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List of Historical Martial Arts Events on May

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Historical Events

5 / 15 / 1934 Caylor Adkins ( Birthday)

5 / 1 / 1925 Eiskue Akaman (Birthday)

5 / 9 / 1963 Gary Daniels (Birthday)

5 / 5 / 1955 Chow Yun-Fat (Birthday)

5 / 4 / 1948 Cecil Peoples (Birthday)

5 / 20 / 1965 Eric Norris (Birthday)

5 / 5 / 1946 Jim Kelly (Birthday)

5 / 1 / 1964 Steve Babcock (Birthday)

5 / 28 / 1964 Mike Bernardo (Birthday)

5 / 26 / 1959 Jerome Canabate (Birthday)

5 / 3 / 1940 Louis Casamassa (Birthday)

5 / 28 / 1956 James Dussault (Birthday)

5 / 6 / 1941 Glenn Keeney (Birthday)

5 / 5 / 1946 Jim Kelly's Birthday

5 / 18 / 1962 Han Won Lee (Birthday)

5 / 21 / 1952 Rick Mandris (Birthday)

5 / 23 / 1965 Oliver Muller (Birthday)

5 / 15 / 1972 Gabe Reynaga (Birthday)

5 / 3 / 1955 Mike Sawyer (Birthday)

5 / 4 / 1953 Master Toddy (a.k.a. Sitiwatjana, Thohsaphon)

5 / 12 / 1961 Jerry Trimble (Birthday)

5 / 25 / 1975 John (a.k.a. "Count Dante") Keehan (passed away …)

5 / 29 / 1993 Rinjiro Shirata (passed away …)

5 / 25 / 1890 Hohan Soken (Birthday)

5 / 5 / 1877 Kanbum Uechi (Birthday)

5 / 28 / 1973 The World Taekwondo Federation was established at the inaugural meeting held at the Kukkiwon ...The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), which governs sport-style taekwondo throughout the world, is founded in Seoul, Korea. It has just seven initial member countries. According to the federations recent statistics, about 75-million people from its 192 affiliated nations practice taekwondo today, while around 3,000 Koreans and 20,000 foreigners who qualify as International Master Instructors teach its competition-oriented brand of taekwondo around the world.

5 / 22 / 1976 European Taekwondo Union's inaugural meeting was held in Barcelona, Spain on the occasion of the 1st European Taekwondo Championships.

5 / 25 / 1973 The 1st World Taekwondo Championships organized by the Korea Taekwondo Association were held at the Kukkiwon with participation of 200 competitors and officials from 19 countries.

5 / 15 / 1980 Taekwondo, English handbook, was first published.

5 / 8 / 1986 The Federation International du Sport Universitaire [FISU] adopted Taekwondo as an event for World University Championships at the FISU Executive Committee meeting in Zagreb, Croatia.

5 / 12 / 1986 The WTF was affiliated to the Committee International pour le Fairplay.

5 / 18 / 1992 The WTF appointed unremunerated Regional Deputy Secretaries General in European, African and Pan American regions to activate Taekwondo promotion in these regions.

5 / 4 / 1993 WTF Vice President Josiah Henson, WTF Technical Committee Chairman Bong Sik KIM visited the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland to give presentation for promotion of Taekwondo as an official Olympic sport.

5 / 11 / 2002 Leovigildo "Leo" Migel Giron Passed away in Stockton, California, USA

5 / 3 / 1975 Master Tatsuo Shimabuku, Founder of Isshin Ryu passes away

5 / 23 / 1952 Kenwa Mabuni founder of Shito-ryu passed away.

5 / 7 / 1993 The Bruce Lee Story debuts in theaters and earns $63.5 million worldwide.

5 / 27 / 1968 The Lee Brothers unify the Korean Martial Arts & Open Expo at the request of Korea's President Park.Hwa Rang Do Founder Dr. Joo-Bang Lee receives highest rank of 8th Dan Degree in Hap Ki Do. (Seoul, Korea)

5 / 7 / 1975 Arizona Governor, The Honorable Raul Castro, presented with an honorary Black Belt in HWA RANG DO

5 / 8 / 1976 WHRDA Exhibition at Utah University

5 / 4 / 1986 The Ocean State Grand NationalsThe Ocean State Grand Nationals, one of Americas oldest major karate tournaments, debuts as the Ocean State Nationals. It is promoted by Don Rodrigues and Christine Bannon-Rodrigues in Warwick, RI.

5 / 4 / 2001 UFC 31UFC 31 marks the debut of future champ BJ Penn, who defeats Joey Gilbert via 1st-round TKO.

5 / 6 / 1974 3 Ninjas3 Ninjas Kick Back, the sequel to 3 Ninjas, debuts in theatres and earns $11.7 million in the U.S. and Canada.

5 / 7 / 1966 Joe Lewis becames an overnight sensationJoe Lewis becames an overnight sensation when he enters his first karate tournament, the U.S. National Karate Championships produced by Jhoon Rhee in Washington, DC, and wins both the black belt fighting and forms championships. Prior to this fight, Lewis had never competed in nor even seen a karate tournament.

