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
10th Dan Okinawa Kobudo
9th Dan Hanshi Jujitsu
7th Dan Kendo
6th Dan Kukishin Ryu Bujitsu
3rd Dan Judo
Master Alexander earned a Baccalaureate Degree
in Business Administration from Florida Atlantic University inBoca
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 9th Dan Hanshi in Shorin Ryu Karate and Kobudo and
is also acknowledged as an expert in Jujitsu and Kendo, the Japanese
form of swordsmanship.
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 and is currently a vice president of
the World Union of Martial Arts Federations.
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.