"Look up his history. Musashi is the hero of Japan, yet he murdered innocent men, women and children for money. He was a 'stone killer' (assassin) They despised him when he was alive and canonised him when he was dead. Mark my words, that's what they'll do to me"
Count Dante speaking to Massad Ayoob in 'Black Belt Magazine' March 1976. <BudoSeek Forums>
1st World Karate Tournament, July 28, 1963, in Chicago. Left to right: John Keehan, Roy Oshiro, Phil Koeppel, George Mattson, Mas Tsuroka, Robert Trias, Ed Parker, Anthony Mirikian, Harold Long, Jhoon Rhee, Kim and Wendell Reeves.
- courtesy R. Trias <Martial Arts Worldwide Network>
Searching for Count Dante | Home
a film by Floyd Webb
continued from page 1
In Chicago, Dante co-promoted America's first full contact style martial arts tournament.
Dante drew an enmity from many of the Martial Arts traditionalists (many of whom were non-asian as well as Asian) who believed that he was destroying tradition and respectability. Although extremely campy by today's standards, the famous Deadliest Man Alive comic book ad reinforced this image. Many also felt that he was defiling the art by having "undesirables" as students. During that period of nationwide racial strife, Dante was one of the first American sensei to openly accept Blacks and other minorities as students. Admittedly, however, Dante also had many gang members and mercenary types as students. He also was vocal about how he felt that the Asian community was only willing to teach "watered-down" martial arts to outsiders or non-asians. During this period, Dante, also admittedly was charged with attempted arson when he and an accomplice (while under the influence of alcohol) were arrested while taping dynamite caps to a Chicago dojo. Dante explained this as the result of a disagreement with the dojo's owner over payment for a tournament that Dante had arranged there. The various enmities culminated in the Dojo War incident of 1970 where Dante and some of his students went to a rival Dojo of the Green Cobra Hall. Upon entering the school, they claimed to be police officers and attacked the rival Dojo's students. The brief battle resulted in the death of one of Dante's friends and fellow sensei, Jim Koncevic. As a result of this incident, Dante became much more subdued in his activities but nonetheless, he was officially disowned by the rest of the traditional martial arts community.
Count Dante died in his sleep of internal hemorrhaging caused by a bleeding ulcer on May 25, 1975. The Black Dragon Fighting Society that he founded has since then been under the directorship of his personally chosen protege and successor, Grandmaster William V. Aguiar. It is currently headquartered in Fall River, Massachusetts.
There is also a rock band that is named in honor of Count Dante. Count Dante and the Black Dragon Fighting Society.
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Biography < from Wikipedia>