Open Letter to CNOMAA Members
Dear CNOMAA Brothers, Sisters & Friends:
I would like to personally welcome you to the Go Jiu Bujitsu web-site and thank you for your interest.
Taking my 30+ years of intense passion, abilities, knowledge and martial arts experience, I developed my own ideas, strategies, philosophies, priorities, direction and leadership style to the point of creating the new mixed martial art of Go Jiu Bujitsu. I am joined by Shuseki Shihan Jeff Tirshfield, Soke Dai of Go Jiu Bujitsu who shares equal and independent authority in CNVD (which is extremely unique and beneficial to all members). Shuseki Shihan Tirshfield is: a Nidan in CNOMAA; a Shodan in Judo; a Black Belt in Brazillian Jiu Jitsu; a three time Pan Am games champion in BJJ, as well as a former Golden Gloves boxer.
I am humbled and honored to have Professor Ernie Cates as my teacher, mentor, advisor, sponsor and friend (the same as he was for O’Sensei).
I am also extremely honored and proud to have already received the “Founder’s Award” from, been inducted into, recognized by and become a member of the World Head of Family Sokeship Council which gives Go Jiu Bujitsu immediate international recognition as a new and legitimate mixed martial art with me as the styles’ Shuso (Founder) & Soke (Headmaster).
Those of you that have cross-trained, taken seminars, or earned rank in Shotokan, Judo, Jiu Jitsu, and/or Aikido will readily enjoy and be pleasantly surprised by CNVD’s traditional use of techniques, kata and principles from these martial arts (and your experience/rank in them will be readily utilized and valued in CNVD). Besides the traditional use of these component martial arts, the almost equal combination of 1/3 Shotokan, 1/3 Judo/Jiu Jitsu & 1/3 Aikido from white belt thru black belt will prove to be refreshingly new, challenging, exciting and fun. Go Jiu Bujitsu, as a new mixed martial art, will provide and allow great opportunities for growth, recognition, advancement, as well as positions of leadership and responsibility especially in the “Shihan” (Master Instructor) ranks of 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th degree and the “Grandmaster” ranks of 8th and 9th degree.
I welcome CNOMAA members to join the Go Jiu Bujitsu Association under the following conditions:
#1 – If a black belt or above, or head of school – your current rank in CNOMAA will be recognized straight across in CNVD with the agreement that you will become current with the Go Jiu Bujitsu white belt to black belt curriculum before becoming eligible for your next rank;
#2 – If below black belt – your current rank in CNOMAA will be recognized straight across in CNVD with the agreement that you will become current with the Go Jiu Bujitsu curriculum before becoming eligible for your Shodan; and,
#3 – You may and are encouraged to maintain your relationship with CNOMAA, as well as attend any training camps or seminars because regardless of your chosen martial art –
TRUE FRIENDSHIPS ARE FOREVER!
CNOMAA served as one of the significant foundations for this monumental endeavor and it is my sincere hope and prayer that we can all maintain our relationships and appropriate levels of sincere respect in the true spirit of the 3-O’s and Code of Ethics.
Again, I sincerely thank you for your interest and wish you well on this wonderful journey we call the study and practice of martial arts.
Love/gang, Doshu Mark J. Colangelo
Shuso (Founder) & Soke (Headmaster) Go Jiu Bujitsu
