• Here is my beautiful sister growing up – from kindergarten all the way to her high school graduation. As with anyone with a younger sibling, I will always look at our Googičko as my little sister. Well, she’s not so little anymore. She’s a business woman. She’s a wonderful mother. She’s an accomplished artist. She’s trains in mixed martial arts (MMA). Oh ya,… and she’s beautiful. I couldn’t ask for a better sister!
♥HappyBirthday ♥Googičko♥
I love you,
• These days, my sister runs her own business.
• Digital Photo Restoration
• 8 minutes 33 seconds
Alica Dusil (Class photos, Holy Rosary & Aldershot High School ’80-’92)
Welcome to our diverse training regime at Ferus Fitness Fight Club in Prague, Czech Republic. The first video shows our strength and conditioning routine. Training sessions range between one to two hours long. We use basic tools such as kettlebells, Exercise balls, rubber resistance bands, Punching bag, and fitness balls (5kg, sand filled). Circuit training consists of one or two minute intervals with twenty to sixty second breaks to prepare for the next exercise.
• 13 minutes 19 seconds
This next video is a private session focusing on various kickboxing combinations. Attention is given to balance, technique, and speed, in order to reach maximize achievable power. Each student works towards reaching that maximum power within their own physiology – body weight, height, and gender.
• 12 minutes 40 seconds
The third session focuses on training younger children on various kickboxing and self defense techniques. In this session we concentrate on fighting stance, balance, as well as punching and kicking techniques. Training can begin as young as six years old.
• 16 minutes 49 seconds
• Martial Arts
If you missed my Martial Arts posts, please click on them here:
• Introduction by Eva Dusil • Editing by Gabriel Dusil • 2015 March
• During Christmas of 1965 I met Vašek. He was in his fifth year of university in the same veterinary program as myself. He had a great influence on my performance and always pressured me to do better. We studied together and went on dates as much as school permitted. The following year he graduated and then his compulsory military duty awaited him. Vašek and I got engaged in December of 1967 while still serving his military duties.
• Your father was an excellent surgeon. Taci was the best student in his class and the only one to finish with honors. For Vašek it was absolutely essential that he finished university with a red diploma. By the time he graduated, both of his brothers had finished their studies and also received red diplomas. The difference was that your father was the only one in his class that graduated with honors, whereas in engineering there were several students that completed that distinction.
• Taci was a great communicator and had a lot of charisma. Our clients liked him very much. He had an inherent view into the hearts of people, and that allowed him to be very compassionate and empathetic. Together we built a successful veterinary practice. He was ambitious and competitive, but not because he wanted to prove he was better than others – throughout his life his biggest competitor was himself, and the struggles he had with his own ego.
• Taci died 34 years ago today. We miss him tremendously.
• I met Heather at the Aldershot Animal Hospital. She was a volunteer at my mom’s clinic and had already been working there for a few weeks. On this day our paths finally crossed. Eventually Heather joined the payroll, and we ended up working the same shift on Saturdays. At first I got her to do all the dirty work. In the morning one of us had to walk the dogs, and the other cleaned the cages. The cages were always filthy from the night before, so walking the dogs was always the best option. Also, before closing the clinic we needed to vacuum and wash the floors. I hated vacuuming, so that was her job. As time went on Heather ‘s charm had me in role reversal – and I was doing all the dirty work.
• Two years later we started dating. The awkward bit was that we began our relationship when Heather was in ninth grade and I was in grade twelve. In some ways we were a perfect couple with a lot of common interests. I was also infatuated by her. But I couldn’t shake the fact that we had such an age difference. I was never outright ridiculed by my friends, except for a few passing comments. But because of my adolescent insecurities at the time, it bothered me a lot. As a result, Heather suffered through no less than four breakups over a span of 18 months, and a repeated cycle of me crawling back in shame and regret.
