Bergamo's Martial Arts

News & Announcements

7/2006- "CHI" star Daniele Silva wins "Breakout Action Star" As some of you know, Master Serrano and Daniele Silva worked on a short film project named "CHI" at the end of 2005 with Director Chris Vallone of NY. The short film was action packed full of realistic fight scenes between Daniele and Christine Bardelli of Southbury, choreographed by Master Serrano. CHI was recently submitted to the Action on Film International Film Festival, running in conjunction with Black Belt Magazine's Festival of the Martial Arts, in LA. Thousands of films from around the World were submitted to this festival. CHI was not only accepted, but was nominated for "Best Action Sequences in a Short Film" with 5 other films, and both Daniele and Christine were nominated for "Break Out Female Action Star" along with 3 other female actors. We are proud to announce that our very own Daniele Silva was named "Break Out Female Action Star" for  the festival and received an award in recognition. Please congratulate her on her win. You can see more of the AOF festival at http://www.aoffest.com/index.html .

Feb and March 2006- BMA takes big wins at World Class events Members of the BMA Competition Team and Team Bergamo won over 60 medals in the last 2 months at 2 of the most prestigious Martial Arts tournaments on the circuit. In February, the team traveled to Atlantic City to compete at the Atlantic City Grand Internationals- Battle at the Boardwalk held at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Out of the 1000+ competitors, BMA competitors came out on top in Self-Defense, Breaking and Sparring. Some of the biggest wins came from Jonathan Hardwicke winning the title of International Federation of Ju-Jitsu Self-Defense Grand Champion and taking a first place win in Creative Open Breaking, Kelly Pearce beating out higher ranks and taking a 1st in Creative Open Breaking, 1st timer Gary Reho taking a 1st place win in Creative Open Breaking, Ronald Sullivan taking 1st place in Creative Open Breaking, and Clinton Murphy and Raphael Velez winning the Extreme Power Breaking Championship in Heavyweight and Lightweight respectively. At the Arnold Martial Arts Festival, held March 3rd in Columbus, OH, the team also took wins in Breaking, Forms, and Fighting. Highlights included a 1st place win in Forms in the Advanced division by Sarah Kulenski, the first time she has ever competed in Forms, 2 1st place wins in fighting by Olivia Bufalini in both Point Sparring and TKD Continuos Fighting, and another 1st place win for Ronald Sullivan in Creative Open Breaking. The complete reaults will be posted soon, including the numerous wins from our first time competitors Corrin and Stephanie White, Brian Segal, Michael Martins, Donald and Emily Wisniewski, Victor Queiroz, Samantha and Connor David, Michael Reho, and our other competitors Steven Russo, Sean Anderson, Robert Anderson, Peter DeMarco, Fernando Camareno, and Mario Bufalini Jr. and Sr. Congratulations to all of the BMA and Team Bergamo competitors and thank you for showing the world what BMA is all about!

2/2006- BMA Masters"Play" Las Vegas Grandmaster Ralph Bergamo and Master Drew Serrano were recently brought out to Las Vegas, NV, to be one of the featured acts of "Beachers Madhouse", a variety show that runs weekly at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. The duo were brought to the attention of the producers of "Beachers" by Matt Mullins, a CA based martial artist that has been featured in commercials, film, and print ads. The show had an idea of what they were looking for, but they wanted to make sure they were getting the best. After seeing footage of Team Bergamo in action, the producers immediately went to work to get GM Bergamo and Master Serrano on a plane to Vegas within 2 days. The producers of the show were quite impressed with the performance of the Martial Arts Masters and the response of the 2000 plus in the audience. There are already plans in the works for future engagements. Photos will soon be available in the gallery.

3/2006- Sharon Turret wins Spelling Bee BMA Student Sharon Turret won the Town of Cheshire Spelling Bee on March 13, 2006. She will compete in the State of Connecticut Spelling Bee on April 8th. Congratulations to Sharon and best of luck to her at the State level.

