Bio's

Yudanshakai

KDA Events 2010

KDA Membership Application

Scheduling Seminars for 2010

Student Corner

KDA Dojo's

Kuma Dojo Association Karate-Do International

Yixing inspired Teapots 4 Sale for 2010

Bio's of KDA Board Members
Founder and Chairman Kancho Jonh "Kuma" Farrell

John “Kuma” Farrell Judan O-Sensei

       

 Kancho Farrell describes his youthful self as a “thin and gangly child who got beat-up a lot”… Diagnosed at an early age with Scoliosis, a Chinese Doctor recommended that he train in the Martial Arts, to strengthen his malformed back.

The once sickly child, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania joined the High School track team, and became an AAU Track Champion, setting the Pennsylvania State Record for the 440.

In 1966, the speedster was picked-up by the Pittsburgh Steelers as a wide receiver, but his pro career was cut short when he was drafted in 1967.  Sgt. John "Tony" Farrell served in the Special Forces while in Viet Nam, earning the Army Commendation Medal, and performed “Dust-off” operations… evacuating & rescuing wounded soldiers while suspended under a medivac helicopter

Kancho Farrell began training in Jujitsu in 1950 under Shihan Theodore Flewellen, and later earned his 2nd Nidan from Shihan Theodore Mitchell.  While in Jr. High School, Kancho Farrell began Karate training in Koseido, and earned his 2nd Nidan from Shihan Joseph Hedderman. Then Isshin-Ryu Sensei Joseph Pennywelll began working with the young prodigy, introducing him to 10th Dan O-Sensei Tatsuo Shimabuku, from Okinawa, Kancho Farrell earned his Shodan, and continued to study the Isshin-Ryu system under O-Sensei Ted Vollrath (10th Dan), and even appeared in the documentary film Let Me Live in Your World, with Master Vollrath.   

   

 Many years earlier, Shihan Charles Gruzanski introduced Kancho Farrell to Kyokushinkai Karate… The Japanese themselves refer to Kyokushinkai as “Kenka Karate,” or knock-down “Fighting Karate,” differentiating it from other styles currently being practiced in Japan. Shihan Farrell eventually earned his 9th Degree in this style, having trained under or with such Kyokushin Shihan’s as Bobby Lowe, S. Oyama, Y. Oyama, Tadashi Nakamora, Andre Coulombe, and of course, the great Sosai Mas Oyama O-Sensei founder of Kyokushin KaiKan (until his passing in 1994).     

   Kancho Farrell was considered, by many, to have been Sosai Oyama’s “top American born student,” and is featured in Black Belt Magazine, Who’s Who in the Martial Arts, and was inducted into the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame as “Master Instructor of the Year” (1996).  He has instructed many law enforcement officers & agencies including Central Intelligence Personnel and earned the Department of Justice, U.S. Marshall Service Citation of Appreciation.

   

   Kancho Farrell has also had the opportunity to study Shorin-Ryu Karate under four of the greatest Shihan Instructors that the art has ever know, Hanshi Ronald Lindsey 9th Dan, Sam D. Pearson Sensei 9th, John Hamilton Sensei 9th Dan, and O-Sensei Glenn R. Premru 10th Dan.  While still in Viet Nam, Kancho Farrell was introduced to the Korean Martial Arts and trained with General K.C.Park in Mu Duk Kwan, continuing his training with the famous Ki Wang Kim (10th Dan) upon his return to the U.S. Also during this time, Kancho Farrell earned his Shodan in Judo under Yu Kim, trained in Shito-Ryu Karate with the legendary Fumio Demura, studied Shorei-Ryu Karate with Robert Trias 10th Dan (founder of the USKA), and has trained in Gyaku-Nami-Do Karate with Shihan Gene Thorner, Head of the ASMA.  Kancho Farrell also holds a Shodan in Aikido and has trained with Ruriko Masutani Sensei, Larry Salazar Sensei, and Steven Segal.   