• Heather
If you missed the previous posts on Heather, you’ll find them here:
87.Aug – Burlington · Heather Brown (yellow lilies)85.Aug – Burlington · Gabriel Dusil & Heather Brown (garden)86.Aug – Burlington · Gabriel Dusil & Heather Brown (portrait)86.Aug – Burlington · Heather Brown (stairs)89.Jul – Ocala · Heather Brown (hot beach bikini)89.Jul – Ocala · Heather Brown (summer dress)90 – Burlington · Heather Brown (18th birthday, red, grey & black dress)90.Jun – Burlington · Heather Brown (high school prom, gorgeous)90.Mar – Burlington · Heather Brown & Gabriel Dusil (dinner date to Salvatore’s)86.Aug – Burlington · Heather Brown & Gabriel Dusil (napping)
• Maybe it’s because I’m an engineer at heart. Throughout my whole life I found beauty in numbers. When studying physics in university I got to a point in advanced mathematics where the line between science and art began to blur. I wanted to create this post to demonstrate how it is possible to find incredible symmetry in numbers, that are directly connected to those who we love the most.
• Children are the light of our lives. They give meaning to our existence. There is nothing more important to me than Matias & Lucas. My boys are special, but I didn’t realize how extra special they were until I wrote their birth dates for the first time. Here is a short video to Illustrate those two awesome days in my life.
• Be sure to watch in full screen by clicking the icon in the lower right corner of the video.
• Introduction by Eva Dusil • Editing by Gabriel Dusil • 2014 October
• My mother, Valeria Kendeova, was the shining light in our family. I sometimes wonder where her strength and vision came from, since most of her life she suffered ill health. My mother contracted scoliosis as a teenager. This was due to malnourishment while attending private school in Budapest. When she came home for the summer holidays her mother noticed she had bowed legs, due to the onset of rickets. Valeria told her parents that she was always hungry at boarding school, but they didn’t believe her. Malnutrition at the school later manifested into scoliosis. The curvature of my mother’s spine worsened when she started to work as a clerk – sitting all day at a typewriter. The fact that my mother had a job was considered an achievement. Most women in post-war Czechoslovakia were homemakers. Valeria’s employment was further challenged by the fact that her Slovak wasn’t very good. Her mother tongue was Hungarian, and she also spoke German fluently. My mother also learned French while attending boarding school in Belgium. When the grandchildren were born my mother’s nickname became “Nanika”. This is from the Hungarian, “nagymama”, or grandmother. My mom was the one that guided me to getting a good education, and to strive for post-secondary studies. She allowed me to be independent.
• My father, Stefan Kende’s nickname was “Nadapi”, for the grandchildren. This was taken from the Hungarian “nagyapa”, or grandfather. My father wasn’t involved in nurturing me. Maybe it was different for my older brothers – Csaba who was twelve years my elder, and Attila was seven years older. Stefan had a reputation as an intellectual in our community. He worked as an antique book expert in Czechoslovakia – one of only three experts in the country, who would appraise old books throughout the state. This service was mainly for private libraries, collectors, and antique stores. My father was also a champion chess player – certainly one of the top ten best players in Czechoslovakia. Stefan would finish work at 18:00, come home for supper, then go to the café at Hotel Slovan to play chess. Nadapi played with a group of friends for one koruna per game (about five Canadian cents in today’s exchange rate). With their colorful game commentary they entertained onlookers. He also played in regional and national chess matches. He was a well known chess champion in Košice.
• Kende
If you missed the previous posts on Kende, then click on these links:
69.Dec.24 – Košice · Valeria & Stefan Kende70.Apr.7 – Košice · Stefan Kende’s birthday
• Postscript from my Mom • 2014 October • This photo was taken on my father’s 71st birthday.
70.Dec.24 – Košice · Valeria & Stefan Kende
70 – Košice · Valeria & Stefan Kende
70 – Košice · Stefan Kende, Valeria Kendeova
• Postscript from my Mom • September 2014 • This is a photo of my Mom and Dad, taken in Kosice, at their home on Krmanova 3, Kosice, shortly after we emigrated to Canada.
