Despite his years, he struck Cardus as "of inexhaustible energy and aliveness". It teaches a curriculum that emphasizes aliveness, physical toughness, and full contact sparring. Both the new batteries, and the FGS passed both aliveness and functional testing. One metaphor for this integrated "aliveness" is Ficino's astrology. He was handsome, a genius, romantic and taught that thinking and "aliveness" were but one. After the initial aliveness testing, the ACS was put through its functional tests.