Hey! Even the Grand Patriarch Of All American GoJu Systems needs a break some times......

Vintage pic of GMstr. John Pachivas of USKA and Yours Truly.

Yours Truly presenting The Sensei = Urban with an award from GoJuLandia South at the John Jay College Of Criminal Justice.

Oldie but goodie of The Sensei = Urban, from Mas Oyama's book, What Is KaraTe?

Pic taken during photo shoot of the last time that I performed the 5 implicit actions with my teacher = Urban

Glamor pic taken at GMstr. Rex Lee's dojo in 97

KaraTe guy hero

Please go to: http://us.video.aol.com/video.index.adp?mode=2&guideContext=65.73&pmmsid=1443982

Real cool footage of a recent robbery thawrted by a martial artist.

Enjoy!

This characature of yours truly was drawn by an unfortunate soul who was taking a federal vacation at our facility. I got in trouble for accepting this token, but trouble is my middle name.









Osu!

Here we have a family album in magazine cover format. This is by NO means even a hint of the extent of my archives, but time permitting, will do for now as a tease.

I have deleted some of the old personal stuff, in order to make for an easier read of the classic stuff. If you find that your picture or mention has vanished, it's probably because you have not been in touch, or perhaps your just unlucky. Or maybe I plan to post a much better peice on the subject of you. "Food for frustration."

I must get ready now to go pick up Donna for our Hot Date so please forgive the breifness of this post, but a mans gotta do what a mans gotta do....... and i'd better clean up my living room also.

Anyway, enjoy!

I plan to.

It took a lot of effort.

It took a lot of effort to undo the damage that had been done to the California based magazine Black Belt, by the anti Urban, as far as his being included.

Where at on time in the early days, The Sensei = Urban was a regular in this mag, for some unknown to some reason, my teacher had been neglected for many yaers.

My being asked by the then editor, to submit a peice on my teacher, was put to a halt by the removal of the then editor, and my project no longer being recognized.

After petitioning internationally over the internet and copious ammonts of my readers emailing Black Belt Magazine, my article was finally accepted, published and printed in the 40th anniversary issue.

The Sensei = Urban

More of The Sensei = Urban

The Cat

Yamaguchi Gogen Sensei, Founder of the Nippon GoJuKai, and teacher of The Sensei = Urban.

The "so called" god hand

Another of The Sensei's = Urban's, teachers, Sosai Masutatsu Oyama, Founder of KyokuShinKai.

The Anti Urban

Grand Master Gosei Yamaguchi.

Siringano

Old friend of The Sensei, Grand Master Pete Siringano Sr.

Johnny Kuhl

There are numerous Official Karate Magazine covers featuring our own Grand Master Johnny Kuhl, but this is the best by far, as it is Official Karate Volume 1 number 1.

Al Gotay

Here is Grand Master Albert Gotay back in the day.

Ruiz, Roldan and Volrath

Here are Shihan Frank Ruiz, Founder of Nisei GoJu, and Hanshi Wilfredo Roldan, current head of Nisei. At top of cover is Master Ted Volrath, who when my student John Libutti lost his leg in a motorcycle accident, traveled many hours to accompany me at Libutti's bedside at St. Vincents Hospital in NYC. Volrath was later instrumental in our bringing Libutti back to regular life.

Delgado

The unequaled Master Louis Delgado. Famous early tournament champ. Known for having beat Chuck Norris, and after training with The Sensei, Shihan Ruiz, Nishiama, and Bruce Lee, became quite the Master himself.

The Black Dragon, Ron Van Clief then and now

Big Joe Hess

Here is Heavey wieght kick boxing champ, and Police Tactics Instructor Master Joe Hess, along with Sensei Ron Russel and my friend Master Joe Kelljchian.

Marty Manuel

This is my friend Shihan Marty Manuel back in the day, fighting a KA System guy.

Ric Pascetta

This is Master Ric Pascetta, one of our great tournament fighters and promotors of the 70s.

Asatida Karriem Allah

Karriem Allah, founder of the KA System. He was a long time friend / nemesis of The Sensei. They held each other in high esteem in the last part of The Sensei's life.

