As Bruce Lee said, "My style is the art of fighting without fighting." But a more concrete answer would be that I actively train in two martial arts.
(1) In the area of the striking arts, I train in Okinawan Shuri-Ryu Karate Do. Shuri-Ryu karate do is an American style of Okinawan karate developed by the Karate pioneer Grandmaster Robert A. Trias. It incorporates most of the strikes and kicks of other striking arts but also includes throws, sweeps, joint locks, and applied pressure techniques. My teacher in Shuri-Ryu is Sensei Milt Calander.
(2) In the area of standing controlling arts, I train in Aikido. Aikido was developed by Morihei Ueshiba and focuses upon throws, joint locks and controls, and the redirection of an attacker's energy. The aikido practicioner who brought aikido to the the world's attention is Shihan Steven Seagal. My teacher in aikido is Sensei Elliot Freeman.
Finally, I'd like to study several more martial arts in the future such as: Gracie Jujitsu, Kali/Escrima, and Okinawan Kobudo.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Blog Dedication
This blog is dedicated to my teachers in the martial arts, both past and present.
In Okinawan Shuri-Ryu Karate Do, my teachers are:
* Grandmaster Robert Trias
* * Sensei Tony Bisanz
* * Sensei Larry Heimer
* * Sensei Chris Hoshiyama
* Sensei Milt Calander
In Aikido, my teacher is Sensei Elliot Freeman.
My first teacher is the late Grandmaster Robert Trias. Grandmaster Trias is the founder of Shuri-Ryu Karate-Do and the Father of Karate in America. He was the first person to teach karate on the U.S. mainland (1945) and the first person to open a commercial karate school (1946). This school was located in Phoenix and continued in existence until Grandmaster Trias passed away in 1989. Grandmaster Trias was recognized as a 10th Dan in Karate and Kobudo, a 6th Dan in Judo, and a 2nd Dan in Yawara Jujitsu. I studied at the Trias International Institute of Karate and Judo from 1987 to 1989 and earned a 3rd kyu brown belt in Karate.
Amongst the instructors at Trias International, three played major roles in my instruction from the white belt to brown belt ranks: Sensei Tony Bisanz (7th Dan), Sensei Larry Heimer (4th Dan), and Sensei Chris Hoshiyama (6th Dan). Bisanz Sensei and Heimer Sensei continue to train together in Shuri-Ryu at Bisanz Sensei's dojo, Kondo No Sho Ryu located in Mesa, AZ. Bisanz Sensei was appointed by Grandmaster Trias to be an Assistant Chief Instructor of the Shuri-Ryu system. Hoshiyama Sensei now studies Shorin-Ryu Reihokan and has a dojo in Surprise, AZ called Hoshiyama Karate.
My second Shuri-Ryu Karate-Do teacher is Sensei Milt Calander (7th Dan). I began studying with Calander Sensei in 1991 at the age of 16 and earned all my black belt ranks from him. I continue to study with Calander Sensei at every opportunity. Calander Sensei was one (the other being Sensei Dale Benson) of the two right hand men of Grandmaster Trias at Trias International before Grandmaster Trias’s passing. Calander Sensei served as the chief staff instructor at Trias International for several years in the 1970s and even lived in the dojo with Grandmaster Trias for several years. He assisted Grandmaster Trias in writing down the kata movements and applications (bunkai) in Grandmaster Trias's book "The Pinnacle of Karate" and was also responsible for teaching many seminars on Shuri-Ryu due to his position as chief staff instructor of the headquarter's school (Honbu Dojo). He is also a member of the prestigious Trias International Society. Because of his unique position and knowledge, Grandmaster Trias had offered Calander Sensei a position as a Chief Instructor of the Shuri-Ryu system with the condition that Calander Sensei would have to move out of Arizona to another state. This was so because two Chief Instructors (Benson Sensei and Sensei Roberta Trias Kelly) already resided in Arizona. Calander Sensei declined the position and remained in Arizona. Calander Sensei has owned and operated his own karate school from 1983-1995, the All-American Martial Arts Academy in Mesa, AZ, and was integral in the establishment of the United States Karate Alliance. I was an instructor at All-American. Calander Sensei currently teaches a number of private students in Chandler, AZ.
