Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu Instructors
Soke Richard Petronelli
 Soke
Richard Petronelli has devoted over forty years of his life to the
study of the martial arts. As a young child he was enrolled in his
first martial arts class under Sensei John Lee in the art of Jiu
Jitsu. Sensei Lee was a dedicated instructor who instilled valuable
knowledge into the impressionable martial artist. He taught a young
Petronelli not only the basic concepts of Jiu Jitsu, but also the
importance of hard work and dedication. In 1962, five years after
commencing his training in the martial arts, Soke Petronelli switched
martial art disciplines to train under Master Peter Deblaiso in
traditional Karate.
During Soke Petronelli's tutelage under Master
Deblaiso, he was introduced to an instructor named Peter Rogers.
After a brief conversation, Petronelli became intrigued by the hybrid
style of martial arts that Master Peter Rogers taught. Embedded
with a strong desire to expand his knowledge of the martial arts,
Petronelli started training in the art of Koba-Ryu, an eclectic
style that mixed Korean, Okinawan, Burmese, and American fighting
systems. Throughout his fifteen years of dedicated training under
Master Peter Rogers, Petronelli learned trust, discipline, respect,
and harmony between life and the martial arts.
Continuing on in his quest for knowledge, Soke Petronelli initiated
further training with former world's strongest
man, Professor John Wooten in the art of Miyama Ryu Combat Jiu Jitsu.
Learning and formulating his own ideas and methods, Soke Petronelli
continued training with Master Peter Rogers, Prof. John Wooten,
and Kung Fu instructors Master Shoon Yip, Master Charlie Hu, and
Master Chong L. Woo. From 1957 through 1987, Soke Petronelli's martial
arts knowledge included Combat Jiu Jitsu, Karate, Kung Fu, Wing
Chun, and Judo.
In 1987, Professor John Wooten introduced Petronelli to the late
Professor Florendo M. Visitacion, known to his students as Professor
Vee. After an initial and in-depth discussion of the martial arts,
Professor Vee took the seasoned Petronelli under his wing. Drawing
from his vast knowledge of Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Kuntao, Aikido, Gung
Fu, and Filipino Stick and Knife fighting, Professor Vee showed
Petronelli how he blended all of these systems into one effective
fighting system, which he called Vee Arnis Jitsu.
While training directly under Professor Vee, Petronelli was given
insight on how a true Grandmaster thinks and works. "Professor
Vee taught me much more than how to punch or kick. I was taught
about life and how to give unselfishly these pearls of wisdom to
my students. Martial arts is my way of life, and it is a devotion
of love. Just like Professor Vee, I hope that the dedication and
devotion that I show to art of Kuntao Jiu Jitsu will impact and
inspire my students. I owe it to Professor Vee and my other fellow
instructors to expand on their teachings.
The thirteen-year relationship between Professor Vee and Professor
Petronelli grew into a close bond that lasted until Professor Vee's
passing on January 4th, 1999 . Professor Petronelli made the three-hour
drive to return to the Bronx , New York , where he had first learned
the art of Vee Arnis Jitsu, to pay tribute to this great man. On
November 5 th, 1999 , with the passing of his mentor still on his
mind, the inspired Petronelli presented his newly created system
of Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu in front of the same World Head Martial Arts
Council that approved Professor Vee's Vee Arnis
Jitsu. The overwhelming approval of Richard Petronelli's
street orientated Jiu Jitsu style, earned him the validation of
his own system and the title of Soke (Founder of a martial art system).
Soke Petronelli's accomplishments in the martial arts include inductions
into both the United Martial Arts Hall of Fame and the Vee-Arnis-Jitsu
Hall of Fame. He is a member of the Head Family Board of the International
Society Head Founders, and is an elected executive officer of the
Kokon Ryu Bujutsu Renmei Federation. Soke Petronelli has also been
inducted and elected Executive Chairman on the board of the World
Martial Arts Hall of Fame.
In addition to teaching selected black belts, Soke Petronelli conducts
seminars across the United States , teaching along side martial
art masters such as Danny Inosanto (Bruce Lee's student), Paul Vunak
(Jeet Kune Do), and Prof. Walley Jay (Small Circle Jiu Jitsu).
Dr. Marc Bochner, DPT
Soke-Dai of Kuntao
Jiu-Jitsu
 Marc
Bochner started his martial arts career at the age of eight under
the tutelage of Professor Richard Petronelli in the system of Koba-Ryu.
Under Professor Petronelli, Bochner learned the basic fundamental
kicks, forms, punches and stances that are prevalent in all traditional
karate based systems.
