Chuck Merriman

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Chuck Merriman has served as Head Coach of the AAU National Karate Team and member of the AAU national karate Coaches Committee. He is also a member of the AAU National Karate Program Technical Committee and has acted as Chief Arbitrator for AAU Region One Karate and for the AAU National Karate Championships. He has been instrumental in popularizing karate in general, and Goju-Ryu karate in particular throughout the western world.

[edit] Contributions to Karate

In 1995 Merriman was appointed Head Coach for the United States National Karate Team for the Olympic Sanctioned XII Pan American Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This was the first time that karate had been included in the Pan American Games. Merriman was also appointed coach for the United States National Team for P.U.K.O. Championships in Medellín, Colombia.

In 1970 Merriman founded Karate International, teaching Goju-Ryu karate to students in the United States. Over time this organization spread throughout the world.

[edit] Training History

Chuck Merriman has studied under Sensei Peter Urban, Chris DeBaise, Korean judo master In Soo H'Wang, Nakabayashi Sadaki sensei, Sensei Miyazato Eiichi (10th dan - successor to Chojun Miyagi), and Sensei Iha Koshin (10th Dan).

[edit] Qualifications

At the time of this writing, Merriman held the ranks of Hachidan (8th Dan) Kyoshi Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate Do/ Jundokan, Okinawa; Sandan (3rd Dan) Kodokan Judo; and Shodan (1st Dan) Hakkoryu jujitsu.