ZenQuest Martial Arts Center, formerly called the Okinawan Karate School, is a martial arts school located in Lenox, Massachusetts. The oldest martial arts school in Berkshire County, it was founded in 1972 as a dojo for Uechi-ryu karate. The school since expanded to include other martial arts, and currently provides instruction in Shohei-ryu karate (a spin-off of Uechi-ryu), Brazilian jiu-jitsu, mixed martial arts, Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling, kobudo, and self-defense, and is the fastest growing martial arts community in Berkshire County. The school also contains a store which provides equipment, gear, and instructional media. It is affiliated with the Okinawan Karatedo Association, Demian Maia Jiu-Jitsu Association, and Team Sityodtong Boston, and is accredited by the North American Grappling Association.
History
The school was originally based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and was opened on Lyman Street in 1972 by Sensei Frank Gorman, who according to Berkshires' Best Buys Business & Beyond introduced Uechi-ryu karate to Berkshire County. It is the oldest martial arts school in Berkshire County. In 1993 the school was moved to the Pittsfield Plaza on West Housatonic Street, developing a significant children's program. Senseis Mark and Connie Flynn took ownership of the school in August 2002. They previously lived and worked in Albany, New York, and ran a smaller satellite dojo in Guilderland. The Flynns purchased the school from Bob and Lisken Dus, who stated at the time that they were entering into retirement and would focus on providing support to the Flynns. In the fall of 2002, the Flynns widened the school's curriculum to include Brazilian "Gracie" jiu-jitsu. Mixed martial arts classes were added later. The Flynns traveled to Okinawa, Japan, in 2003, 2007 and 2012 for training with world leaders in Uechi-Ryu/Shohei-Ryu. During the 2007 trip Mrs. Flynn was promoted to 5th Dan, and both attended the 2007 All Okinawa Championships, a worldwide championship event. Sensei Connie took third place in kata, while Sensei Mark managed to reach fourth in kumite. In 2010, due to deterioration of the Pittsfield Plaza where it was located, and the need for additional space, the school relocated to Lenox Commons in Lenox, where it changed its name from Okinawan Karate School to ZenQuest Martial Arts Center. Along with this relocation and name change the school updated classes to a full roster which includes Muay Thai kickboxing, boxing, wrestling and mixed martial arts. The school is now the largest martial arts community in Berkshire County. In 2016, Mark Flynn received a belt-belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, becoming the third person in Berkshire County to achieve that high a rank in the art and the second in the United States to be awarded a black belt by Demian Maia.
Events and seminars The school has received regular coverage by The Berkshire Eagle and Pittsfield Cable Television, including the school's annual hosting of a youth tournament; ; ; ; ; ; and black belt promotions,; ; ; ; ; and in 2002 was noted for helping a teen overcome disabilities.
In 2005, the dojo made the headline story in The Berkshire Eagle for hosting a special camp called “Tokkun 2005” at Cross Athletic Center at Miss Hall's School. The camp featured visiting karate masters from Okinawa, specifically Senseis Shigeru Takamiyagi (9 dan), Toshio Higa (8 dan), Hirokuni Yamashiro (7 dan), and Sakae Uechi (5 dan), and in addition to local students in Berkshire County had additional students from more distant areas such as Florida, New Jersey, Michigan, New York, Vermont, and Cape Cod. Another event that received attention from The Berkshire Eagle was a visit from mixed martial arts and jiu-jitsu legend Royce Gracie, who held a clinic at the dojo in 2009.; The year before, 2008, another jiu-jitsu clinic had been held with Robert “Crush” Kahn. Several seminars are held every year with notable members from the Okinawan Karate-do Association and Sityodtong Muay Thai. After ZenQuest left the Royce Gracie Jiu-Jitsu network and joined Demian Maia's organization, Demian Maia held a seminar at the school on November 2, 2012, garnering attention from The Berkshire Eagle.
Affiliation and associated schools ZenQuest Martial Arts Center is a member of the Okinawan Karatedo Association, which is located in Okinawa and is the worldwide governing body for Shohei-ryu karate, and Team Sityodtong, a Muay Thai training camp based in Somerville, Massachusetts. The dojo was also an affiliate of the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Network, but the termination of its association with the Network was announced on February 2, 2012. On February 18, the dojo announced that its jiu-jitsu program would be under Demian Maia. The school is accredited by the North American Grappling Association. ZenQuest maintains an affiliation with Mike Torres' Torres Advanced Combat Systems classes taught at the Quest Karate and Pace Karate schools in New Jersey.
