Sensei and Mrs. Sousa, your programs director, are both retired Connecticut Police Officers.
Mrs. Sousa worked in the Law Enforcement field for 17 years in the City of Waterbury.
Sensei Sousa was a Law Enforcement Specialist in the United States Air Force from 1984 to 1988 and was stationed in the United States and in the Republic of South Korea.
Sensei Sousa joined the Naugatuck Connecticut Police Department in 1988 and worked there until retiring in 2007. During this time, Sensei worked as a Patrolman, a Detective, a Patrol Sergeant, and in his last years, was assigned as the Departments Motorcycle Officer.
Sensei was also a certified Police Defensive Tactics Instructor and taught new Police recruits at the Connecticut Police Academy’s Waterbury Branch. In addition, Sensei assisted with the Defensive Tactics training and recertification for all Municipal Police Officers working in the Northwest region of Connecticut.
In 1994, Sensei went in search of a Martial Arts Instructor, and after visiting several schools, Sensei entered the Cheshire, Ct school of Master Ralph Bergamo. Master Bergamo is a direct student of Grandmaster Rossi and after years of training with Grandmaster Rossi and all of his first generation Black Belts especially Master David Labonte, in 1979 Master Bergamo was rewarded by becoming a second generation Black Belt in Rossi Kun Tao as awarded by Grandmaster Rossi and a board of his first generation Black Belts. In a matter of moments, Sensei knew that the art of Kun Tao was the art that would serve him best in his career field and that Master Bergamo, with his abilities and intensity, was the person for Sensei to learn it from. This began a learning quest that has lasted for many years.
On March 21, 1998 Grandmaster Rossi created the American-Filipino Kun Tao Federation and appointed a Board of Directors. Today the AFKTF still flourishes and the current members of the Board are:
Grandmaster Ralph Bergamo, CT
Master Mel Hebert, CA
Master Drew Serrano, CT
Master Jon Gentile, NV
"Grandmaster Ralph Bergamo"
Through this path, Sensei met, trained with, and competed with all of the current members of World Championship “Team Bergamo” which has been featured on ESPN, Discovery, and Late Night with David Letterman. Team members, including Sensei have parts in the movie “The Agent” to their credit and a soon to be released documentary about the Team.
"Team Bergamo"
The following is a brief list of Sensei’s accomplishments in the Martial Arts to date:
Years of training: 15 yrs
Certifications: 4th degree Black Belt in The Filipino Kun Tao System; 2nd degree Black Belt under the Kar-Do-Jitsu-Ryu Karate Federation; Brown Belt, Olympic Judo.
Affiliations: Leading member of World Champion Team Bergamo; Member of the American-Filipino Kun Tao Federation; Member of the Kar-Do-Jitsu-Ryu Karate Federation; Member of East Coast Training Systems, CT; Member of the United States Martial Arts Association; Instructor, Connecticut Northwest Region Police Defensive Tactics;
Co-Founder, Blue Line Martial Arts LLC
Personal Accomplishments
2007- Founded Blue Line Martial Arts LLC, in Waterbury, Ct
2001- 5th place Black Belt Self-Defense- US Open, FL
2000- 1st place Under Black Belt Self-Defense- Empire State Nationals, MSG, NY; 1st place Under Black Belt Self-Defense - US Open, FL;
(ISKA WORLD CHAMPION)
1999- 1st place Under Black Belt Self-Defense- Cactus Classic, AZ; 3rd place Under Black Belt Self-Defense- USA World Championships- Las Vegas, NV; 4th place Under Black Belt Creative Breaking- USA World Championships- Las Vegas, NV; 3rd place Black Belt Breaking- National Karate Championships- Atlantic City, NJ.