71.Jul – Košice · Stefan Kende
71 – Košice · Stefan Kende71 – Košice · Valeria & Stefan Kende73 – Košice · Stefan Kende74 – Bardejov · Stefan & Csaba Kende (Bardejovské Kúpele)
• Tags
Anka Kendeova, Attila Kende, Csaba Kende, dusil.com, Eva Dusil, Eva Kendeova, Gabriel Dusil, Hotel Slovan, Lacko Kende, Ladislav Kende, Marta Kolos, Nadapi, Nanika, Richard Kende, Stefan Kende, Tibor Kolos, Valeria Kendeova, Zsusanna Kolos
• Czech judo started in the 1930’s. Slovak judo started in 1954, in Bratislava, by Ing. Robert Binder. One year later, judo was established in Košice by Ladislav Magyar. In 1959 Mr. Magyar left and my dad, Vaclav (Vašek) Dusil, was elected to lead the judo “oddiel” of Lokomotíva Košice. The Dusil brothers continued to build on the foundations laid down by Ladislav Magyar. Judo in Košice had steady growth throughout the 1960’s, mainly due to the efforts of Lokomotíva Košice.
• Slovak men won very few medals in the 1950’s and 1960’s at the national level. The Czechs had a twenty year head start on the Slovaks, so the conditions to improve their skills were more developed. The bigger cities on the Czech side of the country meant more judokas, more and better training facilities & coaches and a higher level of competition. Women’s judo, on the other hand, started in the 1950’s in both Czech and Slovak parts of the country, so the gap in the skill levels was much smaller, if any. In the early 1960’s Bratislava dominated women’s judo on a national level. They captured around 50% of the all medals available (six in weight categories across junior and senior age categories, and one for open competition, where there are no weight restrictions).
• In the 1960’s the top countries at the European level were France, Germany, the Netherlands and later the Russians (who “converted” to judo from their version of Sambo, “Samozaschita Bez Oružija”, meaning “self-defense without a weapon”). Czechoslovakian judoka won a few silver and bronze medals in European championships from time to time. In the 2004 Olympic games, in Athens, Greece a Slovak judoka, Jozef Krnáč won an Olympic silver in the 66kg division.
• Košice Judo
If you missed my previous posts on Košice Judo, you will find them here:
61 – Košice · Vaclav Dusil performing uchi mata 内股 on Robert Dusil
• This is my dad performing uchi-mata (内股) on my uncle Robert – Photographed in their training facility. It has since been torn down.
Article – medzi mužmi v kimonáchArticle – Judisti TJ Lokomotívy Košice
• 2 minutes 47 seconds
61 – Brno · Vaclav Dusil, Juraj Bialko, Juraj Mazánek, Robert Dusil, Ivan Spišák, Joe Nalevanko, Erika Mesterova-Dusilova, Julka Tothova, Milka Matuchova
• 3 minutes 23 seconds
61 – Nitra · Vaclav & Robert Dusil
• This photo was taken at an open air tournament in Nitra, Slovakia. The men’s team beat the local team in the finals.
• 4 minutes 12 seconds
63 – Košice · Vaclav Dusil (Regional Senior Championship)
• In this photo my dad is holding his gold medal and diploma for winning the regional senior championships in both under 70kg, as well as the open class (no weight restrictions).
• Publications & Documents
Article – Judo na košickom závode
Article – Tri Tituly Dusilovcov
72.Oct.4 – Brampton · Daily Times, With Only A Few Pointers From Dad
• My dad and I were featured in the local Brampton, Ontario, Canada newspaper. I am photographed here at four years old “throwing” my dad with a Seoi-nage (背負い投げ, or shoulder throw). I vaguely remember this day. Training had finished, and the dojo was dark. We were at the entrance with the newspaper photographer. My dad jumped over me a few times, and it seemed that the photographer wasn’t satisfied. So my dad asked me to hold onto my arm as he jumped over me. And there we have it – a beautifully staged Seoi-nage!