Competitions
Karate
2007 All-Okinawa Championships In 2007, Senseis Mark and Connie Flynn competed in the 2007 All-Okinawa Championships in Okinawa, which featured competitors from throughout the world. The results for the Flynns were as follows:
Name Place Division Connie Flynn 3rd Place (Win) Women's Kata Mark Flynn 4th Place (No win) / Competed (No win) Kumite / Kata
Battle for Boston 2012 On April 22, 2012, ZenQuest competed in the Battle for Boston karate open tournament at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, five miles from Boston. The win was as follows:
Name Win Event Chris Mattoon 3rd place Men's Advanced Kata Ages 18–34
Grappling ZenQuest Martial Arts center has participated in numerous grappling competitions, the following is a list of wins captured by the school.
Rhode Island, 2010 On October 16, 2010, On June 4, 2011, students from ZenQuest Martial Arts Center competed in the 2011 NAGA East Coast Championship in Lincoln, Rhode Island. The school took several wins, which are listed as follows:
Name Win Division Jedd Hall 2nd / 3rd Mens No-Gi Directors Expert Middle Weight / Mens GI Directors Expert Middle Weight John Soules 1st place / 2nd place Mens Masters No-Gi Intermediate Light Heavy Weight / Mens Gi Masters Blue Belt Light Heavy Weight
Rhode Island, 2011 On January 29, ZenQuest students competed in the NAGA New England Championship in Lincoln, Rhode Island. The school's win is as follows:
Name Win Division David Solis 1st / 1st Mens No-Gi Absolute Novice / Mens Gi White Belt Light Heavy Weight
Springfield, 2011 On June 4, 2011, students from ZenQuest Martial Arts Center competed in the 2011 NAGA East Coast Championship in Springfield, Massachusetts. The school took several wins, which are listed as follows:
Name Win Division Connor T. Faulkner 3rd place Mens No-Gi Novice Fly Weight Daniel Mazzeo 2nd place Masters No-Gi Novice Light Weight Jedd L. Hall 1st place / 1st place Mens No-Gi Directors Expert Middle Weight / Mens Gi Directors Expert Middle Weight Jordan Bradford 1st place Kids Gi Novice . 7 & 8 year olds Rick Byers 3rd place / 3rd place Mens No-Gi Intermediate Light Heavy Weight / Mens Gi Blue Belt Light Heavy Weight Robert Blessin 1st place Mens No-Gi Novice Welter Weight Division Sherman Somerville 3rd place Mens Gi Blue Belt Light Weight
Hartford, 2011 On July 30, 2011, students from ZenQuest competed in the NAGA Hartford event in Hartford, Connecticut. The school's wins are as follows: Name Win Division Cameron Loehr 1st place Gi Advanced Teen Connor T. Faulkner 2nd place / 2nd place Mens No-Gi Novice Bantam Weight / Mens Gi Novice Flyweight Tony Riello 1st place Mens No-Gi Masters Cruiser Weight
Northeast Championship, 2011 On October 15, 2011, students from ZenQuest competed in the NAGA Northeast Championship. The results are as follows: Name Win Division Chris Bradley 3rd place Boys Gi Connor T. Faulkner 3rd place Mens Gi White Belt Fly Weight Colleen Garrity 2nd place Girls No-Gi Beginner 16 & 17 yr olds Noah Farevaag 3rd place / Boys No-Gi Novice 9 to 11 yr olds / Robert Blessin 3rd place Mens No-Gi Beginner Welter Weight Stephen Taglieri 2nd place / / / Boys Gi Beginner Timothy Somerville 2nd place / Mens No-Gi Intermediate Bantam-Weight / Mens Gi Blue-Belt Bantam-Weight
