MARTIALFORCE.COM
PRESENTS
GRAND MASTER RICO GUY
Jan / 2011
My name is Eddie Morales and welcome to Martialforce.com Online Martial Arts Magazine. I want to introduce our readers to Grand Master Rico Guy. Grand Master guy has been involved in the Martial Arts since its inception into the New York City area. He is a driving force for his community as well as being an exceptional teacher. We here at Martialforce.com are honored that he accepted to do this article. This article will cover his life and early years. We hope you enjoy reading it.
Written By Penny Johnson
You may know him as Rico Guy. His birth name is Corinthians Asheman Guy, the grandson and son of Jewish Rabis. His grandfather had a black synagogue in Rahway, New Jersey where he was born. His mother, Margaret and his father Corinthians Sr were separated when he was a few years old and she moved to Staten Island, NY with her 3 kids and where many of her relatives lived. We will refer to him as Corinthians until you discover how he got the name RICO.
Did Corinthians have an easy childhood? Not really. In fact, far from it. His neighborhood (New Brighton & Port Richmond) was filled with Italians, Irish, African American and Germans. The kids all played and had fun together. It turned out that the parents in the 50s, as many will remember, carried their own prejudices based on nationality conflicts and race. We won't talk about the slights and disrespectful incidents he had to experience, it was part of life, back then.
He remembers one spring that he had no shoes for school. His grandma made his shoes with only the tops of canvas tennis shoes. There were no soles. He wore those with humility to school. Once in school the teacher would line up the kids and examine their fingernails and look for other tidiness issues. Corinthians stuttered so the teachers always put him in the back of the classroom.
Corinthians was the only son of this union but there were two sisters, Beverly (older) and Mary (younger). He and his sisters were primarily raised by his grandmother, Mary, a half Cherokee and Black, spitfire of a little 4' 10" woman. She died at age 107, still loving to play her weekly game of 'pitty pat' with her relatives.
How did he do? He overcame a lot and graduated high school from Harlem Prep. In 1954, Billy Davis was involved in the US Armed Services and knew Corinthians’ mother from the neighborhood. That Spring, Corinthians began training with "Billy" as his first student. Billy gave him a worn suit jacket and necktie to use as his "gi" uniform. Billy began teaching him Combat Judo in the grass and mud. When it got cold, he brought him inside. Often Billy waited outside Corinthian's school to grab him by the ear to continue his training, as he would often hide from him. The training was tough, as Billy was like a military Sergeant.
They developed a strong bond to this day, like family. Billy's 10th degree black belt was recently given to him from Sabonim David Herbert, which he proudly displays in the dojo. After several years Billy introduced Corinthians to a teacher located on Staten Island by the name of Conrad whose school was taken over by Sensei Joe Demonte. Later he studied with Sensei Chris DeBaise whom he took many classes in Ishinryu and Goju Ryu Karate.
A few years later, Corinthians lived with his Aunt Dottie in Brownsville, Brooklyn where he picked up the name (RICO), which stuck with him. He and a friend named Louie Delgado went to Owen Watson's school, University of the Streets on 7th Street in Manhattan. One day they were visited by Sensei Frank Ruiz from Nisei Judo Academy in the Bronx. He wanted to open Nisei Goju and worked out a deal at The University of the Streets. Frank Ruiz was a 4th Dan and higher ranked than the others. Rico and Louie began teaching the Goju classes of kata, weaponry and sparring. Soon it gathered a reputation of having highly skilled practitioners. Most came from other strong disciplines.
The training was so tough. Each class lasted 3 to 4 hours. In sparring it was last man standing. They even had sparring sessions one on one in the dark and sometimes even blindfolded. Nisei Goju became known as the "one punch knockout" school!
At tournaments there were no protective gear when combatants fought. Controlled techniques were supposed to be used. And there was always an ambulance waiting outside. The reputation of the students of Nisei Goju in NYC was formidable. Many schools didn't want to fight them. Some Nisei students even brought the "one punch knockout" to the tournament circuits, which caused them to get disqualified.
Although to this day Rico Guy remains undefeated, he never won a championship, and did have his share of knockouts! He was a memorable fighter!
Rico then left Nisei and joined the Japan Cultural Center on 13th Street, Manhattan under Hanshi Yoshiteru Otani. Otani was one of the first masters to bring Iaido and Kendo to the East Coast of the United States. Rico was in charge of teaching Goju. He quickly became Master Otani's student of both arts and began learning Shorinji Kempo from Masami Kudo. Rico received his first black belts in Iaido (The art of the Sword), Kendo and Kempo at Japan Cultural Center.
This aggressive warrior of the one punch knockout reputation began other arts, which expanded his physical abilities and teaching strengths. The path of gaining more wisdom was set in motion. Definitely, he would recommend studying other forms of Budo. Learning other cultures through arts, sports, languages, and travel etc is the most enriching for the individual.
Characteristics of a good Karate practitioners or good instructors come with time. The black belts at our school must learn to teach in order to qualify for a black belt. The Criteria are to be patient and include as much detail, focus and caring, as possible, when teaching. The basics of all arts should be the same. Only when reaching the higher forms and advancements can one's own personal style emerge. Most of our students watch the Headmaster Rico, his energy, his enthusiasm to imitate in the beginning of learning to teach. Later with experience they pick up more teaching techniques from others and discard what doesn't work for those they are presently teaching.
We don't promote teenagers above black belt status. We only allow our teenagers to reach 1st degree black belt status in our school. Maturity both physical and mental, as well as insight, observation, self mastery, appreciation and humility can only come with time. Fifteen years of living doesn't give us this knowledge on the inside or in our minds. At that age, young people are trying to figure out the outer world and how they fit into it at each turn of their lives. In essence, it is like this for any and everything one learns in life.
Our teaching is based on street survival for Karate and Go Kempo Jitsu. As we also teach Iaido and Kendo as a sport, Iaido is taught as a pure art form eventually using a sharp live blade, which can be practiced into one's old age.
Rico has done considerable training in Japan and from other Masters through the years. He has given seminars all over, taught at YMCA, has refereed at tournaments and has appeared on Television many times. The teachers that have meant the most to him were GrandMaster Billy Davis and GrandMaster Yoshiteru Otani.
He appreciates his wife and son who help him with the school on a daily basis. He also is thankful to his many black belts who help teach at the school. In general, Rico is not known for personal aggrandizement. He is known as a dedicated Martial Artist and instructor who teaches at his dojo 5 to 6 days a week from 5 to 25 classes for over 35 years.
The school, US Budo Kai Kan, located at 110 West 14th Street, 2nd floor, NYC 10011 212-807-7336 has been in continual existence and in the same location since 1973. We have taught over 100 black belts, many have their own schools. Since we are not a huge 5,000 sq ft dojo we run our school with a great deal of personal attention. We are proud that the school is the longest running school in Manhattan and Rico wishes to stay healthy so that it will continue on and on.
The Martial Arts gave Rico an avocation. Although he had a construction company and is still a licensed locksmith. Martial arts is and will always be his devoted passion, It has never been his means of making a living. It is his means of sharing what he has learned in hopes others will feel the passion and do the same. It is like "paying it forward". The Martial Arts has taught him that life is a solitary path upon which we travel. We must develop abilities to always learn new (but good) things, taking in all new knowledge and repeating it over and over until it becomes part of us. It has given him clarity of vision regarding ethics. Rico states” To give one's word and live up to it should be paramount. And we should be vigilant to manage people's expectations.”
In the later stages of life, he came to learn the art of forgiving or not addressing slights. Peace of mind and body is the full reward."