Gordon Doversola America's Modern Masters -Four who have devoted their lives to teaching the Martial Art. - Gordon Doversola - Inside Karate, September 1987 Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Doversola started his martial arts training at the tender age of 7. The Island's rich selection of martial arts allowed him to sample the menu of many styles, which he feasted on, obtaining instructor ratings in kendo, kenpo, jujitsu and kung-fu. After his military service during the Korean Conflict, Doversola moved to Los Angeles, California in the early 50s. There, his insatiable appetite for martial arts knowledge led to the title of Shihan (grandmaster of a style) Teiken Nagusko. One taste of Okinawa-te and Doversola was hooked. The remarkable, reclusive, recalcitrant Nagusko had studied under the great one-armed master Motobu in Okinawa, who passed on the lineage of the system before he died. And in the same tradition, an already aged and ill Nagusko saw in Doversola the potential to become the next Shihan of the art. As Doversola recounts, "the first time I met Shihan Nagusko was in a diner I used to go to after work. The owner, who knew I was a martial arts instructor, pointed out an old man sitting by himself in a booth. I went over to speak with him (Nagusko), to get to know him, but I could feel the old master's powerful aura holding me off. When he looked at me his eyes were like daggers, and I could barely mumble my name under the intensity of his stare. He ignored me that night, but I kept after him…I found out where he lived and used to go by his house at least once a day…and he eventually, little by little, got used to me hanging around. I would show him what I knew, which I thought was pretty good, but he'd just shake his head and tell me I was only a beginner. He'd say, 'you know this?' then do a little move, which of course I didn't know, then look at me and shake his head again. "I remember, like it happened yesterday, when he accepted me as a student. I'd been hanging around and bugging him for lessons for months. One night he turned that stare of his on me and said, 'You ready to die?' I had to take a step back…you could tell he was deadly serious…but I found the courage to say yes. He looked through me, said 'Good,' then after a pause said, 'The training may kill you.'" Doversola quit teaching; quit everything but eating, sleeping and his job in order to dedicate himself to learning Okinawa-te from master Nagusko. Doversola called his girlfriend and told her, "I'm going away on a trip and won't be able to see you for a while - about five years." Nagusko fed him everything he knew, and Doversola ate it up like a starving man for over three years of intense training. In 1957, after Nagusko's return to Okinawa, the designated successor of Okinawa-te opened his first school to the public. Since then Shihan Doversola has never closed his doors, nor changed the powerful fighting art he has taught to such martial art luminaries as Joe Lewis, Jim Kelly and Dan Inosanto, to name but a few. Doversola has been in the arts for almost half a century, the last 30 years have been devoted to teaching Okinawa-te to students like Michael Pecina who began training with the Shihan when he was only 7 years old. Almost half a century in the arts; 30 years teaching Okinawa-te to kids and their kids a generation later. What has kept Doversola at it so long? It's not for fame, certainly not for financial fortune… There is a picture on the wall of Doversola's humble dojo (where the equipment is worn and frayed like the black belt of an old master. "These mats have seen a lot of blood and sweat," he likes to say). Taken back in the 60s, it's a photo of six young men in fighting posture. The Shihan likes to point to the (then) young men, "kids" he calls them, and reflect on how their lives turned out. "This one is an engineer now," he says, "This guy went to college and became a…" Success stories. Doversola believes in the power of the martial arts to teach students how to set values in life and how to accomplish one's goals. Doversola has accomplished his goal, he lives a life of value to others. Source: tebudo.com

Shintaido Completely new type of martial arts which is designed to recall, open up, and nurture nature human body. Looking back history of martial arts and various kinds of weapons attached to them, we can recognize that they are outcomes of environmental necessity of the age. Taking only the shape of sword for example, we can see a close relationship with evolution of battle method and armor. In the age of wars, back in the 16th century, individual and group battle capabilities were important needs of the society. And in the Edo era, which was probably the most peaceful two and a half centuries in the Japanese history, people sought more self spiritual uplift out of martial arts rather than physical strength in a battle. Eventually, many superior ideas came out and developed during this period by practicing martial arts. Down in the Meiji era, right after the Edo era when Japan quit the isolation policy and started modernizing the country, the style of martial arts, Judo and Kendo, had changed to sports for ordinary people. Today, what we need most is neither martial arts for killing and hurting people nor just sports to compete physical superiority, but totally new type of martial arts. We no longer have to brandish a real sword and throwing, kicking, or punching one another. We, as martial artists, wonder why such martial arts did not exist before. We believe following items should be included in the martial arts for today's people. Source: shintaido.com

Jim KELLY

....They asked me to show them some karate, so I started jumping all over the room, throwing kicks all over the place. Then they said "Do you know Bruce Lee?" I had to say no, because I'd never met him. I just knew of him from his Green Hornet television show. Then Fred looked at me and said "When can you leave for Hong Kong? You have the part." So I flew out to Hong Kong and shot Enter the Dragon with the great Bruce Lee. Jim Kelly took up boxing to supplement his martial arts skills and learn the boxer's mentality. Kelly claims a lot of martial artists underestimate boxing skills. BB: What was it like working with Lee? KELLY: Oh man. That's a story in itself. Bruce is one of my heroes. I had the utmost respect for him, not only as a martial artist, but also as a human being. Because I know what Bruce Lee went through. Most people don't realize that Bruce didn't just pop out and become a star. It was hard as hell for Bruce to become an actor. And the reason why was because he was Chinese. America did not want a Chinese hero, and that's why he left for Hong Kong. He was down and out. He was hurt financially. He told me that he tried to stick it out, but he couldn't get the work he wanted. So he said "Hey, I'm gone." My understanding, from talking to Bruce, was that the Kung Fu series was written for him, and Bruce wanted to do that.......Source: blackbeltmag.com