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  1. #76
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    Default John Slocum

    I know this is most likely years after the posting here. However, there is on name missing form the Kenkojuko list, Fred Hamilton's teacher...John Slocum. There are many others from John Slocum's Fluhsning, and Kew Gardens Hills dojo.

  2. #77
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    Default Missing Names

    Rick,
    I was surprised and glad that soemone here remembered Sensei John Slocum. His school which was on Northen Blvd Flushing called The Samurai.

    There is another name not mentioned here who I believe built on the foundation Sensei Slocum started and allowed it to take off to the Shotokan of today.
    Sensei Benard Pierce. My father. He arrived here from Dublin Ireland in the mid 1950's. Coming from a world in boxing in Ireland, he trained in Brooklyn and Coney Island to where sometimes he was the only one there. He was offered to go Pro, but Mom had a say in it. Looking for something else, he started to train at the Samurai.
    He became one of Sensei Slocums top students which back then was something all strived for. At the time I was probably around 5 or 6 and was taking the Judo class upstairs, while the Karate class down stairs was going on. The sounds coming from downstairs made me think at that young age I was better off upstairs. Karate training was intense. Sensei Slocum was an exremely strong man. He was naturally built. I can remember him doing sit ups while holding steel weights either behind his neck or up against his chest.
    My father needing to advance his rank went to Japan in 1966 +/- for his advancement under Master Okano.
    There he showed tremendous strength the likes few had saw before from an American. His front kick and reverse punch were very powerful. (Every morning before he went to work, I would see my father with his feet up on the chair, knuckles to the floor doing hundreds of pushups and sit ups.) No big weight training.
    Meeting up with Sensei Miyazaki in Japan, their friendship started.
    My father had opened a school in Jackson Heights with another student of Sensei Slocum's Sensei Bob Nyjak. He had a great wheel kick.
    They continued for a few years together. They split as partners.
    My father had offered Miyazaki a partnership in his school. When Sensei Miyazaki accepted he came to live with my family for a number of years. Being the eldest of 5 children at the time, he was an older brother to me.
    For the next number of years many great Japanese instructors while making their way to America stopped and stayed at our house. The names Kazuo and Fumio stick in my head.
    My father a union carpenter foremen in NYC and Sensei Miyazaki while trying to expand their school alternated teaching for Jerome Macky at nights and weekends who had string of schools throuhgout the NYC and Hempstead.
    My father's strength training and Sensei's incredible form.....now that was the total package. Students who studied under them knew what they had for teachers. Students with the names of Louis Juhas, Ed Drew, Louis Cario and Steve Barry who were there in the beginning. There are others I just cannot remember their names at this time.
    I remember when Master Okano came to America for the frist time, the airport was so crowded, poeple standing around were thinking a famous movie star had arrived. I can still remember Master Okano's eye filled with such joy seeing how many students had come to see him arrive at JFK.
    Hewas a very special man. I believe he is the reason Shotokan is one of the few arts where you can travel around the world and not find too much difference. He was the one Master.
    After his 10th child, my Father made the decison to give up teaching and the school to Sensei Miyazaki.
    Let me say now for the record, there are very few people on this earth with the character, heart and abilities as Sensei Miyazaki.
    Paul Vizzio as another. To see him fight in China Town with bare knuckles was a treat. Abilities, well theres no need to mention anything cause he had the total package..Respectful?? His picture is in the Dictinary as the meaning of Respectful. Whether fighting and opponent or talking to a stranger, there is none more.
    One other person not mentioned to often also is Sensei Takahashi. I can still think back and see him punching and kicking the heavey bag in the Flushing Dojo. The bag would bend in half and cry out with each punch and kick. He was the most flexible and strongest man I have ever seen todate.

    I could have gone on about more about my Father, but rather I also talked about many others as there is no one person in Shotokan. Shotokan is one of those arts equal to Traditional Archery which is part of my life today, where poeple are there for you and pocessing tremendous skills and values.
    I hope this adds a little more to the history of Shotokan Karate at least from my eyes here from New York.
    Jim Pierce

  3. #78
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    Default

    Jim,

    Mr. Bernard Pierce broke my foot during kumite. He was a tremendous martial artist, trained hard, worked to perfection. I truly admired him.

    Sensei Slocum was the about the strongest martial artist I've ever scene. His additional talent was to be about 6'3" and fight like a 5'0" person. I only ever witnessed complete surprise and fear on the faces of those with whom he sparred.

    Bob and Ed Nyjak, Fred Hamilton, Art McConnell, Loeb I think... one called the snake,and I think Baily. It was a long time ago, and I was young.

    I started training in 1958, at a place on 72st Just off of Central Park West. A retired Marine named Nelson taught self-defense, and Korean Tae Kwon Do master taught there two nights weekly. I lived in Kew Gardens Hills, and Sensei Slocum opened a place on Main Street and 75th (I think), just across from the sitting park and the Queens County Savings bank that looked like Independence Hall. I watched a class and was convinced he was the one. He eventually moved it to Northern Bvld. and 149th street (I think).

    I trained with Sensei Miyazaki (he is ill now) circa 69 after I was discharged from the Air Force, but attending college, moving to Suffolk and raising a family kind of put a damper on devoting the time required for proper study. I consider Sensei Takahashi a friend and great teacher. He has dojos in Amityville and Mt. Kisco.

