MASTER: BERNIE W. FLEEMAN

LIFE LONG MARTIAL ARTIST, POLICE SUPERVISOR/TRAINER

BIOGRAPHY

Retired Police Officer and Martial Arts Master, Bernie W. Fleeman was born in San Pedro California overlooking the Los Angeles harbor on February 12, 1952. Bernie’s family remained there until he was 4 years old. Most of his family was in the military (Army Special Forces-Navy Seals) and some were boxers, one of which fought Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), his name was Donnie Fleeman.

Bernie being the youngest in his family was playfully used as a little punching bag during those toddler years and he loved it! His father Wesley W. Fleeman was a respectful and mild mannered man, known for having extreme strength and quickness for his size (5’10” 165 lbs. He would, play slap fight with Bernie to improve his reflexes and coordination.

During this time, around 1956 Martial Arts schools were developing in the United States. In particular around the Torrance California area, where Chuck Norris later opened a school. At first it was mostly Judo/Jujitsu, then Karate, Tang Soo Do, Kenpo, Shotokan, Gung Fu /Kung Fu arts etc.

Shortly after Bernie’s introduction to the arts, his family moved to American Samoa. The islands were still very primitive back then. Bernie fit right in and had many Samoan friends. The village chief was Savusa, his best friend name was “Pupa” who taught him warring arts i.e. sword fighting, warrior striking/wrestling, slap dancing, tree climbing and spear fishing to name a few.

 While living in Samoa, Bernie began to train in a mix of Martial Arts. (Judo, Shotokan, Tae Kwon Do even a little Sumo). He learned from several soldiers and sailors from Japan and South Korea that were stationed in Samoa, or on board some of the ships in the harbor of “Pango Pango / Pago Pago. Bernie would later become good friends with Korean General “Kim”.

In 1964 Bernie and his family moved back to the U.S. mainland. and were living in Fresno California. By now he was 12 years old a very intent on learning any and everything he could about his fighting skills, he wanted to be the best.

He was maturing and had become the peace keeper in the family when a dispute would arise.

Bernie’s eldest brother Jim was a member of two elite Army groups. The Special Police which at that time guarded the Berlin wall and later in the newly formed Special Forces (Green Berets) in Viet Nam. Jim and later Tom Bernie’s other brother (who was a boxer) along with his father (Wesley), knew that Bernie was a natural born fighter they helped fund Bernie’s first FORMAL training in the martial arts. This began at Okano’s Shotokan Karate Dojo and later the same year transferred to the Way of Japan in Fresno California. The instructors were Kazuo Kuriama, Toyotaro Miyazki and Robert Halliburton. Bernie began teaching at the Way of Japan at the age of 14.

This is when Bernie first met Bruce Lee, at a cerebral palsy telethon in the Fresno civic auditorium. Bruce was promoting the Green Hornet series as Kato. Bernie would later move back to Torrance California were he would occasionally meet with Bruce in Los Angeles and at the International Karate Championships held at the Long Beach sports arena.

Bernie also received his first instruction from Heavy weight champion Joe Lewis at a seminar at the Way of Japan in Fresno. It was during this time that Bernie moved back to Torrance and began training privately with Joe Lewis in Westwood at Joe’s condo (On the roof tanning deck), and in Sherman Oaks at Chuck Norris’s school. There he learned fighting fundamentals from Joe’s own style as well as additional Jeet Kune Do skills taught by Bruce Lee.

Bernie and Joe Lewis had become members of the Tracy’s Kenpo competition team. Joe was the figurehead and sparing instructor, Both Bernie and Joe where known for being disqualified for excessive contact. Bernie always said to himself? “Would I have won in the street?” Trophies and medals for sport have always been secondary to true self defense in his mind!

Bernie , having previously received his Black Belts in two different styles, Bernie began teaching a select few private students, one of which was Stan Witz. “Stan and I went to the same school. I was a couple of grades ahead of him; he was a quick learner and subsequently received his first Black Belt from me. We became close personal friends”. Stan went on to create his own organization and promotions which Bernie was later a part of. (See biography)

By this time Bernie was one of the few junior age Black Belts (15 yrs.) competitors along with Benny Urquidez. Competing at the world level in the adult Black Belt division. He was also teaching for Tracy’ s in Long Beach Ca. and preparing to open his first school in Torrance Ca.

 Bernie always had fun and loved to teach. He would go to Chuck Norris’s schools in Torrance, Redondo Beach and Las Vegas and train with the Black Belts i.e. Barrow, Natividad, Burbidge, etc. On one occasion Bernie was even chosen as a substitute fighter on Steve Sanders BKF (Black Karate Federation’s) competition team at the internationals.

