Sifu Charles R. Fertal III
Sifu Charles R. Fertal III‘s involvement in martial arts began at the age of eight, when his father taught him the skills of boxing. At age sixteen he was a paid sparring partner for Stanley (Kitten) Haywood, who was at that time a professional middleweight contender at Lamona Byrd’s Training Camp, Pleasantville, NJ. At seventeen Mr. Fertal was Ft. Dix Boxing Champion, 1st Army Boxing Champion and Washington, D.C. AAU Boxing Champion (Bantamweight Division). At age eighteen he was the Boxing Coach for the 1st Army Boxing Team at Ft. Eustis, VA. His interest in the Asian Martial Arts began while attending Boston’s Berklee College of Music as a Piano & Percussion major; there he became friends with an accomplished martial artist from the Philippines, leading him to study Uechi-Ryu Karate at the Matson Academy of Martial Arts in Boston.Upon moving to New York City, Sifu Fertal began studying under Grand Master Min Pai, from 1978 through 1994, receiving his Black Belt in Butterfly Hand (Nabi Su). Sifu Fertal also studied under Master James Stewart (Nabi Su), Master Leung Shurn (Ying Jow Pai/Northern Eagle Claw Kung Fu), Master Dong (Yichaun), Grand Champion Akila Z. Koulombus (Kicking), Grand Master Min Pai (Tai Chi), Master Lu (Tai Chi/Taiji Sword Form), Maggie Newman (Tai Chi/Chi Gong), Master Alice Uchida (Tai Chi Sword), Richard Jesaitis (Classical Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan), Ilaria Montagnani (Kendo Sword), Benjamin Wu (Tai Chi – Wu Style).