Osu! Ok, so where the heck have I been all this time???
Well, let us just say that since my return from NYC, my mind has been slowly undergoing a metamorphosis, ergo my solitude.
So, what happened on the trip? Well, my stay in NYC was quite refreshing to say the very least. My student Jim Carbaugh took me to the airport at a ridiculously early time, which I thank him very much for. I was picked up at Newark Airport by Sempai John Libutti who was generous enough to reorchestrate his real estate work schedule so as to have the day to spend with me.
I had the honor of being the guest of my good friend Hanshi Wilfredo Roldan for my entire stay. That is to say that I resided at Nisei GoJu Headquarters on Avenue A and 7th street.
The first night, after going to dinner at the DoJo Restaurant on St. Mark’s Place with Sempai Libutti, we returned to Nisei Hq. to find the Italian GoJu team that I had sponsored with an invitational letter to come to NYC on the floor training for the tournament. Kyoshi Walter Meneghini and his troops were something to be seen. After being totally impressed by the Italians, I figured it was time to give them an ear and to see what it was that they were looking for. We went across the street to a place that I used to “work” at that used to be called King Tut’s Wa Wa Hut. We discussed potential relations on an official tip, as well as my coming to Italy to do seminars. By the way, I will be going there shortly. Thanks once again to Sempai Libutti for assisting me during the meeting.
My seminar went so unbelievably well, I am almost at loss for words. Hanshi Roldan was a great help, with the use of his dojo, as well as his running the door and also helping me on the floor from time to time. You couldn’t ask for a better friend folks, and recently I have found that I have a few real friends, some who I didn’t even realize that I had any more.
The morning of the seminar, after a pleasant breakfast at a Ukrainian restaurant with Hanshi Roldan, I made my planned stop at Kinkos to print out the seminar certificates, only to find that both the format of my disk, and the lack of any help what so ever from the one and only employee working at Kinkos that morning, was to make it impossible for me to produce the certificates. Hence their having to be mailed out later from Florida by Kyoshi Price, who also has been so instrumental in this project as well as so many others that thanks is just not enough.
The seminar was a literal who’s who. I was very happy to have my old boys club who trained with me back in the day show up. Sempai John Libutti, Sempai Zino Salnave, and his brother Monday “yes that’s really his name,” Shodan, Manny Perez, Joe Tavano and a remarkable guest appearance by the one and only Pete Melendez who I was both surprised and happy to see being that our paths have not crossed since our gangster days…… but we wont talk about that, will we????
Here is a list of others that attended in no specific order: Walter Menegnhini, Fabio Mandolo, Fabio Panizzola, Roberto Vido, Roberto Zanini, John Barbetta, Aaron Pearce, Ray Herman, Danniel Lemus, Howard Turoff, Tony Berger, Kevin McGrath, Richard Fiore, James Lee, Steven Charles, Gernell Barton, Garry Gascoyne, Robert Rullan, John Lyons, Kevin Johnson, Jeremiah Perez. If you didn’t get mentioned, I am sorry, but that means that you did not sign my guest book.
It was great to see Steven Charles again. Steve and I were in the USMC together many years ago, and while stationed in Okinawa Japan where I brought him into the GoJu system. Wow!, that was in 1980! Anyway, Steve became a member of Harlem GoJu when he got out of the USMC and returned to NYC. Now practicing and teaching with Sensei James Lee, the two of them not only attended the seminar but are now officially in my GoJuLandia South organization. There are others that have made application as to membership, and have been accepted. When your dues are paid, you will be officially listed.
Many people took photos and video tape of my seminar, but unfortunately only a few have sent me what they took, so I am limited to what I have to put on this blog.
Ok, now for the rest of my stay. Hanshi Roldan and I tore up the town = Lower East Side, the night before Sunday’s tournament. Yes, it was quite nice to be back stomping in my old stomping grounds once again, especially with my partner in crime. No, we didn’t get arrested, but that’s because we are now old, wise and slicker than ever………….. although the folks at a club called “Vagina” will always remember how they had to tactfully figure out a way to get two celebrity bad guys to understand that although we are who we are, that we cannot smoke in NYC clubs any longer. They did attempt to offer us hookah pipes to smoke, but we chose to move on to another location rather than to partake in their over priced Turkish goodies. By the way, I drank Hanshi Roldan under the table, a fact that he will no doubt attempt to debate………….. but then again, he could be right.
