We ask any AKKF Member if they have any old photos of their Sensei's or Shihan's. In addition, if you have any old photos of yourself when you were a white belt or under black belt we want them. This site is for Black Belts only that have been with the AKKF for 15 years or more.
No Current Photo's please...
We are also looking for photos of celebrities that you may have, for example, any one you have taught or someone who has visited your studio or someone you have worked with. Please give brief explanation on any photo submitted.
Lets talk about change... Look at
Shihan Mohammed Jahan-vash, 17 years old, Covina California, 1976/77, of course Shihan Sensei still looks the same... :)
Rare Photo: Shihan Sensei Louis Casamassa, in Japan 1960 first picture as a black belt, along with Jim Nessia friend and fellow U.S. Marine, picture taken at Thew Gym at Yokosuka, Japan (at Marine Corp Base)
Rare Photo of Karate instructor Mas Nagano and Lou Casamassa, 1959 Main Gate, Yokosuka Japan
1965 First Full Time Studio, Bethlehem Penna. Notice 3rd from right is Shihan Al Smith, East Coast Red Dragon. and if you count down 11 from right you will find his son Smitty. Yellow Belt and Al was a Brown Belt.
LOU CASAMASSSA & LORENZO LAMAS/TV & MOVIE STAR. GETTING READY FOR HARLEY RUN 1997
Bruce Lee and my friend Bob Wall, 1973
Rare photo, Everett Beach, U.S. MARINE, WITH SENSEI NICANO ..ONE OF THE FIRST MARINES TO MAKE BLACK BELT WITH KANO, 1955... EVERETT HAS BEEN HONORED WITH AKKF HONORARY MEMBERSHIP BY LOUIS D. CASAMASSA, HIS FRIEND. SEMPER FI
EVERETT AND SENSEI NICANO'S TEAM, 1955
FRAN ALMER, BEST FRIEND IN HIGH SCHOOL OF LOU CASAMASSA.
1974 HILTON HOTEL LAS VEGAS
LINDA LEE AND SHANNON, BRUCE LEE'S WIFE AND DAUGHTER, AT TOURNAMENT IN 1980'S
Howard Jackson, Bob Wall, Lou Casamassa
and Gene LaBell. taken at Bob's home 2005
ROSE CASAMASSA, WITH CHRIS, SCOTT, DAVID.. A FEW YEARS BACK..
RARE PHOTO: STANDING FROM RIGHT SIDE TO LEFT.... MASTER DANNY PAI, MASTER GEORGE DILLMAN, DAVE SMITH. THE REST UNKNOWN. SHIHAN SENSEI CASAMASSA KNEELING IN FRONT. 1970, AT DILLMANS TOURNAMENT IN READING PA. (PHOTO SUBMITTED BY
WILLIAM LUCIANO FROM PENNSYLVANIA)
UNITED STATES MARINE CORP, 1958 TO 1964
LOUIS D. CASAMASSA, CORPORAL USMC
WOULDN'T THAT BE NICE?
HARLEY TIME, 4TH JULY PARADE, BEVERLY HILLS, CA. 2005
THE RED DRAGON HARLEY
SHIHAN SENSEI 1966 POLICE DAYS.
SHIHAN JABLONSKI, MISS CALIFORNIA GAYLE GORELL, SHIHAN SENSEI, SENSEI BOB JOHNSON, 1976
COVER OF KARATE MAGAZINE
BRUCE LEE'S DAUGHTER SHANNON, ACTOR LINDEN ASHBY, BARBARA CLARK, AND MORE AT AKKF STUDIO GLENDORA, FOR MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION. SPONSPORED BY CHRIS CASAMASSA
RDK AND AKKF BLACK BELTS AT A PLACE WHERE THEY WERE NOT AT...
FRONT ROW LEFT, LOU CASAMASSA, DON FULLER, RUDY AMAYA, DENNIS AYON, GEORGE MARANVILLE, IN MIDDLE, FLOYD BURK, GARY CARLSON, DAN ST. ORANGE, SOME IN BACK, TOM COSGROVE, CAM IRWIN, KEVIN HANKRED. ETC.
MY KUN-TAO SIFU, GUY SAVELLI
MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS, THE REAL ONE
SEE INTERNET WWW.GUYSAVELLI/MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS. 1967
TOP TEAM, 1970--TERRY HAYFORD, LOU CASAMASSA, RON HEIMBACH, PAT DUNCAN
1977 AL SMITH AND WIFE MARCI, GOD BLESS MARCI.
1969 JERRY PIDDINGTON AT RED DRAGON WORKING OUT AND TEACHING
PAT JOHNSON TEACHING AT AKKF STUDIO
2001 -2 GLENDORA, CA.
JASON FRANK, BARBARA CLARK, SHIHAN SENSEI, GLENDORA, 1996
SENSEI'S GLENDORA STUDIO 1999
POPE PAUL 1970'S HOW RARE IS THIS?
