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On February 11, 2009, I traveled to Orlando, Florida,
to visit James Acampora, an old friend and student
of the late Chito-Ryu shihan Art Rott. In order to
teach Chito-ryu karate, James has continued the
dreams of his instructor by building a dojo and staying
true to the way he was taught. I have always kept in
touch with him because of his deep dedication to Rott-Shihan
and his true friendship to me.
 Here
I am with James Acampora (to my right) and some of
his senior students. It was great to see the legacy
of the late Art Rott-Shihan carried on so well by
James and his outstanding dojo.
While on my visit, I was invited to take part in a
Chito-Ryu seminar taught by William J.
Dometrich-Hanshi, head of the United States Chito-Ryu
Karate Federation, on February 14, at the Clarion Hotel,
in Altamonte Springs. It had been many years since
I had trained on the floor of any Chito-Ryu dojo
and I felt apprehension, worried that old wounds would
open.
Arriving in Orlando, I was picked up at the airport
by James and taken to his home, in time to see the
last half hour of class. At James' request, his
students performed various kata for me. As I watched,
it brought back many memories of sitting with the late
Rott-Shihan, when he would also ask me to view his
students. Some of the students I had encountered before,
others were new to me. It was very satisfying to see
what a great job that James has done.
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