United States Shorin-Ryu

Instructor: Hanski Ernest Ferrara, 9th Dan

Founder and Hanshi Ernest Ferrara
In 1960 Ernie Ferrara first studied the Shotokan style of Karate.  One of his first instructors was the noted John Slocom from Flushing, New York.  It was there that Ernie Ferrara met and saw James K. Wax who demonstrated his style of Shorin Ryu (Matsubayashi-Ryu) Karate.  Mr. Ferrara then chose to study the Shorin Ryu system under James K. Wax. 

While studying under Sensei Wax, in September of 1962 Master Ansei Ueshiro of the Shorin Ryu system came to the United States from Okinawa.  Ernie Ferrara then trained under both Sensei Wax and Master Ueshiro and later only under Master Ueshiro.

  In May of 1963 Sensei Ferrara became the first person to receive a Black Belt Certificate under Master Ueshiro in the United States and he became the first member of the International Karate Black Belt Federation (James K. Wax, President/Ansei Ueshiro, Foreign Representative).  Sensei Ferrara has been teaching in the greater New York and Long Island area ever since.

Sensei Ferrara’s most known school was the Sullivan Street Dojo in Manhattan where Zenko Heshiki got his start teaching Saturday classes.  Zenko Heshiki then went on to open the 72nd Street Dojo in Manhattan with one of Sensei Ferrara’s black belts, Arthur Drago.  Sensei Drago is well known for his teaching in Front Royal, Virginia for the past 30 years.

  Through Sensei Ferrara’s dedication, thousands of students have had the opportunity to study Shorin Ryu Karate and many are still active.

  In 1991 Sensei Ferrara and Sensei Zermeno formed The North Amercian Shorin Ryu Association.   Sensei Ferrara holds the rank of 8th degree in The North American Shorin Ryu Association.  He also holds 9th degree in the United States Karate Association that he received in May of 1994 from the director of U.S.K.A. John A. Pachivas.   In January of 2001, Hanshi Ferrara was inducted into the Action Martial Arts Hall of Fame and received the Golden Lifetime Achievement Award for his years of dedication.  In addition,  Hanshi Andrew Linick, Founder  of the Karate Masters Hall of Fame, inducted Sense Ferrara  as a member in June of 2001 in recognition of his great martial skill in developing, teaching and propagating the Art of Shorin Ryu in America. In 2002 after the death of Sensei Ferrara’s Sifu (meaning Teacher/Father), Sensei Ferrara  created  the  United States Shorin Ryu Association to honor Sensei Ueshiro’s four decades  of teaching in the United States.

United States Shorin-Ryu

Phone: (516) 561-8040

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