Sensei Eugene Sekora

Sensei Sekora was first introduced to Isshinryu in the spring of 1974 when he met Tatsuo Shimabuku who was teaching karate on base at Camp Smedly D. Butler, Okinawa. On July 19, 1976, Sergeant Sekora was released from the USMC and starting studying at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. Four years later he graduated from KSU with a math and computer science degree. In the spring of 1983 he started studying Isshinryu under the Marcums. On Dec 2, 1989, Gene received a first Dan in Isshinryu from Shihan marcum and Kichiro Shimabuku. In December 1992 he received his second Dan in Isshinryu. He moved his family to Raleigh, North Carolina, in August 1996. He continued his karate study there with his own Isshinryu dojo and received his third Dan in January 1997. He also holds a second Dan in Aikido.

Renshi Ray Blazer began studying Isshinryu Karate in 1978 with the Kent State Karate Club under Hanshi Bill Marcum and Kyoshi Roxanne Marcum. Over the next several years he competed in numerous tournaments in Ohio and Pennsylvania including two AAU national championships and two IWKA World Championships. In 1981 he moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia, and began to study under Sensei Karl Hovey in 1982. He continued to compete in the Mid-Atlantic area over the next several years and helped teach at friends’ dojos in the Fredericksburg area. In 1986 he attended a karate camp in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, hosted by John Divine. Sensei Devine and Sensei Byron Coleman decided to put together a testing panel at the camp and test three brown belts. Kyoshi Blazer was the only one of the three that were promoted to sho dan that day. He continued teaching at his friends’ dojos and earned his ni dan to go dan ranks from Sensei Hovey from 1990 - 2007. In 1991 Kyoshi started his own dojo, the Caroline Karate Club-Blazer’s Isshinryu Karate.

Throughout the years Renshi maintained a relationship with Hanshi and Kyoshi Marcum. Although his communication with the Marcums was woefully insufficient, he always considered himself a first generation Marcum student and the Marcums his guiding light. In 2008 he began to re-establish his relationship with his mentors as well as Soke J. H. Kim. This was a time that Ray considered to be “the prodigal son returning home” and the most rewarding, and humbling, experience of his martial arts career. In 2012 he was honored to receive his roku dan from Hanshi and Kyoshi Marcum. Soke Kim confirmed the honor a couple months later. Later that year Kyoshi Blazer was again honored by receiving the Don Nagle’s Hall of Fame Silver Service award.

My names is Jim Craner. I currently reside in Orlando, Florida. I began my study in martial arts by way of a P.E. class offered at Kent State University in 1981, under Sensei Marilyn Cerny. Upon finishing the class, all students were offered the opportunity to continue training in Isshin Ryu karate through the Kent State University Karate Club, under the direction of Shihan William Marcum. I formally joined Shihan Marcum as a white belt in 1982.

I continued with Shihan Marcum throughout college at Kent State, and upon graduation in 1985, continued schooling at the University of Akron School of Law to obtain my law degree. I again continued training under Shihan Marcum, and obtained my black belt in 1986.

Upon graduation from law school in 1988, I accepted a job in Orlando, Florida. With the permission and understanding of Shihan Marcum, I located another training studio in Orlando, under the direction of Sensei William Liquori. Sensie Liquori taught USA Goju in central Florida since aproximately 1970. I am currently a nidan in Isshinryu karate and a shodan in USA Goju karate. The highlights of my training include traveling to Chicago in 1985 to try out for the U.S.A. Karate Team, wherein I took first place in ippon kumite, and traveling with the U.S.A. Karate Team to Canada in 1986.

I practiced law from 1988 to 2011, whereupon I was appointed to the bench in Orange County, Orlando, Florida. I am currently a presiding judge here in Orlando. I am married with three (3) children and live in central Florida.