• Tags
Adolf Kostrian, Andrej Collak, Anna Collakova, Berco Allman, Csaba Kende, Czechoslovakia, Darina Poprenakova, Digital Restoration, Dusan Halasz, dusil.com, Edo Novak, Gabriel Dusil, Hluchan, Igor Fridrich, Ivan Spisak, Janosik Bastam, Joe Nalevanko, Jozef Arvay, Jozef Grusecky, Jozko Lemak, Julia Tothova, Juraj Bialko, Juraj Mazanek, Karol Dusil, Košice, Ladislav Kende, Lokomotiva Košice, Maria Collakova-Korytkova, Michal Korytko, Miro Brozek, Nyarjas, Orendas, Pavel Petrivalsky, Pepo Vosecky, Pista Oravec, Pozemné Stavby, Robert Binder, Robert Dusil, Sano Drabcak, Slavia Košice, Slavia Žilina, Slavo Sykorsky, Slezan Opava, Slovak Judo, Stefan Bartus, Ura Nage, Vaclav Dusil, Vašek Dusil, Vinohrady Bratislava, Vlado Babilonsky, Vojtech Agyagos
• Having veterinarian parents carried an expectation that we would always surrounded by animals. Certainly that was the case – even at home. But it also seemed appropriate for my parents to go above and beyond that expectation. That’s why, when I was five years old, getting a Great Dane made sense. Even more appropriate was to call him by the nobles of names: Caesar (Named after Julius Caesar – although we used the Slovak spelling of Cezar).
• When we took him for walks on our street we always had neighbors approaching us, fascinated by his size. “Wow, he’s as big as a horse!”, was the most common comment. Back then many people had never seen a Great Dane in their life. During those years we were always known on the street as, “The veterinarians with the big great dane”.
• When we were young we would even ride Cezar. In the early days he was strong enough to hold me, but eventually only my sister was light enough for Cezar to hold her weight. Looking back, it may have seemed like a form of torture – parading on Cezar’s back as if we were riding a horse. Our friends watch us as if we were a act circus. At the time we felt that Cezar was relishing in the attention. Eventually we stopped our antics when it was clear he could no longer carry us.
• Dusil
If you missed the previous posts on Dusil, then click on these links:
• Introduction by Eva Dusil • Editing by Gabriel Dusil • 24th February 2015
• Our wedding was on the 24th of February 1968, and remember that it was a cold day. The first part was a civil wedding ceremony at the City Hall in Košice. From there we went to the big cathedral, Dóm svätej Alžbety. After the reception we went to my parent’s apartment on Krmanova 3. My father hired a cook to do the catering. Taci was responsible for getting the wine. Your father was still in the military at the time of the wedding. He chose his brother as his best man, just as his brother chose Taci when he got married. The wedding group was not very big – somewhere around twenty people. The wedding party included close family, friends and teammates from judo. It was a happy day. Today would have been our 47th anniversary.
• A year and a half later on 5th of September 1969 we left Czechoslovakia. We celebrated your first birthday in Paris, and you took your first steps there as well. We were there with your uncle’s family as well as your godparents, Slavo and Milica Sykorsky. We spent nine weeks in Paris, arranging for visas to enter Canada.