Now for the tournament: Ok, Sunday morning Hanshi Roldan and I took a cab from the Lower East Side, up to Spanish Harlem. The event was held at an old NYC public school, and let me tell ya, it is a real pain in the hip for someone like me with an arthritic hip to have to climb the stairs all day in order to get to the 2 different floors that contained the 2 separate gyms that were used. The event seemed a bit weird to me in that it was run by different people than our usual yearly event run by Shihan Gotay. The attendance was not as big, and there were quite a few schools that are not normally present. Juluia Urban Kimmerly was there as well as Sekwii Sha, but still it seemed strange some how. I did get a chance to spend some quality time talking with “The Black Dragon” Ron Van Clief, to briefly run a ring with Wild Cat Molina, and see many other old friends, but like I said, it was not the same.
The funniest part was when after a fantastic Jujitsu Demo done by Master Giacommetti’s group from Italy, there was an awards ceremony in which the Urban Legacy folks received nice plaques. I however was left out of this ????????? But it seems that when someone realized that this had happened, I was called up to receive the next type of award that was given, which was for those who were instrumental in the making of the event. I had to laugh when I read my award which was made out to someone named Steven Melendez. I have a ½ Cuban daughter “Melissa” so I suppose that it is appropriate that now I have an Hispanic last name to go with her…………….. Ha ha ha………..
I am not saying that it was a bad tournament, just not what I expected, however, I am happy to say that Sempai John Libutti took 1st place in ShoDan Kata, and that the Italian team that I brought did so well that they had to fight each other for Grand Champion Black Belt fighting.
Shihan William Rivera who is a writer and editor for www.martialforce.com which is a cyber martial arts magazine was at both my seminar and the tournament to cover the action for the two days. I am looking forward to seeing what he will write. It was a great pleasure to go out to dinner after the tournament with Shihan Rivera and his girlfriend as well as Hanshi Roldan at a Puerto Rican restaurant on Avenue A. Nothing like good old fashioned Hispanic home cookin! Especially with quality company.
I am looking forward to my next NYC trip and to possibly make future plans to stay there for good this time
Osu! Bows and greetings to one and all!!!
It will be my honor to have my perenial twin " as per my teacher = Urban," = my brother from another mother, and he doeas not look all too much like me either, Grand Master Sam McGee, head of Harlem GoJu, and his folks at my seminar. " Whew! long sentance......... 
Osu! Ok, Here is another shameless plug for my NYC Seminar on the 29th of April 2006. Yes ladies and gents, this is the "collectors item" certificate that will be awarded to all who participate in the Urban Empi Ha / KuruRunFa Seminar. For those who may be under the impression that there is no more availability for the seminar, let me assure you that if you get with Hanshi Roldan and or myself ASAP, we will make room for you. Thanks to Kyoshi Jim "ol Reliable" Price for his assistance in creating the beautiful certificate to be awarded to participants. Osu!
Osu! 
I am humbled by the amount of calls that "My brother from another mother = Hanshi Roldan has received about my seminar. Be sure to get with him and also me as to your attendance, as it appears that it will be a sell out. Funny, I heard that some where asking how he = Roldan got me to do a seminar at his dojo. "PLEASE!!!!" That man is my Ace Boon Coon!!!" = we go WAY BACK!!!! = If you got a problem with he, you got a problem with me........
How many of you remember me from my punk rock days???? This is my daughter's mom, Anna and I back in another time and place at least 20 years ago.
