During our beginning, practice and learning in the martial arts, we will have the opportunity to know instructors who we will remember by the rest of our lives, many of them by its form to teach, others by to be very strict and a few that they have not given the stature. 

In my case and like many of you, I have had good and disagreeable experiences with different instructors, but since I had the opportunity to begin to work and to learn next to Shihan Evan Pantazi, my form to see the world and my form to teach have changed completely! 

There is a proverb that says:  "Rather that spend ten years studying every day to perfect an art, spend 20 years searching for the right to teacher" and this it has been my case. 

Shihan Evan Pantazi has to its salary a great trajectory in different martial styles and this has
allowed him to have a very clear vision of the world of the martial arts, at the moment holds the 7th Dan in Kyusho Jitsu, of this form becomes one of the highest degrees of this art.

It has had the opportunity to train with great and recognized instructors, between whom they already honor missing Professor Nick Cerio, Professor Wally Jay and Master George  Dillman, so its knowledge has become rich during its learning. 

Those that we have had the opportunity to share with Shihan Pantazi, we have occurred account of which always it shares its experiences and knowledge with all those that they look for to improve, all this without concerning the martial style. 

All its work and study have allowed him to visit different countries where it has distributed the
theory and practice of the Kyusho Jitsu, method developed by Master George Dillman and which has taken great height at world-wide level. 

At the moment the Kyusho Jitsu is being introduced to Spain by the initiative of Sebastián Deibe, which has trusted the Shihan Pantazi and my person.  Thanks to Sebastián we will be able to share with you this incredible art! 

In this number of ArtesGuerreras.com, the Shihan Pantazi will share with us its experiences and
anecdotes during its martial arts carrer, so to enjoy this interesting interview!

EP. Many years ago I used to see Sensei Dillman’s videotapes advertised in the Martial Arts Magazines and they seemed unbelievable.  After seeing them month after month I came to realize that I may be missing something and for the cost of a video I had really nothing to loose.  Well I ordered a video of a Kata that I had to see what he had discovered about it (Bassai).  It was 2 solid hours of the most incredible instruction that I had ever seen.  One Knockout in particular caught  my attention as it really amazed me, where he just walked up to someone and slapped him on the forehead…the man looked like he had been electrocuted!  Well the next seminar he was giving was 3,000 miles from where I live, but it was so amazing that I hopped on a Plane and went to the seminar. 

At the seminar there was about 125 people, I walked up to Dillman Sensei, introduced myself and asked him to Knock me out as I needed to feel it to see if this Kyusho was real…He Knocked me cold with just a light hit.  Now I have taken many hard shots in my training and have even had bones and joints broken, but I never felt anything like that before so I knew I had to learn how to do it … I have been traveling and training with him ever since!

SD. Have you practiced another styles? Do you hold another ranks?

EP. My first lessons in Judo began in 1975, which immediately spurred an interest in the Arts that has grown steadily through the years. In that same year I was introduced to Wing Chun that added the entering, sensitivity and striking that I had not found in the Judo. A real incident brought me to seek not just these technical Arts but a less regimented and more natural method for protection that was found in Kenpo. From the Kenpo training which increased my coordination and stamina I began the study of Wu Shu which ended after only a few years as I sought out the softer styles of Martial Arts like Tai Chi, Ba Qua, Jujitsu, Aikido and finally into the healing Arts of Tui Na, Chi Gong.

Current Studies are the integration of Kyusho Jitsu under Sensei George A. Dillman, into all aspects and styles of Martial Arts.  Instructing internationally in:  Australia, Bermuda, Canada, Costa Rica, England, Finland, France, Greece, Italy and Sweden. 

Experiences:

·         26 years Wing Chun (since 1975)

·         Tai Chi Chuan (under Master Bo Sim Mak since 1985)

·         11 years varied Jujitsu Styles (1990)

·         9 years Small Circle Jujitsu (Professor Wally Jay, Leon Jay and Ed MeLaugh - 1992)

·         6 years Tui Na (certified therapist - 1995)

·         17 years Chi Gong (certified therapist - 1984)

·         3^rd Dan in Chinese Kenpo (1989)

·         4th Dan American Kenpo (from the late Professor Cerio - 1993)

·         6th Dan Kyusho Jitsu (George A. Dillman - 2000) 

·         Awarded the title of Shihan ( George Mattson 9^th Dan Uechi Ryu -  I.U.R.K.F - 1999)

·         BA Education (1980)

SD. What is Kyusho Jitsu? How it works?

