INSTRUCTORS <> מורים

Ju-Dan [10th Degree Black Belt], Hanshi [President] of Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA (SRKUSA), and Denshi-Shihan [Director] of Ueshiro Viera Dojo in Florida

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Hanshi served in the U.S. Navy and became a NYC Police Officer. He voluntarily worked exclusively in high crime/high hazard areas during his entire 20 year tenure with the NYPD. He served in many assignments in all five boroughs of New York City including uniformed street cop, undercover officer and as a Detective in the elite Special Investigating Unit featured in the film "The French Connection." He led the NYPD in felony arrests many times and has numerous awards, citations and letters of commendation from Police Department officials, Federal Agencies, District Attorneys, Grand jurors and the civilian community. He retired from police service in order to devote himself full time to the art of karate.

Hanshi began his karate training in the NYPD in 1967. He continued his training under Sensei Terry Maccarrone, Shihan of the Hegashi Karate Dojo on Long Island, New York. He was Senior Instructor at the St. James Dojo for five years. Master Ueshiro, wanting a dojo in Manhattan, asked Hanshi to open a dojo in New York City. He founded the NYC dojo in 1977, which became the headquarters of Shorin-Ryu Karate USA several years later. Hanshi has traveled with Grand Master Ansei Ueshiro throughout the U.S.A. and as his representative worldwide. After ten years, in 1987, Hanshi relocated to Merritt Island, Florida and founded the Okinawan Karate Dojo leaving his senior students Kyoshi David Baker and Michael Mackay to continue operation of the NYC Hombu dojo.

Hanshi has continued the propagation of Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu USA Karate in Florida with the founding of the Cocoa Beach Karate Dojo (2002), the Cocoa YMCA Brevard Community College Dojo (2004), Ueshiro Merritt Island Karate at Tropical Elementary School (2007), the Ueshiro Suntree-Viera Shorin-Ryu Karate Dojo (2007), and the Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA Dojo at the Viera Regional Park Rec. Center (2007).

Over 300 students began their training directly under Hanshi Scaglione and have attained black belt level. He continues to work closely with all his black belts, including those who have opened the (24) dojo/clubs on the mainland US, Hawaii, China, and in Israel. Among his students are many professionals, doctors, lawyers, military officers, police officers, business executives, artists, writers, housewives, students and children.

Hanshi is the co-author with artist Bill Cummins, Ni Dan, of "The Shorin-Ryu Karate Question and Answer Book" and has written another entitled "Building Warrior Spirit." His student David Seeger, Kyoshi, an Emmy Award winner, has produced several karate videos with Hanshi. Hanshi has written and assisted his students in writing newspaper and magazine articles, film scripts on varied subjects, novels, and stage plays. He has appeared on national TV and radio, in stage productions, and at Universities and schools giving karate demonstrations and lectures on self-defense and assault prevention. Hanshi has four sons. Sal is a Go Dan Black belt, and co-Shihan at the East Meets West Karate School of Northern Virgina. His sons Robert Jr., Dion, and Shane are all Dan level black belts.

Ku-Dan [9th Degree Black Belt], Kyoshi [Karate Professor], Denshi-Shihan of Ueshiro Pine Forrest Dojo in Palisades New York, and Regional Director over Israel for Ueshiro SRKUSA

Seeger started training in the style of Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate over 50 years ago at the age of 12, including being trained directly bu Master Ansei Ueshiro.   Over the years he became a Kyoshi [Professor] of Karate, and a deputy to Hanshi Robert Scaglione in leading Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA worldwide.  Kyoshi Seeger has his own dojo in the basement of his home in Palisades, New York,  Over the years he has taught many neighbors and their children karate. The karate he teaches is not for sport. It is for self-defense and a healthy way of life encompassing mind body and spirit.  Karate has become the number one priority in his life; he trains all the time!

