Okinawan Traditional Goju Ryu Karate-do Association
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Sensei George Andrews

Sensei George Andrews's first exposure to the fighting traditions was in the year 1960. When as a schoolboy he joined Sensei George with Higaonna Sensei in 1983Fitzroy Lodge in South London and boxed for the school.

He applied to join his first karate dojo in 1965 but was turned away as he was too young. He persevered and in 1967 he took his first karate class. The style was Mushindo (Lit: no mind way) which was a mixture of styles of karate. He graded to the rank of Nidan in 1973. In 1974 he was exposed to Okinawan Goju Ryu. He ceased training in Mushindo and devoted all his energies to training in Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate-do. Three years later in 1977 he met and trained under Sensei Higaonna Morio, this was to be the first of a lifetime of training with Higaonna Sensei.

Sensei George Andrews opened his first dojo, the famous 'marble factory' ,in Camberwell, London in May 1974. At it's height the dojo was teaching an average of 1000 students per year. Many of karate's most famous names have trained and stayed at the dojo, Sensei Higaonna, Sensei Chinen Teruo, Sensei James Rousseau, Sensei Kato Tomoyuki, Sensei Onaga Roichi, Sensei Suzuki Tatsuo (Wado Ryu), Sensei Kimura (Shito Ryu), and from England, Brian Waits, Steve Bellamy and the Editor of Fighting Arts, Terry O'Neil.

Sensei George Andrews first visited Japan in 1985. He trained twice daily with Sensei's Higaonna and Kato for the seven weeks he was there.

GradingsSensei George recieving tuition from Miyagi An'Ichi Sensei
Retest for Shodan 1975
Retest for Nidan 1977
Sandan 1980
Yondan 1984
Godan 1988
Rokudan and Shihan 1993
Nanadan 1999

Sensei George Andrews has taught in many different countries around the world and continues to do so including the USA, Russia, Europe, Iceland, Poland, Israel and Australia.

In 2002 Sensei Andrews along with his senior students formed the Okinawan Traditional Goju Ryu Karate-do Association to preserve and continue the traditions and teachings of Sensei Higaonna Morio and the I.O.G.K.F in England.

Photographs on this page are used with the kind permission of Fighting Arts Magazine

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