   On October 1st 2006 Kancho Farrell formed an association for all Martial Artist to learn as well train and teach. He calls this group Kuma Dojo Association Karate-Do International and also formed his on style called Kyokushin-Ha. July 29, 2007 on the eve of his 65th birthday, the Kuma Dojo Association’s Karate-Do International senior board members awarded Kancho Farrell with his Judan, 10th degree, for his 50  years with-in the Martial Arts and holding 8 different Dan ranks. You may contact Kancho Farrell at kanchojohnfarrell42@verizon.net

Mark Dana Rokudan Sensei Vice-Chairman
Mark Dana Sensei  Rokudan 

Sensei Dana was born in 1959, into a modestly poor family in Lawrence, Massachusetts USA.

He was the youngest of 3. He came into this life with health issue that plagued him for most of pre-school age.

He was known as a “hipper active child” never sitting still, at the local emergency room the doctors & nurse new him by name.

In fact summer of 66 he  held a record for the most emergency treatments in one day, 3 times in 8 hours…

 In 1970 he became interested in Karate through his sisters college boyfriend who was a Black Belt from Japan in Shorinji  Ryu and training at Lowell University. Since Dana was what his mother called “accident prone kid” she did not let him join Karate. In 1972 a blow to Dana came in the form of his best friend Walter joining Karate and again his Mother saying “NO”, but Dana had a way out.

 Starting in 1972, Walter and Mark would train in the yards and cellars of each others homes for the next four years until on January 02, 1976

Dana final became a official member Methuen Karate Association.

MKA was a fledgling Kyokushin Dojo who's Sensei converted from Goju Ryu a few years earlier and was set up in a cow/chicken barn

in the back woods of Methuen, Ma.

 

During the years spent at MKA Dana grew into his skills do to all the great Senpai's at the Dojo and also the ones introduced him to him

during guest instructor nights and ones he meet over the years at the 100 or so tournaments he competed in and/ judged at during the 70’s and 80’s. He has trained/learned from such guest Kyokushin Instructors at MKA ... S.Oyama, T. Nakamura, A. Coulombe,

D. Cook, H.Oh, S. Kanamura, T. Tazuka, and J. Farrell...

 

On September 10, 1976 he received his green belt or Gokyu; also on that day he was also given the honor to teach the brand new children’s class.

This started his long career of teaching others.

He continued to hone his skills as a teacher through the guidance of his seniors at MKA.

He also set his sights on the tournament trail as well, where he did quite well.

His next testing/promotion has to brown belt or Sankyu. By this time he had become one of the top

and up and coming fighters in New England and with the help of his instructors and friend Walter (now a Shodan )

he would be come well known for his fighting skills.

At the same time he was putting in hours of teaching and developing the teaching skills need for his future.

Dana was known as a “Black and White” teacher and expected everyone in the class to give 100% into everything during each class.

He never did give a break to anyone and became known as the “hard ass” but at the same time was well liked because he gave so much back or

into his classes that everyone always walked away with new knowledge or improvements as well a new level of achievement and self esteem.

 

February 4, 1979 was the next step in his career in Karate the day he received Shodan after an grueling 8 hour testing in December 78,

and it was a new beginning for him.

He had been training very hard for this day and the next day seen no less in the intensity of his training,

For Shodan is the beginners rank and he was starting from the bottom again.

During the next few years Dana continued to train hard and win tournaments after tournament.

Tournaments was his thing and felt most comfortable while competing, during the early 80’s he was a dominant figure

on the trial, winning many of the same tournaments year after year.

He received his Nidan or 2nd degree black belt on December 13, 1980 with the completion of the menacing 50-man kumite

(50 fights in a row no breaks). He had by this time had also been awarded 15 times by MKA for his dedication and winning ways in and out of the Dojo.

He had been selected to compete at the A.A.U. Nationals every year since 1976 and continued to do so until 1987

when he retired from tournament fighting do to degenerative nerve damage. 

This year all so seen Dana become a A.A.U. referee and then a few years latter a A.A.U. Judge as well.

