Renshi Michael P. Andrews
Renshi
Michael P. Andrews was born in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1968. He
is the
first son of Larry and Deborah Andrews.
He began his studies in Karate in 1977 under the direction of Sensei
Mike Mamos, 5th Dan (Mas Oyama’s School of
Kyokushinkai-Kan Karate).
In
1991 he was introduced to Master Ed Lake. It was this
introduction that led Renshi Andrews to begin his studies in
Ryukyu Kempo and pressure points.
In
1992 he met Grandmaster George A. Dillman, 9th Dan. In 1993
Renshi
Andrews met Grandmaster Jack Hogan, 9th Dan. He was allowed
to study under both men as at the time it fell under the oversight
of Dillman Karate International.
In 2003
Renshi
Andrews was awarded 5th Dan from
Grandmaster George A. Dillman and in 2004 was awarded 6th Dan and
Master Level 3 in Kyusho-Jitsu from Grandmaster Jack Hogan.
Today he continues his studies under the tutelage of Grandmaster Jack
Hogan.
Renshi Andrews is the Southeast U.S. regional representative of
Hogan Karate International.
Anyone who wishes to
gain knowledge and/or rank in the use of
pressure points (Kyusho-Jitsu) or Ryukyu Kempo as taught by
Grandmaster Jack Hogan is to seek an audience with
Renshi Andrews in the Southeast U.S. region.
In 1991
Renshi
Andrews met the most influential person in his life, Professor
Helen Chao. She was a professor in acupuncture before
retiring. When Professor Chao met
Renshi Andrews she was
amazed that every time she would put a needle in him that he knew the
angle, organ, element and energy flow for each point used.
It was at that time she decided to teach him acupuncture. From that
day on an amazing student-teacher relationship evolved, which eventually
led to
a mother-and-son bond. Professor Chao was more of a Karate teacher to
Renshi Andrews than any other teacher that he has ever
learned from.
"I DEDICATE MY LIFE’S WORK TO THE ONE WOMAN WHO INFLUENCED MY
LIFE... IN THE MARTIAL ARTS AND IN MY LIFE. I AM A BETTER TEACHER TO
MY STUDENTS AND A BETTER HUSBAND TO MY WIFE BECAUSE OF HER LOVE FOR
ME AND THE PEOPLE THAT SHE CARED FOR… THANK YOU FOR TEACHING ME THE
TECHNIQUES TO KEEP MY MOM ALIVE A YEAR AND
HALF LONGER THAN THE LEADING DOCTORS SPECULATED. THAT YEAR WE
HAD THE
BEST
CHRISTMAS THAT WE'VE EVER HAD. THANK YOU PROFESSOR CHAO.
I LOVE YOU!"
View Videos of Renshi Andrews
Sensei Jim Bermel
Sensei
Jim Bermel was born in Piscataway, New Jersey in 1969. He is the first
son of Jim and Carole Bermel.
He began his studies in Karate in 1985 under the direction of
Renshi
Michael P. Andrews, 6th Dan. It was this introduction that led Sensei Bermel in his studies in
Ryukyu Kempo and pressure points. In 1991 he traveled
extensively around the United States with Renshi Andrews in their
quest to learn as much as they could with
Grandmaster George A. Dillman, 9th Dan
and
Grandmaster Jack Hogan, 9th Dan.
In 2001
Sensei Bermel was promoted to the rank of Shodan
(1st Dan). In 2003 Sensei Bermel was promoted to
the rank of Nidan (2nd Dan) and in 2004 he was
promoted to Sandan, 3rd Dan Instructor Level
and is authorized to
teach the requirements of Andrews Karate Institute and Hogan Karate
International. Sensei Bermel has also been awarded his
Intermediate Instructor Level 1 in Kyusho–Jitsu. He served as an active
uchi-deshi, or resident student, of
Renshi Andrews.
He has since moved to Greenville, South Carolina where he continues to run
his school.
Sensei Bermel has studied under
Renshi
Michael P. Andrews for
over 17 years which makes him the longest and most senior student of
Renshi Andrews.
View Videos of Sensei Bermel
Master
Thomas "Mack" McCormack
Master
Thomas "Mack" McCormack
was born in 1939 of Irish immigrants in Brooklyn, New York. He
is
the first son of Joseph and Bridget McCormack.
He began his studies
in Judo
while in the Army under the direction Sgt. Muir in Fort Benning,
Georgia. It was this introduction that eventually led Sensei
McCormack to his studies of Karate. After serving in Vietnam
from 1965 to 1968 in the merchant Marines, Sensei McCormack returned to the United States in 1969. He met
Master Choji Tiana
which began his studies in
Orthodox Goju-Ryu Karate.
Tiana
Sensei
studied under
Ichikawa Sensei of Ueno, Japan.
Tiana
Sensei taught
Sensei McCormack to research the arts. Sensei McCormack has traveled
extensively to Japan, Korea, Thailand, Singapore and the
Philippines. In 2002 he met
Renshi
Andrews.
