Another brush with death.

So after receiving a pretty bad human bite, "long story, dont ask," and letting it go for almost 2 weeks without treatment, even with the constant encouragment to go to the hospital by Hanshi Roldan and everyone else, I finally succumed to being literally dragged to Beth Israel Hospital by a well known local professional conga player Enrique Arrosa. Upon examination in the ER, it was discovered that the red lines that were appearing up my now both arms were a sign of blood infection. "Duhhh." What was I not thinking??? I was told that had I not came in to the hospital when I did, I may have died. After 3 days undergoing IV antibiotics, and various tests of my blood and heart, I was relesed yesterday with 7 days supply of oral antibiotics. Oh well............... maybe next time...........

A nice message from someone near and dear to the Maestro:

Osu!

I received the following response to my last emailing alert about this blog from the well known Okinawan dance instructor Teiko Yonaha. As many of you know, she was very close to Maestro Urban.

"It's good to read the interesting comments and see all these pictures, esp. the old ones.
I like your creative blog and thank you for keeping abreast with the current actives of GoJu-Ryu, Steven-san.
I believe that you are a great budo-ka. Please keep kicking and punching, esp. the unique style of Goju-breathing.
Teiko from N.J. "

Teiko San also sent the following poem to go with this picture that I had of her. The jist of it, is that in Spanish, Maestro Urban's name is Pedro, or Piedra, which translated into english, means rock.

"A Pine seed was dropped on a rock. Years later the pine tree has grown magnificently, enveloping the huge Rock.” The fans symbolize the prosperity. Many years ago, practicing Karate and carrying weapons were prohibited in Okinawa. However, the Martial Artists disguised its techniques in the forms of dance in order to preserve the arts."

Kumite!

Osu!

Here is somthing that many of you have not probably seen before.

Here we have two of Maestro Urban's teachers, GMstr. Gogen Yamaguchi and GMstr. Masutatsu Oyama, doing jiu kumite!

Do you suppose that they were fighting over Urban????

Video!

Osu!

Finally! That's My Satori has video!

For your enjoyment, or chagrin, here is a short taste of one of my seminars in New York City.

Part 2

This one is a bit longer........

Technique

Here are some still pics of an interesting waza from GoJu Jitsu Bunkai.

My Uke in this segment, as well as in the video segment, is my student Zino Salnave, NiDan.

Photos and video courtesy of Munday Salnave.

Two Dapper YuDansha.

Osu!

I recently found this old pic of GMstr. Chaka Zulu and yours truly, years ago, at the WHOFSC Hall of fame in Orlando Fla.

Those of you who have been around for awhile will remember him from the movie The Warrior Within back in his Nisei GoJu days.

He is now the founder and head of Zu Jitsu Ryu.

Lee and me.

Osu!
Here is an old one of Grand Master Rex Lee and yours truly, at one of my Warrior's Challenge events.
Rex Lee had many high rankings in various styles. Having trained with G Yamamoto, Frank Ruiz, Florendo Visitation, and Moses Powell just to name a few, his knowledge and ability was startling.

After the death of my father, he became my JuJitsu mentor.

His crazy sense of humor, and up front honesty whether you liked it or not, made him a genuine person. Like him or not.
Many did not.
And he did not care............................

Here is an historic pic of yours truly competing in Puerto Rico at The Montalvo Bros. Sansei tournament many years ago. If you want to hear an interesting story about this pic, go to www.sanseipage.blogspot.com

Lets get back to business

Osu!

Ok! Lets get back to the original premise of this blog = TEACHING!

Please remember that if you click on the majority of the pics that you find here, they will enlarge.

Here you see yours truly giving a seminar at Nisei Hombu in NYC.

Family portrait

Many of you have seen this pic before, but are you hip to who is in it pertaining to us, and where it was taken???

2nd row 4th from your left, you will see a young mustachioed Gogen Yamaguchi = Maestro Urban's main teacher.

Last row, leaning against the wall, in Japanese college uniform of the period, is Nei Chu So. This young Japanese Korean was a junior to Yamaguchi at Ritzumeikan University where they both trained for a time with Chojun Miyagi during Miyagi's visits to the mainland of Japan. Nei Chu So later taught Masutatsu Oyama, founder of KyokuShinKai, another of Maestro Urban's teachers.

This pic was taken at a BuTokuKai meeting of KaraTe instructors during a time when KaraTe was new to the BuTokuKai.