At the age of eleven, Bochner followed Petronelli to his Vee Arnis
Jitsu School, where the focus shifted from traditional karate to
a more effective and realistic form of self-defense, taught to Professor
Petronelli by Professor Florendo Visitacion. After five years of
dedicated training, Bochner earned a black belt in Jiu Jitsu under
Petronelli and Sifu Albert Borino. At the age of thirteen, Bochner
started to assist in teaching the children’s classes. Three
years later at the age of sixteen, Bochner started to assist in
teaching the majority of the adult classes along side Shihan Bruce
DiTraglia and Professor Petronelli.
On November 9, 1999, Bochner was the personal Uki (person who gets
demonstrated upon) for Professor Petronelli when he successfully
tested in front of the Head Founders and Head Family Board of Directors.
In this examination, Professor Petronelli presented his reality
based self-defense curriculum and thus validated his own system
of Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu. As a result of this approval, Professor Petronelli
was now known as the Soke (Creator of a System) of Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu.
For all his years of dedicated training, Bochner was effectively
named Soke-Dai of the system (sole inheritor of Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu)
and became the youngest person to ever hold that title.
In March of
2001, the Cranston Herald published a news article about Soke-Dai
Bochner and the adaptive art of Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu. The article describes
how Soke-Dai Bochner modified the system so that Brian Baccaire,
a man with Spina Bifida, could still be able to effectively defend
himself.
In the summer of 2001, Soke-Dai Bochner assisted the Rhode Island
Justice Program as one of the local instructors who participated
in the Kick Drugs Out Of Delinquency Program for the inner city
children. In this program, Bochner and other martial artists demonstrated
and explained the mentality behind martial arts to these youths.
Bochner’s creation of the Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu
children’s curriculum provides children and teenagers with
the proper knowledge of how to realistically defend themselves and
prevent possible abduction.
Bochner is also the designer of a crash course in
realistic self-defense that teaches instinctive reactions and
defenses against common street attacks. The realistic self-defense
crash course seminars are held at the official Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu Dojo
and may also be scheduled at local corporations and businesses.
In March of 2004, Soke-Dai Bochner tested and passed his 5th degree
black belt test. (An excerpt from this test can be found at www.KuntaoJiuJitsu.com.)
In March 2007, Soke-Dai Bochner produced the official Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu Six
DVD Training Set; Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu: Your DVD Guide To Realistic Self-Defense and
Street Survival. These are the only DVDs showing the effective techniques within
the art of Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu. In September 2007, the 2nd edition of
Kuntao
Jiu-Jitsu: Your Guide to Realistic Self-Defense and Street Survival was
published. In September 2009, Soke-Dai Bochner released the 2nd edition of his
2nd book Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu: Immediate Survival. Marc
Bochner's article on Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu was featured in the April 2010 issue of
BlackBelt Magazine. In August 2010 Bochner plans to publish his 3rd book geared towards children
entitled: Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu: Realistic Self-Defense For
Parents, Children, and Adolescents.
In May 2006, Soke-Dai Bochner received his Bachelors Degree in
Exercise Science from the University of Rhode Island. He continued
his education at the graduate level at the university earning his
Doctorate in Physical Therapy in the summer of 2009.
Currently, Soke-Dai Bochner holds self-defense and rape prevention
seminars at the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College,
Salve Regina University, and Bentley University. He is president and
co-founder of the University of Rhode Island Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu club
and is currently the head instructor at the Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu academy
in Johnston, Rhode Island.
Professor Bruce DiTraglia
7th Degree Kuntao
Jiu-Jitsu BlackBelt
 At
the age of nineteen, Professor Bruce DiTraglia began training in
the martial art style of Kumiuchi Jiu-Jitsu under Peter R. Marro
Jr. Professor DiTraglia trained for twelve years and achieved the
rank of 1 st degree Dan (Shodan). He continued local and private
training with law enforcement agencies and various martial artists
over the next ten years. This resulted in his mastering of many
martial art styles including Jiu Jitsu, Kumiuchi Jiu-Jitsu, Combat
Jiu-Jitsu, Vee Arnis Jitsu, Judo, Aikido, Arnis, Re System Te Jiu-Jitsu,
and weapon techniques.
In 1987, Professor DiTraglia was introduced to Soke Richard Petronelli
and began studying Vee Arnis Jitsu under the direction of Professor
Visitacion. This created the foundation of a new style dimension
of martial arts. While teaching and continuing to study over the
next fifteen years, Professor DiTraglia achieved the rank of seventh
degree black belt under Soke Petronelli. He also assisted in the
development of the new hybrid Art of Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu.Professor
DiTraglia's thirty-seven years of experience has taught him a vast
degree of knowledge and character that he willingly shares with
all of his students.
