Rob Colasanti: Ambassador of the Martial Arts

From Fat-Boy to a Lean Mean Fighting Machine Rob - Body Cast with Grandma-sizedAs a boy, Colasanti developed a fascination for Martial Arts from watching movies.  When he was 10, he broke his femur and was in a body cast for 8 months gaining an unhealthy amount of weight.  After the accident, he walked with a limp  and became the target of bullies at school. So, he decided to teach himself to become a Ninja by mimicking action sequences in his favorite movies. Colasanti’s neighbor, Dan Masi noticed his backyard Ninja gym and offered to show him some moves. Dan was a street fighter, bar bouncer and student of Kenpo. (You may remember his full-contact kickboxing match with “Oak Tree” Edwards at the Battle of Atlanta.) After several months of backyard sessions, Masi recommended a popular Martial Arts instructor.  At 14, Colasanti became the first student to enroll in John Graden’s USA Karate. To pay for lessons, he started a lawn service.

Becoming a Professional Instructor

rob-colasanti-kickboxing-sizedEventually, Colasanti became Chief Instructor and Program Director for two locations as Graden’s business expanded. Graden also had a local TV show and Colasanti was a frequent guest for demonstrations and segments. No longer a fat-boy with a limp, Colasanti was a highly respected fighter and hired himself out as a private lesson instructor specializing in kickboxing. Colasanti earned a biology degree from the University of South Florida. While he studied to become a doctor, passing the Medical College Aptitude Test, ultimately, his passion for Martial Arts steered him in a different direction.  Contributing to the growth and expansion of John Graden’s USA Karate gave him the opportunity to learn first-hand the challenges and joys of running a school.

A Career Helping Martial Arts Instructors Succeed

In 1994, Graden had the idea for the National Association of Professional Martial Artists and Colasanti became the first official employee of NAPMA as its Membership Director. He was soon promoted to Vice President, and then  President of NAPMA and Martial Arts Professional Magazine beginning in 1999. Under his direction, membership grew to over 2,100 in 20 countries. The magazine grew to a distribution of over 25,000 copies per month.

rob_colasanti_arnold-sizedDuring his tenure as NAPMA president, Colasanti worked to promote Martial Arts to the same recognition level as other sports organizations such as MLB, NFL, NHL, NASCAR, or the NBA. He used his position at NAPMA to create relationships with successful consultants and companies inside and outside the industry to elevate the stature of the martial arts. This mission kicked off with an in depth interview with Tony Robbins, and Robbins agreeing to a keynote speech for NAPMA’s convention.

jay-rob2012FIX0sizedColasanti went on to create relationships with many shining stars and educational gurus that he believed could contribute growth advice and motivation to the industry. Famed individuals such as Jackie Chan, Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, Tom Hopkins, Matt Furey, Jean Claude Van Damme, Chet Holmes, Dr. Paul Hartunian, Evander Holyfield, Tim “4-Hour Workweek” Ferris, Bill Amelio of Dell Computers and other mainstream notables gave interviews to Colasanti, and advice to NAPMA members. Many of these interviews were turned into cover stories in Martial Arts Professional Magazine for the benefit of all business owners in the industry.

In another initiative, Colasanti created a 5-year licensing deal with Coca Cola Enterprises to install healthy hydration products and machines in member schools, as an additional profit center for the owners. This deal was another first for the Martial Arts industry. While at NAPMA, he was directly involved with the successful implementation of Cardio Karate, a “kickboxing for fun and fitness” program that ultimately certified more than 6,000 instructors. He worked with Melody Shuman to bring the Little Ninjas program to member schools. And he drew upon his experience running a school to direct the publication of 180 monthly support packages. DSC03568-sizedAfter NAPMA changed ownership, he left the organization in 2010. Colasanti began speaking and writing. Eventually, he partnered with his mentor, Jay Abraham to continue promoting and developing the Martial Arts industry as an international organization. Abraham is one of the top international business-building geniuses in the world. His expertise has resulted in 9.4 billion dollars in increased revenue for his impressive list of clients.

The Importance of Good Information

Information, education and learning have always been a big part of Colasanti’s life and his mission to promote the industry. He believes that when a person stops learning, they begin a backward slide away from reaching their goals.

morita-sized To bring continuing education to the industry, Colasanti has interviewed and worked with many great Martial Artists and Martial Arts business leaders such as Kathy Long, Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee, Tommy Lee, Bill “Superfoot” Wallace, Billy “Tae Bo” Blanks, Joe Lewis, Benny “The Jet” Urquidez, Jeff Smith, Paul Garcia, Frank Shamrock, John Cassidy, Joe Corley, Greg Silva, Joon P. Choi, Rick Bell, “Judo” Gene LeBell, John Corcoran, Fumio Demura, Mike Swain, Tom Patire, Professor Brannon Beliso, Dan “The Beast” Severn, Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Bill Kipp, Fred Degerberg, Stephen Hayes, Diana Inosanto, Tiger Shulman, Linda Lee Cadwell (Bruce Lee’s widow), Ernie Reyes, Sr., as well as the Game Changer expert contributors.  

An Organization of Martial Arts Ambassadors

Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee once referred to Colasanti as the “Ambassador of the Martial Arts” because of his efforts to promote the Martial Arts industry. Colasanti believes every professional Martial Artist is an ambassador of the arts. Continuing his efforts to promote and elevate the Martial Arts, Colasanti formed Game Changers International, a community of Martial Arts entrepreneurs committed to promoting and spreading the arts to every corner of the globe. The GCI mission is to support, encourage, promote and inform these hard working “ambassadors” in their efforts to preserve and spread all the styles of the Martial Arts to students of all ages. pixel

 

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Rob Colasanti: A Life Transformed by Martial Arts

Rob Colasanti, President of Game Changers International and author of The Martial Arts Business Bible, is a much sought-after and popular speaker on school operations, industry trends and broad business concepts that apply directly to all martial arts professionals. He has more than 29 years studying and promoting the Martial Arts. He was Chief Instructor and Program Director at John Graden’s USA Karate for eight years as it grew into a multi-school operation and award-winning television show. During his 14 years at the National Association of Professional Martial Artists (NAPMA), he was instrumental in building the organization into a multi-million dollar enterprise with members in 20 countries. Colasanti is a third-degree Black Belt in American Tae Kwon Do. He stopped seeking additional rank in 1994, however, in 2011, he decided to test for a first-degree black belt under his longtime friend and teacher, World Champion Joe Lewis, after Lewis was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Colasanti is also a certified instructor by the American Council on Martial Arts (ACMA).

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