entrepreneurial as he ever was. That one characteristic has always impressed me about Frank Shamrock and always made me respect him even further.

Frank is far from your typical “fighter.”

Outside of the ring, he’s a lot like a George Foreman and absolutely nothing like a Mike Tyson. Frank is sharp! He’s a big thinker. And he’s always been a total class act. A real professional and a real gentleman.

So what do I mean when I suggest that Frank is entrepreneurial?

For starters, the sales numbers of his MMA for Dummies book made me raise my eyebrows, as I leaned forward in my chair.  ‘How many a month?’ I asked.

As I mentioned, he has his own MMA video game on the launching pad. Action figures are also in the works. How cool is that?

He’s about to begin getting ready for his next big MMA fight in December, at which point he’ll spend three solid months training full time like a total beast. (Opponent be scared…be VERY scared.)

He’s in the process of putting together a very unique jewelry line, inspired by the titanium plate that was removed from his broken arm that resulted from his recent Cung Le fight. Interesting.

His Frank Shamrock Tapout T-Shirt is selling like hotcakes. (I had no idea a T-shirt could be that lucrative.)

He’s a highly regarded commentator for CBS/Showtime and continues to receive opportunities to appear in various movies.

Frank is working with a writer, who has six best sellers under his belt, to create Frank’s much anticipated autobiography, due out in 2010. (Can’t wait to get a copy of that and I’ll do a review right here in this blog for you.)

And, Frank has a huge and value-packed vision that incorporates all kinds of ideas that will help “give back” to the martial arts industry, for which he is extremely grateful.

Frank Shamrock and Rob Colasanti...Takin' It Easy

In fact, Frank and I explored a number of creative concepts centered upon how I might become a part of this vision for the martial arts industry, which was a real honor. At this stage, everything is purely exploratory. We shall see.

Entrepreneurial? This is the tip of the iceberg. I’m just touching upon the highlights…

Let me conclude by saying that I’m so happy that Frank Shamrock is doing so well.  I love it when one of the good guys makes it big.

Me, Anja and Austin wish “The Legend” continued success in all of his many ventures…for many, many years to come.

(To learn more about Frank Shamrock, please visit frankshamrock.com.)

My most recent interview was conducted by Experience Life Magazine, a Life Time Fitness publication that reaches more than 600,000 readers, ten times per year.

A writer who was working on a martial arts article called “Kick It Up a Notch” originally contacted me to help with the content of the story. My input, which spanned two lengthy sessions, focused on the features and benefits offered by the most popular styles of martial arts.

Upon receiving an advance copy of Experience Life’s October 2009 issue yesterday, I was quite pleased with the final result that this article delivered. Unfortunately though, someone accidentally left the word “former” out of my title. (Should have been former President of the National Association of Professional Martial Artists.)  No big deal…

Anyhow, the important thing to recognize here is that this article resulted in the martial arts industry getting some outstanding publicity to a large audience of potential students.

Priceless!

Clearly, good PR about the benefits of martial arts instruction drives traffic to martial arts schools and eliminates various misconceptions the public may have about the training we offer. The more positive PR the martial arts industry receives…the better!

And the more students will flock to your school…

So it’s my pleasure to spread the good word about the benefits of martial arts training every chance I get. This encourages more people of all ages to become involved. And in my opinion, society needs martial arts instruction more now than ever before.

Would you expect anything less from “The Ambassador of the Martial Arts?”

Beginning at the age of 14, martial arts changed my life for the better. As a result, I’m always eager to help other people “experience” the same!

Yep…that’s when I blew out the tendons in my right arm. Very nasty!

Let me tell you, I’ve had many injuries during the last 24 years of practicing martial arts. But I’d have to put this one in a category of its own. Let’s just say that damaged tendons serve up a UNIQUE sort of pain.

I’ll give you some examples…

Though my tendons were damaged, I was still able to beat the heavy bag with full power. I could do all the push-ups I wanted with no pain. Jumping rope didn’t hurt me a bit. Neither did elbow strikes, twist sit ups, shadow boxing or jumping jacks.

However, picking up a coffee cup could instantly result in excruciating pain. Reaching for my electric razor one morning nearly sent me to my knees. Taking a suit coat off a hanger one day almost made me cry like a little baby and so on.

I kept thinking, “What’s up with this?’

Clearly, there’s a big difference between movements that involve muscles and movements that involve tendons. When you have tendon damage, you learn right away which is which.

Anyhow, last week I was having lunch with my good friend  since 1999 (see photo) and business associate Matt Furey. I mentioned that my right arm was injured in the elbow area upon receiving a powerful and playful handshake from his son Frank.

After grabbing my arm and making a few movements and palpations, Matt immediately diagnosed the problem.

“Tendon damage,” he said.

Then after a brief talkin’-to about not doing pull ups the WRONG WAY in the future, Matt gifted me with all the knowledge I needed to begin fixing the problem. (In case you don’t know, Matt is a true master at solving all kinds of problems ranging from health to business.)

First, he showed me several exercises that instantly attacked the affected area. The various “tiger claw” and “chicken beak-like” hand movements he taught me immediately caused my damaged tendons to sing at the top of their lungs. ‘You found it,” I cried.

The injury was discreetly tucked away deep in the area between the bones of my lower and upper arm, on the lateral side.

What’s interesting is that before Matt showed me these interesting hand and finger movements, I was not even able to make my right arm hurt when trying. The area was tough to get to. It would just hurt throughout the day whenever I moved it a certain way and least expected it.

So this was great. Suddenly, I was able to work the damaged tendons at will and this enabled me to begin the recovery process.

Matt then showed me how to properly massage the injured area to break up adhesions and increase blood flow to injury.

Next, he showed me how to “dig into” the damaged tendons and work the entire meridian line from my elbow down to my hand. This was extremely painful, but I have a high pain tolerance, so it was fine by me. Bring it on! I just wanted to get better…

Lastly, Matt recommended several Chinese herbs to be taken in liquid form; Dit Da Jow and Zheng Gu Shui. The latter being his preference.

After three days of applying the techniques Matt showed me, I noticed a miraculous change. At first, the pain actually increased. But that only lasted about two days. Now the pain has come way down and is almost gone.

Thanks to Matt, I have a marked improvement in my right arm in less than a week. My pain has gone from an eight to a two.

It goes without saying that I’m extremely grateful for Matt’s advice and I’m well on the road to recovery. So I thought I’d pass this knowledge along to you here on my blog.

Hopefully, you’ll never need Matt’s advice on how to repair damaged tendons. But now you have a basic idea of what to do just in case.

Even more, Matt may soon be releasing a program on how to strengthen tendons for power, conditioning, health and enhancing athletic performance. If he does, I’ll be sure to let you know more about it. Many people train their muscles. But how many people do you know who actually know how to properly train their tendons?