In 1974 Bernie closed his school in Torrance Ca. and moved to Las Vegas Nevada, where he went to work for (Big) John DeLuca owner of State Wide Investigation and Personal Security firm. Bernie was assigned to protect,

Sports: Ali/Norton/Duran/Conners/Everett, etc

Entertainers: Elvis/Sinatra/Davis/Osmond’s, etc.

In 1978 Bernie began his Law Enforcement career. First as a Police Officer with the Boulder City Nevada Police Department and a short time later with the Nye County Nevada Sheriff’s office. While with Nye County he was a trainer, defensive tactics instructor and chosen as deputy of the year by his superiors throughout the county.

In 1979 Bernie took a position as a Police Officer with the Bakersfield Police Department. He had a full career there and retired in the 90s. The following are a short list of his accomplishments while there.

1980-1990 DOMINATE FIGHTER OF THE DECADE

Multiple: Championships (Gold Mentalist) in the California Police Olympics/Freestyle fighter. Super lightweight and Lightweight divisions

Champion (Gold Mentalist) by invitation Nevada Police Olympics

World (International) Police Olympic/Law Enforcement Champion
(Gold Mentalist)

Police Department: Team Captain/Trainer (Boxing-Karate).

Police Department Teams /Squads:

Bomb Squad Member

Defensive Tactics Advisor

SWAT Team/Anti Sniper

Metro/Undercover Drug Enforcement Team

Presidential candidate protection Team

Lincoln/High crime area enforcement Team

K-9 Team/Agitator

Recruit & Reserve trainer    

Alliance on family violence (Battered Women’s Shelter) Trainer-Liaison

1980-Present: Founder of Infinite Systems Warring Arts (I.S.W.A) (MMA+) Combining fighting methods and skills learned and developed over the past 50 plus years for street survival.

2000 holds Grandmaster designation (10^th) as founder. No belt system. (I.S.W.A.)

Master Fleeman created this system for street survival. The system encompasses techniques from the mixed martial arts (MMA), but expands and involves more lethal moves which are not allowed in the MMA.

1982 Masters Fleeman, Witz, Kentish and Sifu Brewer founded the “Universal Systems of American Martial Arts Systems” a combination of arts from the orient with a transitional blend of the most useful elements

8^th Degree Black Belt in Chinese Kenpo/Charter member of the Kenpo

“Hall of Fame” 2007. Along with:    Dr. James Mitose

Ed Parker

William Chow

Bart Vale

Keith Hackney                                                  

2005-Present/Director of Enforcement/Town of Pahrump Nevada.

Program Developer/Tactics Instructor/Manager-Supervisor.

Director of Fall Festival Security & Personal Protection for entertainers

Tracy Byrd/Daryl Worley

1973-1988 Schools/Clubs owned:

(1) Torrance CA.

(2) Las Vegas NV.

(3) Tonopah NV.

(4) Bakersfield CA.

History of full contact matches:

Undefeated: Wins, all by Knock-Out, Technical Knock .Predates mixed martial arts events, having fewer rules.

Other previous instructors:    Al & Jim Tracy

                  (Judo) Gene LeBell

Master Fleeman currently lives in Pahrump Nevada with his wife Candy. His children are Daughter, Brynda L.Thomson/Husband Del. Four grandchildren: Elena, Christian, Jose, and baby girl-Izabella (Bezzz) and Son, Jack W. Fleeman/Wife Katie.

Master Fleeman currently only teaches pre-arranged private lessons and seminars. He is an advisor in rape prevention and domestic violence methods of escape. When called upon Master Fleeman provides personal protection to entertainers, sports celebrities and political figures.

His time to instruct in the Martial Arts is limited, as he does not believe in group ONLY instruction.

          “Private instruction is for true learning.

“Group instruction is for repetition to make the moves second nature and to train with opponents of different size, speed and strengths.”

“A student needs them both to become a well rounded fighter. It enables them to learn at their own level of progression and to become fully conditioned as well.

          “I don’t teach any other way!

A MESSAGE TO THE STUDENT-WHO IS A

TRUE MARTIALIST

“If you do it right, Being good at what you do makes you confident not cocky. You know your capabilities and respect that of your adversary. You don’t do as the cocky person would, underestimate, not knowing someone else’s capabilities and make foolish statements such as “I can take you” I’m going to kick your _ s s!

QUESTION: Could you really, not know anything about that person????? If you’re truly a respectful and confident person you can be very good at what you do, even the best at it. But you need to be in control enough of your ego, to access the situation and only use your abilities as a last resort!!”

This enables you to have a WIN-WIN situation………………….

Master Fleeman’s life experiences, in the Martial Arts and Police career will follow, in updated versions of his biography.