Peter Urban, Hanshi- Founder USA Goju
Manny Saavedra, Kaicho -World Sansei
Peter Urban
In 1953 Peter Urban was a young sailor when he was introduced to Karate in Yokohama, Japan. After training for one year with Sensei Richard Kim, Peter Urban traveled to Tokyo and was introduced to Gogen Yamaguchi. He was accepted as a student of Gogen Yamaguchi. In 1957, Peter Urban opened a small Dojo in Tokyo, Japan, and he competed in the all-Japan College Championships that same year. In 1959, Sensei Urban moved to America, and opened his first American Dojo in Union City, New Jersey. The following year, he opened another school on 17th Street in Manhattan.
Sensei Urban was one of the men responsible for establishing structured tournaments in America, with one of the first being the North American Karate Championships in 1962 held at Madison Square Garden. In 1967 Sensei Urban published his first book; The Karate Dojo, this made him the first karate-ka to author a nationally recognized book on martial arts with the first paperback edition in 1991. His second book, The Karate Sensei was published in 1984. These books are still available today. Sensei Urban opened his famous Chinatown Dojo in 1967, the Little Tokyo Dojo on Wooster Street in New York City. This made the Japanese art of karate open to the American public.
In the early 1970s, Sensei Urban returned to Japan to ask Gogen Yamaguchi for permission to establish in America a Karate system separate from Japan’s. Yamaguchi refused, saying the rules of Bushido stated that no white man could achieve Nirvana. Urban, dissatisfied with the decision, retorted that these same rules stated that Japan could never lose a war. This statement offended the Sensei Yamaguchi. Realizing this and not meaning any disrespect, Sensei Urban prepared to follow samurai custom and cut off his pinky finger in apology to his sensei. Yamaguchi’s oldest son stopped him from doing this; however, the damage was done. Seeing this as a turning point, Urban returned to America and incorporated himself as the founder of American Goju.
USA GoJu is eclectic synthesis of the education, training, and experience of Sensei Peter Urban, the traditions of Yamaguchi GoJu, the fighting spirit of Oyama and the philosophy of Sensei Richard Kim, combined with the personality of the founder of USA GoJu, Peter Urban, to give us what we have today. There are three primary influences im the style. Chogun Miyagi, the Founder of Goju-Ryu Karate. He was born in Okinawa in 1888 and started training at the age of nine. In 1937 he received the first doctorate degree ever awarded in Karate. Gogen Yamaguchi - the Founder of the first GoJu Karate School in Japan. He was one of Sensei Miyagi’s senior students in Japan. In 1951 he was promoted to Grand Master and the rank of 10th Dan. Peter Urban - founder of the USA GoJu Karate System. He is a student of the following martial arts Masters Gogen Yamaguchi, Richard Kim, and Mas Oyama. Although his style of USA GoJu/Urban GoJu is closely related to that of Yamaguchi’s Japanese GoJu Ryu, Sensei Urban infused several styles of Karate together to form USA GoJu Karate. He is presently the 10th Dan Grand Patriarch of all USA GoJu systems. He is the father of the American GoJu Karate in America. He is also responsible for the development of several Martial Arts systems throughout the world.
Sensei Urban was one of the men responsible for establishing structured tournaments in America, with one of the first being the North American Karate Championships in 1962 held at Madison Square Garden. In 1967 Sensei Urban published his first book; The Karate Dojo, this made him the first karate-ka to author a nationally recognized book on martial arts with the first paperback edition in 1991. His second book, The Karate Sensei was published in 1984. These books are still available today. Sensei Urban opened his famous Chinatown Dojo in 1967, the Little Tokyo Dojo on Wooster Street in New York City. This made the Japanese art of karate open to the American public.
In the early 1970s, Sensei Urban returned to Japan to ask Gogen Yamaguchi for permission to establish in America a Karate system separate from Japan’s. Yamaguchi refused, saying the rules of Bushido stated that no white man could achieve Nirvana. Urban, dissatisfied with the decision, retorted that these same rules stated that Japan could never lose a war. This statement offended the Sensei Yamaguchi. Realizing this and not meaning any disrespect, Sensei Urban prepared to follow samurai custom and cut off his pinky finger in apology to his sensei. Yamaguchi’s oldest son stopped him from doing this; however, the damage was done. Seeing this as a turning point, Urban returned to America and incorporated himself as the founder of American Goju.
USA GoJu is eclectic synthesis of the education, training, and experience of Sensei Peter Urban, the traditions of Yamaguchi GoJu, the fighting spirit of Oyama and the philosophy of Sensei Richard Kim, combined with the personality of the founder of USA GoJu, Peter Urban, to give us what we have today. There are three primary influences im the style. Chogun Miyagi, the Founder of Goju-Ryu Karate. He was born in Okinawa in 1888 and started training at the age of nine. In 1937 he received the first doctorate degree ever awarded in Karate. Gogen Yamaguchi - the Founder of the first GoJu Karate School in Japan. He was one of Sensei Miyagi’s senior students in Japan. In 1951 he was promoted to Grand Master and the rank of 10th Dan. Peter Urban - founder of the USA GoJu Karate System. He is a student of the following martial arts Masters Gogen Yamaguchi, Richard Kim, and Mas Oyama. Although his style of USA GoJu/Urban GoJu is closely related to that of Yamaguchi’s Japanese GoJu Ryu, Sensei Urban infused several styles of Karate together to form USA GoJu Karate. He is presently the 10th Dan Grand Patriarch of all USA GoJu systems. He is the father of the American GoJu Karate in America. He is also responsible for the development of several Martial Arts systems throughout the world.
Grand Master Peter Urban Produced many of the most finest martial artist in the world and became a legend who set the stage of American Karate. In America today there are many Karate schools. There are also many styles and systems. Although the basis of Karate began thousands of years ago, there has been a gradual changing in the execution of it's techniques. Each Master of the past has added his own special ideas to produce today a form of unarmed self-defense equaled by no other means. Changes are being made even now by Karate Masters of today. Karate-Do history is being written day by day as it continues to strive for self-betterment in the Art, and character of its followers. Todays martial artists are stronger, faster, and more knowleable than the past. Todays martial artists are not limited to one style or art. They tend to learn different styles and different arts of the Martial arts. Modern Martial artists tend to blend gymnastics, western boxing, and performing arts with Asian martial arts. However, while change is good, all martial artists recognize that tradition must never be lost. For without roots, no lineage, there is no art.