Trivial Tidbits

A contingent of Koreans trained under Gichin Funakoshi in the 1950s, returning to Korea to establish their own brand of martial arts. My first instructor, Korean War vet Rudy Illowsky, taught Moo Duk Kwan-Tang Soo Do. Karate was little-known, but Korean martial arts were almost unheard-of, so his school used mostly Japanese terminology and was named 'Karate School of Self-Defense, Inc.' We practiced Taga 1, 2 & 3, Pinan 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5, Chukki, and Passai - sound familiar?

We had a celebrity in our dojo. Jerry Samuels (a.k.a. Napoleon XIV) wrote and recorded the 1966 novelty hit, "They're Coming to Take Me Away - Ha Haa". By our lower-middle class standards he was considered rich. While we wore the $8 Lion Brand gi from Honda, he could afford the extra $3 and wore a fancy red gi. He being bearded and heavyset, wearing a red gi with green belt, Jerry always reminded me of Santa Claus. New Kiai: 'Ho'?