EP.  Kyusho is basically studying the weakest Anatomical Areas in the Human Body and learning how to cause physiological disruption to the bodies natural and life sustaining functions.  This is done by targeting the Kyusho Points on the body that will stop, reverse or speed up functions of the Circulation, Respiration and/or Digestion.  This sends the body into an unbalanced state with predictable and duplicatable results that can be very dangerous. 

SD. Who can practice Kyusho Jitsu? It can be learned by a child? How do you teach them?

EP.  Anyone can practice and integrate the Kyusho Jitsu into whatever they do…you don’t have to change anything, except the focus and energetics of strikes, kicks, grabs and touches.  The picture above is my wife doing a KO on me, she learned this in Finland and this is only the second time she tried it!  I do teach some points and ideas to Children as they need advantage over larger kids and/or adults that want to injure or abduct them.  But only to release grabs and holds, by incapacitating the opponents arms and legs…(I do have a couple of 10 – 16 year old students that have been with me for 6 –12 years that I trust and teach more to.  Some of them have even performed Kyusho KO’s in their sparring).

SD. Dillman Karate International is the only Association of Kyusho recognized worldwide.  How it works? Who is the DKI Chief Instructor?

EP.  Dillman Karate International is not the only Association of Kyusho, but all of the others (except some Oriental Masters), have been students or studied his information before they founded their organizations.  Some call it by different names (Dim Mak, Tuite, Torite…), but they present the early information, not the more advanced material we now perform.  They have emerged with Dillman’s techniques and some even copy Dillman Sensei’s jokes…right on their videos.  I think it’s wrong to not give credit where credit is due, it was and still is Dillman Sensei that brought this out of the secrecy it was once in.  And as I continually study and watch the other organizations I see they have not grown as much with their studies as DKI has.  Some give wrong information, some make claims they can’t and don’t back up, there’s even one that started their own point  system as if the 3,000 year old acupuncture science was not enough for them.  Why is it that ego must get in the way aren’t Martial Artists supposed to be humble and honorable?

SD. We have seen your no touch KOs and like you said you use your internal power to accomplish them. For those people who don´t practice Martial Arts: How can you explain them this phenomenon? Who developed this technique?

EP.  The body is electrical by nature with the brain as a generator, the spinal column as a circuit breaker and the peripheral nerves as electrical wiring (like a home for example).   Just as an electric fan can interrupt the signal of a radio transmission so can a person interact with another.  That is about as much as I can comfortably discuss publicly.  George Dillman and one of his Instructors Bob Golden were the first I knew about that did this.

SD. What kind of drills do you teach to access the pressure points in the human body?

EP.  I teach spontaneous sparring flow drills with the targeting in mind, all contact, we never pull the techniques short and yet all attacks still emanate from Kata.  The ancient Kata had far more secrets and hidden meanings than we previously credited them with…they are the key to this method.  We teach it for striking, grappling, kicking, weapons in short everything we do is totally geared to targeting these Kyusho Points. 

SD. Who have motivated in your matial arts career? And Why?

EP.   Everyone I have ever met influenced and motivated me in my Martial Arts in someway as it is a learning and character refining process that will never end.  I truly feel and actually learn this way, but I believe you would like some hard names so I will give you my 3 most influential instructors; they are the 3 George’s: 

First and foremost my Father George Pantazi, as he instilled in me a work ethic and tenacity to never be satisfied with who you are or what you have accomplished…there’s always more that can and should be done!

Second would be George Dillman as he has illustrated how to unlock the true potential of my mind.  Always believing and pushing yourself to achieve what others try to tell you is not possible.  I have watched and mimicked his skills in Martial Arts, Business as well as his Quest for Knowledge…always open to new ideas from all people.

Third would be George Mattson (9^th Dan in Uechi Ryu) as he offered me a space on his internet forum that began to increase my determination and skills.  Early on what I wrote on the forum was criticized and mocked as ridiculous and not possible.  It was these people (Not Mattson Sensei as he is a very Humble, Open and Honorable Man), that inspired me to start filming actual proof of what I was saying to answer those that said it wasn’t possible.  They would tell me that you can’t KO someone like that and I would do it, film it and then show them and everyone else that I was right, it was and is possible!  As an old saying goes…”I have built my house from the bricks others have thrown”.

SD. What do you think about the "Vale Tudo" (Anything goes) and U.F.Cs Championships?  Do you like the idea that one of your students fights in these tournaments?