10/2005- BMA Masters represent the US in Trinidad, Grand Master Bergamo and Master Serrano were among 10 Masters chosen to represent the United States at the Pan-Caribbean International Martial Arts Championships held October 12-17, 2005 in Trinidad, West Indies. The US contingent was afforded "Diplomatic" status as they arrived at the airport. Over the course of the 5 day event the group met with the Nation's Minister of Sports and Minister of Education to discuss the Nation's involvement in the World Martial Arts arena. The group was joined by Masters from other Caribbean islands in commending Professor Christopher Francis on his continued commitment to the Martial Arts, and his strong involvement in changing the lives of so many youth who have benefited from his teachings. GM Bergamo and Master Serrano's main focus at the event was to perform a demonstration and to run the Pan-Caribbean Breaking Championships under the United States Breaking Association and World Breaking Association guidelines. On Saturday, GM Bergamo and Master Serrano performed a high intensity breaking demonstration for the thousands in attendance, including the Minister of Education herself. The duo awed the crowd with breaks never seen on the island, including breaks through piles of concrete, kicks through wood, a shin kick through a broom stick, having broom sticks broken over the arms, and finished the routine with their signature coconut breaks. The crowd responded with cheers and rushed the two for autographs. The two were overwhelmed with the amount of recognition they received for their appearances on ESPN2 and the Discovery Channel. On Sunday, the two ran the first ever WBA Pan-Caribbean Breaking Championships. They were pleasantly surprised by the great turnout of competitors, most of which were children and had never competed in breaking prior to the event. GM Bergamo and Master Serrano commended the competitors on their raw talent and encouraged them to continue training and competing. Some of the highlights of the competition were the very intense youth competitors, a flying elbow and knee by a Muay Thai practitioner, and a spear hand through a watermelon. GM Bergamo, Master Serrano, and the rest of the US group have already committed to make next year's Pan-Caribbean even better. The group will begin working on next year's event early 2006.

10/2005-October 2005 Students of the Month Barbara LeBlanc and Karen Hiney: After watching their sons learn and grow through the Martial Arts for more than 3 years, Barbara and Karen have joined the journey of Martial Arts themselves. They were each promoted to White Belt 2nd degree on September 11, 2005. They should both be commended for their dedication and commitment, and they invite all other "Karate Moms and Dads" to join them in benefiting from the Bergamo's as their children do.

7/2005- Team Bergamo fairs well at the US Open World Martial Arts Championships Team Bergamo wins ISKA World Breaking Championships and fairs well in other events Over the July 4th weekend, Team Bergamo was in Orlando, FL for their annual appearance at Disney World competing in the US Open Martial Arts Championships. With competitors from all over the world, The US Open is one of the largest open Martial Arts tournaments in the world.  It is also televised throughout the year on ESPN 2. The team faired well in a multitude of divisions. The resulta are as follows: Master Bergamo:   ·         “World Champion”, Power Wood Kick, lightweight ·         2nd place, overall Ultimate Breaking ·         2nd place, Power Concrete, lightweight ·         3rd place, Creative Breaking ·         3rd place, Combat Wood   Master Serrano: ·         4th place, Power Concrete, heavyweight ·         4th place, Combat Wood ·         5th place, Creative Breaking   Clinton Murphy: ·         “World Champion”, Power Concrete, heavyweight ·         2nd place, Combat Wood ·         2nd place, Power Wood Kick, heavyweight ·         6th place, Creative Breaking   Larry Fields: ·         2nd place, Power Concrete, heavyweight ·         5th place, Combat Wood   Vincent Milo: ·         3rd place, Power Concrete, heavyweight   Eric Sousa: ·         4th Place, Black Belt Self Defense   Jonathan Hardwicke: ·         “USBA US Champion”, Power Wood Elbow, under 17 ·         “USBA US Champion”, Creative Open, under 17   Fernando Camareno: ·         2nd place, Power Wood Kick, lightweight ·         4th place, Power Concrete, lightweight   Steve Russo: ·         “USBA US Champion”, Power Concrete Elbow, 18 and 0ver, under Black Belt, lightweight ·         5th place, Creative Breaking   Peter DeMarco: ·         3rd place, Power Concrete, lightweight   Kelly Pearce: ·         “World Champion”, Self Defense, under Black Belt, under 17 ·         3rd place, Point Sparring, under Black Belt, under 17   Bill Hardwicke: 2nd place, Traditional Forms, Beginner/Intermediate, 35 and up

