Minoru Mochizuki (1907 – 2003) was a Japanese martial artist who founded the dojo Yoseikan. He was a 10th dan in Aikido, 9th dan in jujutsu, 8th dan in iaido, 8th dan in judo, 8th dan in kobudo, 5th dan in kendo, 5th dan in karate, and a 5th dan in jojutsu. Mochizuki, began... more »
Born in November of 1878, and trained by Jigoro Kano and Tsunejiro Tomita in Judo, Mitsuyo Maeda (aka Conde Koma) is, perhaps, the most important figure in the history of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He began his Judo (then known as Kano Jiu-Jitsu) training in 1895 and was traveling the world to promote the art by... more »
Morio Higaonna (born December 25, 1938) is a prominent Okinawan karate practitioner who is the founder and Chief Instructor of the International Okinawan Goju-ryu Karate-do Federation (IOGKF). He is a holder of the highest rank in Goju-ryu karate, 10th dan. Martial arts scholar Donn Draeger (1922–1982) reportedly once described him as “the most dangerous... more »
Dr. Moses Powell was a Martial Arts “living legend” with more than 47 years of consummate study in the fighting arts. His experience and achievements are countless and his name is world-renowned. In 1965, Dr. Powell was the featured martial arts demonstrator at the New York World’s Fair. The following year in 1966, he... more »
Yoshimi Osawa (Japan, 1927) promoted to Kodokan 10th dan on 8 January 2006, at age 79. Osawa is also still coaching at the Kodokan, and is recognised for his support of women’s judo. Osawa was known by the nickname Current Ushiwakamaru. Ushiwakamaru was the childhood name of a legendary twelfth-century samurai who was small... more »
Steven Seagal was born on April 10, 1951, in Lansing Michigan. His mother was a medical technician and his father was a high school math teacher. When Steven was 5 the family moved to Fullerton, CA. At age 7, Steven became inerested in the martial arts and discovered a Japanese dojo in nearby Garden... more »
Sumiyuki Kotani Shihan was a Judo Master who received the rank of 10th Dan in April 1984, the oldest person to be awarded this rank (until 2006 when Ichiro Abe was promoted at age 83). Graduated from Tokyo College of Education, he was one of Jigoro Kano’s direct students, and only the 7th man to... more »
Shimabuku Tatsuo (1906–1975) was born September 19, 1906 in Chan (Jp. Kyan) village, Okinawa. Shimabuku began training under Shinko Ganeku, his maternal uncle. Ganeku later sent Shimabuku to study karate from Chotoku Kyan. He was around age 23 or 24 at the time (c. 1932). Chotoku Kyan would be his most influential instructor (and... more »
William Cheung or Cheung Cheuk Hing born October, 1940, is a Chinese Wing Chun Kung Fu practitioner and currently the Grandmaster of his lineage of Wing Chun, entitled Traditional Wing Chun (TWC). He also heads the sanctioning body of TWC, the World Wing Chun Kung Fu Association. In 1951, at the age of ten,... more »
Willem (“Wim”) Ruska (born August 29, 1940 in Amsterdam) is a retired judoka from the Netherlands. During his career in the 1960s and 1970s he won seven European titles, five in the +93kg category (1966-67, 1969, 1971-72) and two in the open category (1969 and 1972). He furthermore won two world titles and two... more »
Wong Shun Leung (1935-1997) was a Wing Chun master. He started training with Yip Man at 17, after challenging the master and finding himself completely controlled by him. Already at this age Wong had a reputation as a fighter and Yip Man was at first worried that he would bring trouble for Wing Chun.... more »
Yip Man (October 1893 – December 2, 1972) was the first martial arts master to teach the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun openly. He had several students who later became martial arts teachers in their own right, including Leung Sheung, Lok Yiu, Chu Shong Tin, Wong Shun Leung and Bruce Lee. Yip Man... more »