He severed the A.A.U. for many years as Judge, Tournament Director, and Regional Representative.

 

1982, he received his Nidan from Sosai Oyama, and on September, 1 his Sandan from MKA. He completed the grueling 100 man Kumite

(100 fights in a row no breaks) for his Sandan testing.

He also served as both President and Vice President for the promotion board at MKA and had been teaching at MKA

as well other satellite programs that MKA had going on around the local community.

    

1983 to 1987 seen his winning ways excel at the tournaments [a total of Seventy... 1st, 2nd or 3rd place victories] he had also won the Methuen Classic 3 times

3 times in a row as Grand Champion in sparring.

He had been awarded the player of the year 5 consecutive years and many other awards and has seen many of the students that he had been teaching

make Shodan or higher at this time. At the end of the tournament season he retired from competition do to what he thought were injuries

at the time that just would not heal do to the hard training and no rest.

Years later he would find out that he had severe nerve damage throughout his upper body area.

He had been teaching at Northern Essex Community College since 1976 for MKA, in 1985 he  started teaching for Kyokushin Karate Club (his Dojo)

when MKA dropped NECCO from there outside Karate programs.

 

During the years 1979 thru 1987 he held both the seat of President and Vice President for MKA in the capacity of Roster Club

(the black belt governing body for the dojo) and the same for the promotion board at MKA,

Represented the P.K.A. and A.A.U. as New England representative for each organization.

Tournament Director for many A.A.U. and open tournaments sponsored by MKA.

He was also the head instructor (under the chief instructor) of MKA for 5 years and taught and/or organized all classes during that time frame.

 

1987 was the year he opened up his first Dojo {Kyokushin Karate Club}in Lawrence, Mass, with  fellow Black Belt Kevin Reed.

For 2 years he grew the school moving 2 more times and working closely with the students.

He accepted a big promotion at work that conflicted with the school hours and closed the school a decision he would live to regret.

1988 seen the change of instructors, Dana and the Chief instructor at MKA had ideology differences for many years and this move eased the tension of these differences.

It also was the year he seen the rank of Yondan or 4th degree Black Belt presented to him.

He had turn down an offer to become a Branch Chief for the International Karate Organization Kyokushinkaikan in Japan this year as well.

This may seem un-heard of but he felt that the climate of Kyokushin in New England would be best suited if he did not except the position

at that time. He was putting the IKO in front of his personal feelings, he wishes he did not make this decision and accepted it instead...

 

Now 1990, training had changed for Dana do to the “injuries” that he had been suffering from for many years and he had to focused his training

to a different level and direction.

During these years he also indulged into the reading of every Martial Arts and eastern philosophy books he could get his hands on.

Since 1982 he had been purchasing so many different books that it had taken these many years to completely read them all.

This again changed his view of Karate and  his training, again he work toward the next evolving  step in his Karate career.

Spending the next 4 years teaching privately and  attending Karate seminars

 

In 1994, he returned to his old instructor to see if he could once again work with him, but after training for 15 months with him he new that it would not.

1995 seen the rank of Godan  (first of the Master teachers grades) or 5th degree black belt.

Again he moved his training to the confines of small dojo’s, private lesson’s, and friends schools to focus on healing of what he finally was diagnose

as bi-lateral Thoracic Outlet Syndrome by Boston doctors. They told he that he had to stop all physical training (Karate, weight lifting, hard work, etc)

which he did for about 18 months. After that time had past, he could not take it any longer and started training at a much softer and

smarter pace than ever before in his life.

      

From 1990 to present Dana has been active in training of others in a private format, training and teaching in friend’s dojos

as well in his own small home dojo assisting black belts improve their skills

He was continue to deal with the ever-present nerve damage issues, a few operations later, and the arthritis in his back. In 2005

he received his Branch Chief certificate from International Karate Organization Kyokushin Japan. He was assistant to the

North American Technical Director, John Farrell Shihan for that group and severed as New England branch chief as well.

