Lou DeFelippo, a custodian in the Physical Plant Department, traveled to Atlantic City to be inducted into the Action Martial Arts Magazine’s Hall of Fame during a Martial Arts Expo held Jan. 24-26 at the Tropicana Hotel in Atlantic City. Close to 2,000 martial artists from around the world attended the induction ceremony.
DeFelippo’s received a Platinum Lifetime award recognizing 45 years of contributions to the martial arts.
Both DeFelippo and Robert Clancy, his training partner, were inducted into the Hall of Fame. Each had earned a 6th degree Black Belt in Combat Hapkido on Aug. 10, 2019 in The Bronx, following a rigorous physical test that was a culmination of nearly 20 years of training.
The two also witnessed history during the induction ceremony as Grand Master John Pellegrini, who founded the International Combat Hapkido Federation as the official governing body of Combat Hapkido in 1992, was honored for achieving his 10th Dan, the highest level in the martial arts.
DeFelippo describes Combat Hapkido as “hand-to-hand self-defense” that requires a good understanding of body mechanics. He started with a White Belt and has progressed “all the way” to the 6th degree Black Belt. He met Clancy in the late 1990s, while training at a martial arts school in East Greenbush, and the two have been training together — usually two times a week — since. They now train at Troy Tae Kwon Do.
In addition to their ongoing training, the two also team up to offer workshops in the community and hope to bring one to Hudson Valley Community College. DeFelippo has been practicing martial arts since August 1973, when he trained in Okinawan Karate in Schenectady.
Combat Hapkido 6th degree Senior Master Lou DeFelippo, (right) is pictured
6th degree Senior Master Bob Clancy (left) and 10th Dan John Pelligrini.
Published: Mon, 03 Feb 2020 12:50:47 +0000 by d.gardner