GoJuDo

It would be a crime not to top off this Ju Jitsu segment with some pics of The Sensei performing techniques of GoJuDo.


This pic, which appeared in the first issue of Official KaraTe Magazine, was taken at the Wooster Street DoJo in Chinatown / Little Italy in NYC circa 1968.


Here The Sensei performs a technique on The Black Dragon "GMstr. Ron VanCleif in a pic that appeared in the Oct. 1974 issue Masters Of Self Defense Magazine.

And lastly, the Urban IKyo technique performed by The Sensei on your's truly "ouch!" "Tap!" "Tap!" "TAP!!!!!" in this clip from my article that was published in the 40th anniversary collectors edition of Black Belt Magazine, July 2001.

Life During War Time

It is extremely interesting to me, how propaganda is used in wartime. The following are taken from the first few pages of the WW2 era book, American JuDo. This particular book, was left to me by my father, however, reprints where available in various Comic Books when I was a kid. American JuDo / Combat JuDo, was the prevailant art original in the US. The author spells out the malice felt for our then enemy, and promotes the use of the enemy's own device against him.

JuJitsu part 1

Old pic of your's truly doing a ShobuDo Waza at BuShiKan DoJo.

Ju Jitsu or Ju Jutsu or Jiu Jitsu or Jiu Jutsu, no matter how you spell it, means The Art Of yielding, or Soft Methodology. The original way it was spelled in the west is Jiu Jitsu or Ju Jitsu. Later when a more standardized Romanization of Nihon Go = Japanese language was established, JuJutsu became known as the standard.


Some think that Jitsu would be the more modern systems and Jutsu the old school, and at times this is the case, however not the rule.

I choose to use the Romanization Jitsu because that is the way that I was taught. It is "our" tradition.


Another kanji that is pronounced Jitsu, means truth. I find that also appropriate.

Shobu means confrontation, or contest or combat. It can also be translated as Victory "which is funny, because my Dad's name was Victor", and also Martial excellence, or to excel in battle.

Do of course means Path or Way.

The two best ways that I have heard the principle of Ju or yielding or soft or gentle, be explained are:

1.: Picture a large thick tree, with large thick branches being covered with snow. As the snow accumulates the branches will break under the weight of the snow.

Picture a young thin tree being snowed upon. As the snow accumulates, the branches bend, giving way to the weight of the snow, and then spring back up to their original state.

Picture the same two trees in a hurricane.

The Large thick tree will blow down, while the young thin tree will give in to the wind and spring back to its original state.

2.: Water takes the shape of whatever holds it. If you strike it, it moves around you. If you throw it up against the wall, it takes the shape of the wall, and regroups where gravity takes it.


The seizing techniques of Ju Jitsu originally came from the Chinese arts of Chin Na.

These techniques where used by Samurai during their service, and later passed on throughout the particular schools of thought that various Samurai started.

ShobuDo Ryu JuJitsu is indigenous to the island of Hakkaido Japan, it's techniques were brought there by a BuShi who retired and became a farmer. His civilian name became Tenamura. He passed his knowledge down through his family and friends.


The Ju Jitsu that we do, is greatly influenced by the AiKi Ju Jitsu Master yoshida Kotaro, pictured here with Hanshi Richard Kim. You see, he not only was one of the teachers of Tenamura of ShobuDo Ryu, but he also taught Sosai, Masutatsu Oyama, and Hanshi Richard Kim, who where 2 of Grand Master Urban's teachers. Small world indeed.
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Ju Jitsu 2

About 17 years ago, I had a dojo in West New York, partnered with Shihan Jose Amato, who at one time was top dog of Shinan Antonio Perrera, but later broke away to establish his own BuShiDo Ryu Ju Jitsu.



After the death of my father, Grand Master Rex Lee became my Ju Jitsu mentor. I was awarded 6th dan in Ju Jitsu from him on December 9th 1997. GrandMaster Lee's Ju Jitsu was influenced by Professor Florendo Visitation and Professor Moses Powell among others. GMstr. Lee was also highly ranked in GoJu via Shihan Frank Ruiz.

Terrible thing: All and I repeat, All of the above mentioned in these Ju Jitsu sections 1 and 2, excluding your's truly, have unfortunately passed on to the next reality.