Born in 1954, Mr. Marucci started karate at the local YMCA, which was charging $.75 per lesson. At the time he was on the local wrestling team. His father heard of the opportunity, and convinced him to give it a try. Sensei received his Black Belt while in the US Navy, and continued his martial arts training, including amateur boxing, and was involved with opening the first "free standing" karate dojo on Griffiss AFB.
Upon moving to Washington, DC, Mr. Marucci was looking to continue his training, but found the schools had become very commercial, and restricted the use of contact, so he founded his own class at a local health club.
As luck would have it, two of Sensei Coffman's senior ranks; Dr. Dan Smith 4th degree, and Dr. Murzy Jhabvala 4th degree, would come to class to train, and fight, and convinced Sensei Marucci to check out Mr. Coffman's class. As soon as he saw Kyoshi Coffman he knew he was "home". Kyoshi was sitting seiza, drilling a man for his green belt test, and had complete command of the dojo...the ultimate respect. When going through the basics, Sensei Coffman looked like a bird in flight, so graceful, and perfect, but a bird the you wouldn't EVER want to be hit by! Everything was there. The contact, (if you could tag a guy hard while sparring, so be it), the respect, the organization...Mr. Marucci was hooked. He then went back to his class and told his students to forget everything that they had learned, they were doing things wrong, and were changing immediately. The hard contact cost him some students, but it was not about the dollar. This was REAL KARATE!
When given the choice of testing for equal rank, or starting from Sho-Dan, Sensei Marucci told Kyoshi that if he was to get one Dan rank from him, he wanted ALL of them from him, so opted to test for Sho-Dan.
Sensei Coffman and Mr. Marucci became steadfast friends, because of their shared beliefs and personalities, and have remained so through thick and thin, due to loyalty, and trust. They have shared many years of laughter and tears together, and are close as brothers.
Sensei Marucci believes in ONE teacher, ONE system, and realism. Kote-ate, and makiwara work are of the utmost importance to him. "You must practice for the street" Says Sensei, "Make your mistakes in class, so you are perfect out there, and you can hurt the other guy, just by conditioning your body"
Mr. Marucci received his Roku-Dan in 2003 from Sensei Coffman after years of one-on-one, specialized training. He chuckles when is told about the "special" training received by some commercial karate-ka, who attend a seminar, or go overseas once in awhile. "A master isn't giving up that kind of information without years of developement, trust, loyalty, and dedication." "You MUST prove yourself first...pay your dues." "I remember days when I wanted to take my belt off, and just go home." "You have to experience that kind of pain...not malicious, but real, intense pain, fetal position stuff" (laughing) "Sensei Coffman has shown me things that he has kept to himself for over thirty-five years." "There is a wealth of knowledge out there, but money won't give it to you, only tens of years of dedication will make you eligible to receive it."
Mr. Marucci is the first of Sensei Coffman's students to receive an instructor's license (only two have ever been awarded), and is currently Second-in-Command for SMOKA. A position that he cherishes deeply.
