MURPHY, John
|
Upon his return back to the United States, he moved to the San Francisco Bay area. He studied with Richard Kim and others, continuing his knowledge of karate. He also opened up his first dojo in Sunnyvale, California. A move back to the Pacific Northwest was in order however, winding up in Portland, OR. Here he began teaching karate with a former student from Sunnyvale at Portland Community College (PCC) in the mid 1970’s. In 1978, they decided to go their separate ways and Murphy Sensei ended up teaching five classes a week to a packed dojo at PCC. Here the workouts were often very physical and demanding but never sacrificed the art. In 1980, the club was fortunate to have O’Sensei visit and be a guest instructor. Budget cuts to state funding eventually forced the reduction of the number of classes taught at the community college. He continued to teach regularly for over 20 years, volunteering his time to pass on his knowledge. In 2002, his senior student became the main instructor of the club, while other students have formed their own dojos in the Portland metro area. |