My teacher in Aikido is Sensei Elliot Freeman. I began studying Aikido with Freeman Sensei in 2004 at the age of 30. Freeman Sensei is a senior instructor of Aikido under Shihan Steven Seagal (7th Dan). Freeman Sensei has multiple black belts in a variety of martial arts including a 4th Dan in Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do, 2nd Dan in Kendo, and a 5th Dan in Aikido. Freeman Sensei owns and operates Three Rivers Aikido in St. Louis. I am an instructor at Three Rivers Aikido.
In Okinawan Shuri-Ryu Karate Do, my teachers are:
* Grandmaster Robert Trias
* * Sensei Tony Bisanz
* * Sensei Larry Heimer
* * Sensei Chris Hoshiyama
* Sensei Milt Calander
In Aikido, my teacher is Sensei Elliot Freeman.
My first teacher is the late Grandmaster Robert Trias. Grandmaster Trias is the founder of Shuri-Ryu Karate-Do and the Father of Karate in America. He was the first person to teach karate on the U.S. mainland (1945) and the first person to open a commercial karate school (1946). This school was located in Phoenix and continued in existence until Grandmaster Trias passed away in 1989. Grandmaster Trias was recognized as a 10th Dan in Karate and Kobudo, a 6th Dan in Judo, and a 2nd Dan in Yawara Jujitsu. I studied at the Trias International Institute of Karate and Judo from 1987 to 1989 and earned a 3rd kyu brown belt in Karate.
Amongst the instructors at Trias International, three played major roles in my instruction from the white belt to brown belt ranks: Sensei Tony Bisanz (7th Dan), Sensei Larry Heimer (4th Dan), and Sensei Chris Hoshiyama (6th Dan). Bisanz Sensei and Heimer Sensei continue to train together in Shuri-Ryu at Bisanz Sensei's dojo, Kondo No Sho Ryu located in Mesa, AZ. Bisanz Sensei was appointed by Grandmaster Trias to be an Assistant Chief Instructor of the Shuri-Ryu system. Hoshiyama Sensei now studies Shorin-Ryu Reihokan and has a dojo in Surprise, AZ called Hoshiyama Karate.
My second Shuri-Ryu Karate-Do teacher is Sensei Milt Calander (7th Dan). I began studying with Calander Sensei in 1991 at the age of 16 and earned all my black belt ranks from him. I continue to study with Calander Sensei at every opportunity. Calander Sensei was one (the other being Sensei Dale Benson) of the two right hand men of Grandmaster Trias at Trias International before Grandmaster Trias’s passing. Calander Sensei served as the chief staff instructor at Trias International for several years in the 1970s and even lived in the dojo with Grandmaster Trias for several years. He assisted Grandmaster Trias in writing down the kata movements and applications (bunkai) in Grandmaster Trias's book "The Pinnacle of Karate" and was also responsible for teaching many seminars on Shuri-Ryu due to his position as chief staff instructor of the headquarter's school (Honbu Dojo). He is also a member of the prestigious Trias International Society. Because of his unique position and knowledge, Grandmaster Trias had offered Calander Sensei a position as a Chief Instructor of the Shuri-Ryu system with the condition that Calander Sensei would have to move out of Arizona to another state. This was so because two Chief Instructors (Benson Sensei and Sensei Roberta Trias Kelly) already resided in Arizona. Calander Sensei declined the position and remained in Arizona. Calander Sensei has owned and operated his own karate school from 1983-1995, the All-American Martial Arts Academy in Mesa, AZ, and was integral in the establishment of the United States Karate Alliance. I was an instructor at All-American. Calander Sensei currently teaches a number of private students in Chandler, AZ.
My teacher in Aikido is Sensei Elliot Freeman. I began studying Aikido with Freeman Sensei in 2004 at the age of 30. Freeman Sensei is a senior instructor of Aikido under Shihan Steven Seagal (7th Dan). Freeman Sensei has multiple black belts in a variety of martial arts including a 4th Dan in Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do, 2nd Dan in Kendo, and a 5th Dan in Aikido. Freeman Sensei owns and operates Three Rivers Aikido in St. Louis. I am an instructor at Three Rivers Aikido.
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