Masters Bergamo and Serrano promoted Master Bergamo promoted to Grand Master and Master Serrano promoted to 6th degree On March 18, 2005, The International Sokeship Council recognized Master Ralph Bergamo for his lifetime dedication to the Martial Arts by making him a lifetime member of the Council as well as promoting him to the rank of 8th degree Black Belt, considered Grand Master. He was also awarded the title of Senior Master (Soke) in the Ineternational Sanryudo Federation. On May 22, 2005, Grand Master Bergamo promoted Head Instructor Drew Serrano to 6th degree Black Belt in the Rossi Kun Tao System. GM Bergamo cited Master Serrano's dedication to the studios, the students, our Demonstartion Team, Team Bergamo, and the American Filipino Kun Tao Federation.

6/17-18/2005- BTSQ members win International Champ Team Bergamo wins USBA International Championships at the BOC World Games in Columbus, OH On the weekend of June 17, Team Bergamos traveled to Columbus, OH to compete in the Battle of Columbus World Games at the Greater Columbus Convention. The Team was asked to perform an impromptu demonstration to open the tournament. Members Clinton Murphy, Vincent Milo, Peter DeMarco, and Fernando Camareno smashe through piles of concrete for the opening ceremonies and thrilled the audiences. GM Bergamo and Master Serrano were charged with running the breaking divisions under the USBA guidlines, the USBA was founded by Bergamo and Serrano. BTSQ dominated their divisions taking multiple International Championships (the BOC World Games was sanctioned as the International Championships of the USBA circuit). Below is a complete listing of the teams' wins: Vincent Milo: International Champion Power Concrete Elbow, Hvy Clinton Murphy: International Champion Power Concrete Elbow, Hvy Peter DeMarco: 2nd place Power Concrete Elbow, Lt; International Champion Power Concrete Feet; 2nd place Freestyle Creative Open Breaking. Fernando Camareno: International Champion Power Concrete Hand, Lt; International Champion Power Concrete Elbow, Lt; 2nd place Power Concrete Feet; International Champion Freestyle Creative Open Breaking.

5/2005- Members added to the Team roster Jonathan Hardwicke, Sean Anderson, and Robert Anderson have been added to the Bergamo's Team roster After competing for years on the BMA Competition Team, and taking wins in Self-Defense, Fighting, Breaking, and Forms, three of the longest standing members of the Bergamo's family have been added to the Team Bergamo roster. Jonathan Hardwicke, Sean Anderson, and Robert Anderson have competed both locally and Nationally since the team first began competing. They have been an important factor in the success of the team overall, as well as adding many personal wins to their own resumes. Jonathan and Sean have lead their age brackets in Self-Defense competitions across the US, they have dominated breaking in their age brackets and even older divisions through consistent wins and innovative routines, and they have faired well in their age brackets in fighting. Robert Anderson, Sean's father, is one of the most loyal and dedicated adult students at Bergamo's. He has helped the team behind the scenes for years, and has won many breaking competitions in his own right. He was one of the original Team Bergamo members to travel Nationally with the team. The addition of these three members is bound to bring more diversity and recognition to the team. Congratulations and welcome aboard!