Currently Prof. DiTraglia teaches our weapon survival class and completes his
duty as Assistant Mayor of East Providence, R.I.
Sensei Brian Baccaire
3rd Degree
Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu BlackBelt
 Born
with Spina Bifida and confined to a wheelchair, Sensei Baccaire
had extensively investigated various martial art systems to see
if any were adaptable and effective for his situation. In 1999,
Brian Baccaire was introduced to Soke Petronelli and Soke-Dai Bochner.
Baccaire immediately felt comfortable with the two gentlemen and
discussed his interest in the martial arts.
Soke-Dai Bochner then worked with Baccaire extensively to develop
an adaptive version of Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu. The result has proven to
be an effective and realistic means of self-defense for Sensei Baccaire.
In addition to Sensei Baccaire's modifications, he was required
to learn the complete system in order to assist non-disabled students
with the standard techniques. Sensei Baccaire's martial art training
began in 1999 and four years later in 2003, he was tested and he
received his black belt in the art of Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu. As a Sensei,
Baccaire teaches youth and adult classes in Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu. He
also teaches a specialized Nucleus crash course designed for self-defense
and rape prevention. Sensei Baccaire also has a degree in psychology
from Rhode Island College .
In July of 2007, Sensei Baccaire was promoted to third degree
BlackBelt in the art of Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu.
Currently Sensei Baccaire teaches the Kuntao
Jiu-Jitsu Adult Curriculum and resides with his girlfriend in North
Providence, RI.
Dr. Matthew Mendillo, D.C.
3rd Degree Kuntao
Jiu-Jitsu BlackBelt
 Dr.
Matthew Mendillo has been a student of the martial arts since he was
eight years old. He has been studying Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu from Soke
Richard Petronelli since its inception in 1999. Prior to that,
Mendillo was a student of Aikido, Jeet Kune Do and Kali/Arnis.
At the Academy of Kuntao
Jiu-Jitsu, he met Professor Bruce DiTraglia and Sifu Albert Borino,
two men from whom Mendillo has received an immense amount of knowledge
and discipline. Sensei Mendillo earned a black belt under Soke-Dai
Bochner and is now currently an instructor in the Advanced Adult
Realistic Self-Defense programs. He has given several lectures on the
human body’s nervous and skeletal systems in the hope of explaining
how knowledge of the human anatomy will allow for self-defense with
maximum effect, yet using minimum effort. He has given these lectures
at several locations throughout Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and
Connecticut.
Sensei Mendillo also assists
Soke-Dai Bochner with the specially designed “Nucleus” program. This
program was developed with the intent on teaching rape prevention
techniques to women. In addition to these specialized classes, Sensei
Mendillo has taught numerous seminars on rape prevention to college
sororities and campuses across New England.
Dr. Mendillo received his
Doctor of Chiropractic degree from the University Of Bridgeport
College Of Chiropractic in December of 2006. He currently owns and
operates the Center for Chiropractic & Wellness in East Greenwich, RI.
His practice uses state-of-the-art technology and focuses on
injury rehabilitation for athletes, dietary advice, nutritional
supplementation, and stretching and exercise protocols as well as
chiropractic care without twisting and turning or “cracking” the
spine. His Bachelor of Science in Biology/Pre-Med was attained at the
University of Rhode Island.
He currently lives in Rhode
Island where he continues to study and teach Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu to all
those who wish to learn.
In August of 2007, Sensei
Mendillo was promoted to third degree BlackBelt in the art of Kuntao
Jiu-Jitsu.
To contact Sensei Mendillo,
e-mail
SenseiMendillo@KuntaoJiuJitsu.com
Certified Instructors
Sensei Kevin Leddy - Certified Dec. 2008 - Dec. 2010
Sensei Kevin Leddy is a veteran of the
martial arts. He has trained in various styles for over 20 years. He
currently teaches the Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu Adult Curriculum.
Sensei Elizabeth Glatt - Certified Dec. 2008 - Dec. 2010
Sensei Glatt currently teaches in the Adult and
Youth Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu Programs. Sensei Glatt also teaches 1 on 1
private lessons at the academy. Sensei Glatt is pursuing her PhD in
Mathematics at the University of Connecticut.
All Certified Instructors have achieved a Kuntao
Jiu-Jitsu BlackBelt and Completed over 100 Supervised Hours of Teaching.
Assistant Instructors
Ron Chattel
Ron Chattel is
an official Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu BlackBelt who is working towards his
instructor certification.
Dan Chattel
Dan Chattel is
an official Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu BlackBelt who is working towards his
instructor certification.
Samantha A. Demers
Samantha
Demers currently assists in the Kuntao Jiu-Jitsu Youth Program. She is
currently pursing her Masters In Education at Rhode Island College.
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