Dennis N Fitch, Senior Teacher
Dr. Fitch is the Senior Teacher of the Shaolin Chuan Fa Association with over forty years of experience. He has advanced teaching ranks (black belts) in four different styles of martial arts. As well as being a 10th degree black belt and Grandmaster of the Chuan Fa system, Dr. Fitch is a Sifu in the art of White Crane Tai Chi. He is a member of the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame .He is an honorary black belt in the Korean art of Tang Soo Do. Dr. Fitch is also a black belt in the Japanese art of Aikido where he is certified by Hombu Dojo of Japan. He is also a member of the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame.
Dr. Fitch, who is from upstate New York, was born with several birth defects. His father died when Dennis was 11 months old, leaving his mother to handle everything on her own. The birth defects consisted of two deformed legs that were essentially pointing backwards. His legs were put into casts and slowly rotated back towards the front. They were told that Dennis would never play sports or be active because of his legs being too fragile to handle any kind of abuse.
Deciding to overlook this problem, Dennis was an active child and played sports in high school and college. He lettered in football, basketball and track in high school. But following a severe injury in college, freshman year football and basketball had to be dropped. He went on to letter in swimming and lacrosse and earned a total of six (6) varsity letters. He was voted “Outstanding Winter Athlete” at Ithaca College. He made “Honorable Mention All American” in lacrosse and played for the Iroquois Indians on the Irondequoit Reservation in the summers. He also began training in the martial arts from a displaced Vietnamese civilian that was also going to Ithaca College. He graduated in 1970 with a B.S. in Business and then moved to New York City where he began a career as a financial analyst.
He decided to direct his energies elsewhere and joined a program called VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America). This organization is equal to the Peace Corps for the U.S. He was stationed in Pensacola, Florida where he finished his service with them.
Because of the many injuries and surgeries that plagued Dennis, he began to seek alternative ways to handle his health problems. He had eight (8) knee operations and one (1) ankle rebuilding surgery leaving him on crutches for over a year. At this time they found a cancerous lesion on his knee that was later removed. During this time Dennis was constantly looking for alternative ways to recover and heal other than using physical therapists and medications. As Dennis became older his knee became so disabled that he eventually had his knee replaced. In 2006 he was then diagnosed with Parsonage Turner Syndrome. It leaves you paralyzed in the shoulder and arm and today he has only slight function in that area. It was then that Dennis decided to delve into his traditional and non-traditional training with great intensity. He ended up discovering many amazing things. He learned many of these paths paralleled each other which you would not realize unless you trained in both areas.
In 1975 Dennis decided to return to college again, this time in Pensacola, Florida, receiving another B.S. in Sports Science. He wanted to understand more about the martial and healing arts. Studying mostly anatomy and physiology he continued on to receive his Masters in 1982. It was while he was at the University that he was employed as the “Men’s Director of Intramurals” and later worked as an Adjunct Professor teaching physiology and neurological movement learning classes.
Dennis continued his teaching of Tai Chi and Chuan Fa and incorporated much of the physiological principles of the healing arts. This helped him understand how some of the natural healing took place as well as how energy really helped the body.
Dennis was then hired to set up and run the West Florida Regional Hospital and Medical Center’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. He was trained by the National Institute of Health’s First Cardiac Rehabilitation Training Program held in Atlanta. While there, Dennis met several people, one of whom worked for the Center For Disease Control.
When the AIDS epidemic first hit and they called in pathologists from around the world to do a week long evaluation of this (as yet) unknown disease, Dennis was asked to come to Atlanta and run a stress reduction program using the principles of healing and energy through Tai Chi for those physicians working on the AIDS disease. In 1999 he was also asked to run this same program for a seminar held by Bell South executives as part of the pre-Super Bowl activities.
Dennis has taught a number of seminars around the country both in natural health as well as stress reduction using Tai Chi and Chuan Fa health principles. He also advised and trained the base commander at Eglin Air Force Base in Okaloosa County, Florida so he would be able to work with his child who was profoundly autistic.
In order to receive more training, Dennis took an off campus course for a doctorate in natural health, also called Naturology, receiving his degree in 1997. Since then he has taught, trained, and healed in both the Pensacola, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia area. For a number of years he was part of a large international corporation health care plan where he worked with the top corporate executives who headed up the North American Division and is still working as a part time consultant for a number of the staff there.