5/17/2005- Upcoming Tournaments, open to all studen The BOC World Games in OH and The US Open in FL Members of Team Bergamo and students from both studios will compete at these 2 World Class events. The BOC World Games are held in Columbus, OH June 17-18. The USBA, founded by Master Bergamo and Master Serrano, will be holding the USBA International Championships at the event. This is a great event with divisions for all ranks and ages. For more information contact Master Serrano. The tournament website is http://www.bocworldgames.com. The US Open World Martial Arts Championships is the event that is featured on ESPN2 each year. As a studio, we have attended this event since 1999. There are divisions for all ages and all ranks, it is well run and quite a sight to see. The USBA will be holding the United States Championships at the US Open this year for the first time. For more information contact Master Bergamo or Master Serrano. The tournament website is http://www.usopen-karate.com. All tournaments that we attend as a studio or as a team are open to all students, and we work with anyone interested in attending to prepare them for competition. Many of the larger events are amazing to be a part of or just to see. We have done very well over the years as a studio and are well known on the competitive Martial Arts circuit. The top Martial Artists in the World compete in a variety of divisions such as fighting, forms, weapons, and breaking.  If you can attend we encourage you to do so to witness the spectacle that is competitive Martial Arts.

5/2005- Quassy Amusement Park Martial Arts Day 6/2 All students are welcome to be a part of Quassy Amusement Park's Martial Arts Day June 26, 2005. We will be performing a studio demonstration followed by a performance by the BMA Demo Team. We will be a part of Quassy Amusement Park's Martial Arts Day on June 26th. There will be discounts for all studio members. We will be performing a studio demonstration followed by the latest performance of the BMA Demo Team. We attended this event 2 years ago and it was a great time for all. Contact Master Serrano if you can attend. Quassy is located in Middlebury, CT.

4/2005- BMA Students win big at the 2005 NJ Open BMA Students won big at the 2005 New Jersey Open in Rahway, NJ, 3/13/2005 Members of the BMA competitive team won in multiple divisions at the NJ Open held in Rahway, NJ. The NJ Open was the host of the USBA NJ Regionals Breaking Championships, the USBA was founded by Master Bergamo and Master Serrano, with divisions in Creative Breaking, Long and High jump, and Power Wood; as well as Tae Kwon Do forms and fighting divisions. Members of the BMA competitive team as well as Team Bergamo competed in and dominated just about all of the breaking divisions. It was great to see some of the younger students from our studio competing at an outside event. Congratulations to all of the winners below: Zachary Burska: 1st place in Long Jump and 1st in Creative; Sarah Kulenski: 1st place in Creative, 2nd place in High Jump, 3rd Place in Long Jump; Christopher Guzoski: 1st place in Creative, 1st in Power Wood Elbow, 1st in Power Wood Hand; Olivia Bufalini: 1st place in Creative, 2nd place in Long Jump, 3rd place in High Jump; Sean Anderson: 2nd place in Power Wood Hand, 3rd in Power Wood Elbow; Stephen Hiney: 1st place in Creative, 2nd place in Long Jump.

Team Bergamo members take gold medals at Team Bergamo and The BMA Competition Team take Gold at the Arnold Martial Arts Festival Members of the BMA competitive team and Team Bergamo competed in and helped to run disciplines at The Arnold Martial Arts Festival March 4-6, 2005 in Columbus, OH.  The United States Breaking Asociation (http://www.usba.biz ), founded by Master Ralph Bergamo and Master Drew Serrano, sanctioned the USBA World Championships which were held on Sunday March 6. Team Bergamo dominated the Breaking divisions and caught the interest of Wesley Snipes, who sat in for a portion of the breaking on Sunday. Clinton Murphy even christened the 'Blade' star with fresh coconut milk when he crushed a coconut in front of the star. On Saturday, Team Bergamo performed a breaking demonstration on mainstage in front of the capacity crowd. It included every aspect of breaking, from creativity to jumping to "Ki" focus to power to speed. As the dust settled and the music faded the crowd expressed their appreciation through a concert of applause and cheers. There were alot of big wins for the team, as well as our fellow teammates from Southbury Academy of Karate. We came back with Gold medals in Self-Defense, Fighting, Forms, and a multitude of Breaking divisions. The complete results will be posted soon in the accomplishments section. Congratulations to all of the competitors and special thanks to all of the friends, parents, and significant others who helped the team. We would not be the team we are without all of you!

