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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.

Yutaka Yaguchi: Shotokan Karate

Yutaka Yaguchi was born on November 14, 1932 in Kure, Hiroshima, Japan to a farming family. He is the Chief Instructor and Chairman of...
Azato Anko

Azato Anko: A Short Story About My Teacher Part One

Azato's School Days and Martial Arts Part One By Gichen Funakoshi Translated & Edited by Patrick & Yuriko McCarthy Editor's Note: This article is the first of two...
Dr. Maung Gyi

Maung Gyi: Burmese Bando

Dr. Maung Gyi is a Burmese martial artist. In his early twenties, around 1960, he introduced Burmese Thaing/Bando into the United States.

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...
Ed McGrath Isshin-ryu

Ed McGrath: Isshin-ryu Karate

Ed McGrath began his martial arts studies under Sensei Don Nagle in 1958 training in the first Isshin-ryu dojo established in America. The dojo...

Hawkins Cheung: Yip Man Wing Chun

Hawkins Cheung was recognized as the most senior Yip Man Wing Chun instructor in the U.S. and one of the top practitioners in the...

Helio Gracie: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

At the age of 17, Helio Gracie (pronounced Eh'leeo) first stepped into the ring in Brazil to face a boxer named Antonio Portugal. Helio...

Don Nagle: Isshinryu Karate

Don Nagle was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on April 5, 1938. As a teenager in high school he began studying Goju-Ryu Karate. He enlisted with...

7-Year-Old Andre Magnum Wows Monks at The Shaolin Temple

The first thing you notice about Andre Magnum is his untamable, flaming, orange hair. The next thing you notice is his contagious amount of...

Carlos Machado One of the World’s Greatest Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Fighters

Carlos Machado has emerged as one of the world’s greatest Brazilian Jiu-jitsu fighters and instructors. His victories on the mat in Brazil were legendary, like...

Troy Dorsey: Karate Kickboxing and Boxing

Troy Dorsey was born and raised in Mansfield, Texas. In 1973, at the age of ten, Troy began karate and in 1979 received his...

Herb Perez: Taekwondo

Herb Perez was born on December 6, 1969 to immigrant parents in New York City. In 1992, Herb Perez achieved his dream. He entered the...

Cecil Peoples Knows Kickboxing

Sensei Cecil Peoples has over 32 years of Martial Arts training. He was awarded his first degree black belt in 1970. Since then, Master...
Francisco Conde

Francisco Conde: Oriental Defensive Arts Association

Army veteran and martial arts pioneer, Francisco Conde served four tours in the Korean War and two tours in Vietnam. He began his military...

Roy Kurban: Taekwondo

Grandmaster Roy Kurban began his training under the Texas Greats, Allen Steen, Larry Caster, and Skipper Mullins. He received his black belt in 1968...

Peter Aerts: Kickboxer

Peter Aerts was born on December 25, 1970 in the Netherlands. He is a Dutch kickboxer who won the K-1 WORLD GP tournament 3...