In his 30+ years of teaching karate, Mr. Branam promoted three people to Yudansha. Those three, in ranking order, are H Eugene Talbott, John S. Lang, and Tony Presley.
Thank you, Sensei, for accepting me as one of your students.
I began my training with Mr. Michael Lee Branam in March of 1980 at the age of 20. Sensei was not a proponent of kata even though Master Chang taught him Sil Lum (Cantonese for Shaolin) Kung Fu through kata and set technique. My earliest memories of our discussions upon kata when I saw it being performed at tournaments was that kata was akin to dancing and fighting distorted the dance.
On June 14, 1980, I began my Karate competition at the Mr. Bill Wallace retirement tournament where I placed 1st in the White Belt Heavyweight Division. Mr. Wallace was an undefeated Champion in Full Contact Karate. My Center Judge for the point competition, Mr. Parker Shelton, had a marked influence on me via the expectations that he displayed for the competitors in the division. Mr. Shelton, as both a National Judo and a National Karate Champion, is highly renowned throughout the Martial Arts community.
In 1981, as a student of Mr. Branam, I was the USKA Indiana State Co-Champion in the Green/Purple Belt Division along with Mr. Ernest Simpson who was a student of Mr. Herb Johnson. As far as I know, Mr. Simpson eventually made his way out of Karate while Mr. Herb Johnson had already promoted, and continued to turn out, competent Kumite, Weapons, and Kata tournament competitors in his style of Shorei Goju Ryu including such men as Mr. Doug Adamson, Mr. Mike Kincaid, Mr. Phil Morgan, and Mr. Tony Gray.
Following the Co-Championship in 1981, I continued to represent the Kwoon under Sensei Branam in competition in the ISKT (Indiana State Karate Tournament) yearly series winning back-to-back State championships in Kumite in the Brown Belt Division in 1982 and 1983; moreover, on July 16, 1983, I won 1st place in the Brown Belt Heavyweight Division in the L.A.M.A. Nationals promoted by Mr. Tom Letuli who coached Ms. Arlene Limas, former Olympic Champion.
Under Sensei Branam's tutelage and in recognition of the skills that I displayed in competition in the ISKT series, I was awarded the Mr. Glenn R. Keeney Award for Excellence in 1983, and Mr. Keeney required that I perform a Kata at the 1st ISKT the following year.
Thank you, Mr. Keeney, for changing the scope of my Karate training.
A partial list of the Mr. Glenn R. Keeney Award Holders include Mr. Tom Ward, Mr. Ross Scott, Mr. Mike Kincaid, Mr. Phil Morgan, and Mr. John Manley.
Sensei encouraged me to seek an instructor to provide me with the necessary kata skills, and Mrs. Janice Adamson graciously offered her time and expertise to train me for the event opening up an entirely new arena of competition for me while expanding my understanding of traditional, kata based, Karate. During this time period, Sensei allowed me to conduct some classes in the dojo, and I decided that I wished to teach; moreover, I soon opened a private dojo in the basement of my house where I began teaching.
Sensei promoted me to Shodan on November 4, 1984, and after spending two years in competition, in 1986, I shared the ISKT Black Belt State Championship with the Co-Champion, Mr. Jeff Brown, a student of Mr. Ron White.
In the mid-80's, Mr. Branam began experiencing heart problems which led to his need for a heart transplant. In February of 1987, Sensei was the recipient of a heart transplant which curtailed his training almost completely. Furthermore, he mandated that I continue with my education, and I promptly traveled to Kokomo to seek out Mr. Eddie Bethea, Jr., and I requested that he accept me as a student, and on February 28, 1987, I became a member of the Kokomo School of Self Defense where Mr. Bethea imparts the Shorinryu Shorinkan teachings of Mr. Shugaro Nakazato.
As I continued to train and compete in wider circles, I acquired more experience in competition in various associations including USAKF, (United States American Karate Federation), NASKA. (North American Sport Karate Association), USKK (United States Karate-Do Kai), and the PKC (Professional Karate Commission), and the USKA (United States Karate Alliance). I placed in several National and State competitions leading up to my 1st place Championship in the Black Belt Heavyweight Division at the 11th Annual Three Rivers Championships in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1987 hosted by Mr. Robert Bowles; although, I did lose in the Grand Championship match to Mr. John Stark due to a knee kick which was applied a trifle too enthusiastically.
Following that, I won the USAKF National Championship in the Black Belt Heavyweight sparring competition held in Ohio; furthermore, I was promoted to Shodan in Kobudo by the USKK on June 13, 1987. Continuing with my competition in 1988, in succession, I was the ISKT State Champion in Black Belt Kumite, USKK National Champion in Black Belt Kumite, and the 1st PKC National Black Belt Kumite Champion.
