Chief Executive Officer Samuel McGee
President Earl Harris
Treasurer Jeff Anderson
Secretary Kelly Rice
Chaplain Gene Adams
Sgt-At-Arms Dave Thomas
Dojos of the Har1em Goju Association
Anakobra Goju Diamond Goju Harlem Goju N.O.I. Goju Rising Star Goju The Power of Self Goju Virginia Beach Goju
MAJOR UPCOMING EVENT May 3, 2019
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Major Leon Wallace
Goju Grandmaster
"Major" Leon Wallace holds a special place
in Harlem lore as one of its truly unique unsung heroes. He was a
visionary pioneer who first brought the martial arts, GOJU Karate,
to the African American community, know as Harlem U. S. A., located
in New York City. For over forty years he used GOJU as a character
building tool to shape young minds and bodies through discipline,
hard work, and his own special blend of street smarts and Eastern
philosophy. He offered this training, to Harlem youth, without cost.
The results of his self-sacrificing efforts have been extraordinary. Grandmaster Wallace literally touched the souls of hundreds of young people who have built on the foundation
he gave them to become fearless men and women of impeccable
character and boundless courage. One of his disciples, William
"Tony" Rogers, who went on to become one of the co-founders of
Harlem Week, Vice President of the Greater Harlem Chamber of
Commerce, and Director of the Office of Urban and Government Affairs
at City College of New York, says he owes all he has achieved to the
guidance of the Grandmaster. "Major Leon Wallace was more than a
farther figure. He taught us the values of manhood and most
importantly, how to face our fears with courage. If he hadn't
intervened I would have never gone back to school and gotten my
degree, which literally changed the arc of my life. He helped me
mold mind, body and spirit to become a person who isn't afraid to
try."
Sam McGee, one of the Grandmaster's championship level students, remembers the quality
that set Major Leon Wallace apart from other men. "He had the
ability to develop a special relationship with everyone who dealt
with him. It was a rare gift. He connected with every single
individual on a very personal level, which made their relationship
with him unique. He touched people deeply, profoundly, at the
spiritual level."
McGee was so touched by the influence of Major Leon Wallace that he has dedicated his
life to continuing the Grandmaster's pioneering work by establishing
the Harlem GOJU Association. "We're now training the fourth
generation to proudly carry on the legacy of the Grandmaster, and in
so doing, "Remembering Major Leon Wallace".
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