This can be evidenced one evening, when Kyoshi Seeger was with his son Sam in NYC and they were cornered by two muggers. Sam was surprised when the larger thug suddenly went flying through the air. The smaller guy made a gesture to reach for something from his pocket, most likely, a weapon. “Don’t do it,” Kyoshi shouted, giving him a last chance to avoid a painful outcome. The would-be mugger staggered to his feet, dazed and disoriented, while the smaller one quickly reconsidered and ordered a hasty retreat.

As the second highest rank, just under the Hanshi Scaglione, Kyoshi Seeger has students traveling to train with him from all over the US, and visitors from his schools as far away as Hawaii, Israel and Hong Kong. Kyoshi Seeger emphasizes the fighting application of the kata[s], known as Bunkai, providing realistic visualization for improved kata training.  Kyoshi attributes this emphasis to his admiration of Master Motobu's and Master Ueshiro's fighting styles.

Kyoshi Seeger is the CEO of Today Video Inc. based in the New York Metropolitan area. A 3-time Emmy Winner, he has been nominated 5 times for his work on Network and Cable Television and is a member of the Directors Guild of America.  Kyoshi Seeger has applied his professional video production talents to develop with Hanshi Scaglione several instructional videos and apps sold on the Google and Apple store, featuring Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA kata and training exercises.

Kyoshi Seeger is a father to four children with his wife Sempai Holly Whitstock Seeger, who is also an Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA Black Belt. In 1986, Sempai Holly and Kyoshi Seeger created “The Karate Rap,” a tongue and cheek music video https://youtu.be/LJSZ1TwjcsQ. In 1994 the Seeger’s held at their home the premiere screening of “Sister Sensei,” their feature length karate-satire featuring a cast of various family and friends https://youtu.be/do8R78OfpLs .

Ku-Dan [9th Degree Black Belt], Kyoshi, and Denshi-Shihan of Hombu [Headquarters] Dojo for Ueshiro SRKUSA in New York City, Midtown Manhattan

Kyoshi Michael Mackay was born in New York City in 1956 and began training under Hanshi Robert Scaglione in May, 1981. He received his first degree black belt from Grand Master Ansei Ueshiro in 1984 and served as Chief Instructor for Kyoshi David Baker at the Midtown Karate Dojo (Lexington Ave.) from 1986 until early 2006. Since March, 2006 he has been the Director of the Ueshiro Midtown Dojo at St. Bart's. 

Sensei Mackay was promoted to Kyoshi by Hanshi Scaglione on August 19, 2007 at the Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu USA 45th Anniversary celebration in Washington, DC.  He currently holds the rank of Kudan (9th degree black belt).

Kyoshi Mackay has traveled extensively as Hanshi Scaglione’s representative, participating in numerous promotions and seminars. Following in the footsteps of Master Ueshiro, Kyoshi Mackay’s traditional weapon is the roku-shaku bo. 

Kyoshi Mackay also serves as Interim Shihan of the Pelham Manor Okinawan Karate Club, located in Westchester County.

After graduating cum laude from Yale University in 1979, Kyoshi Mackay worked as a freelance photographer in New York City. In 1984 he began his own business as a computer consultant, and continues to develop customized applications for a large midtown law firm.

Shichi-Dan [7th Degree Black Belt], Sensei [Karate Teacher] and Denshi-Shihan of Ueshiro Karate Dojo ba'Kfar, Kfar-Saba, Israel, Ueshiro SRKUSA.

Sensei David Tamir has trained in karate since 1977.  Sensei Tamir began his karate training at the age of 10 in Rishon Le-Zion, Israel.  His first three years of training were in Shotokan. He then relocated to California, USA. A few years later, he continued his karate training while attending Cal Poly State University, where he earned his first and second degree Black Belts under Sensei Reza Pouraghabagher from the American Karate Federation (AKF) in Shorin-Ryu Matsubayashi-Ryu. The AKF was founded by Sensei Gary Tiktin, who was originally trained as a US Military Serviceman by Master Ansei Ueshiro in Okinawa during the late 1950s, in Master Shoshin Nagamine's Dojo. 

