My Life in the Art of Shorin Ryu Matsubayashi Ryu Karate
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After a long look back of my history in martial arts I did not realize how much I had accomplished. I began by thinking back about the first day I started karate. Being a young kid growing up in Miami, Florida was rough. I had a lot of challenges to overcome and karate was the avenue that made me successful. From a beginner White Belt to a Master Black Belt, I was motivated to do my best at everything. After achieving Black Belt, I wanted to go on to a higher rank and teach others in the art form that I love. Karate is my life and it has helped me to become a better person. It takes hard work and dedication to be good at anything that you enjoy doing. My success has been promotions to higher ranks in Black Belt, Opening a school and teaching kids and adults, competing in tournaments and finally being inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame. I had the pleasure of having the same instructors over thirty seven years to guide me through this journey. Hanshi Moises and Benny Colon taught me the essence of karate and I am truly grateful.
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About the Book
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.
About the Author
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. Karate Organization Membership South Georgia Karate Circuit, 1990 American Budokai International, 2005 United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame Member, 2017 International Martial Arts Council of America Member, 2017 Awards/Certificates South Georgia Karate Circuit Certificate of Achievement, Second Place in Black Belt Forms, 1990 South Georgia Karate Circuit Certificate of Achievement, Fourth Place in Black Belt Weapons, 1990 South Georgia Karate Circuit Certificate of Achievement, Second Place in Black Belt Fighting, 1990 N.K.K.U Karate & Kung Fu, Gold Medal Winner Olympic Certificate in Black Belt Kata, 1999 Mortal Combat Karate Tournament Certificate, First Place in Kata, 1999 Award of Appreciation from the City of Jacksonville, Florida, Mayor John Payton for Community Work with High School Students in Career in Karate Program, 2005 N.K.K.U Karate & Kung Fu, Silver Medal Winner Olympic Certificate in Black Belt Kata, 2006 N.K.K.U Karate & Kung Fu, Gold Medal Winner Olympic Certificate in Black Belt Kata, 2007 Fourth Annual Toy Drive Martial Arts Championship Award, First Place in Kata, 2012 Martial Arts Foundation Appreciation Award for Continuing Support and Dedication, 2016 Kyoshi Anthony Ferguson Black Belt Promotion Dates First-Degree Black Belt, 1984 Second-Degree Black Belt, 1988 Third-Degree Black Belt, 1994 Fourth-Degree Black Belt/Regional Director for Taiseikan Shorin Ryu, 1997 Fifth-Degree Black Belt, 2003 Sixth-Degree Black Belt, 2006 Seventh-Degree Black Belt, 2011 Eighth-Degree Black Belt, 2017 INDUCTED INTO THE SPORT KARATE MUSEUM AS HISTORY GENERAL, 2022 2nd Degree Black Belt in Kobudo, 2022 3rd Degree Black Belt in Shinkage-Ryu Iaido, 2022 5th Degree Black Belt in Jundokan Gojo Ryu, 2022 Martial Arts Style studied: Shorin Ryu Matsubayashi Ryu – Studied under Henshi Moises Colon Goju Ryu Jundokan – Studied under Henshi Renzo Hernandez Iadio (The way of the sword) – Studied under Henshi Moises Colon Kubodo (Traditional Okinawan weapons) – Studied under Henshi Moises Colon Dojos (schools) I have opened in Savannah, Georgia: Frank Callan Boys Club and ABC Child Care Center. From 1989 to 1990. Ferguson Shorin Ryu karate at Lake Mayer Park from 1990 to 2005. Dojos (schools) I have opened in South Florida: Ferguson Shorin Ryu karate at Samuel Delevoe Park in Ft. Lauderdale, FL from 2018 to 2019. Ferguson Shorin Ryu karate at Family Christian Center in Miami, Fl from 2021 to 2022 Ferguson Shorin Ryu karate at Highland Park in Pompano, Florida from 2022 to present. Videos To see videos, please go to youtube.com and type in “Kyoshi Anthony Ferguson.”