Regretfully, I must once again inform my readers of the demise of one of our people. I spoke with Sempai, John Libutti this evening, seen here as a green belt breaking a board about 18 years ago, after he had lost a leg and paralyzed an arm in a motorcycle accident, back in the day when my dojo was more of a gangster hang out than a legitimate school of self improvement,and he informed me that our own Roberto Tapia, pictured here in back ground to John's right, has passed away. I am not meaning this as a slur against Roberto, but the truth need be told. Roberto Tapia, my student and friend, got into HEROIN and died of an over dose. I am saddened that this happened, but I will use this example to cry out to those of you who are still sewing your wild oats. TAKE THIS AS A LESSON LEARNED FROM ROBERTO! 
In these two pics are some very colorful individuals who mostly changed their lives around later, but we all remember the days, and unfortunately, we all have only a memory of our dear friend Roberto Tapia. Osu! Mi amigo, Via con Dios!
The Urban KuRuRunfa is a modern kata that was devised by ,my teacher = GMstr. Urban. He used a unique methodology of spelling Japanese words so as for them to be easily pronounced by non Nihon Go speakers. The Sensei's way of spelling KuRuRunfa was KooRooRunfa. The Sensei translated his kata as "Violence." The bunkai and setsumei of the kata take place in a darkly lit bar. The techniques of pulling a person from a stool, as well as fighting multiple attackers from the front and rear without looking. The method of removing and using shoes is also extant. As soon as the stills from the photo / video shoot are fully completed, we will commence with this tutorial.
Osu! The kururunfa segment will be coming up soon. Anyone with any questions on the VIOLENCE = Urban KuRuRunFa kata, please email ironhands280@aol.com
Osu! Ok, now what do you think he was thinking? I can tell you, because I was intimate with him as far as his thoughts and wishes. There is much material available written by or about The Sensei. His official writings and material was distributed by chosen people with the understanding that in many cases, he = Urban would be stipened moneterily of a percentage of his choosing, and after his = Urban's demise, my sister = his daughter Julia would receive the affore mentioned stipend. Well, there are those of dubious deniability who are currently selling Urban material without paying agreed stipend. I am not at this time mentionimng any names, but if you dont straighten things out with my sister Julia, I promise you a war. = period. For those who wish to purchase legitimate Urban material, please see www.americangoju.com for what is what. Anything else is up for varification, and you can varify it right here! The Sensei = Urban, left sister Julia certain rights, and between Henry Shawn Esq. "Sensei's Lawyer," and myself "Sensei's Judge Advocate General" I guarentee that my sister will receive her props. Or You got some splainin to do Lucy!!!!!!!!!!!
Oss! Not having sent out a mass advisement as to new postings on this blog, you may be seeing quite a few new items here. All systems are go here at the Hombu, and as for New York and New Jersey, you can begin to prepair for my visit there in April. I will most definately be giving seminars both in NYC at Hanshi Roldan's dojo in the East Village, as well as in NJ. I will be attending the Urban Legacy Tournament in Harlem while we are there. Hanshi Teller of Gainesville Fla. will be there with his folks, as will Kyoshi James Price of Ft. Myers Fla., the webmaster of www.americangoju.com which is the official Urban GoJU site. I do expect to see ALL of my people from the Tri State Area at this event!
If I may be so bold as to post a page of an old Urban Speaks newsletter in which The Sensei = Urban speaks of me and my knowledge of the system = USA / Urban GoJu.
See anyone you know? Chinatown DoJo circa early 60s. Taganashi, DeBase, Padu, Sha, Sensei, Gotay, Wallace etc. etc.
This was my highest ranking student circa about 20 years ago, Sensei Rick Jeffers. Seen at far left. Of course thats me far right, after he and I had taken 1st place in our respective divisions at a New Jersey event. Rick was a well known tournament champ as well as the director of 6 dojos!!! He was killed in an auto "accident" on the New Jersey Turnpike a year after this pic was taken. Rest in peace mt brother from another mother.....
First on the list of this 6 part classic is a picture that the Sensei = Urban took of himself in the mirror at Masutatsu Oyama's Dojo in the 50s. Click on pic to enlarge.
This pic of The Sensei = Urban as well as the following who's who of The Sensei's organization, is taken from the original KaraTe DoJo book which was published in 1964, prior to the Tuttle Company mass production. The following was omitted in the Tuttle publication, hence these pages falling into obscurity. 
