Bushido Karate Dojo

If you enemy stands in your path you must go around him, but if he is in your way he must be removed.

From someone who knows

If you are ever in a self-defense situation, make sure any witnesses know you are the victim (not the aggressor). I know this sounds dumb but scream stuff like "stop hurting me, why are you hurting me" and "help, help, I am being attacked"... I am serious, if the police show up and the other guy is bleeding on the ground, your best bet is witnesses saying you were defending yourself.

Going live today, my new website.

Marty Katz  Marty Katz is a retired Detective Sergeant with the Broward Sheriff’s Office in Fort Lauderdale, FL. He served as a former S.W.A.T. team member, undercover narcotics detecti

From the Files of Bushido Karate Dojo - A favorite son.

The year was 1974, and the dojo was teaching a free class for the Livingston, New Jersey, Recreation Department in the Mt. Pleasant Jr. High School building. I encouraged our students to invite their friends, neighbors, or just about anyone they met to join
the dojo.

One of the students brought a 13-year-old boy to class. The younger student was assigned to a senior student, as all new students were, and his training began. As always, the new students line up in the back, and we hope they pay attention.

The first couple of years for this young student were nothing special. Just a student trying his best. Then came the summer of his green belt. This individual, the young man who likes to clown around, always smiling, got serious. A transformation occurred.
His techniques got stronger, his form became clearer.

At the time, the dojo had many high school students. This new green belt became their leader. Since respect never stops at the dojo walls, this respect carried over into their high school. It must have been strange for regular high school students to witness
bowing in the hallways or the exchange of techniques as they went from class to class.

When looking back and thinking about certain students, a lot comes to mind about this one in particular. The day he got his driver’s license, while on a trip to a friend’s house, a Sai slid off the front seat in his car. He immediately moved to retrieve it,
and a minor accident resulted. Of course, I was called before his parents. It was just the way it was back then. And there are hundreds of such stories.

I took my students to every tournament I could find. His ability began to shine. He began to get a following of other students from other dojos. He had grown into a ferocious competitor in kata (kobudo and empty hand) and kumite.

1979 brought with it the rank of Shodan, along with a broken nose. He received this injury during his black belt test, but demanded that he be allowed to join the celebration before being taken to the hospital. That was just him being him.

He was part of the team when I was the New Jersey State Representative for the United States Karate Association. We would visit and train with a prospective dojo seeking membership. He and other students would train on the dojo floor while I interviewed the
head sensei.

He gained knowledge wherever and whenever. He truly lived the saying: "I gave my life to karate, and karate gave me a way of life."

Around 1984, he was living in Japan, attending college. The following 10 years were every karateka’s dream. He trained in kendo and was now a student at the Japan Karate Association headquarters, training under the best in the country. He obtained a rank in
those arts and styles. He even married a lovely Japanese lady. In addition, he was my tour guide during my trips to Japan.

When he returned to America, now able to speak Japanese, he began training with Seikichi Iha. He rose in rank within that organization. He never stopped training.

Those early days created lifelong students who went far beyond expectations. This young man, who worked so hard, is Vincent Bolognini, known to all as Vinnie or San. He is what helped make Bushido Karate Dojo the training hall it was.

From the files of Bushido Karate Dojo - Crossing Paths with Grand Master Joseph Hess.

These are stories from the very early days of my dojo, with insights into martial arts, warrior spirit, and how we trained from the 1950s onward.

I met Joseph Hess in 1972. A group of my students and I went to Wildwood, NJ, for a weekend of beach training. Before this, I had heard of Joe Hess. I had hoped to stop by his dojo for some training. Our first stop was the local police station. We were carrying
nunchakus, and I had heard that they were issued as police equipment in Wildwood. The desk sergeant told us not to carry them, and by the way, Joe Hess was in the building.

