1. Robert A Trias was an American karate pioneer, founding the first karate school in the mainland United States and becoming one of the first known American black belts.
18 Facts About Robert Trias
1. 2.
Robert Trias developed Shuri-ryu karate, an eclectic style with roots in Chinese kung-fu, and indirectly some Okinawan karate.
3.
Robert Trias was employed by Southern Pacific Company as a boilermaker apprentice from 1937 to 1939 and as a boilermaker from 1939 to 1942.
4.
Robert Trias enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve in Phoenix, Arizona during World War II, on September 22,1942.
5.
On Tulagi, in the Solomon Islands, Robert Trias tried his hand as a middleweight boxer.
6.
Robert Trias refused because Hsiang was "just a tiny little guy," but Hsiang was persistent and at last Robert Trias agreed to spar with him.
7.
Robert Trias returned home to the United States in November 1945.
8.
In late 1945, shortly before Robert Trias left the Navy in January of the following year, he began teaching martial arts in his backyard.
9.
Robert Trias later opened the first public karate school operated by a Caucasian in the United States mainland in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1946.
10.
Robert Trias served as an officer of the Arizona State Highway Patrol from 1946 to 1961 utilizing his self-defense knowledge on duty and teaching his fellow officers.
11.
Jointly with John Keehan, Robert Trias hosted the first national karate tournament in the United States, called the 1st World Karate Tournament, at the University of Chicago Fieldhouse in late July 1963 in Chicago, IL.
12.
Robert Trias' style was once dubbed, by Robert Trias himself, as Shuri Karate Kenpo, Goju-Shorei-Ryu, and Shorei-Goju ryu though there is no relationship or direct ancestry to the Goju-Ryu currently practiced in Okinawa or the original form of Shorei-ryu once practiced by the Okinawans.
13.
Robert Trias's style is referred to as Shuri-ryu to imply roots to traditional karate though his style is much different from any martial art originating from the Okinawan islands.
14.
Robert Trias was responsible for the following developments in karate in United States:.
15.
Robert Trias is a two time inductee to the Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame.
16.
Robert Trias's first induction was a Black Belt Editor's Award, in the class of 1979.
17.
Robert Trias's second induction was an Honorary Award, in the class of 1989, the year of his death, posthumously honoring his legacy.
18.
Robert Trias formed the United States Karate Association in 1946, which continued after his passing until 1999.