EP.  Early on it taught everyone what is and isn’t realistic for fighting, I see now that the continual addition of new rules is changing it into more of a sport.  It is much more dimensional than Boxing or Wrestling, but with rules, sponsors…ever increasing paychecks it is now evolving into the same genre.  The one Student that was involved in it has moved and I no longer teach him.  When I watch these matches and I see folks get KO’d as also with Boxing Matches, my studies and understanding of the Kyusho let me see exactly why the KO occurred.  Most of the time it is exactly the same thing, this is what gave me the idea for my “Anatomy of a Hook Punch” video…to explain why these people go out.  If more people would take the time to study this we would see a lot more KO’s in these bouts.

SD. What do you have planned to continue spreading Kyusho Jitsu?

EP. I have a rather extensive Kyusho Website with a group of very advanced instructors teaching and growing in this incredible Art.  I have a couple of videos that are selling in over 15 Countries and soon I will be releasing an incredible new learning tool (that was many years in the making) that every Martial Artist will want, making it very easy to learn this Art.  But my first love is the travel to different Countries meeting new people, seeing new cultures and just experiencing life.  I will continue to travel Internationally to help as many people as I can integrate this into their own personal styles, so far for 2002 I am scheduled for several seminars in 6 Countries with others pending.  And I still manage to be on the mat in my own school teaching over 40 hours a week this is really rewarding as well watching people’s progress and confidence grow.

SD. The Kyusho Jitsu is available in every Country? How many Countries and instructors are associated to DKI?

EP.  I don’t think anyone knows for sure how many people are studying this worldwide, but it does continue to grow daily.  My website alone receives an average of 6,000 – 10,00 hits a day from 52 countries.  People want to learn this but qualified teachers are not always available.  As for how many DKI Affiliates and in what Countries I will leave that to the Dillman’s to say.

SD. Do you want to share an anecdote of a seminar or class with us?

EP.  I’ll share the story of how I got into DKI to begin with as Dillman Sensei always tells it at each seminar I am at:

I already related the story of my first seminar at the beginning of the article, but what happened after Dillman Knocked me out was that I began following him around to every seminar he had.  Every week he was somewhere else and I would show up to learn, and try to get into DKI.  The Dillman’s kept saying it’s that Pantazi guy again….he’s following us!  Well one seminar he invited me out for dinner with the other DKI instructors…I thought it was because I showed so much dedication and interest, but I found out later they were checking me out to find out if I was a nut case or not.  Anyway I found out that they liked Lobster a lot and being from New England it’s one of the things we are known for so I sent them a package of Live Lobsters!  They did not know I was going to do it, they just received a pack marked Live Animals on it.  When they opened it up there were a bunch of them crawling around.  They were shocked and they had to get me on the phone to find out how to cook them….well to make a long story short, I bribed my way into DKI, as Sensei would say… “the Lobsta Man”! 

SD. How do you feel when one of your students obtain and accomplish a level in Kyusho Jitsu?

EP.  It’s great to see their feeling of accomplishment, disbelief they can do it too, the empowerment of it all!   But when they teach someone else how to do it just like Sensei Randall Sanchez it give me a sense of accomplishment, I have helped someone grow stronger and more confident…this is so fantastic!

SD. You teach Kyusho Jitsu through the internet: Could you be so kind to explain how it works this method? Do you get success with your online lessons?

EP.  I have many students in 15 different countries taking Online Lessons with me currently.  But Sensei Randall Sanchez is the most successful and advanced so far.   For a couple of years he was online learning and absorbing, I noticed that his questions became more involved and showed an understanding of the Art.  He then mailed me a video of him performing KO’s he learned from me as well as other DKI instructors, he also had original KO’s…meaning he learned how to do it and could now perpetuate and continually learn from his own base of knowledge.  This was a 2-hour long film with class time, drills…even seminars.  But the most impressive part was the care and knowledge of the revival process for his Ukes…I knew he was of high moral standards.  I hope that the others find as much understanding and rewarding knowledge in this Art.  It is accomplished with lessons just like these pictures with video clips.  Each lesson has written explainations and video clips to show the effects and that it can be done.

SD. A final message for those Martial Artist who read this magazine?

EP.  It looks easy but it is not, it will take a long period of time for some to catch on…it took me 3 years to get my first KO, so don’t get discouraged, have fun learning it will happen when you are ready!  “Remain open minded, consistent in practice, dedicated to self-improvement and enjoy your journey”!

SD.  Master Evan Pantazi, Thank you very much for the interview and Thank You very much for your time! Att. Sebastian Deibe Garcia - Director of www.artesguerreras.com

EP.  It is an honor sir; my very best wishes to you all your wonderful new publication! Evan Pantazi www.kyusho.com