At the completion of 1989, I repeated my accomplishments in 1988 and once again won the ISKT State Championship in Black Belt Kumite, the USKK National Championship in Black Belt Kumite, the PKC National Championship in Black Belt Kumite, and the Great Lakes Regional Championship in Black Belt Kumite where I competed in the finals against Mr. Mike Belot.
In addition to training under Mr. Bethea in Shorinryu Shorinkan, I initiated weapons training at various seminars and clinics with Mr. Phillip W. Koeppel / Seito Matsumura Shorin Ryu.
In 1990, Mr. Koeppel awarded me the USKK Directors award for dedication to Karate-Do, and training in Kata and Kobudo in the dojo with Mr. Bethea led me to the 1993 USKK National Championships in both Kata and Weapons. As well, I once again captured the PKC National Championship in Black Belt Kumite.
I tapered off my participation in tournaments in the 90's and effectively retired from competition for many reasons including finishing up my undergraduate degree and building a career in International commerce. Still, I was presented with the Large Double Axe Award in July of 1994 along with Co-Inductee Mr. Tom Awad by the USKK, and I won the 1994 ISKT State Championship in Black Belt Kumite.
At the ISKT Championship Banquet held on February 18, 1995, I was awarded the Mr. Herb Johnson Spirited Fighter Award in recognition of my competitive attitude. During this time period, a fighting phenomona seized my attention along with some of my contemparies as the No Holds Barred competion was gathering steam. I had the good fortune to be introduced at a seminar held by Mr. Steve Watkins in Cincinnati, OH to Mr. Rickson Gracie by Mr. John Lang, and I attended some training seminars presented by both Mr. Rickson Gracie and his brother, Mr. Royler Gracie. As I had a lengthy wrestling background before I entered Karate, I was quite intrigued by the Hybrid Fighting that was developing as a result of the Gracie influence in American Martial culture. Along with Mr. Kevin Chalfant, a senior student of Mr. Keeney, Mr. Mike Belot, a senior student of Mr. Robert Bowles, Mr. Jason Godsey, and my Kwoon dojo mate, Mr. John Lang, a training circle formed, and we journeyed back and forth to our various dojo's and engaged in training with the techniques that we were able to capture from numerous sources. At a Jiu Jitsu training seminar in Chicago, IL, Mr. Rickson Gracie promoted me to Blue Belt in his family Jiu Jitsu system on May 22, 1996.
From conversation with my senior in the dojo in Kokomo, Mr. Tom Ward, some anecdotal stories by Mr. Doug Adamson about his training with Mr. Leo Gaje, and my own leanings towards weapons, I grew quite interested in the family Martial Arts of Mr. Leo Gaje; moreover, my junior, Mr. John Lang had attended a seminar by Mr. Gaje's senior student from New York or Mr. William McGrath, and he was very excited about the training. Consequently, I began attending seminars held by Tuhon Guro William R. McGrath in Pekiti-Tirsia which led me to a new and very different outlook on fighting.
In 1998, along with other USKK members, I was inducted into the USKK Bushido International Society. The founding fathers of the Bushido International Society are all members of the Trias International Society. As with the USKA (United States Karate Alliance) Hall of Fame members, the Bushido International Society was created to honor Grandmaster Robert Trias and the most spirited competitors of the USKK.
The balance of 1998 and 1999 were spent training in weapons and Hybrid Fighting, and I won the ISKT Black Belt Weapons Division in 1999, and I took 1st place at the USKA (United States Karate Alliance) World Championships in the Ground Grappling competition the same year.
I, and three USKK Bushido International Society members, Mr. Kevin Chalfant, Mr. Bill Bowling, and Mr. John Manley, along with one USKA Hall of Fame member, Mr. John Pat Bullock, formed a team and represented the USKK against Ireland in a Continuous Fighting event held in Peoria, Illinois at the Grand Nationals in July of 2000. It was a spirited competition, and both teams performed well.
At the PKC Nationals, held in 2000 in Merrilville, Indiana, I won both the Black Belt Weapons competition and the Grand Championship. At the PKC banquet that evening, Mr. Chalfant, Mr. Bowling, Mr. Manley and I, as members of the Bushido International Society, offered a small presentation to Mr. Koeppel, Mr. Keeney, Mr. Hawkes, a member of the Trias International Society, and Dr. Jordan in honor of the years of leadership that they have provided to the Karate community and to commerate them in the Year of the Dragon.
As a representative member of the USKK team which traveled to Ireland in 2001,
I placed 1st in the Black Belt Weapons competition in Athlone, Ireland; although,
essentially, I had stepped out of competition. Now, I teach in my dojo on a
private basis passing on the skills that I have amassed over the years that
I have dedicated to the Martial Arts to my students.
They are responsible for
writing the next chapter
in the Kwoon history book.