Hanshi Larry Williams
September 4, 1941 - October 29, 2007
September 4 is always a bitter sweet day.sensei would've been 72 this year. Hanshi Larry Williams was born September 4, 1941 and passed away October 29, 2007. Words still cannot express my sorrow at his passing were my gratitude for his humanity and the tremendous gift of his teaching
As stated in the Midori Yama Budokai mission statement, “the object and purpose MYB Inc. shall be to study the ancient marital arts of the orient as well as Europe. Books and white papers will be written to attempt to understand the religious and meditative processes that are contained in the marital arts. We will also attempt to define the manner in which the martial arts conform to the human bodies of Asia and in the process try to correlate these art forms with the western human body. All such material that may be written will be given freely to other such groups that may desire this material. We will get together with other such groups and physically study moves that are involved in the martial arts and we will give clinics to similar groups that desire to know the details of our studies.” , Leo D. Wilson
the founder of Midori Yama Budokai
Larry Williams found a home in Midori Yama Budokai.it was the kind of organization that embraced his life experience. In 1953 he began the study of judo with Richard Yamani, in the late 60s he was Blackbelt in Matsubayashi Shorin-Ryu.In spite of the politics involved and participating in sport karate at that time he continued to participate in tournaments even after Grand Master's Shoshin Nagamines expressed concerns about his black belt's involvement. By 1972 he began traveling to Cincinnati Ohio to train with the Grand Master's son Sensei Takayoshi Nagamine. As well as Matsubayash Sensei Nishime
In 1972 he began training in Okinawa Kempo Kobudo under Sensei Bill Marron,a student of master Sakichi Odo. Along the way became he became a tough, but sought after instructor. Ninth degree black belt Dan Kennedy said of Hanshi "it was Prof. Larry Williams of Missouri who gave me my kubodo(weapons)training. After a while, I was privileged to pass along that knowledge to Prof. Ken Baker of Leavenworth Kansas who came to my dojo to study weapons." (Hanshi Baker isnow head of Midori Yama Budokai). Sensei Williams could be quite humble and unassuming in the last years of his life,but his influence was deep, albeit in many ways quiet.
Sensei's life experience was not only broad but deep. Many people from threw his influence. He studied not only Judo, Kubudo, and Karate but also Jujitsu, Eagle claw,and Pai Lim Kung Fu. By the 80s and 90s he was being sought after as traditional Kata instructor,as well as open for tournament competitions coach.
He was awarded a 10th dan and made head of Midori Yama Budokai's Shin Nagare Karate by Leo D. Wilson. In the last years of his life he developed the American Masters Association.Which Some of his senior students administer.
