Published: December 09, 2008 10:19 pm      

KARATE: Presti teaching Uzbeks

NIAGARA FALLS — Uzbekistan is a long way from Pine Avenue. Area native and Chun Kuk Do Master John Presti knows that better then anyone, especially of late.

Master Presti, a seventh-degree black belt in the fighting form designed by legendary martial artist and actor Chuck Norris, was all set to head to former USSR territory and spread the discipline to a group of fighters willing to learn.

It started when the eager martial artists from the Middle East approached the Chun Kuk Do council, of which Presti is a member, last July at the International Training Convention in Las Vegas.

The ITC, which consists of three days of seminars in the fighting style, brought the Uzbeks to the U.S. for one thing — training.

“I might have been the most accessible,” Presti said on why the Uzbeks chose him to teach them the fighting style. “But with Christmas approaching, I didn’t want to go teach over there. I told them if they wanted to train, come here.”

The Uzbeks, with some hard work on Presti’s part, are in the middle of 15 days of training at the Pine Avenue dojo that started Nov. 30.

“I had to write a letter to the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan to get these guys here,” Presti said. “But the hardest part is going to be the training.”

The martial artists from overseas are in store for quite a December. Since they are only here for a limited time, they don’t have long to learn the style, which poses a serious problem for Presti and his foreign students.

“I have to teach these guys everything, from beginner to black belt, in 15 days,” Presti said. “I’m going to have them in for four hours in the morning then four in the afternoon, all while having them come in for the adult classes at night. I’m nervous but it will show me exactly where they stand.”

Chun Kuk Do, formerly the Chuck Norris System, is named after martial arts master, Norris, who designed the system by incorporating various fighting and martial arts styles. In addition, Norris incorporated four main things into the style: Integrity, loyalty, respect and discipline.

The Uzbeks, who are trained in the Shotokan discipline, were interested enough in Chun Kuk Do that they’re spending their own money to come to the U.S. and train under Presti for a style switch.

“I was trained out of fear,” said Presti, who learned his original discipline of Tang Soo Do under master Pat Johnson. Johnson, who did the combat choreography for The Karate Kid, affected Presti enough to impact even the style in which he instructs. “Another reason I think I was chosen to teach these guys was because I’m approachable. I didn’t like being taught out of fear and I knew that wasn’t right.

“I let my excitement take over,” said Presti on the approaching visit. “It’s something else I can say I’ve been a part of and helped with. I didn’t think about my family, my students, or the holiday, I just wanted to help these guys out.”