The
President and Founder of the
International Shorin Ryu Karate Kobudo Federation is Master George W.
Alexander. He is acknowledged as the “World pioneer of Shorin Ryu
Karate.” He began his training in 1964 while serving in the United
States Marine Corps. His Marine Corps assignments enabled him to
journey to the orient including mainland Japan, Okinawa and Southeast
Asia. He began training in Shorin Ryu Karate in 1964 while
stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He quickly earned a
reputation as a rugged fighter in the Marine Corps. During his
career he trained with a host of noted masters. He made it a point
of seeking out the best instructors.
A decorated veteran, he served as a team leader with the US Marine’s 3rd
Force Reconnaissance Company in Vietnam. In 1967 and 1968 while
stationed at Dong Ha, Vietnam he led jungle teams which gathered
intelligence information. Since then he has become a uniquely
qualified and popular instructor with international teaching credentials
and experience. He has traveled widely to spread the teachings of Shorin
Ryu Karate.
RANKS AND TITLES
10th Dan Hanshi Shorin Ryu Karate & Kobudo
10th Dan Hanshi Jujitsu
7th Dan Kendo
3rd Dan Judo
Master Alexander earned a Baccalaureate Degree in Business
Administration from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida
in 1979 and did graduate work in Asian history at the same university
under Dr. Tsung I. Dow. He then received his Ph.D. in political science.
He received his Master Certificate and teaching credentials in Shorin
Ryu Karate and Kobudo in 1983 from the All Okinawan Shorin Ryu Karate
and Kobudo Association. He now holds the rank of 10th Dan Hanshi
in Shorin Ryu Karate and Kobudo and is also acknowledged as an expert in
Jujitsu and Kendo, the Japanese form of swordsmanship. He has also
founded the Okinawa Hakutsuru Kenpo style of karate.
In
1989 he founded Yamazato International, a company specializing in
martial arts publications and video productions. He has been
featured in a series of videotapes on Karate, Kobudo and Jujitsu. In
1991 he was inducted into the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He has
competed in Tournaments and was the 1997 National AAU Karate champion
and voted one of the world’s top 100 martial artists by the
International Martial Arts Federation. He has won many titles including
USA Karate Champion and World Karate Champion. He has served as a
director and advisor for many martial arts organizations.
Master Alexander has always been fascinated with
the history of the martial arts and is an oriental art collector. As a
result of this fascination, he has done much historical research and
translation work and written numerous articles on the martial arts.
According to Master Alexander, “History and technique seem to intertwine
themselves.” He has written two of the leading books on Okinawan karate
history. The first,
Okinawa
Island
of Karate is an in-depth study on
Okinawan Karate history. The second book is a translation of a secret
text known as the
Bubishi
(Martial Art Spirit).
He has also written
The Shorin Ryu Karate Training Manual and
Warrior Jujitsu, a complete training guide in
the art of Jujitsu. In addition, he has written the
Encyclopedic
Dictionary of the Japanese
Martial Arts
and
Japan’s
Warrior Nation –The Samurai in the Twentieth Century. He has been featured in a
video called
The Secrets of the Bubishi.
Master Alexander has established the Budokan Martial Arts Training
Center and Museum in Reliance, Tennessee.
email
alexyama@mindspring.com.