Rhode Island, 2012 On January 28, 2012, ZenQuest returned to Lincoln, Rhode Island for the New England Championship. Wins are as follows: Name Win Division Cooper Shepardson 1st place / 1st place Kids No-Gi Novice and 7-8 year olds / Jack Purcell 1st place / 1st place Kids No Gi Novice 9 yr olds / Kids Gi Novice 9 yr olds James Purcell 3rd place Kids Gi Novice 7 - 8 year olds Jordan Bradford 3rd place / 3rd place Girls No-Gi Beginner & 8-9 year olds / Girls Gi Beginner
Albany, 2012 On March 10, 2012, ZenQuest competed at Albany, New York. The schools wins are as follows: Name Win Division Brandon Lucchese 1st place Men's No-Gi Novice Bantam Weight Colleen Garrity 2nd place / Women's No-Gi Novice Fly Weight / Women's Gi White Belt Fly Weight Cooper Shepardson 2nd place Kids' No-Gi Beginner 8-9 year olds Jack Purcell 3rd place / Kids' No-Gi Beginner / Kids' Gi Beginner 8-9 year olds James Purcell 1st place / Kids' No-Gi Novice / Kids' Gi Novice Jordan Bradford 1st place / Girls No-Gi Beginner / Girls Gi Beginner 8-9 year olds Jedd L. Hall 2nd place / Men's No-Gi Expert Welter Weight / Directors' Gi Expert Middle Weight Neil Von Flatern 3rd place Men's Gi White Belt Welter Weight Samuel Johnson 2nd place Kids' Gi Beginner 11 years old Stephen Taglieri 3rd place / Kids' No-Gi Beginner /
East Coast 2012 On May 5, 2012, ZenQuest competed at NAGA East Coast Championship in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Name Win Division Conner Faulkner 2nd place / 2nd place Mens No-Gi Intermediate Bantam Weight / Mens Gi Blue Belt Fly Weight Robert Blessin 3rd place Mens No-Gi Intermediate Middle Weight
Schenectady, 2012 On September 8, 2012, ZenQuest competed at NAGA New York in Schenectady, New York. Name Win Division Colleen Garrity 2nd place / 3rd place Women's No-Gi Beginner Light Weight / Women's Gi White Belt Light Weight Conner Faulkner 2nd place / 2nd place Men's No-Gi Intermediate Fly Weight / Men's Gi Blue Belt Fly Weight Neil Von Flatern 2nd place Men's Gi White Belt Middle Weight Robert Blessin 1st place Men's No-Gi Intermediate Welter Weight Scott Stetz 2nd place / 2nd place Masters' No-Gi Novice Cruiser Weight / Masters' Gi White Belt Cruiser Weight
New England Championship 2013 On January 26–27, 2013, ZenQuest competed at the New England Championship in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Name Win Division Bryan Rahilly 3rd place Mens No-Gi Novice Light Weight Caleb Pollard 1st place / 1st place Kids Kids No-Gi Novice 9 & 10 year olds / Kids Gi Novice 9 & 10 year olds Neil Von Flatern 3rd place Mens No-Gi Intermediate Middle Weight Shannon Pollard 2nd place / 2nd place Girls No-Gi Novice 7 years old / Girls Gi Novice 7 years old Stephen Taglieri 2nd place / 1st place Kids No-Gi Intermediate 13 years old / Kids Novice No-Gi
Albany, 2013 On March 16, 2013, ZenQuest competed at the NAGA Albany in Albany, New York. Name Win Division Jack Purcell 1st place / 2nd place Kids' No-Gi Beginner / Kids' Gi Beginner Caleb Pollard 2nd place / 2nd place Kids' No-Gi Beginner , 9-10 year olds / Kids' Gi Beginner , 9-10 year olds Shannon Pollard 1st place / 1st place Girl's No-Gi Novice / Girl's Gi Novice Jordan Bradford 2nd place / 3rd place Girl's No-Gi Intermediate / Girl's Gi Intermediate Chris Clark 3rd place Men's No-Gi Novice Welter Weight Matt Gerlitz 1st place / 1st place Masters' No-Gi Novice Middle Weight / Masters' Gi White Belt Middle Weight Jedd L. Hall 2nd place / 1st place Directors' No-Gi Expert Middle Weight / Directors' Gi Expert Middle Weight
Manchester, 2013 On April 6, 2013, ZenQuest competed at the New England Submission Challenge in Manchester, Connecticut. Name Win Division Matt Gerlitz Silver No-Gi
Plymouth, 2013