5 / 13 / 2005 UnleashedUnleashed, staring Jet Li, debuts in theaters and earns $50.8 worldwide. It cost $45 million to make.

5 / 14 / 1999 Black MaskBlack Mask, staring Jet Li, debuts in theaters and earns $12.5 million in the U.S. and Canada.

5 / 15 / 2005 UFC 17UFC 17 is the last event for a while to feature the elimination tournament format. Future champs Dan Henderson and Chuck Liddell make their UFC debuts. Henderson wins the middleweight tournament title.

5 / 15 / 2003 The Matrix ReloadedThe Matrix Reloaded, infused with wirework-enhanced martial arts action, debuts in theaters and earns $742.1 million worldwide. This sequel to The Matrix holds the box-office record to date (end of 2010) as the highest-grossing action picture using martial arts.

5 / 17 / 1996 UFC 9UFC 9 drops its tournament format and introduces weight classes. Senator John McCain o0f Arizona campaigns nationally against the violence in the sport, but the event ends up taking place anyway. After the event, McCain influences cable-TV systems to band future broadcasts from their pay-per-view channels.

5 / 20 / 1975 The Korean Taekwondo AssociationThe Korean Taekwondo Association (KTA) consolidates more than, reportedly, 40 kwans (schools) into just ten early major Korean kwans, which came together in 1955 to form taekwondo, are abolished and replaced by mere numbers.

5 / 21 / 1980 The Empire Strikes BackThe Empire Strikes Back, the sequel to Star Wars, debuts in theaters and earns $538.3 million worldwide. It cost $18 million to make. Part of the story centers around the cosmic, Buddhist-infused education of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamil) by the mystical Yoda, the quintessential sensei and wandering warrior. The training focuses on manifesting the Force, that myhsterious internal power known to martial artists as ki or chi, which Skywalker then employs visually in unique laser-sword fights, as he did in the original film. Whether planned or coincidental, this movie is a masterful integration of human and technical martial arts values, and a brilliant platform for cinematic wizardry. Winner of two Academy Awards.

5 / 27 / 1949 The Japan Karate AssociationThe Japan Karate Association (JKA), one of the world oldest and most influential karate organizations, is founded in Tokyo by senior students of shotokan founder Gichin Funakoshi. The JKA shotokan approach is based on Funakoshis karate, but with significant adaptations introduced mostly by Masatoshi Nakayama, who was JKA chief instructor until his death in 1987. Under Nakayamas leadership, a generation of respected instructors spread karate worldwide, guided from the JKAs headquarters in Tokyo.

5 / 17 / 1959 Bruce Lee arrives in San Francisco

5 / 16 / 1985 Lost boxing match to Ernie Landerosin Los Angeles, CA

5 / 23 / 1984 Lost boxing match to Ernest Lee Curtisin Santa Monica, CA USA

5 / 16 / 1984 Won boxing match against Fili Ramirezin Reseda, CA USA

5 / 28 / 2002 Guest Appearance in Redemption

5 / 5 / 1992 Appeared on Rage and Honor

5 / 2 / 1986 Appeared on No Retreat, No Surrender

5 / 23 / 1986 Won kickboxing match against Yohan Kimin San Jose, CA USA

5 / 1 / 1976 Moved to Canada (Pete Cunningham)My family moves to Edmonton, Alberta Canada to start a new life. My mother is an amazing woman and she is the sole bread winner and caretaker of all of us kids.

5 / 1 / 1971 Master Bong Soo Han potent hapkido fight scenes in the film Billy JackMaster Bong Soo Han potent hapkido fight scenes in the film Billy Jack set in motion an unprecedented mainstream surge in popularity of the martial arts. Billy Jack died at the box office in its initial run on this date, but took in more than $40 million in its 1973 re-release. Ironically, Billy Jacks 73 success was evidently due to some extent to the unprecedented martial arts craze that the films original release helped create two years earlier.

5 / 9 / 1973 Billy Jack, starring Tom Laughlin, in 1972 is re-released in theatersBilly Jack, starring Tom Laughlin, in 1972 is re-released in theaters after bombing at the box office in its original release two years earlier. This time it ultimately earns over $40 million. It cost an estimated $800,000 to make.

5 / 1 / 1985 Fariborz Azhakh receives his 4th degree from Grandmaster Ji Han Jae

5 / 1 / 1983 Started training in Sendo Kai under Sensei Wally

5 / 4 / 1948 Cecil Peoples was born

5 / 6 / 2014 Filmed alongside Sensei Benny Urquidez in a National Geographic special documentary segment about pressure points and joint manipulations

5 / 11 / 2013 Graduated from University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Birthdays

Eric Washington Sensei

Haralampos Hrimatopoulos

Andres and Angela J Gonzalez

Brenda Lee Viernes Christian

Eng. Abdul Moeen Muftah

Jennifer Ardrey Penny

sensei Irving Rodriguez

RIP

"Death is no more than passing from one room into another. But there's a difference for me, you know. Because in that other room I shall be able to see."
Helen Keller

5/4/1938

Jigoro Kano