Bill Bryan

RANK:
6th Degree Black Belt, Master Instructor.

MEMBER SINCE:
Personally trained by Shihan Bennett since 1991.

MARTIAL ARTS HISTORY:
Sensei Bill started his Martial Arts training in March of 1978 under Senior Professor Master Sung Soo Whang of Honolulu, HI. The style was Shaolin Pai Wu Tang Ten Chi Kenpo / American Kenpo Karate. Young Bill started at the age of 6 mainly for focus and discipline, and within 7 years made his Junior Black Belt in 1985. "In the old days we had to practice the drills over and over again until we got it perfect! Then you moved on to the next technique." Recalls Sensei Bill. "You got your Black Belt when you were old enough to understand what it meant to be a Black Belt." Later, after studying under Master Robert Sheperd of the Philippino Comjuka-Arnis System he received his Permanent Black Belt ranking and permission to teach.

Sensei Bill has studied Martial Arts almost all his life and is proficient in Kenpo, Kali / Arnis, Aikido, Tae Kwon Do, Kickboxing, Jujitsu, Shotokan Karate, Wing Chun, and Ninjutsu. June 30th , 2001 Sensei Bill also received his 2nd Level Instructor Certification in the Jeet Kune Do / Jun Fan Kickboxing art. "Learning is a thing you should do everyday of your life. If you say you've learned all there is, then you really missed the point of the Martial Arts as a whole."

Sensei Bill began his training at the age of 19 with Shihan Bennett while he was in the USAF stationed at Hill AFB, UT. Sensei Bill was teaching Airmen on base what he called C.A.T (Combat awareness Training), but still needed to hone his own skills. This is when he went to visit (at the time) Shihan's Red Dragon Karate Dojo in Ogden. "I had seen a lot of Martial Arts instructors, some good some bad, but this guy…now he was Awesome!" I've never seen someone purposely take a Yoko Geri to the chest and keep on walking forward with a smile on their face! That's what sold me." Besides the Sidekick that literally bounced off Shihans chest, it was the Hook Kick to the forehead on Sensei Bill that really got him. Shihan Bennett later asked Sensei Bill if he wanted to do a trade for teaching for learning. From then on Sensei Bill worked and trained directly under Shihan for little over 5 years.

"People always ask me what does TAIKENJU-RYU mean." Sensei Bill says. "TAIKENJU-RYU is my personality with Shihan's creativity!" "It can be whatever you want it to be, and all of what you need it to be!" Shihan sat me down one day and asked me what I was writing in my notebook. I said, "Just some things you said last week in class." He told me if I can remember exactly what he was teaching 3 days ago not to mention last week, there is no reason why you can't one day become a great teacher. Those words among others helped mold Sensei Bill and TAIKENJU-RYU into what it is today. So today when people ask what is TAIKENJU-RYU it can be simply said, "What do you want it to be?" It will 'become all things to all men' if need be. Thank you Shihan for all your wisdom and time. White Dragons of Bushido is the Way, TAIKENJU-RYU is our Path. Domo Arrigato!

ABOUT ME:
Sensei Bill is the acting Master Instructor of the Philadelphia Hombu Dojo TAIKEN-JU-RYU Martial Arts Academy. Working under him are 4 Black Belt Instructors: Sensei Malik Bebee, 3rd Dan, Sensei Adam Freedman, 3rd Dan, Sempai Mark Peeples, 2nd Dan & Sempai Ken Baskerville, 1st Dan. Assisting are Sempais Chanda Leilani Fletcher, Emily Syzdek, Joshua Locke Thompson & Pete Hagan.