You may or may not remember a time when through another teacher of Sensei's = Urban's, Richard Kim, USA / Urban GoJu wore a patch on the back of the gi with the BuTokuKai name.

New blog ichi

It is my pleasure to announce that my two best friends have finally started their own blogs!

Hanshi, Wilfredo Roldan, Nisei GoJu Ryu Martial Arts.

niseigoju.blogspot.com

New blog ni

Hanshi, Manny Saavedra, Kokusai Koryu GoJu Kai / Sansei GoJu

sanseipage.blogspot.com

The Master Breaker.

Osu!

I never had the chance before, to put a pic of my dear friend and coach during my tournament carreer as a teen ager in the 70's, The Master Breaker, GMstr. Ron Jeter.

He was quite a character. Charismatic, bigger than life, and a real showman. His tameshiwari = testing of the tools = breaking all kinds of bricks and blocks was truly somthing to behold.

He was also the best man to have in your corner when you were the only white boy, fighhting at the "inner city tournaments...."

I have fond memories of him taking my dojo mates and myself to 42nd street in NYC after work outs. He would actually pay all of our ways from one Kung Fu movie to another. We would work our way down 42 St often visiting 4 or 5 theaters in order to not miss any of the more than numerous Chop Socky flicks that would come out every week back then.

Unfortunately, like my other teachers, he is no longer with us.

Osu!

Getting back to the classics, here is a one of a kind oldie. It was taken in the 60's at GMstr. S. Henry Cho's school in NYC.

That's Mas Oyama squatting center in front row. In the back row, is GMstr's Ruiz, Cho and of course The Maestro = Urban, behind Oyama.

Click on pic for enlarged version.

Thanks to Hanshi Roldan for allowing me to steal this off of the Nisei Hombu wall................

Osu!

I am certain that those who are in the the know, will know who this is that I am hanging out with

in this pic.

Yes, it is nice to be back where this fish can swim with other fish of the same species.

Osu! To one and all.

There will be seminars given by the Hanshi of GoJu JItsu = The "G" = you know who, both in NYC and Hoboken NJ.

Get with your truly via email = Ironhands280@aol.com

as to the when and where.

There will also be a meeting of all those affiliated coming up this week. Email me about it.

The picture is of me, having a cinder block broken over my chest, while laying on a bed of nails, courtesy of Master Polgliani of Nisei GoJu. Notice Nisei's founder, GMstr. Frank Ruiz watching in background in wheel chair. That's Sensei Calvin Chase protecting my face with a board.

"G"

Osu!

Here is a good one of The Sensei = Urban at GMstr. Alberto Gotay's event years ago. I found this while roaming through Hanshi Roldan's Photo album.

Pretty cool!

Osu!

I just thought that this was a pretty cool pic. So for your enjoyment, here it is. I give you The Maestro = Urban, and GMstr. Frank Ruiz. Circa 1988 in Florida, at The Daniel San DoJo of Sensei, Danny Lemus. May they both rest in peace. Thanks to Hanshi Roldan, and Sensei Lemus for the pic.

Detatchment.

True freedom comes with the abolishment of the things that we hold important.

Relationships, affiliationships, belongings, or should I say supposed belongings.

Freedom comes from detachment from the bondage of the self created ties, chains, and prison cells that we bring upon our own co dependant selves.

Flogging the dead horse, so to speak, is a definite form of self imprisonment.

Someone that we all knew, was once told that he = a man of his persuasion, could never achieve an original thought.

To this, I say that from Today = Now, the original thinking, based on lessons learned from the past, are far more important, and productive, than living in, basking in, and shunting with, that which was.

Daddy's shoes are worn and tattered. Like baby shoes, they should be bronzed, and not stepped into.

It is one thing, to walk in the footsteps of the father, and another, to blindly walk into a mine field. Read into that one, like a zen koan .....................................

The definition of insanity, is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a diffent result.

Like David Miller says: That's my opinion, and I could be wrong..........................

Disconnect

Osu!

Once again, my friend Henry Rollins expresses my deepest feelings in his artistic methodology.

Go to the following link to see the TAXI DRIVER enspired story of my life..............

http://21361.com/site_2004/video/Disconnect1.html

Getting back to business.

Ok! Osu!

Let us get busy!!!

The whole operation has moved to another location = the there and then is the past, and the here and now, as well as the here to come is what we will be focusing on.

I am currently revamping my curriculum, as well as my organization and affiliations.

For those of you who have been waiting for the word.... here it is.

The time has finally come, so if youy have been waiting, contact me NOW = TODAY as we are ready to rock and roll!

