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.

Gilbert Tenio

Grandmaster Gilbert Tenio taught Tenio Decuerdas Eskrima. The system was developed on the island of Bohol in the Phillipines. He incorporated 19 systems into...
Gosei Yamaguchi

Gosei Yamaguchi: Goju-Kai Karate-Do

Gosei Yamaguchi was born on June 29th, 1935 in Kyoto, Japan as Norimi Gosei Yamaguchi, the eldest son of Gogen Yamaguchi who trained in...

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...

Geert Lemmens: Kadgamala Karate

Geert Lemmens is the founder of Kadgamala Karate. He is a journalist, former TV commentator (Eurosport), lecturer in martial arts education (MAIA Elite) and...
Judo 10th Dan Holders

Judo 10th Dan Holders

The following individual are Judo 10th Dan holders. A 10th Degree Black Belt is the highest rank in the Judo world. Japanese Kodokan 10th Dan...

Shaolin Kenpo’s Ralph Castro Has Passed Away

Great Grandmaster Ralph Castro held a 10th Dan in Shaolin Kenpo. He began martial arts training in 1955 in Hawaii with the late Great...

Hironori Otsuka: Wado-Ryu Karate

Hironori Otsuka was a Japanese master of karate who created the Wado-ryu style of karate. He was born on June 1, 1892 in Shimodate...
Michael DePasquale, Jr.

Michael DePasquale, Jr. Has Passed Away

Soke Michael DePasquale Jr., a highly skilled Jujutsu master, studied Yoshitsune Waza under his father and developed his Combat Yoshitsune Jujutsu system.

Cyril Abidi – Kickboxing

Cyril Abidi, known as "Marseille Bad Boy" was born on February 25, 1976. He is a French former super heavyweight kickboxer. His road to...
Richard Chun

Richard Chun: Taekwondo

Richard Chun, Ph.D. began studying Taekwondo when he was 11 years old. His first instructors were two highly respected teachers in Seoul, Korea, Chong...

Champion Parker Shelton Won’t Quit in the Fight For His Life

If you've lived in Fort Wayne for a while, you've probably heard the name Parker Shelton. Since the 1960s, the Pineville, Kentucky, native has...
Anthony Chan Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame

Anthony Chan

Anthony Chan is a Chinese-American kung fu champion and American choreographer. He was known as the The Wu shu Wizard and is a Black Belt Hall of Fame inductee.
Chuck Norris Walker Texas Ranger

Chuck Norris A Most Popular Action Star

Chuck Norris is without question one of the most popular action stars ever to fill the big screen. And, with his long running hit television...
Hong Hi Choi

Hong-hi Choi Developer of Taekwondo

General Hong-hi Choi was prime in the development of the Korean martial art of taekwondo. He helped to shape it, name it and he...
Peichin Takahara

Peichin Takahara: Ch’uan Fa

Peichin Takahara was born in 1683 in Akata Cho, a small section of the city of Shuri, Okinawa in the Ryūkyū Kingdom. He was an early...
Malia Bernal Strength

Malia Bernal: Champion of Women

Malia Bernal is a seventh degree Black Belt in Xiang Dai Kung Fu, an off shoot of her ex-husband’s art of Wun Hop Kuen...