In the Apulian capital, however, there are four schools that can be defined as “pioneers” of this type of sport. These are places born in the 70s that continue to be carried out by old judo and karate masters. They are Franco Quarto, Vito Simmi, Francesco Mele and Carmelo Malleo: gentlemen who manage the Franco Quarto Judo Club (1972), Simmi (1972), Ippon (1974) and Kanku Dai (1976) respectively. All gyms where they trained athletes distinguished nationally and internationally. We went to see them. (See photo gallery)
We begin our tour in via Capruzzi, where, just before the intersection with viale Ennio, the yellow sign of the Judo Club Franco Bedroom, which despite its name deals with various martial arts. We cross the entrance and find the 75-year-old owner in the tool room, whose walls are full of cups, prizes and photographs of the people of Bari who trained here. Among these the 55-year-old teacher Pietro, son of the owner, with four medals won in various tournaments to his credit.News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
The master came across judo by chance as a teenager, in the 60s. «I was walking around the city – he says – when I saw some boys fighting in white uniforms inside a gym called Club Atletico. So I decided to try my hand at this sport».News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
In a short time Quarto made giant steps in art, so much so that he decided to open his own training room in Corso Mazzini., together with the “pioneer of Bari karate” Vito Simmi. An adventure that lasted however a few years: the two in fact took different paths, inaugurating in 1972 the gyms that they still manage today.News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
That was the era of the films of Bruce Lee, actor and martial artist who literally exploded the passion for this kind of disciplines. An interest which, however, is still very much alive. Just look around to notice girls and boys trying positions, shifts and jumps. «The secret of judo is that it is a contact sport but it is not violent: indeed it teaches to defend oneself without the need to attack. This is why it is suitable for people of any age », underlines the teacher 7 dan.News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
«As you become familiar with the practice, you take exams for passing to the next degree, identified with the belt color – Vito continues -: white, yellow, orange, green, blue brown. Once you have earned the last, the “black” you move on to the acquisition of and, levels of competence that are ten in all “.News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
We take our leave of Quarto to go to via Madonna della Rena, where in one of the premises of the Arena della Vittoria there is the Asd Kyohan Simmi of the aforementioned 81 year old Vito Simmi.News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
Inside the single room gymnasium we then notice the tatami on which boys and girls dressed in white train with colored belts. To help the instructor in his school are his sons Giuseppe, Nicola and Daniele and also his wife, who teaches another martial art that has become popular in Puglia in the last twenty years: aikido.News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
«It all started in the 60s in a judo gym, there Corallo in via Podgora, at the time the only one to teach it in Bari together with Angiulli – the gentleman tells us –. But one day he showed up there a karate master Turin who needed a place to practice his discipline. It was he who made me fall in love with this sport that gave me so much satisfaction, to the point of making me become coach of the Italian national team between 1998 and 2013».News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
Vito thus began his career first with Franco Quarto, then opening his own school which was initially located in via De Bernardis, then in via Brigata Bari and finally in the former Bari stadium.News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
«Over the years there has been an evolution of karate – he explains -. For example, the federation has banned direct contact to avoid getting hurt. Training has also changed: when I started again the tablets were broken with bare hands “.News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
“Mani nude” after all, it is precisely the meaning of the word karate: a fight without weapons. With the evolution into competitive sport, the martial art is today it is divided into two “forms” of training. The kumite it is a fight that follows very specific rules, including the prohibition against touching the opponent’s face, while the say sees the athlete busy simulating shots, holds and saves in the absence of opponents.News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
Also in karate there are i grade passes identified by the color of the belt: white, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown and then black: once the latter is obtained, the and up to the number of ten.
Simmi has prepared many samples over the years, including the 66-year-old Francesco Mele, founder in 1974 of theAS Ippon, located in via Fiume, in Santo Spirito.News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
«I started practicing karate at 17 with Vito – confirms the gentleman welcoming us in his gym -. Then with three friends, Garofalo, Magno and Leccese, I decided to open this room which has been running for 47 years now ».News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
Here, too, dozens of cups are displayed on the shelves, while a large bulletin board with photos and newspaper clippings hangs on one wall.News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
As we speak, about twenty boys try to hit their opponent in the front by controlling every movement. One with one leg bent towards him prepares to launch the attack and a girl makes a ushiro geri, a kick back. «Martial arts teach young people commitment and respect for the rules – observes the 6 dan -. Through karate we often have “Torn from the road” problematic subjects “.News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
We just have to go to via Napoli 240, near the Palamartino. Here, entering an internal courtyard of an apartment building, the Kanku Dai, opened in 1976 by the now 74-year-old Malleo Carmelo.News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
We find it among his pupils on the tatami: with the legs in position zenkutsu dachi, i.e. with the weight on the front bent and the hind limb straight, while the arms are in gedan barai (low block).News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
«I started in 1965 in Turin, where I lived – says the teacher 8 dan coming to meet us -. Moving to Bari for love, I decided to found this school. At the time it was about a small structure where I taught karate. Only over the years have we extended ourselves to judo, aikido, taekwondo ».News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
Let’s observe together the workout of one of the classes: we are impressed by a small athlete who exercises by hitting a lot with a oi zuki (an advanced punch) and a mawashi geri (circular kick).News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
«Over the years, however, the most spiritual and philosophical part of the disciplines has been somewhat lost – concludes Carmelo -. But martial arts continue to represent an important sport, not only from a physical point of view: they increase in fact self-confidence and respect for others “.News published on the portal barinedita.it and owned by it.
(See photo gallery)
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