Donn Draeger

The Exponent of today’s modern Budo gropes about in a maze of classical traditions that he does not understand, and thus, the cleverest of his kind declare that the classical disciplines must be freed from feudal Japanese and raised to great heights of rational efficiency so as to yield wealth, prestige, and practical use. Donn …

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James Field

Through teaching I learned that Karate is for everybody, not just athletes and competitors. Everybody can get something out of it… James Field A pioneer of American Shotokan Karate, James Field is one of the first four Americans certified to teach Shotokan Karate in the United States. A technical martial artist, he was also a …

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Terrance ‘Tokey’ Hill

I know what the martial arts did for my life, and I think that we as champions owe up-and-coming martial artists an opportunity to have access to things we never had. Tokey Hill A Shotokan Karate practitioner, Tokey Hill is a traditional martial artist who strongly believes in sport Karate. He is a multiple National …

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Thomas ‘LaPuppet’ Caroll

If someone confronts me on the street, I will run like hell and hope he doesn’t catch me; if he does, he is in trouble. Thomas LaPuppet Known as the “Gentleman of Karate“, Thomas LaPuppet was a pioneer of American karate. A ferocious competitor, he was nicknamed “La Puppet (The Puppet)” for his ability to …

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Ryusho Sakagami

It is important that the martial art instructor foster a sense of self-responsibility in his students. For the students, the best way to learn is to practice, persevere and think about the intent behind the technique. Ryusho Sakagami Known as a walking encyclopedia on various martial arts by his contemporaries, Ryusho Sakagami dedicated his life …

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Akira Masuda

Our new mission is to affect “human communication” through the Way of Karate, by means of which we want to “understand” the differences embodied in the various disparate cultures, and, through that “understanding,” to grasp its universality. In addition, we want to make the Way of Karate useful in fermenting an ideology and a sense …

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Howard Collins

There are many of us who use exotic titles before our names, such as Shihan or Hanshi etc.  Are we eligible to these titles or is it that some people just give themselves the title. First, what do they mean, perhaps not an easy question because after all, they are foreign words that we assume we understand. For …

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Kenji Midori

There are a few things that I tell my students. First is to prepare more than others. Second, do not ever give up. Third, do not be average. Kenji Midori Standing at around 5’4″ (1.6 m) in height, Kenji Midori is known as the “Little Giant“. He became the first lightweight competitor to win Kyokushin …

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Frank Smith

Karate should first be a martial art. Then, sport is used to test your levels and skill. Frank Smith The legendary Bill “Superfoot” Wallace named him in his list of “Top 10 Karate Fighters of All Time”, and he has also been described as “America’s greatest JKA Fighter“. Frank Smith was one of the big …

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Shigeru Takashina

If I make will, I can kill you, but it is not my character…. My main goal now is to educate people in more than just show Karate but in the cultural Karate, the real cultural benefits [of Karate]. Shigeru Takashina Shigeru Takashina was a true stalwart of the Japan Karate Association (JKA). A graduate …

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