Master, Nathan Ray
As the President and Chief Instructor of World Karate-Do and the
International Karate Dojo Organization, Sensei Nathan Ray is the
force of organizational and technical leadership that drives our
organization. Sensei is
a word which translates as ‘to live or be born before.’
Now Shisei Ryu is becoming known throughout the World.
Shisei Ryu is a system of Martial Arts that can be translated
into any language; it simply means ‘to seek the truth of Martial
Arts.’ Many Black
belts from other disciplines are seeking out the guidance of Sensei
Ray as well as those who have come up in our ‘head quarter’ dojo
in Knightdale, NC. Sensei
is now growing into the next phase of his personal and
overall development. . . Shihan.
Shihan is a word which translates to mean ‘teacher of
teachers.’
Born in Knightdale, North Carolina on March 10, 1971, Sensei Ray
began his formal training at the age of 12 in Raleigh, NC.
Informally he had been exposed as a youth to the Martial arts
through family members who had been in the military and other
venues. As a young
student his dedication and training ethic was unmatched.
During his early years he became an instructor of Men, Women,
and Children. Always
desirous to train, he gave up all other activities to dedicate his
life to the goal of developing a dojo and offering martial arts at
its best. In 1988 while
teaching at a dojo in Raleigh, NC and doing various programs through
out the Triangle, Sensei began teaching at his home in Knightdale.
As a high school student, immediately after school he would
go to the dojo to train and teach.
After graduating from East Wake High school in 1989,
Sensei immediately went to Saitama, Japan and engaged in
rigorous martial arts study and training.
On this trip Karate, Kendo (swordsmanship), Judo, Aikido, and
Kyudo were explored, studied and practiced.
This had been a life long dream of his.
It was on this trip he said that the reality of
mastery came to him, as he had believed in some type of
geographic stereotypical superiority.
Not to knock the Japanese or any one else but Sensei has said
that nationality, gender, and geographic location have nothing to do
with the mastery of martial arts, but rather mastery belongs to the
one who is mindful and practices the principles of Martial Arts.
On returning from Japan Sensei pursued a Political Science degree at
North Carolina State University.
In the spring of 1990 he began a national travel campaign to
understand the World of Martial Arts.
In San Diego that fall, Sensei won at the Miyagi Cup, an
international championship, catching the attention of
Master Kiyoshi Yamazaki who was leading a team to the World
Championships in Dubai, Middle East.
December of 1990 Sensei competed at the World Championships
finishing with scores in Kata, which placed him among the top 16
competitors in a pool of 62 countries.
In the early part of spring 1991 Sensei decided to teach exclusively
in Knightdale dedicating 100% of his energy to the program, as he
had still been teaching in Raleigh up until this period.
In the summer of 1991 first competing on the US National Team at the
Pan American Championships in Curacao, NA.
Sensei Ray then traveled to Venezuela, training, teaching,
and demonstrating in 9 states with Master Instructor Kiyoshi
Yamazaki. At the end of
this tour, he went on to compete at the Konishi World Cup in
Valencia, Venezuela - winning a Gold Medal in Kumite (fighting).
In September of 1991, Sensei Ray went to Okinawa, Japan for further
research, study, and practice.
This time spending time with a host of Masters, including:
Morio Higaonna and Hirokazu Kanazawa to name two.
During this trip, he competed at the I.O.G.K.F. World
Championships winning yet another Gold Medal in Kumite.
Sensei has traveled to six continents to study Martial Arts and
express Shisei Ryu. In
the spring of 1994, he graduated from North Carolina State
University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a
Minor in Japanese. While in the process of graduating, the new Dojo in
Knightdale was in the final planning stages and underwent
construction in May of the same year.
In August 1994 the physical construction of the 5400 square
ft. Martial Arts Research Institute was completed.
The Dojo in Knightdale is one of the most beautiful building
constructed for the specific purpose of Martial Arts training and
Research in the World.
In December of 1994 Shisei Ryu was presented and demonstrated by
Sensei Ray in Perth, Western Australia.
Two years later in May of 1996 Sensei Ray demonstrated and
taught in the schools and villages of Ghana, West Africa.
For many it was not only the first exposure to Shisei Ryu,
but also the first time for the people to see Martial Arts in
person, ever. This was
especially the case in the villages of the countryside.
In
the spring of 1998, Master Ray completed a Research and Training
Mission to 4 countries: China,
Thailand, Nepal, and Pakistan.
As a member of a delegation dispatched through Rotary
International, Master Ray spent 40 days teaching and demonstrating
Supreme Martial Arts throughout Southern Thailand.
The special delegation made presentations in approximately 19
cities. Master Ray was
an honored demonstrator at the International Rotary Convention.
Because Thailand’s national sport is Muay Thai kickboxing,
many were anxious to hear Master Ray’s presentation and see his
skill in Martial Arts.
While
in China, Hong Kong, Master Ray did a very detailed study of Thai
Chi Chuan. In
particular their forms and training methodology were studied and
examined.
Nepal
offered a rare and unique glimpse into many ancient forms and
indigenous methods of self-protection and self-mastery.
Pakistan
was beautiful land filled with a rich and proud history of Martial
Arts traditions rarely seen in the West.
Master Ray demonstrated from the capitol of Islamabad to the
mountainside of Muree; a rare honor and opportunity, which further
showed the universality of Martial Arts.
Throughout all of the traveling, competing, training, teaching, and
demonstrating abroad, Master
Ray recognized the growing need for more full time, qualified
Martial Arts instruction and made a personal commitment to spread
the art and philosophy of Shisei Ryu around and throughout the
WORLD.
As Master Ray is growing from his many experiences, he became aware of the
divisiveness of the Martial Arts world.
It was during these times that he saw the need for a vehicle
which would not fall pray to politics and confusion but which would
allow for growth and development across all lines and within all
quarters. Despite all that was going on in his personal life and all
the obstacles set in his path, Sensei set about the formidable task
of organizing and establishing the Supreme Martial Arts Research
Institute/International Karate Dojo Organization (IKDO).
Master Ray’s dream is now reality.
