Tuesday, December 3, 2013

GRAND MASTERS OF NISEI GOJU

Grand Master Frank Ruiz (1934-1995) R.I.P. the founder of the Nisei Goju System, taught many martial artists during his lifetime.  In the early seventies, GM Ruiz was in a near fatal car accident that almost took his life. After going through his recovery, a number of his high ranking black belts decided to pursue and develop their own fighting systems. There are also those who decided to continue their version of what the grand master was teaching. GM Ruiz taught in the Northeastern(NY Tri-state area ) and Southeastern(Florida)  coast of the United States.  GM Ruiz's only sensei was GM Peter George Urban(1944-2004) founder of USA Goju Ryu.  In Grand Master Ruiz's tenure a number of grand master have emerged from the Nisei Goju System. I will mentioned these masters that are in the photos below and the systems they founded.                          
 In the photo above Top Row: 1st from left to right is Grand Master Ronald Morgan Taganashi, founder of America-Te and 3rd from left is Grand Master Chaka Zulu, founder of Zujitsu Ryu.                                    
In the larger group photo above Top Row: 3rd from left, A grand master in his own right, Grand Master Herbie Thompson, leader of Nisei Goju's Thompson System, 5th from left is Grand Master John Giordano, credited with taking Nisei Goju to Florida is the founder of the Giordano Goju Do, 7th from left is Grand Master Harry Rosenstein, founder od Kan Zen Goju Ryu, 8th from left is my first goju teacher, Grand Master Owen Watson R.I.P, founder of Sung Lung Miu Goju Ryu.   Middle Row: 4th from the left is Grand Master Ron Van Clief founder of Chinese Goju Ryu.   Bottom Row: In white ghi 3rd from left is Grand Master Wilfredo Roldan is the present Seiko Hanshi of the Nisei Goju System, 5th from left is Grand Master Chaka Zulu(ZuJitsu Ryu).  I would like to wish them all, a happy holiday season and a  prosperous 2014.  So let it be written, so let it be done!