Team Bergamo and the BMA Competition Team Bergamo and The BMA Competition Team to attend Arnold Martial Arts Festival Members of the BMA competitive team and Bergamo's Team will compete in and help run disciplines at The Arnold Martial Arts Festival March 4-6, 2005 in Columbus, OH.  The United States Breaking Asociation (http://www.usba.biz ), founded by Master Ralph Bergamo and Master Drew Serrano, will sanction the USBA World Championships which will be held on Sunday March 6.  Master Serrano has also been appointed as the Assistant Director for the Self-Defense divisions.  The USBA will also be holding a breaking workshop during the event. Team Bergamo is slated to perform a demonstration of Extreme Breaking at the Saturday night banquet, which will be attended by movie stars and world renowned Masters The tournament is one of the largest in the World and draws top competition from around the globe. For more information please see the tournament website at http://www.arnoldmartialarts.com/home.html , or contact Master Serrano or Master Bergamo.

Bergamo's Team in Atlantic City, 1/2005 Bergamo's Team and The BMA Demo Team to be featured in Atlantic City Members of the competitive team will partner with the BMA Demo Team traveling to Atlantic City on Saturday January 15, 2005 as one of the featured demonstrations at the Action Martial Arts Trade Show and Expo Mega Martial Arts Weekend, http://www.theactionarena.com/index.htm. This will be the team's 2nd year as a featured demonstration at the World class event. Last year the team thrilled audiences with their demonstration 'Mirabile Visu II' which incorporated breaking, self-defense routines, weaponry, gymnastics, and form into the intricate 5 minute demostration. This year's demonstration,  Mirabile Visu IV, will once again raise the bar with even more intricate synchronized weponry and form. The breaking will also be at a World-Class level as always with the inclusion of Bergamo's Team members. Any individuals interested in accompanying the team please contact Master Bergamo for details.

Peter DeMarco promoted to 4th degree Black Belt in Aikido, 11/2004 Peter DeMarco has been promoted to 4th degree Black Belt in traditional Aikido Peter DeMarco, who currently instructs Traditional Aikido at the Cheshire studio and is a dedicated student of Kun Tao, was recently promoted to 4th degree Black Belt in Aikido by his Aikido Master. This rank is the beginning of the Master's levels for Aikido. Peter has been a leading Light Weight breaker for Team Bergamo. He won the 2003 Light Weight World Championship at the US Open in FL, as featured on ESPN 2, and placed second to Raphael Velez, also a member of Team Bergamo, this year. We are proud to have Peter as a member of Team Bergamo and our student body, and appreciate his instruction in traditional Aikido.

Master Serrano featured in CT FF Calender Master Drew Serrano featured in the 2005 CT State Fire Fighters' Calender Master Drew Serrano was asked to be a featured month in the 2005 CT State Fire Fighters' Calender currently for sale at http://www.ctfirefighterscalendar.com . The calender is being sold to raise money for Yale New Haven Children's Hospital. Master Serrano will be part of the numerous signings throughout the state to help promote the calender. For information on purchasing a calender please go to the website or contact Master Serrano at 203-410-9222.

