I would like to personally thank you for reading this site, the interest you have in understanding the documented history, and a man named Henry Slomanski.

I would like to reflect over the years I have dedicated my website to honor Henry Slomanski as it tells the story in its true entirety in the midst of lies. I have laid out the facts as I know them, and they are honest and forthright as one can be all the while substantiating them. Some people may think I am passionate but direct even brutally honest, but that does not mean my facts are incorrect. Basically what we have here is a case of bruised egos because sadly they know that in light of my information theirs has no merit.

One might say who am I to make these claims, well, simply put; I am the last surviving Master Instructor 4^th degree under Henry Slomanski, one of the greatest martial artists to ever live. Therefore, I know my roots and how my lineage truly etches out in the history of karate. I have never been a person to embellish or seek fame because there is nothing more for me to gain or achieve in life. I will never, nor have I ever disparaged another martial art or discipline. Now with this said, most websites you visit tell a story of a person and how wonderful or greatly achieved they have become.  Usually there is a hidden agenda along with propaganda because they want you to believe what they are selling be it due to a business venture they need to maintain or their own egos. Face it; most people like to read their own name in print.

Identity is a funny thing. I think it is black and white because a lineage should stand on its own merit. Yet people feel their identity rests on their ability to conjure up their own styles for self-gratification. Yet, how can they take a martial art, change the name and then make claim with no certification nor authorized document to do this? There is no honor, or respect in this self-pontificating ego. They would have more credibility claiming to be a green belt remaining a green belt and telling their history. I suppose I can understand its place if one needs that in life.

My background is in law enforcement and many of my students arose from this connection. Let's consider the aphorism; does the man make the badge or does the badge make the man? I pose this question in terms of karate to the men and women who are trying to erase history. Does the belt make the man or does the man make the belt? Unfortunately, the Japanese feel that their slanted and skewed vision make up the martial art history.

I have challenged many men and their organizations when it comes to this topic, but now I challenge a culture and way of life. It has been told to me by a connection to Japan and their karate nomenclature....

“The Japanese are very proud people. There are two sides to that culture; Omote and Ura. “Omote” is the side of them you will obviously see. The “Ura” is the hidden side. The “Omote” side of them will give you any assistance they can provide, but the “Ura” side of them will always cause them to hold back to some degree.”

There is much more that I possess in knowledge but hesitate to share because not all can be corroborated by documentation. I am forever on quest for documentation because I have the knowledge and the facts first hand but I want to be able to provide what is needed for credibility. I wish the others had the same standards. I understand my information and this topic is unnerving to some, but I do not seek out what I do with the objective to ruin. I am attempting in the best way I can, after so many years have passed and people have died, to prove history beyond reasonable doubt. If Henry Slomanski were still alive to confront these people, he lived it; he would not stand for those who lie.

The question arises as to why these people would do their best to ignore or re-direct history? Why would they say to me “We thought everyone was dead that was associated with Slomanski.”? There are several reasons I feel this is being done. The event that took place in 1956 upset an entire nation,. We were fresh off a war that ended in surrender. This was not something Japan was proud of as a nation. This nation is full of pride therefore the soldiers and sailors of Japan were tremendously loyal to their Emperor. This is to be expected because the Americans who fought were also loyal to their country. The Japanese would rather commit suicide versus be disgraced or surrender. They were so loyal; they flew airplanes into American ships in the name of serving the motherland. Knowing their demise and they would be leaving loved ones behind I am not sure I can understand this as I was not born Japanese in those days either.

Take a moment and imagine you are an Asian martial artist in 1956. The panorama of burly men preparing to fight for honor, country, family name, Master, and self worth. You enter the match a highly trained fighter who is trained to kill under the watch of a proud Master. His name and pride are attached with the discipline or dojo This match, lame or kill, decides fate. Time has come, your heart races, deep breath, and it's time to battle an American GI. A set of eight eyes peers down as you fight. These eyes are no ordinary eyes but are the four Grand Masters of the All Kempo Karatedo Federation. The pressure builds in anticipation of succeeding as the next master. You lose and are marked as unworthy as are the others that preceded and follow. Victory has escaped grasp and now an entire country is stained with defeat.

Henry Slomanski won all the matches as a human being who was a phenomenal fighting man with a talent he learned from the Masters. He did not enter as “the Caucasian” or “the American” he entered as a fighter. He spoke fluent Japanese, lived with his masters while training, which is an honor in itself, and was one of only the best selected. Read any book from the masters to verify this fact. Funakoshi states that he would only allow the best of the best to live with him while training as he did while a student. Henry's blood was the same as theirs, the same color, and he felt the same pain as the others. He entered as a man so why deny, cover up, or denounce his achievements?

Now, when we reflect on loyalty and pride we see it does not equate to truth! They are trying to change history by denying, ignoring, hiding material, or have convenient selective memory. They do everything they can to block or run interference so that only they can control the misinformation. Therefore only the self-serving stories remain and as they stand they are false. What happened to the pride? He trained under their Grand Masters! Give credit where credit is due. It is hard to be a single person fighting a well-oiled machine in the public. The Japanese have numbers, money, loyalty to masters, dojo, business, reputations etc. All of this is for a self-serving interest of which the motive can be many as I outlined. I again ask anyone to question my motives other then the truth and to document history before others are allowed to destroy it for good. The Japanese are trying hard to do this publicly as well as privately. Why are they so nefarious? What happened to the honor that is expected? Does it only go as far as Japan or the Asian culture? I think the silence speaks for itself. They are unethically trying to suppress the truth? Why do two people from the same Karate Federation tell me two different facts and versions? The facts and truths should never change if it is not a cover up. There is a lot of documentation in history that some of the people in Japan are sitting on or have destroyed. This has been done out of pride and honor. I understand and respect this old philosophy to a certain point. However, this mentality does not make it right because apparently it only is right for a select culture to hold this honor. Therefore they are just depriving the rest of the world of this knowledge.

Today a few other organizations and people in this country say my facts are skewed yet again they produce no other evidence. They need to do this in the world of commercialism in order to keep many students flowing into their doors. I am so glad I only have the obligation of telling the truth and not the pressure of the overhead. They have to spin stories to try to protect their heritage no matter how erroneous it is. It was mono y mono not race on race, it just so happened that an American won and they cannot accept this truth. They seem to find it an embarrassment that an American infiltrated their customs and karate knowledge and beat them at their game. The Masters saw something in Henry that made them willing to teach. They made him into the remarkable man he became. Obviously they did not see these characteristics in their own men. To have a strong house there must be a strong foundation to withstand storms. Maybe the Japanese needed to solder up the foundations of the best they had to offer. Do these people ever look in the mirror and if so, how do they live with themselves? I guess it is easy to say things in words for the world to see and speak as an expert with no foundation to hold up claims.

In closing, I again would like to thank the many who have offered their help and assistance as I welcome with open arms all who have a honest motive. I am not interested in anyone who wants to connect to Henry Slomanski because they think it will make them a dollar so it can be marketed. I will always challenge that person and so will my black belts. They earned their right to wear their belt. It was earned the way Henry taught through blood, sweat, and tears. The Slomanski story is true but not all facts have been told because I am a man of honor and credibility. I only claim what I can substantiate. I have the same loyalty and respect for Henry Slomanski, Mrs Patricia Slomanski, Melvin Sauer, my wife, students, and myself as the Japanese and legitimate businessmen share. As the old saying goes, “If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.” I stand for traditionalism and the truth.