2005 he was awarded  Rokudan or 6th degree in Kyokushin from Shihan Farrell 9th Dan.

He then helped create “USA Tezuka Group” through Shihan Farrell and was active in seminar and summer camp instructions for that group under Shihan Farrell.

October 1st 2006, Kancho Farrell started his own organization called Kuma (bear) Dojo Association Karate-Do International,

and a style called Kyokushin-Ha. Sensei Dana was named Vice-Chairman of the new association under Kancho Farrell Judan

He sits as the head instructor and testing board member also as a seminar instructor for KDA. On January 1st, he received his 6th dan in Kyokushin-Ha.

He is presently the highest ranked student in Kyokushin-Ha within KDA.

2009 he was voted into the Hall of Fame for his 37 years of martial arts teaching and training.

Sensei Mark is also very strongly involved in Greyhound Adoption and sits on the board for Greyhound Pets of America Central NH Chapter as the Events Coordinator.

You may contact Sensei Mark  tenfingers@comcast.net

Harold "Skip" Drake Yondan Sensei ...Board Member

 Sensei Skip Drake started karate in 1967, while in high school, in his hometown West Des Moines, Iowa. Drake studied Tae Kwon Do for 1 year under Mr. Jerry Ryan attaining green belt. Although Drake enjoyed the study of martial arts his parents wanted him to pursue more conventional interests such as football, wrestling, and schoolwork. Drake’s next opportunity to train in karate came while stationed in Okinawa during a 3-year enlistment in the Marine Corps. Drake became a student of Izu, Ishi Sensei a Yondan in Shorin Ryu Karate with a dojo at Camp Hansen, Okinawa. He was with Sensei Izu for approximately 6 months earning a green belt before being attached to Battalion Landing Team 1/9. The BLT or cruise was sent to the south Pacific for 2 ½ months. The destinations included Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. After returning from the cruise Drake discovered Mr. Izu was no longer teaching karate at the Camp Hansen Dojo. With 1 month left on his overseas deployment he did not resume his study of karate.

 

Drake left the Marine Corps in May 1972 at the end of active service. After leaving the service Drake became a “professional amateur athlete” living in mountain communities in the eastern and western United States. Most of the next 11 years was spent in Jackson, Wyoming working and spending spare time Alpine and Nordic skiing, hiking, mountaineering, cycling, kayaking, rock and ice climbing. Drake was a professional river guide on the Snake River for five years as well as a trail packer at Jackson Hole Ski Area. In the late summer of 1981 Drake migrated to West Virginia to guide on the New and Gauley Rivers. West Virginia’s mountains and rivers held Drake’s interest for five years. Numerous injuries were sustained during these active years in his life. Most were to the legs causing osteo-arthritis. In 1984 Drake started to train in Shotokan Karate following his ambition to continue training in karate. The Oak Hill Karate Club, where he trained, was instructed by Sensei John Ramella, Yondan. As a member of Oak Hill Karate Club Drake entered many tournaments in kata, weapons kata, and kumite. The Oak Hill Karate Club was a member of the Ko Sutemi Seiei Kan an association headed by Sensei Don Madden then Head Coach of the U.S. Karate Team. Drake qualified for the Eastern Regional AAU Karate Tournament two consecutive years in kata and kumite while becoming Ikkyu.

After the summer of 1986 Drake moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his girl friend and soon to be wife Cathy. While driving through Wilkinsburg, PA close to his home Drake noticed Kancho Farrell’s Dojo he stopped to inquire about the school. He started training the following week in Kyokushin Kai with Mr. Farrell and remains a loyal student. Drake earned his black belt and was promoted at summer camp in Massachusetts at MKA testing infront of Farrell, Dana and Murphy in 1987. After promotion to Shodan his interest and training in martial arts intensified. In addition to the knowledge gained the training minimized the arthritic pain in his ankles and left knee. Upon the formation of Kyokushin-Ha Drake was named to the board of directors. In January 2007 he was promoted to Yondan. Currently, Sensei Drake trains with his son Nick and is working on opening a dojo.