Hanshi, K. McGrath

Kyoshi, W. Meneghini

Sensei, J. Lee

Sensei, S. Charles

Sensei, J. libutti

Sensei, Zino Salnave

Sensei, D. Santiago

Sensei, Keith Lengyel

Sempai, Brian Robinson

PLEASE CONTACT ME AT ONCE.

I will be in the NY/NJ area soon to take care of business.

As for Lee County, I highly suggest that you get with me via email asap, as if I dont hear from any of you, then there is no reason to look back.

Let me take this moment to thank Hanshi Manny Saavedra for his tireless support of me in my times of need.

It was also nice to spend time with Nisei GoJu's GMstr,Hanshi Roldan while he was here. Even though we didn't get to tear up the town, we had a nice time.

Apologies to Master Kelljchian for missing the beach event, but I have been a bit busy getting it together.

I do plan to meet with Shihan Al Gotay in August to discuss things however.

More on that later.

Congrats to Team Sansei, and the rest of the Kokusai Koryu GoJu Kai = Sansei GoJu's new moniquor, on their victorious overtaking at the US Open.

Master Joe Anon does a fine job in training these folks, as does Master Arturo Espina, under the direction of Hanshi Saavedra.

Well, there is more, but I'll get back to ya later

To Mom with love.

Happy Mother's Day to one and all, especially to all of you MOTHERS!

Here are a couple of pics of my dearly departed MOM Marian, who I miss so much that I just had to post on this blog so as to have somthing to look at on this day of rememberance. The one on the top is her at one of my tournaments. The one on the bottom, is her in Korea when my father brought her to the orient to do USO shows during the Korean war back in the 50's.

The New York trip.

Osu!
Well, this year's trip back to NYC for the GoJu Galla weekend went pretty well.
I travelled by car with Hanshi Manny Saavedra and Shihan Camillo Castillo. The 26 hour drive made for some quality time spent with friends, albeit a bit arduous. As per the norm, I stayed at Hanshi Wilfredo Roldan's dojo on the lower east side. Yes, my two best friends Hanshi's Saavedra and Roldan made this trip a reality for me, as I more than likely would not have been able to swing it this year without them.

Friday evening we went to the Urban memorial at the Hoboken YMCA in NJ. Sensei Howard Turoff put on a very nice and surprisingly well attended program, with Hanshi Roldan and I as guest speakers. The audience was a variable who's who of GoJu wich made it a perfect time for me to finally present Hanshi Kevin McGrath with his long awaited 9th Dan certificate. After the tribute and demonstrations where over we all went to a resteraunt / club called Maxwells "an old haunt of mine," and very literally took the place over. In other words,we brought so many people with us that the place became an extention of the Urban memorial rather than a hang out for it's usual crowd.

The following day = Saturday was the Urban Legacy tournament in NYC. It was truly nice to see so many of my old friends again, and also to watch my student John Libutti compete. I thank them for the nice award that they gave me " Lifetime Acheivement" and apologise for having to leave early. Hanshi's Roldan, Saavedra and I then went to a roundtable interview with Shihan William Rivera and his lovely lady Lydia for Martial Force Magazine. Look for it soon at www.martialforce.com.

Later that evening, we enjoyed the hospitality of Hanshi Alex Saavedra at his home in NJ. It is always a pleasure to see him. This time I got to meet his lovely lady and beautiful daughter. The food was geat also.

Unfortunately the full weekend of events made for a not as big as last year showing at my seminar on Sunday, however, with the help of Hanshi Roldan, and the presance of Hanshi Ralph Vigianno, as well as the support of Sensei Turoff and his people, we still had a great time.

After the seminar we set out for our long drive back home making a stop at Hanshi Saavedra's nephew Alex Jr.'s beautiful home in NJ. Alex Jr. is El Presidente' of Eyeball records. He currently puts out the number one band My Chemical Romance. AFTER A great barbeque we headed home = another 26 hour drive.

Thats all for now.

Osu!

Ok, As it seems at this point in time, I will be giving my saminar at Hanshi Roldan's Nisei Hombu Dojo on Ave. A and 7th St. on the Sunday following The Urban Cup. I will be travelling up to NYC with Hanshi Manny Saavedra, who will be doing a seminar in Hoboken N.J. on the day of the Urban Cup "Sat." and of course I will be attending the Urban Day shindig in Hoboken on Friday evening.

If you are not hip to any of these things, get with me via email = Ironhands280@aol.com