My Life in the Art of Shorin Ryu Matsubayashi Ryu Karate

By Kyoshi Anthony Ferguson

Anthony Ferguson’s love of martial arts began when he was a little boy growing up in Miami, Florida. There he would go with his brother to see kung fu movies at the theater every Saturday.

As a teenager, Ferguson decided he needed to know how to defend himself from an attack after a bad experience, and fate drew him to a school that taught the style of Shorin-Ryu Matsubayashi-Ryu karate. Shortly after graduating from high school, he earned his first-degree black belt, and he has never looked back. Now he recalls his lifelong journey in practicing Shorin-Ryu karate. Using his personal narrative, he hopes to encourage others to learn about this martial art and the benefits it can bring to those who study it: discipline, focus, respect for others, self-control, and awareness.

In this memoir, one man shares the story of his path in the martial arts from student to master and recounts how studying karate as a teenager changed his life for the better.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Mar 10, 2018
• ISBN: 9781504394802

Kyoshi Anthony Ferguson

Kyoshi Anthony Ferguson is an eighth-degree black belt in Shorin Ryu Matsubayshi Ryu karate. He has been studying martial arts for over thirty-eight years. He is the senior student of Taiseikan Shorin Ryu Karate Dojo, founded by Henshi Moises and Benny Colon, and continues to practice and teach both children and adults. He currently lives in Miami, Florida.

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Copyright © 2018 Kyoshi Anthony Ferguson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

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The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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ISBN: 978-1-5043-9479-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-9481-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-9480-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017919765

Balboa Press rev. date: 05/25/2023

CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1 First Lesson

Chapter 2 Black Belt Promotions

Chapter 3 Teaching Students

Chapter 4 Tournament Competitions

Chapter 5 Black Belt Hall of Fame Inductee

Chapter 6 Sensei Moises and Benny Colon

Chapter 7 Shorin Ryu Grand Masters

Chapter 8 Shorin Ryu Matsubayashi Katas and Weapons

Chapter 9 Dojo Training and Terminology

Bibliography

About the Author

Image01.jpg

Hanshi Moises H. Colon and Kyoshi Anthony Ferguson, Eighth Dan

Hanshi Colon has earned the rank of Kobudo, Ninth Dan; Shorin Ryu, Tenth Dan; USA Goju Ryu, Seventh Dan; Shinto Yoshin Jiujitsu, Fifth Dan; American Kenpo, Fifth Dan; and Kendo, First Dan. He is also the founder of the Taiseikan Shorin Ryu Karate System.

PREFACE

"Karate ni sente nashi (There is no first attack in karate)."

This is a famous quote from

Grand Master Gichin Funakoshi.

I dedicate this book to my mother, Ms. Olive Brown. Thank you for giving me life. My son, Anthony Ferguson Jr., is my pride and joy. My wife, Kathy Ferguson, is the first lady of my life. I love you.

To my brother and sisters—Mervin McPhee, Wanda Munroe, Deborah Cox, and Lavern Ferguson—I love you. To all family and friends, God bless you. To my instructors, Hanshi Moises Colon and Sensei Benny Colon, thank you for all your help and guidance in showing me a way of life that I love. And finally, to my heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, from which all blessings flow, thank you for your grace and mercy.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

T o my instructors, Hanshi Moises and Benny Colon, you have accepted me as your student and son. You were there for me growing up as a teenager every step of the way. I found something that I was good at to help me with every phase of my life. Martial arts taught me discipline, respect, honor, and the ability to achieve anything I set my mind on doing.

To Professor Marty Cale and Professor John Terry of the United States Black Belt Hall of Fame, thank you for inducting me as Black Belt of the Year 2017 and as one of your members. I am truly honored.

To all the grand masters I have trained with over the years, there are too many to name; however, I will name a few:

• Shihan Eihachi Ota, eighth-degree black belt and head instructor of the World Shorin Ryu Karate Do Association

• Master Rick Moore and Master Berry Gary of Columbus, Ohio, both Shorin Ryu Matsubayashi black belts.

• Master Paris Janos of Panama City, Florida, Shorin Ryu Kishaba-Ha Ryu

• Master Frank Hargrove, eighth-degree black belt of Hampton, Virginia, Shorinkan Karate

Master Ronald Frazier of Savannah, Georgia, has hosted numerous tournaments that I have competed in.

To my family and friends, thank you for all your support over the years. And finally, to my students, I hope I have impressed upon you all the values and character of a good martial artist that will allow you to become a better citizen to help all mankind.

Kyoshi Anthony Ferguson, eighth-degree black belt

CHAPTER 1

First Lesson

A s a little boy growing up in Miami, Florida, I would go with my brother to see kung fu movies at the theater every Saturday. That’s where I first became interested in martial arts. I was a big fan of Bruce Lee, and we would stay all day just watching his movies and other films from other karate and kung fu masters.

It was not until the early eighties when I was fourteen that I began to take it more seriously and started my training. I had a bad experience one day when I was coming home from school. Two older boys assaulted me in my neighborhood, and they stole my jewelry. The next day,