Master Bergamo inducted into PR Hall of Fame Master Ralph Bergamo named "Pioneer of Breaking" for Puerto Rico and Team Bergamo honored at Ju Jitsu Hall of Fame, October 16, 2004 Team Bergamo traveled to sunny Puerto Rico the weekend of October 15th, 2004 to participate in the National Martial Arts day for the island. They were part of a world wide contigent of Masters, Founders, promoters and students invited to take part in the festivities. Team Bergamo members Master Ralph Bergamo, Master Drew Serrano, Master Raphael Velez, Peter DeMarco, and Master Fernando Camareno (Team Bergamo's Puerto Rican representative) concluded the festivities held Friday night, which included demonstrations and seminars by Masters form across the globe, with an Extreme Breaking demonstration that thrilled the hundreds in attendence. Team Bergamo signed autographs for many who have followed the team's television appearances and Championship wins. The team was also invited to the Ju Jitsu Hall of Fame banquet and awards ceremony held Saturday night. Master Bergamo was inducted into the exclusive Hall of Fame and received the prestigious title of "Pioneer of Breaking" for Puerto Rico, the only individual holding the title. Master Fernando Camareno was inducted as "Master of the Year" for his work with troubled youths and adults. The rest of the team, including Master Bergamo's wife Kim, received awards at the ceremony for the positive contributions to the Martial Arts community. Team Bergamo has gained popularity on the island over the past 2 years. They are planning many future trips to Puerto Rico to promote the positive aspects of Breaking and Martial Arts in general. Master Bergamo and Master Serrano, co-founders of the United States Breaking Association, are also in the process of setting up a sanctioned breaking event sometime in the near future.

Congratulations to all US Open competitors! Team Bergamo takes both the Light and Heavy Weight World Power Breaking Titles Over the July 4th weekend, Team Bergamo was in Orlando, FL at Disney World competing in the US Open Martial Arts Championships. With competitors from all over the world, The US Open is one of the largest open Martial Arts tournaments in the world.  It is also televised throughout the year on ESPN 2. Among the many wins by Team Bergamo, some of the most exciting were the Team's wins in the Power Breaking event. Colin Thompson stunned the audience and fellow competitors by smashing through 16 2" cement patio blocks on his way to the Heavy Weight Championship of the World, and a new World Record. In the Light Weight division, Raphael Velez did something that has not been done in the history of the sport. By winning the Light Weight division with a record Light Weight break through 13 blocks he became the first competitor ever to win the Triple Crown of Power Breaking, taking Championships at all 3 major events. The full results will follow shortly. We are very proud of all the students and competitors that represented Team Bergamo at this World Class event.

The Annual Fundraiser will be June 27, 2004 at the The Annual Fundraiser, June 27, 2004- The Naugatuck Elks Club The annual fundraiser for both studios will be held June 27, 2004 at the Naugatuck Elks Club. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 5-12 yrs old, children under 5 are free. Seats are limited to 350 so get your tickets ASAP. Tickets are available from Heather Kulenski in Cheshire and Valerie Hall in Naugatuck. The demo team will be performing their latest demonstration.

ATTENTION 2004 US OPEN COMPETITORS ATTENTION ALL 2004 US OPEN COMPETITORS There will be numerous practices throughout the month of June (check the studio calender) for all competitors competing at the US Open in July. There is no charge for practices and competitors will be trained for all divisions they are planning to enter. As a member of Team Bergamo competing in the World Martial Arts arena, you are required to hone your skills to the best of your ability and to show your support to your fellow team members. All competitors are required to attend practices as often as possible.

Team Bergamo to be featured on The David Lettermen Team Bergamo members to be featured on The David Lettermen Show Tuesday, May 25th On May 25th, members of Team Bergamo will travel to the Big Apple for a taping of the David Lettermen Show to be aired later that night. The main focus of their appearance will be a World Record attempt by member Leif Becker for the most boards broken in one minute. In Leif's last attempt at Mohegan Sun in April he broke 370 boards in one minute, only 45 boards away from the current record of 415. The team is waiting to hear if the show will also feature breaking demonstrations from it's other top members. The GCI Company, Shick's marketting company, is currently working on the specifics for the taping. Shick recently became the official sponsor of Team Bergamo. Tickets are not sold, but those interested may get tickets that day. More details will be forthcoming.

"The Agent", upcoming screening in Newtown