Mamička
If you missed the other posts on Mamička, you can link to them here:
68.Feb.24 – Košice · Eva Kendeova & Vaclav Dusil Wedding (veil)
68.Feb.24 – Košice · Eva Kendeova & Vaclav Dusil Wedding (down the isle)
68.Feb.24 – Košice · Eva Kendeova & Vaclav Dusil Wedding (witness)
68.Feb.24 – Košice · Eva Kendeova & Vaclav Dusil Wedding (ceremony)
68.Feb.24 – Košice · Eva Kendeova & Vaclav Dusil Wedding (ring)
68.Feb.24 – Košice · Eva Kendeova & Vaclav Dusil Wedding (kiss)
68.Feb.24 – Košice · Eva Kendeova & Vaclav Dusil Wedding (signature)
68.Feb.24 – Košice · Eva Kendeova & Vaclav Dusil Wedding (breaking plate)
68.Feb.24 – Košice · Eva Kendeova & Vaclav Dusil Wedding (breaking vase)
68.Feb.24 – Košice · Eva Kendeova & Vaclav Dusil Wedding (sweeping up)
68.Feb.24 – Košice · Eva Kendeova & Vaclav Dusil Wedding (first dance, restored)
68.Feb.24 – Košice · Eva Kendeova & Vaclav Dusil Wedding (family & friends 2)
• Top row – Pista Oravec, Juraj Mazanek, Pepo Vosecky, and his sister Alica Vosecky • Second row – Uncle Nandor Wawrek (My dad’s uncle on his mother’s side), Karol Dusil, Erika Dusil, and partially hidden is Sonja Leitman • Third row – Csaba Kende (“Nadapy” my grandfather) Stefan Kende, Roman Dusil (baby), Attila Kende, Robert Dusil • Fourth row – Viera Kendeova, Zuzka Dusil • Bottom row – Valeria Kendeova (“Nanika”, my grandmother) and the bride and groom, Eva Dusilova and Vaclav Dusil.
68.Feb.24 – Košice · Eva Kendeova & Vaclav Dusil Wedding (family & friends 1)
68.Feb.24 – Košice · Eva Kendeova & Vaclav Dusil Wedding (bride)
68.Feb.24 – Košice · Eva Kendeova & Vaclav Dusil Wedding (car)
68.Feb.24 – Košice · Eva Kendeova & Vaclav Dusil Wedding (Couple)
• Tags
Alica Vosecky, Attila Kende, Csaba Kende, Erika Dusil, Hosszu, Karol Dusil, Nandor Wawrek, Oravec, Pepo Vosecky, Robert Dusil, Roman Dusil., Sonja Leitman, Stefan Kende, Valeria Kendeova, Vavrek, Viera Kendeova, Zuzana Dusil, Zuzka Dusil, Gabriel Dusil, dusil.com
• In the 1960’s, Slovak judo clubs were not good enough to advance to the Czechoslovakian league. The Czech’s already had a standardized belt promotion (white, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown and black belts) and a relegation system. For this reason Slovakia began to set up a separate league in 1967, in order to improve the quality of their teams. Fighters advanced their skills faster when they fought someone at their own level (or slightly higher), rather than an opponent that who would completely dominate them on the mat. Eight Košice clubs organized their own league: Lokomotiva Košice, Slavia Košice, Slávia Prešov, Lokomotiva Zvolen, Slavia Žilina, Vinohrady Bratislava, Pozemné Stavby Bratislava and Martin. At a regional level, Košice dominated men’s judo in Slovakia, and had one of the best women’s team in Czechoslovakia for several years. In forming their own league, Košice gained a lot of experience, since each team fought an opposing team at least three times. Their plan to narrow the gap between Czech and Slovak judo was gradually accomplished throughout the 1960’s and early 70’s.
• During his military service in Opava, Czech Republic, from 1961-63, my uncle had an opportunity to fight for the Slezan Opava team in the Czechoslovakian Team Championship (Slezan Opava were part of the official Judo League of Czechoslovakia). He received special permission from the army to train with a civilian club because the military owned sport clubs in virtually every sport. He returned as the first black belt in Košice judo with a wealth of experience. Csaba Kende, my father and his younger brother were awarded their black belts (Shodan) shortly afterwards. In 1968, my father was one of the first to get his 2nd degree black belt (Nidan).
