JUAN ROLDAN - MY FIRST TEACHER

Parents are usually the first gods that a person knows. In being our first deities, they really are our first teachers. Born in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico in 1923, Juan Roldan arrived on the main land of the United States on March 18, 1952. We first moved to Reading, Pennsylvania. I was really too young to remember. A year or so, my father told me, we moved to New York City. We lived on 15th Street and Irving Place, before some of the high risers were erected. We winded up on 11th street between Avenue B and C, (L.E.S.), a pretty tough neigborhood. We lived in a rail road flat at 636 East Eleventh Street(building demolished). A poor up bringing, but, we were happy.

A working class man who worked in the sheet metal industry as a polisher, Juan would always insisted we spoke Spanish in the house and be on time for family dinner. The family always ate together. At dinner he would tell stories about growing up in Puerto Rico, family, and his hopes and dreams for us.
I still remember going to his union job in Brooklyn, N.Y. I was amazed, impressed and realized he was a hard worker. He was a union man. I learned my work ethics from him. I remembered asking him, if I could work there when I grew up. He laughed at me and said in his broken English at the time "I think you can do a whole lot better if you get a good education".. That meant, doing your homework and the best you can. I attribute the my 27 years in the field of education to my fathers desires for me to have a better life. Thanks Pops

Now at eighty four, my father went through two operations on an aortic artery associated with his abdomen. It was a rough stretch and we could have lost him. His will to live helped him overcome the procedures. Kick ass Pops!! He is now at a Bellvue Hospital's Medical Intensive Care Unit healing his wounds and getting ready to go into a physical therapy program.

I'll be retiring from my day job and looking forward to hanging out with my father again. I sure he has other life's lesson to teach me. Please Keep him your prayers.

Respectful Hands,
Hanshi Roldan

SERVICE TO NISEI GOJU AND ITS GRAND MASTER

A friend of mine, while looking at the plaques and awards on my walls, told me to place some of the awards on my blog. I said I did not have reasons to put the awards on my blog. He countered that by saying "people should know about your service to NISEI GOJU and its GRANDMASTER, FRANK RUIZ.

Early in the month of July 1970, Grand master Ruiz was struck by a car traveling 80 mph, while fixing a flat on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in New York City. A sad day For Nisei Go Ju and the martial arts world. He got his ribs, arms and legs broken. He also sustained a number of skull fractures.

During his recovery, he would send me to the different Nisei Go Ju Schools to do his bidding.
I went to dojos all over the tri state area and the south to help the black belts brush up on Nisei Go Ju knowledge and skills. I was also fortunate to be placed at the helm of the NISEI GOJU WORLD HEAD QUARTERS.
It was a great pleasure to service the system and its grand master in that capacity.

Serving and supporting a martial system is a basic responsibility of all its black belts. This is done by remittance of annual dues and promotion fees. There are no martial arts organiations that work in a vacuum. All martials arts organization need the support of its membership. Last month Senior Renshi
Danny Lemus from Mira Mar, Florida sent me a Bold Black Ghi for christmas, thanks you Renshi Lemus. Junior Renshi keeps putting us on the you tube, I thank Renshi Fookes for giving us more exposure. Phone calls from Sempai Mitch Rosenberg from Baltimore, Maryland and Sensei Edwin Rodriguez from Margate, Florida were pleasant. It was nice to hear from them. Thank you all for your support.

Remember the NISEI GOJU SYSTEM will grow with support from its members.

Click on image to enlarge.

DON'T FORGET TO ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STREETS FUND RISER WHICH WILL ALSO HELP NISEI GOJU SUNDAY 3PM
JAN.27,2008 130 EAST SEVENTH STREET (AVENUE "A")

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