Depending on the needs of the corporation, Dennis designs programs to meet their needs. Many executives are under undue stress and their lifestyles manifest unhealthy responses. He designs individual programs to meet the needs of each individual person. These individualized programs help not only the individual but by keeping them healthy, the corporation gains a more productive employee and a much more successful operation. This in turn allows for a less expensive health insurance program for the individual because of fewer claims. Fewer claims mean more money for the corporation and its corporate needs.
One of the reasons Dennis decided to take up this field was because he saw a need for common sense healing principles that do not involve huge sums of money. In his practice he does not request testing or use fancy instruments. Some of the reasons for this is many of these so-called fancy gadgets are nothing more than fancy machines with bells and whistles. If that machine breaks down, many of those using that machine are at a stand-still. Dennis uses techniques that are considered traditional and natural. The body does distinct things in sending out signals regarding the problem. Many of these problems can be read by asking the proper questions and doing the proper evaluation. This takes time and concern. It is not a skill that you can buy or have happen overnight. It is a matter of growth, education, development and wisdom, all of which involve a great deal of time and commitment. Many of our problems are of our own doing and we can change them as well. It is too easy to turn our health and problems over to someone else. Those people have very little vested interest in our health because they are only paid when we are ill. We can control our own destiny including our health aspects.
Most of us are born with a complete working vehicle. As we introduce toxins into our body, it tries to protect itself but eventually we wear it down. The body breaks down and then chronic problems and disease occur. Most any chronic problem can be reversed. All cells within the body slowly change and rebuild the body. As you fuel the body with good food the cells regenerate in a healthy manner. Eventually the problem will be reduced to nothing as the body retains its normal mode of operation. Good stuff in – Good stuff out!
Dr. Fitch offers a very positive and direct program of natural healing and health. He feels that it is his place to teach and instruct people about what is really bad and what is really good for us. Many times what we like and what is good for us is in direct opposition. As time passes and we begin to listen to great marketing campaigns, we begin to believe what they advertise and we lose the true meaning of what is really good and what is really bad.
The responsibility for your good health lies with you. The hardest part is doing it alone. That is why Dennis suggests follow-ups and return visits. We all need coaches and that is partly what Dr. Fitch will do for you. His fees are reasonable mainly because testing and machines with all their bells and whistles are costly.
Dr. Fitch would eventually love to start a school of natural health and healing in conjunction with a school of traditional martial arts where people could go to learn about real health and healing … a school where people could come to learn, and be trained to help others.
DR. FITCH’S DEGREES AND CERTIFICATIONS 1970 B.S. in Business Management Ithaca College 1975 B.S. in Sports Medicine University of West Florida 1980 M.S. in Exercise Physiology University of West Florida 1997 D.N. in Natural Health American Institute of Holistic Theology 1998 Holistic Health Practitioner American Assoc.of Drugless Practitioners 2005 Board Certified Alternative Medical Practitioner American Alternative Medical Association 2008 10th Degree Certified Grand Master Shaolin Chuan Fa Association 2009 Mermber United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame
Greg Robichaud, Southeastern Director
Greg Robichuad , a 7th degree black belt, has been studying martial arts his entire life, training with his dad from the earliest of ages. With over thirty years experience, a 7th degree black belt in Ju Jitsu and Chuan Fa, Greg is the Southeastern Representative for the Shaolin Chuan Fa Association. Greg is a Marine recon veteran and is currently working and training police with the Pensacola Police Department with over twenty five years as a veteran officer. He is a state certified weapons and self defense instructor for the police academy locally and teaches basic self defense skills, runs the firing range and teaches driving skills
Shane Francis, Master Instructor
Mr.Francis was promoted to 4th Degree Black Belt in 2008. He has over 15 years of experience in the martial arts including Chuan Fa, Aikido and Military Combatitives. Mr. Francis is a former Army Drill Sergeant, Paratrooper and combat Infantryman who now teaches military, law enforcement and private instruction. Shane is a full time stockbroker as well.
"Dutch Cromer", Master Instructor
"Dutch" Cromer has been with Dr. Fitch since 1985. Dutch is a 4th degree black belt in Chuan Fa, a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and a ranked belt in Hapkido. He is retired from the miltary having retired both from the army as well as the air force. Dutch is curently working with the sherriff's posse in Fort Walton Beach Florida
Mr. William Schoonover, Historian
Bill is a 3rd degree black belt with the Association. He is also a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Bill is the Historian for the association and is responsible for all the records and rankings and has the hard task of writing the monthly newletter. Bill is married and has two children. Bill works in Jacksonville Florida where he is employed as a nurse.