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A.T.A.M.A. 2000'S NATIONAL
CONVENTION
and TRAINING CONFERENCE INSTRUCTOR BIOGRAPHIES!
Grandmaster
Dr. Stanford McNeal, Sr.
Kifaru
Jitsu
Grandmaster McNeal was born
December 5th, 1940 in St. Louis, Missouri. At the age of
12 he began studying Judo under Sensei Beech. From ages 12 to 18, he
received exposure to other Martial Art forms such as Jujitsu, Aikido and
Atemi waza. Upon graduation from high school Master McNeal entered
the United States Marine Corps where he was introduced to karate.
Upon honorable discharge, Master McNeal met and began his study with
Grandmaster Donald Baker and subsequently became Grandmaster Baker’s
understudy. Master Baker taught Master McNeal the martial arts of
Kong Soo Do, Combat Judo and Goju-Shorei Karate. Master McNeal also
got the opportunity on a few occasions to work out with Grandmaster Bakers
instructor, Robert Huggins. Masters Baker and Huggins stressed good basics
and discipline; both were perfectionists. The classes were three to four
hours long, no air-conditioning no fans and no complaining. Master
McNeal would travel to various dojos in the city to train with the
different instructors such as Sam Brock who taught the shuri itosu style
under the banner of Shudo Kan, and Bob Yarnell who taught Shorin Ryu.
In
1966 Master McNeal and his family moved to Henderson, Nevada and began
instructing karate at the Henderson Boys Club. There he began to
refine his art and increase his knowledge and expertise in other styles
and systems such as Mobuto Kempo, Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, and Tanto-Jitsu. Master
McNeal studied the art of Tanto Jitsu under the late Master Henry Yoda and
Aikido under Master Carl DuDuiot, as well as another style of Shoto-Kan
from Master Manual B. Jose.
Master
McNeal became close friends with Osamu Ozawa, the highest ranked Shoto Kan
karate master in the western hemisphere. Master Ozawa was an original
student of Gichin Funakoshi. Master McNeal spent many hours with
Master Ozawa, at a restaurant next to the dojo, talking about the old
times and doing skull sessions. Master Osawa and Master McNeal often
taught at each other’s dojo.
McNeal
began cross-training with Master Donnie Williams in the Kempo style known
as B.K.F. Master McNeal had already began to create the style which
is now known as Kifaru, and found that there were great similarities
between Kifaru and the B.K.F. system in that they were both very explosive
and technical.
In
1968 Master McNeal became a police officer with the Henderson Police
Department and was the only Black officer on the department for eight
years. In 1972 he was promoted to the Detective bureau. Master
McNeal became the first person on the Henderson police department to
receive the Medal of Valor and the only officer from the department to be
inducted into the American Police Hall of Fame for an act of bravery. In
1984 McNeal received recognition as a certified defensive tactics
instructor for Nevada POST. He created his own defensive tactics
course, which was accepted by POST and was taught to Henderson Police
officers. Master McNeal also taught accredited courses at the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (U.N.L.V.) and the Nevada National Guard. Master
McNeal has taught self-defense and baton training to the Hughes Summa
Corporation as well as the Salem, Mo. Police Department. In April
1990, after serving 22 ˝ years, Master McNeal retired from the Henderson
Police Department and moved to Salem, Missouri where he established the
National Headquarters for the Kifaru Academy of Martial Arts.
While
in Nevada, Master McNeal participated in numerous tournaments and became
the first Black man to become Grand Champion of the Las Vegas National
Invitational, retiring after three years as undefeated Grand Champion. While
a police officer, he also competed in the Police Olympics and was gold
medal winner each year until he retired from competition. During his
years of competition Master McNeal traveled throughout the United States
competing, assisting and promoting the art of Karate. He was the
founder and served as past president of the Nevada Martial Arts
Federation.
In
1990, Grandmaster McNeal received a Ph.D. in the Martial Arts and Physical
Education from Union University of California. He actively travels,
conducting seminars and visiting his franchise schools that are located in
the states of Illinois, Missouri, California, Arizona and Nevada. Master
McNeal is the Midwest representative of the Christian Karate Association
and B.K.F. In 1993 Master McNeal was promoted to 9th Degree Black
Belt by his instructor, senior Grandmaster Donald Baker, who is now
retired. Master McNeal is currently operating his Martial Arts
schools in Salem, Houston and Rolla, Missouri.
Dr.
McNeal stated that he is not finished learning this art and that the only
way to perfection is to continually teach and train. Dr. McNeal
advises that even a butcher hones his knives after each cutting session. There
are so many new things that are being discovered about the arts and their
application, that those who are too proud to learn, or too stubborn to
admit that there is more to learn will deny the student the most precious
gift that a sensei can give; “ proper training”.
On
March 27, 1999 Dr. McNeal was issued Sokeship, promoted to the rank of 10th
Dan and inducted into the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame and placed on
the executive board. Master McNeal states that the only way he could
have attained the knowledge, and have been exposed to the various arts and
Masters that have touched his life, was through the divine intervention of
God, who has so richly blessed him through the people that have impacted
his life.
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