Martial Arts Biography - Duke Moore

Sensei Duke Moore

"I have little or no interest in so-called "tradition arts."
If they don't work, scrap them." Letter from Duke Moore to Sensei St. Hilaire

Duke was born in San Francisco on April 19, 1915 . Even as a child, Duke's 1st love was boxing and wrestling. In 1932 it all began in high school. He started his boxing, he would go from gym to gym and really loved it. At this time Duke also was doing wrestling.

In 1941 Duke became a Judo/Ju jitsu student of Ray Law. His wrestling skills were of great value to him in judo competitions.

In 1943 having learned Ray Law's requirements for blackbelt degree (Yawara, shime, Oku, and Shinin ). Duke traveled to New York to study Judo randori under George Yoshida. While he was there, he studied Aiki-Ju Jitsu under the renowned Henri Nikai. After winning his judo blackbelt in competition, Duke returned to San Francisco and opened up his 1st martial arts dojo . His school ,on Divisidero St. Was the largest of it's kind in the US and attracted many blackbelt Judo and Ju Jitsu visitors .

These men and women helped further Duke's knowledge of both Judo and Ju Jitsu. Nationally famed Mitz Kimura introduced himself to Duke in 1946. He had recently been discharged from the LA detention camps where most of the people of Japanese ancestry were constrained for the duration of World War II. Kimura was immediately hired by Duke as his associate; but more important, as Duke's teacher. Over one t hird of Duke's Aiki Ju Jitsu course is comprise of Kodokan jujitsu taught to Duke by Prof. Kimura. Great teachers from all over the world were checking into Duke's school, which had now moved up to upper Market St. And became the fountain head of blackbelters graduated by duke during the next 20 years.

In 1947-1948, Duke and Ray Law founded the American Judo and Ju Jitsu Federation. Co-founders were Bud Estes, Johnny Cahill Sr. And Dick Rickets. In 1950 Duke Moore resigned because a motion was passed to restrict membership to blackbelt graduates of Henry Okosaka system. Duke founded a system was opened to all advocates of the martial arts and produced many judo champions like Vince Larat, Tony Trouche, Dick Blattes, Bill Godfrey, Del and Dino Esposti, Ivo Rejo and Don Buck.

In 1957 the legendary Mas Oyama was hired By Duke Moore and Don Buck one of his blackbelter to teach the Oyama's Kyokushin system of Karate.

In 1962, Duke invited Prof. Nishiyama up from L.A. to teach him and 20 of his blackbelters the shotokan system of karate. Duke , together with Richard "Biggie" Kim, Walter Todd, and Del De Esposti, formed the Northern Calfornia Karate Federation which sponsored Nishiyama Shotokan tournament which was held at S.F. Kesar Pavilion. The stadium was packed.

In 1965 Duke and Biggie Kim trained 20 of Dukes blackbelts karate and awarded them there their blackbelt degrees in Shorin-gi-ryu karate. He trained Duke privately and Duke earned his 7th dan in Aiki-Ju Jitsu, 4th dan in Judo and 4th in karate in 1966.

In 1973 Duke moved to Mt View CA . and began teaching mixed Judo, Ju Jitsu and Karate at Stanford University. 2 outstanding students graduated to become high ranking professors of the martial arts. Tim Delgman and James Moses. In 1981 Duke left Stanford to form the American Teachers Of The Martial Arts (ATAMA) which bloomed to become an international organization.

Duke Moore
From JUJUTSU Our History, by Russell St. Hilaire
Second Edition, 1993

Duke Moore began his many years of Martial Arts study in 1941 with Raymond Law at Law's American Judo & Jujutsu School in Oakland, California.

He also studied Kodenkan Jujutsu under Merlin "Bud" Estes at the Chico, CA dojo where Estes Sensei founded the American Judo And Jujutsu Federation. Moore Sensei received his Jujutsu Blackbelt in 1944 from Law Sensei. Also in 1944, Moore Sensei received his Blackbelt in Kodokan Judo from Sensei Gerogre Yoshida in New York City, NY. In 1957 he received his Blackbelt in Kyokushin Karate from Master Masutatsu Oyama (10th dan Kyokushin Karate). In 1965 Moore Sensei received the rank of 7th Dan (Shichidan, Prof.) in Aiki-Jujutsu from Master Richard Kim, representative of the Dai Nippon Butokukai of Kyoto, Japan. Master Kim also awarded Moore Sensei 4th Dan (Yodan) in both Kodokan Judo and Karate. In 1975 Duke Moore was awarded the rank of 9th Dan (Kudan, Kyoshi) in Aiki-Jujutsu by the Zen Budo Society. Sensei Moore also studied other aspects of the Martial Arts with Mits Kimura (6th Dan Judo) [Kimura was actually 7th Dan -- DFG], Walter Todd (4th Dan Karate), Takahashi Sensei (5th Dan Karate, 4th Dan Aikido), and Yosh Ajari (4th Dan Karate). Raymond Moore opened his first dojo in San Francisco, CA in 1944. The school was called the Zen Budokai and eventually established six branches throughout the San Francisco area. In 1955 he was hired by the state of California to set up self-defense training programs for all guards, officers and civilian employees of the eight California prisons. He personally developed and trained the teaching staff. During his 46 years as a teacher of Zen meditation and the martial arts he has graduated over 300 Blackbelt instructors in Jujutsu and Karate. He has taught Jujutsu to dozens of police departments, colleges, Marine, Army and Navy reserve units. Moore Sensei founded the Holistic Meditation Society in 1979 and wrote two books on Zen meditation, The Fighting Spirit of Zen and Holistic Meditation.

On 25 October 1980, The Zen Budo Society awarded Raymond V. "Duke'' Moore the rank of 10th dan. He was given a certificate which reads as follows:

At the present time, Moore Sensei is chief instructor of the Stanford University Self-Defense Club with a staff of 12 Blackbelt assistants. He is counseling assistant to the chief instructor, Sensei John Pereira, the founder of the San Francisco Karate-Do School of Martial Arts.

Chief instructors under Moore Sensei are at the present: Sensei John Pereira, Sensei Leroy Rodriguez, Sensei James Moses, Sensei Jerome Kunzman, and several others.

Hanshi Raymond V. "Duke" Moore passed away at 4:40 pm PST on February 25, 2003 in Sacramento, California. He was a practitioner of JuJitsu for more than 60 years. He was the founder and leader of the ZenBudo-Ryu system of Self Defense and the founder of the Martial Arts Organization ATAMA. He is sorely missed!