Robert Trias

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Robert A. Trias (1923 – 1989), known by some as "the Father of Karate in America," founded the first commercial karate school in the United States[citation needed]. He also developed Shuri-ryu karate, an eclectic style with roots in the Okinawan Shuri-te tradition.

While serving in the United States Navy during World War II, Trias was stationed on Tulagi in the Solomon Islands and was a Navy champion middleweight boxer. There he met Tung Gee Hsing, a Chinese missionary of Chan (Zen) Buddhism. Hsing often watched Trias work out and imitated his boxing footwork, and he asked to practice with Trias. Trias refused because Hsing was "just a tiny little guy," but Hsing was persistent and at last Trias agreed to spar with him. Hsing gave Trias "the biggest thrashing of his life" and Trias then asked Hsing to instruct him in the martial arts.[1]

Hsing taught Trias some xingyi as well as some Okinawan Shuri-Te karate, which Hsing had learned from Choki Motobu on Okinawa. Later, Trias studied with Hoy Yuan Ping whose lineage was from the Teshin Shinjo School of Kempo Ju-jitsu in Japan. Trias also held a 6th dan black belt in Kodokan Judo[citation needed] and studied under Yju Yamada. Trias was also mentored by Yasuhiro Konishi and Makoto Gima.

When Trias left the Navy, he began teaching martial arts in his backyard in Phoenix, Arizona. Later he opened his first karate school in Phoenix. Trias served as an officer of the Arizona State Highway Patrol for a number of years, utilizing his self-defense knowledge on duty and teaching his fellow officers. He founded the United States Karate Association (USKA). Through his pioneering efforts in Karate, he became the United States' liaison with Korea, Japan, China, and Okinawa for many years. He was instrumental in promoting the first world karate tournament in 1963 in Chicago, IL. His rules for tournament competition are still used today with slight variation.

Trias' style was known as Shorei-Goju Ryu, Shorei-ryu and Shuri-ryu. Many organizations claim to trace their roots to him and the USKA.

Trias died in 1989 of cancer leaving the Shuri-ryu system to his daughter Roberta Trias-Kelley, inheritor of Shuri-Ryu and Menkyo Kaiden.

Robert A. Trias is the author of "Karate is my Life""The Hand is my Sword", "The Pinnacle of Karate", "The Supreme Way", and "Render Yourself Empty".

[edit] Sources

  1. ^ Article "Robert Trias: pioneer of U.S. karate" by Sergio Ortiz, Black Belt Magazine, April 1976, pages 36-39