ROY ROGERS 1970'S WITH SHIHAN SENSEI
BOB WALL AT ROAST WITH SID, IN BACK IS CHRIS CASAMASSA AND GARY LEE
JOE LEWIS AT BOB WALL'S ROAST- 2004
CHUCK NORRIS RECEIVING AWARD, JOE CORLEY AND CHRIS CASAMASSA AND GARY LEE IN BACK GROUND ON PODIUM.
IS THIS CHRIS CASAMASSA? NO... ITS HIS FATHER 1959, IN JUDO GI, IN JAPAN..
U.S.MARINE CORP JUDO TEAM, 1961. KODOKAN, TOKYO JAPAN. SHIHAN SENSEI, 2ND IN LINE IN PHOTO. WITH HIS SENSEI, TOSHIKO YAGOME.
IN PHOTO FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, AS REMEMBERED... CORPORAL ALO, CORPORAL CASAMASSA, LIEUTENANT REYNOLDS, CORPORAL JAMES BRIGHT, CORP. JIM NESSIA, CORP, JOE LA MARCA. PFC OSWALD, CORP FISH.THE LAST FOUR UNKNOWN, CANNOT SEE THEM CLEARLY
UNDEFEATED IN 2 YEARS
1969 VIC MOORE AND LOU CASAMASSA, SPARRING IN BALTIMORE MARYLAND AT JERRY PIDDINGTON'S STUDIO.
1968-69 JOE LEWIS, TEACHING AT SHIHAN SENSEI'S STUDIO IN BETHLEHEM, PA.
GOSSIP NOTE: A FEW MONTHS AFTER THESE PICTURES WERE TAKEN, AT THE USKA NATIONALS, AT THE FINALS, VIC MOORE AND JOE WERE FIGHTING AND A BAD CALL WAS MADE AND SOME KIND OF SMART REMARK WAS MADE. VIC PICKED UP A CHAIR AND CHASED JOE ALL OVER THE RING BEFORE ANY CONTACT. THE JUDGES BROKE UP THE FIGHT. (OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT)
1970'S SHIHAN MIKE JABLONSKI AND SENSEI BOB JOHNSON.
SHIHAN JABLONSKI 1976
WHO IS THIS? A MOVIE STAR?
SHIHAN SENSEI AND SHIHAN MIKE JABLONSKI, 1978
1955 Judo team in Japan, EVERETT BEACH, one of the first Marines to receive his black belt at the Kodakan,
Everett Submitted photo. a truly rare pic.
thanks Everett
Everett Standing behind and to the right of the
Black Marine. 1955, another rare pic.
Everett being thrown by his Sensei, sensei Nicano, 1955
SO YOU ASK, WHO IS EVERETT BEACH? EVERETT WAS A U.S. MARINE STATION IN JAPAN IN 1955, SHIHAN SENSEI MET EVERETT ON LINE WHEN EVERETT CHECKED OUT THIS WEB SITE, HE SENT ME A COPY OF HIS BLACK BELT CERTIFICATE, I WAS AMAZED THAT IT WAS EXACTLY LIKE MINE, HE WAS PROMOTED 5 YEARS BEFORE SHIHAN SENSEI, THIS MAKES HIM ONE OF THE FIRST MARINES EVER PROMOTED AT THE KODOKAN, EVERETT AND SHIHAN SENSEI HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATING ON LINE FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS. A TRUE MARINE CORP BUDDY. SEMPER FI EVERETT.
CHRIS CASAMASSA, DOUBLING FOR GEORGE CLOONEY IN BATMAN
CHRIS AND DAVID, WITH SCOTTY 1980'S AT GRAND CANYON
DAVID, SCOTTY AND CHRIS 1973, BIG BEAR, CA
FIRST BLACK BELTS IN THE AKKF AND RED DRAGON KARATE
FROM 1964 TO 1972
PENNSYLVANIA
SOME ARE STILL ACTIVE IN THE MARTIAL ARTS, HOWEVER, MANY ARE INACTIVE AND NO LONGER ASSOCIATED WITH AKKF OR RED DRAGON KARATE STUDIOS. ** SIGNIFIES NO LONGER WITH US... *** DECEASED
VINCE WARD **
VINCE MORGAN**
SCOTT LECHKI
JOHN BENNICK **
RON HEIMBACH ***
JOE DAVIS
DAVE SMITH **
CHARLIE POWELL **
AL SMIT H JR
AL SMITH 111
NICK SCHAM **
STEVE SVETEZ **
JOHN WENNINGER **
PEREZ BROTHERS **
KATHY HEIMBACH
APRIL BENNICK **
TOM EPPS
THESE STUDENTS ARE DIRECTLY PROMOTED BY LOUIS D. CASAMASSA, FROM WHITE BELT TO BLACK BELT.