• Then came the Warsaw Pact invasion, where approximately 500,000 Russian troops invaded Czechoslovakia, on the night of 20–21 August 1968, and within one year nearly half the men’s team from Lokomotiva Košice emigrated. Those who stayed had to re-build the Lokomotiva Košice judo club.
• Košice Judo
• If you missed the previous post on Košice Judo, you will find it here:
• This is my dad and his brother in their back yard, in Košice. The house is still standing, on Moyzesova in Košice, just across from the city’s main police station. It currently houses university facilities. The Dusil’s lived behind the ornamental fence to the right of my dad. Behind them (in the dark “tunnel”, in the photo) was the main entrance to the house. Around ten families lived there.
Article – Judisti sú agilným oddielom
Article – Tohoročně majstrovstvá nášho kraja v Judo
60 – Brno · Dusan Halasz, Robert Dusil, Nyarjas, Edo Novak, Csaba Kende, Vaclav Dusil
60 – Prague · Vaclav & Robert Dusil
60 – Brno · Igor Fridrich, Nyarjas, Robert Dusil, Edo Novak, Vaclav Dusil, Csaba Kende, Dusan Halasz
• 6 minutes 27 seconds
61 – Košice · Lokomotiva Kosice, Men’s judo team
• Top row – x, Dusan Halasz, x, Jozef Grusecky, Joe Nalevanko, Csaba Kende • Next row – Nyaryas, Ivan Spisak, Juraj Mazanek, Vlado Babilonsky, Pavel Petrivalsky, x • Kneeling – x, Urban, Vojtech Agyagos, Hluchan, x • Laying: Vaclav Dusil and Robert Dusil with the emblem of the Lokomotiva Košice Judo Club.
• Ivan Spisak was the junior judo champion with my uncle, in 1961. Hluchan wanted to lead the club in the early 1960’s, during a crisis in leadership. But he did not succeed against the three Dusil brothers.
• 4 minutes 12 seconds
60.May.1 – Košice · International Workers’ Day
• This parade was for the International Workers’ Day. The photo was taken on the main street of Košice. The communist regime “encouraged” citizens to participate. In other words, they were required to participate in the parade. The judo team did not attend with fellow students or co-workers, but rather as sportsmen, as it was far more fun. My dad is holding the Czechoslovakian flag. Second from the right in Judo sweats and dark glasses is Joseph Nalevanko. Ivan Spisak is scratching his nose, and to the left of him is Dusan Halasz.
• Publications & Documents
68.Aug.17 – Toronto · Document, Vaclav Dusil (Judo, 2nd Dan black belt, Nidan)
Article – Judo aj v našom kraji
• Tags
Adolf Kostrian, Andrej Collak, Anna Collakova, Berco Allman, Csaba Kende, Czechoslovakia, Darina Poprenakova, Digital Restoration, Dusan Halasz, dusil.com, Edo Novak, Gabriel Dusil, Hluchan, Igor Fridrich, Ivan Spisak, Janosik Bastam, Joe Nalevanko, Jozef Arvay, Jozef Grusecky, Jozko Lemak, Julia Tothova, Juraj Bialko, Juraj Mazanek, Karol Dusil, Košice, Ladislav Kende, Lokomotiva Košice, Maria Collakova-Korytkova, Michal Korytko, Miro Brozek, Nyarjas, Orendas, Pavel Petrivalsky, Pepo Vesecky, Pepo Vosecky, Pista Oravec, Pozemné Stavby, Robert Binder, Robert Dusil, Sano Drabcak, Slavia Košice, Slavia Žilina, Slavo Sykorsky, Slezan Opava, Slovak Judo, Stefan Bartus, Ura Nage, Vaclav Dusil, Vašek Dusil, Vinohrady Bratislava, Vlado Babilonsky, Vojtech Agyagos
Gabriel Dusil • Time Is Relentless 