America’’s Fascination with Asian Martial Arts

John J. Donohue, Ph.D., has been a practitioner of Japanese martial arts (karate, aikido, kendo) for over thirty years. His professional background includes a Ph.D. in anthropology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. In addition to academic articles and books dealing with martial culture, John is a novelist. His fictional works have a strong thread of martial culture woven into the themes. Ellen Levitt, M.A., received her master’s degree in history from City University of New York-Brooklyn College. One of her main interests is in the history of media and technology, and sports. As a teacher and professional writer, she has conducted research regarding martial cultures in the USA. Frederick W. Lohse, III, Ed.M., received his degree from Harvard University. He began training in Goju-ryu and Matayoshi Kobudo under Kimo Wall in 1986. While living in Japan in the early 1990s he trained under Sakai Ryugo, and periodically visited Okinawa to train with Matayoshi Shinpo and members of Higa’s Shodokan. He has continued kobudo training with Gakiya Yoshiaki and the OKDR(R) since 2001. Mr. Lohse has been ranked 6th dan by Mr. Wall and 5th dan by Mr. Yoshiaki. Daniel Rosenberg, Ph.D., a historian, is Director of Academic Affairs of University College at Adelphi University. His publications include New Orleans Dockworkers: Race, Labor, and Unionism (Albany, 1988) and, with Philip S. Foner, Racism, Dissent, and Asian Americans (Westport, 1993). He is an avid athlete, participating in a number of sports, including Shotokan karate.# Geoffrey Wingard, M.Ed., has three degrees from the University of Maine: a bachelor of arts in anthropology, a master’s in history, and a master’s of education. He began martial arts training in 1984 in Moo Duk Kwan taekwondo and since 1994 has studied Shotokan karate. His training also includes ITF taekwondo, freestyle karate, judo and modern eclectic systems. He holds black belt ranks in taekwondo and in Shotokan karate.