Grand Master Robert Trias

[CB Jones]

This year we celebrated GM Robert Trias' life. He passed away 30 years ago. He was a pioneer in Karate in America and regarded as the Father of American Karate.

Founded Shuri-Ryu
1st Karate Dojo in the US
1st Karate Association in the US (United States Karate Association)
1st Karate Instructional Video
1st Karate Tournament in the US
Also helped in bringing Jhoon Rhee to America.
plus many more accomplishments.

 

[dvcochran]

This year we celebrated GM Robert Trias' life. He passed away 30 years ago. He was a pioneer in Karate in America and regarded as the Father of American Karate.

Founded Shuri-Ryu
1st Karate Dojo in the US
1st Karate Association in the US (United States Karate Association)
1st Karate Instructional Video
1st Karate Tournament in the US
Also helped in bringing Jhoon Rhee to America.
plus many more accomplishments.

I love the Trias Maxim. Clearly a great man and pioneer.

 

[CB Jones]

I love the Trias Maxim. Clearly a great man and pioneer.

His memorial was at this years USKA world Championships....really enjoyed listening to his students and competitors tell stories about him.

From the stories he cared alot about people and karate.

From stories at the memorial:

GM Trias visited a school and after speaking with the instructor (a student of his) he tells him that he (GM Trias) would work with the lower rank belts and the instructor would go work with the higher ranked belts.

The instructor pointed out that there was a bunch of blackbelts there wanting to work out with him and why dont they switch and GM Trias teach the advanced students.

In which GM Trias replied he was honored but (pointing to the young lower belts) those students are the future of Karate.


He taught young people life lessons as much as he did karate. He taught them not only how to be successful in karate but successful in life. It was really cool listening to all the stories.

 

[Dirty Dog]

.

 

[CB Jones]

Apparently he had a pretty good sense of humor as well.

Wherever he went he always brought some of his students. He liked having people around him.

So one day he comes in and tells a couple of his students to come with him and go get haircuts, which was normal. They go to the salon and get in chairs and when it was finished the students found that the hair stylists had given them afros....GM Trias had called ahead and set them up.

One more....

GM Trias showed up one day with his ear pierced and convinced all the adult students that they all needed to pierce their ear as a sign of unity.

So all the students went and pierced their ear (most reluctantly). The next morning one of the students came in to wake GM Trias up to go to breakfast and finds his earring laying on the night stand......it was a clip on, he had convinced them to pierce their ear as a prank.