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[JimH]

Marine1 ,
Thanks for the Great review and update on the players and members in and around GHCA as well as about yourself.
Much Appreciated

I am sure your time in the Corps and your instructorship under both Mr Kasper and Mr Kary will do you well if you are serious about Contract work.
I know that Kelly McCann was and is running training schools under contracts,so he should be able to help you in that direction.

A friend of mine works for a Contracting Company and they hired a Wing Chun Instructor as a trainer ,so I am sure your credentials would carry a bit more weight as a Contractor/Trainer.

All the Best

Semper Fi

[Rob77]

Here's how I remember it:

Bob Kasper trained predominately with Charles Nelson for his H2H combat. I believe both he and Cestari both trained with Nelson at the same time. Bob and Charles were great friends as well, Nelson even came to one of the barnyard getaways and worked with everyone, which included a lot of old jujutsu tricks of putting you on your back (or face).

I never knew where Bob got his knife training, but I do know he got elements of it from some of the old Marine Raiders and other WW2 vets he interviewed. Specifically some of the old Styles' methods (based off fencing) such as inquartata, pasatta sotto, snap cuts, etc. He basically "updated" these methods while keeping the essence of the original techniques. Then, as mentioned before, the shanking methods he got from some guys from Rahway State Prison, not to mention Bob was into some of the 2% motorcycle gangs out there, I believe he mentioned knowing a couple of the original Hell's Angels as well. Bob was a heavy banger, that's how he liked to live.

John Kary I believe got his training from Cestari, not sure about Nelson. I believe John was already doing his combatives before Bob showed up with the GHCA.

Bob's and John's unarmed combatives were different, but similar. John used "striking sequences" - which changed often - and self defense scenarios, with a very few jujutsu techniques thrown in, after striking of course. John also taught neck-breaking techniques that melded right into the sequences. Bob had striking sequences as well, but these never changed and were created for muscle-memory and to achieve a flow from one strike to the next. They were similar as all the WW2 strikes were utilized: axe hands, chin jabs, elbow strikes, stomp kicks, face smashes, eye gouges, etc.

I'm not sure if anyone is carrying on the teachings of the GHCA or not. Up in Brick, NJ, Bob's most devout students were John Watson and Joe Kanabrocki. Up in Long Island, NY, John's long-time students were John Martin, Gene Duenes, and Lord help me I can't remember the older guy's name. He's in John's book titled "American Combatives" (as am I  ).

I have heard recently that John Kary has passed the reins of American Combatives to Joe Green out of Longview Texas. Joe is a great guy, I used to train him for John when I lived over in East Texas, and apparently Joe stuck with it, and in order for John to do that then Joe is good to go.

My background was predominately with John Kary as I stated before, but I was lucky enough to train with Bob and Kelly as well in their methods.

I did achieve Instructorship status from both AC and the GHCA. I used to train some of John's students when they would fly into NY to train, one was Dr. Thomas Nardi (he used to be a prolific writer for several martial arts magazines). With Kary's blessing, I also opened a satellite American Combatives school back in 1994, but with my crazy ex-wife all of that fell apart before it started. I also trained a group of militia guys in Southern Arkansas for a few months. I don't really teach anyone right now, just some guys from where I work from time to time, nothing serious - just some smash mouth techniques and a little knife. However, like I mentioned, I have taken different elements from all of my WW2 combatives teachers and have created my own curriculum of unarmed, knife, stick, and gun. To me, these are the "best of the best" techniques and delivery methods for those techniqes, at least regarding WW2 Combatives.

Again, with McCann, Kasper, and Kary it was all about attitude. They could probably take a few traditional tai chi techniqes and make them highly effective with this alone.

Scott Macdonald. I think I remember you. My name is Rob I trained with John Kary starting in around '92 in Westbury LI and stopped for a time after he closed the westbury school and moved to the jujutsu school in belmore. John always had nicknames for everyone and mine was elvis (long story). I stopped training to go to school and then AF. When I returned John had moved to WV and I started training again with Scotty and occasionally John Martin. Both great guys although Martin is definately a few fries short of a happy meal. Once Joe Green seemed to take over ACA Scott pretty much just did his own thing in NY seperate from ACA, I trained with him until I moved out of NY to TN. Scott is still teaching today and has a decent number of students.

I remember Kasper coming to westbury fairly often and doing seminars and the school. Both John and Bob were excellent instructors. I as well have many great memories of training with those guys. Rob

[MarineWar1]

JimH - Semper Fi back bro. While I know Kelly is in the "contractor business", I'm going to use that as a last resort, I kinda like doing things on my own if I can. That way, I don't owe anyone anything  But I will take up his offer to train at the Crucible.

Whitewolf - I'm located in a piss-poor place in West Texas, Odessa. I'm only here because of my job, over 2 years now. I hate it, but I'm expecting a big bonus early this year and that's the only reason I'm staying, gotta pay off the Mustang LOL.

Rob77 - Yeah we all had nicknames, they called me Red Dog since I drank Red Dog beer and had a red goatee. John even made his famous chili once and use RD beer. I do remember Scotty and sorry I didn't remember his name when I posted. The other guy I was trying to think of was Bruce.

