Enshin Karate was founded by Joko Ninomya, who was a student of Masutatsu (Mas) and Shigeru Oyama, Hideyuki Ashihara, and then founded Enshin.

Mas Oyama killed 52 bulls with his bare hands (there's a video of that below) and was important in the education of Don Buck and Ralph Rhoads, too

Sensei Ralph was taught by Shigeru Oyama, promoted by Hideyuki Ashihara when he left Kyokushin and took most of his student's with him, and Kancho Ninomya.

Shigeru Oyama was Mas Oyama's "brother," as Mas trained with Shigeru's Father, who gave the young Korean his Japanese last name.

This is a photograph from the 1999 Japan Town, San Francisco, Cherry Blossom Festival, and that's me in the upper right.

On the lowest step, left is Naohiro Tomiyama, 6th degree (Shihan), and branch chief of San Francisco Japantown and Tokyo Enshin Dojos.

On the right is Mirko Buchwald, who briefly shared a dojo with Sensei Tomiyama, has his own successful S. F. dojo, and is a World Goju Ryu Grand Champion.

That's me--the tall guy in front--in the 2000 Japan Town Cherry Blossom Festival video.

Not too bad, I think, as I was twice as old (50) as most of them, had endured three major back surgeries, and hadn't slept a wink in three days!

Please forgive the resolution, as it was recorded long ago to VHS, and more recently transferred to digital.

BTW, the cute brunette brown belt is my Ex. Li Po once told me dancers make the best martial artists, and she danced with the San Francisco Ballet.