    Mr. Bernard Pierce = one great martial artist. Be proud!

    I really enjoyed hearing from someone who knew these people.

    All the best,
    Rick

  4. #79
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    Default Tokutai Karate Do

    Rick,
    Thanks for the reply. Alot of great memories I have growing up around all these people you mentioned. It was one big family.
    I had seen John a number of years ago riding the 7 train. He still looked the same.
    Bob Nyjak and my father are still great freinds today.
    Art McConnell painted the Tokutai Karate Do sign for my father when he had his frist school before Miyazaki had come to America. Art was quite an artist.
    It was moved to Flushing above Alexanders Paint Store on Northern Blvd as seen in Hector Gomez's pictures on 7-5-02. I believe I am seated on the right with the blonde hair facing Miyazaki.
    Funny thing about the name Tokutai... It was spelt wrong. When my father had opened the school he spoke Sensei Morano (I believe) who was a Judo instructor at the Samurai, and asked what is Japanese for 'First Attack". When Moran said Tokutai, my father had asked him if the spelling was T-O-K-U-T-A-I-..He nodde yes. I guess with the language barrier between the two of them back then, it never got spelled right. When an instructor came to visit from Japan years later he asked Miyazaki what "Tokutai" meant, because the spelling was wrong, Miyazaki told him to ask Ben and smiled.
    I have some pictures I will try post later, one of Miyazaki doing a flying side kick to perfection with my father standing eyes closed I beleive. It was taken in the first school in Jackson Heights.
    Alot of great memories with alot of great people. Like most old days in life, those were great old days.
    Jim Pierce

  5. #80
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    Default

    Jim,

    I thought the Judo teacher's name was Sagaengi (not sure of spelling), and he was one tough guy, but may have preceded Morano. There was also Bill Robbins, but that was early 60s, and he went to work for 3M.

    I saw Fred Hamilton mid eighties, and I see Art somewhat frequently. He's mostly into Iaido these days: still writing and trying to make movies about the Samurai.

    It was all great fun.

    All the best,
    Rick

  6. #81
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    Default

    Actually Miyazaki has opened his business back up in Flushing for those of you who care. He's now teaching out of a dance studio on 164th street + Northern Blvd a few times a week. My mother tells me he's looking much better these days.

  7. #82
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Kaori Iida
    Actually Miyazaki has opened his business back up in Flushing for those of you who care. He's now teaching out of a dance studio on 164th street + Northern Blvd a few times a week. My mother tells me he's looking much better these days.
    Please post your real name please ! Its just that annoying rule we have in E-Budo.
    Prince Loeffler
    Shugyokan Dojo

  8. #83
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Prince Loeffler
    Please post your real name please ! Its just that annoying rule we have in E-Budo.
    It's good to hear he is doing better.

    All the best,
    Rick Hendricks

  9. #84
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    Default Picture of students

    I was a student of Sensei Slocum's. I enjoyed reading your recent comments on his students. Here is a picture taken at one of the rare tournaments he took us to. I think you will recognize several faces.

    Enjoy...

    Nick Dominguez
    Last edited by Nick d; 4th March 2007 at 01:22.

  10. #85
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    Default Hello all -

    Great to see this thread continuing after all these years. I'm part of the 'next generation' of Kenkojuku folks. My sensei, Mike Hatgis, trained on Long Island under the late Rudy Goldmann (who, like Bernard Pierce, was big into archery) and Toyotaro Miyazaki. This was at Black Belt Academy, which used to be Jo-Al's Judo Academy run by Joe Turchiano. Over the many years, (I began in Shotokan in the '70s, prior to that held Ni Dan in Tae Kwon Do) I worked out with Miyazaki, Masakazu Takahashi, Horie, Louis Carrio, Bill Martinez, Tom Pius, Ron Foster, and met Bailey when he stopped up from Louisiana (? I think). Mike told me stories of the 'old days' and often mentioned names like Pierce, Bailey, and Slocum.

    I was at Fred Hamilton's tournament in Queens when Miyazaki cut his head performing kama kata. I also had the honor of judging him at some Empire State Nationals. The very first time I saw Miyazaki in tournament, I wasn't impressed. Halfway through his kata it dawned on me - the man showed no 'flash', he was simply flawless. By the end of his performance my jaw hung open in amazement.

    Many folks on the thread asked about old photos and of tracking Kenkojuku practitioners on the web. I have some old photos on my website: do-gakuin.blogspot.com, including Toshihiro Oshiro's first NY kobudo seminar in 1985.

    Miyazaki's site is closed, but can still be viewed by typing into the URL: miyazakidojo.com. It contains many old pictures of Miyazaki and Tomosaburo Okano. Also has magazine articles and covers.

    Takahashi's site: takahashidojo.com, has photos of him, Horie, and Okano's visit to the Amityville NY dojo.

    Miyazaki's successor, Kai Leung has a website: shotojuku.com - tells history and has many old (and new) photos. There's even a picture of Miyazaki at tournament less than two weeks ago.

    Thanks for all the stories. Hope to continue the trip down memory lane with all of you.

    Osu! Steve Gottwirt

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