Sensei Tamir relocated to the Florida Space Coast in late 1990, where he began teaching Shorin-Ryu on behalf of the AKF. In late 1996, after teaching for several years in Rockledge, Melbourne, and Patrick Air Force Base in Satellite Beach, Sensei Tamir decided to join the Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA (SRKUSA) Organization, and train under Hanshi Robert Scaglione in Merritt Island.  As a practitioner of the Tuifa (a.k.a., Tonfa), Sensei Tamir has introduced an Okinawan Tuifa kata he learned with the AKF to Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA, which is now taught throughout the organization. 

Sensei Tamir continued to learn under Hanshi Scaglione and rise in rank over the next three decades, opening several Ueshiro SRKUSA dojo[s] in Florida including at the Cocoa YMCA, Suntree YMCA, Viera Rec Center, and West Melbourne Rec Center.

Sensei Tamir relocated back to Israel in 2012, where he opened another Ueshiro SRKUSA dojo at Moshav Neve-Yamin, adjacent to the City of Kfar-Saba, under the direction of Hanshi Scaglione.  He later relocated his dojo to the City of Kfar-Saba and renamed it Ueshiro Karate Dojo ba'Kfar [Village Dojo].  Sensei Tamir's Dojo is located at the City of Kfar-Saba's Country Club, where he continues training, teaching, and passing-on the lifelong gift of Shorin-Ryu Karate-Do.

Over the past years, Sensei Tamir has visited and trained at many of the Ueshiro SRKUSA dojo[s] worldwide including: Florida, Virginia, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, Hawaii, Hong Kong, and Israel. 

Sensei Tamir is a father to four children:  Mia, Yoni, Ye'ela, and Gil'ad.  He is married to Michal Yamini, living in Neve-Yamin, Israel.

Go-Dan [5th Degree Black Belt], Sensei, and Denshi-Shihan of Ueshiro Herzliya Karate Dojo, Israel, Ueshiro SRKUSA

In 1982, Sensei Zamir started learning Shotokan Karate in Jerusalem, Israel.  In 1983 he joined Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA's Dojo on Lexington Ave in New York City, led by Kyoshi Robert Scaglione [at the time].  In 1992 he returned to Israel as a Black Belt and started his own dojo.  

Sensei Zamir served as CEO for 2 non-profit NGOs:  Budo for Peace, an organization promoting reconciliation & coexistence between Israeli Arab and Jewish youth, using a comprehensive martial-arts based educational program; and Kids Kicking Cancer, an organization helping children with cancer and other serious diseases, and their families, through a Martial Arts Therapy system.

Sensei Zamir had served in the Israeli army’s Special Forces and Anti Terrorist units as well as in the Israeli Secret Service. Men Killing in Rituals is his first novel, following the earlier publication of ‘War Horse’, a short non-fiction story about the 1982 Lebanon war, published by The North American Review in 1991. 

Sensei Zamir is married with three children.

Go-Dan [5th Degree Black Belt], Sensei, and  Denshi-Shihan of Ueshiro Eilat Karate Dojo, Israel, Ueshiro SRKUSA

Growing up in Eilat Israel, Sensei Dadon had served in the Israeli Navy and afterwards in the Israeli Merchant Marines for 8 years, sailing all over the world.  In 1987, while on shore rest after a 4 month sea duty, Dadon saw an advertisement for karate classes taught by Ueshiro SRKUSA instructor, Sensei Robert Hodes, in Eilat.  Dadon decided to take his 5 year old nephew to learn karate.  His nephew was not interested, but Dadon started learning karate in his place.  

Dadon continued sailing and training in karate on his own while sailing, and with Sensei Hodes at the Eilat Dojo while on shore rest.  Dadon stopped sailing in 1990 and was able to focus on his karate training.  In 1991 Sensei Hodes returned to the US and left the Eilat Dojo in Dadon's hands to lead.  Dadon was promoted to Shodan in 1996 and then continued to rise through the ranks to become Sensei.  Sensei Dadon trained many students in Eilat, seeing them rise through the ranks all the way to Black Belt.

Sensei Dadon continues his training and participates in training events at our Ueshiro Kfar-Saba and Herzliya Dojo[s].