In real life, Joe looked as big as his martial arts accomplishments. We talked, and he invited us to train with him after his shift. We took in some sun and waited for Joe to finish work. Under his critical eye, we exchanged kata tips; then he sparred with
each of us three times. No one was able to get a point. I watched his legs, which were as immense as tree trunks, fly around my head. He had to leave to work on a police special detail, but said that we could continue training in the morning.

The next morning, I also had the opportunity to ride along with Joe, my first time in a police car. Driving around Wildwood, he talked about martial arts and law enforcement. Later, we had a great training class, and then it was back to North Jersey.

Over the next few years, Joe and I would meet at various tournaments in and around New York City. I had joined the police force in Livingston, and he was now the world champion. Over time, I lost contact with him as I continued training, dividing my time between
my dojo and my new career in law enforcement.

In 1982, I met up with Joe again. This time, it was in Florida. I was now working in law enforcement in Broward County, and Joe was the chief defensive tactics instructor at the Broward Police Academy. I was taking an advanced nightstick course, and there he
was. Joe was the instructor. He was as friendly and funny as I remember. By now, Joe had become one of the world's best-known and most respected law enforcement defensive tactics instructors.

Whenever I was at the Academy, I would stop to see him. He was still amazing. He would spar with each student in the class and do this for each academy class each year. He had not lost his championship qualities.

In 1998, I was assigned to the Academy as the Instructor coordinator, and there he still was. I became certified as a Florida Department of Law Enforcement Defensive Tactics instructor under Joe. We talked about his adventures and my trips to Japan, and constantly
exchanged techniques. My training improved. Soon, I was assisting him in teaching the recruits.

My wife, an accomplished black belt instructor, began teaching at one of Joe's dojos, and soon, she was promoted to 4th-degree black belt with Joe signing her certificate.

Since 1972, Grand Master Joseph Hess has been a true friend and mentor to the students of Bushido Karate Dojo and to me personally. This friendship has continued. I retired from law enforcement in 2007, and there he was. He and his wife, Brenda, attended my
retirement party. It was an absolute honor. This is what friendship is all about.

FROM THE FILES OF
BUSHIDO KARATE DOJO
The Red Barn
Many years ago, before the Dojo had any permanent home, I had to find places to train. We used students' apartments, frat houses, open fields, dusty basements, concrete-floored buildings, parking lots, and any place I could find. One place comes to mind when I look over the list of all the stops we made on the road to find that home base. A place called the Red Barn. This was no barn. It was a bar with an upstairs room used for parties. The owner and his son were students. We were able to use this room two or three times a week. The first student to arrive would move the tables and chairs, then sweep the floor. We always sweep the floor. Class was from 7 PM until after 10 PM. Sometimes the class's noise would disturb the patrons at the bar downstairs. Sometimes, a patron would wander up to watch the class. Tense times would follow. But then, after watching our contact class, they would either ask to join or just walk downstairs for another beer, leaving us alone.
Back then, classes were murder. We trained until we stopped. It was our way of life. After class, the owner would invite us down to the bar. In those days, we closed the bar more than x number of times. I can't say for sure that everyone with us was over 21. We talked Karate-do all night long. We, at times, left the bar as the sun came up. A quick shower and off to work. This was before I was a police officer.
One thing is for sure: the students were strong, good, and in love with Karate.

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Forty-one years ago tonight, a high school student named Daniel Larusso was brutally attacked by a gang of bullies following a Halloween party in Reseda, California.
Had it not been for the quick thinking of a Japanese handyman/karate master named Keisuke Miyagi, young Daniel could have been killed.
Instead, Larusso quickly recovered from his wounds, teamed up with Miyagi to master the art of Goju Ryu, and went on to win the coveted All-Valley Under-18 Karate Tournament in one of the most shocking upsets in the history of sports.
As people around the world get ready to celebrate Halloween this evening, please take a few minutes and remind your children that while anyone can sweep a leg...it takes a real hero to sweep a heart...... stay safe out there tonight.

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