Good ol' Johnny Martin, yeah he is a few cans shy of a six pack, but a great guy. Right in the middle of Kary's class Martin would pull some prank on me and we would get into a wrestling match all the while Kary would just stand there saying "What the fuck" usually with a smile, and everyone would say it's Red Dog and Johnny at it again LOL. Remember the rotations we would do, so everyone got to work with different sizes and builds of different people? Well, when it was Johnny and me together we would try and kill each other  Definitely great times. Damn I do remember "Elvis" but I can't put it with a face. Good to hear from you bro!

I'd like to add one of the reasons that drew me to Hock's forum here (other than I've seen some of the videos and wouldn't mind training someday) is the fact that there are several Marines here so something must be good!

[Rob77]

I forgot about Bruce LaPorta. Didn't he just quit one day?? Red Dog I had your picture in my head but couldn't think of Johns nickname for you lol . I was young, when I started training with john again probably in '92 I was about 15 and left when I was about 19 and came back to train with Scott a few yrs after that. I manned the video camera for some of the early videos lol the basic strikes and self defense tapes. Have you heard from Kary recently? I havent seen him in about 5-6 years now. I keep in touch with scott though.

Kaspers training definately seemed to place more emphasis on knife training esp. offensive knifing ambushes (slap and tap, jail house, slam jam to name a few). Kary's knife work was basically the "fan" or wheeling motion with the blade keeping it in constant motion. I remember when Kelly started coming around (atleast to johns school) at the time he seemed to be doing more filipino type training and picked up more WW2 combatives the more he was around bob and john. rob

[Hock]

(I started another topic about the Steel Wheel Knife Arm. Nobody really knows much about that. Might even move it over to the knife column...) - Hock

[Hock]

I grew up across the Hudson River from Charles Nelson. I left the area in 1972 and missed a great chance. He is like an "underground" hero.

I wonder how John Kary is these days? I swapped a few emails with Joe Green about a year go but he never answered that last question.

Hock

[MarineWar1]

Like I said earlier, not sure about John anymore. In my opinion, I would think it was totally out of John's character to turn over ACI to anyone unless he was ill, and I hope that's not the case.

As far as Joe, I sent him an email a few months ago congratulating him taking over ACI (when I found out he had) and never got a reply either.

[Rob77]

John has indeed handed ACA over to Joe Green who is now in charge. Last I heard John was no longer training and had essentially retired. He had gone through some tough times both personally and medically. His injuries from Vietnam and years of training just compounded his chronic pain to the point where training was not possible. Also his step son passed away unexpectedly 2 yrs ago or so at Johns house. But I have not heard anything recently (6mos).

[5thprofession47]

BUMP...

I have really enjoyed reading this thread again! I first discovered the thread last year, signed up for the forum but only now returned to re-read the information. MarineWar1 and I know each other from another forum we frequent. I love the history of GHCA and Bob Kasper and hope to see more information, stories and discussion added in the future.

Stay safe,

Chris

[whitewolf]

Chris-glad to see u on the forum hope you continue-R/S WW

[michael]

The GHCA is alive and well, and headed up by Fred Bauer, who was one of the earlier students. I'm not sure if he was there in the very beginning, but he did train with Bob Kasper. I've been in touch with him and hope to make a training session with the GHCA sometime next year in Brick, NJ. Fred also has a new book out titled "American Arwrology", which I have and it is excellent. The newsletter is also still going, and Fred was gracious enough to forward me a few past issues of it. They are still largely underground, and I shall see where it leads.

[5thprofession47]

The GHCA is alive and well, and headed up by Fred Bauer, who was one of the earlier students. I'm not sure if he was there in the very beginning, but he did train with Bob Kasper. I've been in touch with him and hope to make a training session with the GHCA sometime next year in Brick, NJ. Fred also has a new book out titled "American Arwrology", which I have and it is excellent. The newsletter is also still going, and Fred was gracious enough to forward me a few past issues of it. They are still largely underground, and I shall see where it leads.

Hi Michael,

This is Chris from Facebook. You forwarded me the info from Fred Bauer a few weeks ago. Since then I have been in touch with Mr. Bauer and he too has included me on the GHCA's newsletter mailing list. Thanks for putting me in touch with him!

I also recently picked up an original 1943 edition of Arwrology by Perrigard!

[michael]

The GHCA is alive and well, and headed up by Fred Bauer, who was one of the earlier students. I'm not sure if he was there in the very beginning, but he did train with Bob Kasper. I've been in touch with him and hope to make a training session with the GHCA sometime next year in Brick, NJ. Fred also has a new book out titled "American Arwrology", which I have and it is excellent. The newsletter is also still going, and Fred was gracious enough to forward me a few past issues of it. They are still largely underground, and I shall see where it leads.

Hi Michael,

This is Chris from Facebook. You forwarded me the info from Fred Bauer a few weeks ago. Since then I have been in touch with Mr. Bauer and he too has included me on the GHCA's newsletter mailing list. Thanks for putting me in touch with him!

I also recently picked up an original 1943 edition of Arwrology by Perrigard!

Hi Chris,

I saw on there you had been in touch with Fred. Hopefully we can cross paths and train together with them sometime. The book was a good score, a classic no doubt. I talked with Fred about writing an article for the newsletter, which I need to work on, but haven't decided on a topic yet.