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Who's Who

Who’s Who in the martial arts on USAdojo.com shares biographies and articles about the Founders, the Masters, the Pioneers, the Competitors and the “Stars” of the martial arts.

Larry Carnahan: Tae Kwon Do

Larry Carnahan began training in Korean Tae Kwon Do in 1967 in Ft. Worth, Texas. In July of 1970 Larry was promoted to Black...

Cynthia Rothrock: Martial Artist & Action Film Star

Cynthia Rothrock is one of the greatest martial artist and action film stars in the world, Few other performers can match her presence and...
Reynardo Nikko Gutierrez

Reynardo “Nikko” Gutierrez: Nikko Sung Jitsu Ryu

Raised in Brooklyn East New York and realizing the need to acquire fighting skills due to street challenges. Kyoshi Reynardo "Nikko" Gutierrez in admiration...
Shigeru Egami

Shigeru Egami: Shotokai Karate

Shigeru Egami was born in the Fukuoka Prefecture in 1912. He was one of Gichin Funakoshi Sensei's earliest students, but more than this, he...
Choki Motobu

Choki Motobu: Okinawan Karate

Choki Motobu was born on April 5, 1870 and died on April 15, 1944. He was born in Akahira village in the Shuri region...
Kathy Long Kickboxing Belts

Kathy Long The Punisher

While kick-boxing under manager Eric Nolan, California featherweight Kathy Long know as "The Punisher", defeated some of the best female fighters in the world. Her...

Douglas Wong: White Lotus Kung-Fu

Master Douglas Wong is a teacher, trainer and author and the founder of the modern-day White Lotus system of kung-fu. He was born and...
Graciela Casillas

Graciela Casillas “The Goddess”

Graciela Casillas or "The Goddess" was a pioneer of women's boxing in the early 1980's and held the World Women's Boxing Association bantamweight title....

Teruyuki Okazaki: Shotokan Karate

Teruyuki Okazaki was born in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, in 1931 and began karate at the age of 16, studying under Gichin Funakoshi, the founder...

George Dillman: Ryukyu Kempo Tomari-te

George Dillman is a 9th degree Black Belt in Ryukyu Kempo Tomari-te who was honored by Black Belt Magazine as "1997 -- Instructor of...
Keith Vitali

Keith Vitali

In 1971, Keith Vitali began his martial arts career at the University of South Carolina. It took only two years for Mr. Vitali to...
Glenn Wilson

Glenn Wilson: Bok Leen Pai Kenpo

Glenn Wilson was born to Native American and European parents in the early 1950s in Orlando, Florida. His father’s affiliation with the Air Force...

Gary Alexander: Isshinryu Karate

For those of you too young to know the real history of the Martial Arts in the U.S., in particular Isshinryu Karate, the main...
Gene LeBell vs Milo Savage

Gene LeBell vs Milo Savage: Gene LeBell Saved Martial Arts

They tried one of the boxing greats; they tried brass knuckles; they tried fixing the rules. But nothing could prevent "Judo" Gene LeBell from...
Gogen Yamaguchi

Gogen Yamaguchi: Goju-Ryu Karate

Gogen Yamaguchi was born January 20, 1909 at Miyakonojou, Shonai, Miyazaki Prefecture as the third son of Tokutaro. He was named Jitsumi. When he was...
Raymond McCallum

The Raymond McCallum Story

In the late 70's and early 80's, Raymond McCallum and I were the top two nationally-rated point-fighters in the US. While I barely maintained...