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Biography
Shihan Williams was born in Concord, North Carolina
in May 1959. He graduated from Concord High School in 1977 and
went on the earn his Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from
the University of Maryland. He subsequently earned a Master of
Science in Education from Troy State University and a PhD in Business
in 2002.
He began his martial arts training in 1971 and
received his Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do in 1973. In
1982 he was stationed in Okinawa, Japan as a young Marine and
began his journey in Shorin Ryu. He lived and trained in Okinawa
for 13 of the last 30 years under the tutelage of Grand Master
Fusei Kise of Shorin Ryu Kenshinkan, Kyoshi Ed Gingras and Akamine
Yoshimatsu of Matsumura Seito Shorin Ryu and Hanshi Seifuku Nitta
in Shorin Ryu.
In 1999 he was granted permission from Grand Master
Kise to begin the "Zen Sekai Bujitsu Kyokai" or Universal
Martial Arts Association. He has served as the President and Founder
since its inception.
Today his organization has members in over 25
States of the United States and 20 countries around the world.
He continues his training by traveling to Okinawa
every 18 months and by sponsoring Okinawan teachers to come to
the USA and teach at member schools and special events such as
the UMAA Summer camp and the Hall of Fame.
He strives to make the UMAA a special group of
friends that enjoy training, sharing and learning with each other.
In this association "the smilarities of our styles and concepts
are important not the differences".
Shihan Williams is the United States Director
for the Okinawa Kensei Do-Ko Kai headed by Hanshi Seifuku Nitta
and overseen by Hanshi Seiki Toma in Okinawa, Japan until his
death in October 2007. He received his Menkyo Kaiden from Hanshi
Seifuku Nitta in 2007.
He is also the Founder of the Family Karate
Centers of Havelock
and Jacksonville, NC
where his black belts currently teach over 200 students. His legacy
of Shorin Ryu is carried on by his son, Ryuji, as the Chief Instructor
at the schools he founded years ago.
As a Disabled American Veteran Shihan Williams
retired from active teaching in 2004 when he retired from the
United States Marine Corps. He is a retired
USMC Chief Warrant Officer-4 and served as a Hand to Hand Combat
Instructor, Close Combat Instructor and Marine Corps Martial Arts
Black Belt Instructor while on active duty.
Currently he volunteers all over the United States
and mentors martial artists on subjects such as martial arts business,
karate history, applications of kata, kobudo and tuite.
Below is a list of some of his martial arts rankings
and accomplishments.
Black Belts in:
- Menkyo Kaiden - 20 September 2007 - Shorin
Ryu - Hanshi Seifuku Nitta.
- Nanadan (7th Degree Black Belt)- June 2003
-Shorin Ryu Karate and Kobudo.
- Kyoshi Title awarded 1 January 2007 in Shorin
Ryu Karate and Kobudo.
- Shihan Title and Certificate awarded 17 July
2004 Matsumura Shorin Ryu.
- Master Instructor Certificate (Shihan) - Shorin
Ryu May 2003
- Godan (5th Degree Black Belt) Tuite Jitsu
- Shodan (1st Degree Black Belt) - Motobu-Ha
Shito Ryu Karate Kobudo
- Shodan (1st degree Black Belt) - Matsukaze
Ryu Jujitsu
Email: sensei@universal-martial-arts.org
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