Martial arts master turns energy to helping others fight cancer
By KEVIN CALLAHAN • Courier-Post Staff • June 3, 2008
PINE HILL — Master Dominick A. Giacobbe is the holder of an 8th Dan Black belt in the 2,000-year-old art of Tang Soo Do, Korean karate.
So, it is safe to say, not many fights scare him.
Except when his wife, Christina, first came down with cancer more than 30 years ago.
"We were scared, back in '74. In those days, if you had cancer, you died," Giacobbe said last week behind the desk of his karate school office, which is adorned with pictures of Giacobbe with famous people.
Christina is doing fine and Master Giacobbe is still fighting cancer by raising money with an annual karate tournament in Atlantic City.
Like the master martial artist he is, Giacobbe turned the pain, hurt and fear of cancer into a weapon to fight the disease.
When their first child was two weeks late, Christina had a cesarean section. A tumor was found on the pelvic bone. The tumor was malignant.
Giacobbe called the American Cancer Society. It was a life-saving call, not only for Christina but for the many cancer patients Giacobbe has helped over the years with his fundraising tournaments.
"I called the American Cancer Society and they said you can conquer it with your mind, by eating right and exercising," he said. "I said, that is what I teach in my martial arts class."
Giacobbe, 57, teaches three classes a day still at his popular Pine Hill facility. He has taught more than 10,000 students, including many professional athletes.
So, Giacobbe and his wife took the ACS advice and trained and ate well together and they embraced the positive attitude needed to survive.
"We said we would conquer this disease," he said.
When they did, Giacobbe made another call to the ACS. This time, he asked them what he could do to help them. He had felt so fortunate for their help and time, for their care and compassion.
"They never asked me for a penny, they were always so positive, I said I had to give something back," Giacobbe said. "They didn't call for donations, but they called because they were concerned for my wife. That is what inspired me."
Giacobbe, a graduate of Washington Township High School, turned his inspiration into perspiration. He went to work to raise money.
Giacobbe, who lives in Voorhees, first hosted a martial arts show in 1982 at Resorts International in Atlantic City. Then in 1985, he started doing a karate tournament and gave all the proceeds to the ACS.
To date, he has donated $585,000 to the ACS.
Giacobbe's goal is to raise $1 million.
"Some years I gave big chunks and some years small amounts. Maybe this year, I don't know, it might not be a big chunk because of the economy," he said.
Giacobbe, who was named Man of the Year in 2000 by Black Belt magazine, is attacking the goal with the same positive attitude he and his wife attacked cancer. And, Giacobbe is using the same positive attitude toward beating cancer he saw Sugar Ray Leonard use for his epic fight with Marvin Hagler.
"He was so positive," Giacobbe said about Sugar Ray, who asked him to help train him. "The odds were so much against him, but he was so positive that he made it happen."
In addition to Leonard, Giacobbe trained Evander Holyfield and Pernell Whitaker for several of their championship fights. A fighter is a fitting symbol for battling cancer.
Giacobbe, who has appeared on many TV shows, also trained Eagles players, including greats Reggie White and Mike Quick, when Buddy Ryan was the team's head coach.
Giacobbe, who recently returned from teaching karate in Ireland, Wales and Italy, also trains the regular guy. He teaches every class at his academy.
And, he passes onto his students the same message on the karate mat and in the street. He feels attacking cancer with a positive attitude is the way to beat the disease. He and his wife have already proved it works.
"Cancer can be conquered with the mind," he said. "That is better than any medicine you can take."
Giacobbe is passing his positive attitude and passionate fight against cancer onto the general public. He just wrote a book called "The Secrets For a Powerful Life (published by AuthorHouse).
"The book has a lot of philosophy. The greatest part of training for martial arts is all the philosophy," he said. "It is the martial arts philosophy that makes you a better person in life. It is the philosophy you take from martial arts, about the ability to defend yourself."
Giacobbe tells stories in the book to relate to readers.
"I call them secrets because the stories aren't written down," he said. "Masters handed them down to other masters."
Reach Kevin Callahan at (856) 317-7821 or
kcallahan@courierpostonline.com.
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