grandmaster walter belsito sr

Walter J. Belsito Sr.

Belsito Tang Soo Do Karate Association
Founder/Grandmaster/Senior Advisor
10th Degree Black Belt

Belsito Martial Arts Association
Founder/Soke/Sifu-Yang Tai Chi Chuan

gmbelsito@aol.com

Grandmaster Belsito was born in Newburgh, NY in 1937. In 1959 he settled in
Waterbury, where he would begin his journey into the martial arts. The first arts
that peaked his interest was Judo and Jujutsu. Then in 1965 he commuted to NY to
study Yoga under Edataryl Yohanin Sam-Ji in Maybrook, NY and Tai Chi under
William Chen in NYC. In 1966 he began studying Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do
under instructor Robert Cheezic #2278 of The Cheezic Tang Soo Do Federation
and later studied under Dr. Robert Beaudoin #5657

Tang Soo Do would be the Martial Art that would lead him to his life long
dedication. He first started teaching Tang Soo Do for the Police Athletic League (P.
A.L.) in Waterbury, CT in 1970. In 1972 he was promoted to black belt by Jae Chul
Shin #698 who also promoted Robert Cheezic, Robert Beaudoin and action movie
star Chuck Norris. His registration number is #17029, a member of The Korean
Tang Soo Do Association, issued by president and founder of the Moo Duk Kwan
Tang Soo Do Association Hwang Kee. In the fall of 1972 he opened the first full
time Tang Soo Do School in Waterbury, CT, “The Waterbury Karate Institute”,
teaching Karate, Tai Chi, Yoga and Weapons. In addition to running the two
programs Mr. Belsito and his students did demonstrations and competed in karate
tournaments up and down the east coast of New England.

Being a student of the oriental culture he has a working knowledge of Chinese,
Korean and Japanese languages. He was one of the first Americans to translate
the Korean bible of Tang Soo Do “Soo Bahk Do Dae Kham”, written by
Grandmaster Hwang Kee. Most of the information in the book did not become
available to the general public until the early 1990’s. He was one of the first to
teach the higher forms including the 20th “Tai Chi Chuan”. In 1998 he was
awarded his sokeship in his style of martial arts and he co-founded the Korean
Karate Masters Association with Masters Donald Belsito, Raphael Velez, and
Robert Gelinas.

Grandmaster Belsito has been an inspiration to all of his students and instructors
because of his kindness, professionalism and knowledge of martial arts history.
Not being interested in making money or becoming famous, at one time he
instructed children in his backyard for fifty cents a lesson. He wanted to share with
others the true knowledge and traditions of Tang Soo Do. For more than 40 years
he has trained and promoted over a thousand individuals, ages ranging from 4
years to adult. On September 20, 2004 Grandmaster Belsito named Master
Donald Belsito Sr. Head of the Belsito Tang Soo Do Karate Association

On January 21, 2006 Grandmaster/Hanshi Robert Gelinas and a Master panel
were on hand to attest to the Pioneer Award sponsored by the Gelinas Martial
Arts System International awarded to Grandmaster Belsito for his contributions in
the Martial Arts for the last forty years,primarily in the Korean Martial Art art of
Tang Soo Do and the Chinese Martial Art of Tai Chi Chuan