After that meeting a father-son relationship started, and the
two men have been inseparable since.
Sensei
McCormack
came to
Renshi
Andrews with
the rank of
3rd Dan from Master Choji Tiana.
On
October 23, 2004,
Renshi
Andrews alongside Grandmaster Jack Hogan
decided after
careful consideration to award
Thomas
McCormack the
rank
of 4th Dan
based on his
extensive knowledge and technical ability in the martial arts.
Master McCormack serves as an active uchi-deshi, or
resident student, of
Renshi Andrews.
Thomas McCormack has since retired from the
Department
of Defense in
2004 and is a
Senior
Instructor at
Andrews Karate Institute.
Whenever Sensei McCormack visits
Saipan
he trains
under the guidance of
Sifu Kevin Wang
in Chinese Medicine and Massage.
Sensei Jerald Carter
Sensei
Jerald C. Carter, Jr. was born in Jacksonville, Florida
in 1971. He is the first son of Jerald C.
Carter, Sr. and Theresa Carter Dover.
He began his studies in 1984
under the direction of Master Jerry Williamson, 5th
Dan (Shotokan Karate-Do). In
1991 he was introduced to Grandmaster Jack Hogan, whom
Sensei Carter began his studies
with in Ryukyu Kempo and Kyusho-Jitsu.
In 1993 while at a seminar with Grandmaster George
Dillman, Professor Wally Jay, and Professor Remy Presas he met
Renshi Michael P. Andrews,
whom he started a lifelong friendship with. Through the
years Sensei Carter was instructed by
Renshi Andrews along with and under
the guidance of Grandmaster Jack Hogan. On
March 20th, 2004 he was awarded his 4th Dan from
Grandmaster Hogan. That same year he achieved
a Master Level 1 in Kyusho-Jitsu. On October
6th, 2007 he was awarded his 5th Dan from Grandmaster Hogan at the HKI Annual
Kyusho Camp. Sensei Carter was also awarded
1st Degree in Modern Arnis under the direction of Guro Bruce Chiu.
He
serves as an active uchi-deshi, or
resident student, of
Renshi Andrews.
He not only considers
Renshi Andrews a mentor and teacher, but a member of his
family. Grandmaster Hogan has been like a
father figure to both Sensei Carter and Renshi
Andrews. He thinks of Renshi Andrews as a
brother... a bond which will never be broken.
"Both Grandmaster Hogan and Renshi Andrews have been
influential parts of my life, and not only am I a
better martial artist, but a better person
because of these incredible people," Sensei
Carter explains. He is the head instructor of Carters Martial
Arts Institute in Jacksonville, Florida.
Sensei Thomas
R. Floyd
Sensei Thomas R. Floyd was born in West Palm Beach, Florida in 1988.
He is the second son of Thomas and JoAnn Floyd.
He
began his studies in Shorin Ryu Karate in 1993 under the direction
of George Alexander, 10th Degree Black Belt. After
training with Master Alexander for five years, Thomas was introduced to
Sensei Rick Dermo, 3rd Dan (Shorin Ryu) and trained with him for six
years. This training led to further study of the martial arts
with instructors Bill “Super Foot” Wallace, Sensei
Chris Casamassa, Grandmaster Tadashi Yamashita, Grandmaster Dave
McNeill, and Renshi
Marcus Bossett.
Through studying with these great martial artists, Thomas was led to
the art of Ryukyu Kempo. He and his father began
training in Ryukyu Kempo under the direction of Felipe Jose,
certified master of Dillman Karate International.
In
2002, Thomas met Dillman Karate
Renshi Michael P. Andrews and began
training with him. He moved to Tennessee in 2003 and trained with
Dillman Karate International Master, Steve Cooper. While
there, he traveled all over the eastern United States to attend
Dillman Karate seminars. He met and trained with many other
Dillman Karate masters including Master Ed Lake, Master Chris
Thomas, and Master Will Higginbotham. In 2005 Thomas returned to
Florida and resumed training with
Renshi Andrews. At
that time, he enrolled in Hogan Karate International. Thomas
has been a member since then, and has had the opportunity to train
extensively with Grandmaster Jack Hogan.
Sensei Floyd
serves as an
active uchi-deshi, or resident student, of
Renshi Andrews.
Thomas
holds ranking in two Karate styles: 3rd Dan Ryukyu Kempo and 2nd Dan
in Shorin Ryu. He continues
to train and research the true meaning of the martial arts.
Sensei Tatsuaki
Hayashi
Sensei
Tatsuaki Hayashi was born in Yamato, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan in
1988. He is the first son
of Hiromori and Yoshimi Hayashi, both immigrants from Japan since
1995.
He was introduced to Taekwondo in 1995 at The Weiss School and
began his studies under Master Marika Powell, 6th Degree
Black Belt (Academic Taekwondo). Tatsuaki holds a 3rd Degree Black
Belt ranking in Taekwondo (Kukkiwon certified). In 2003 he met Thomas R. Floyd, a high school
peer at the time. This not only led to the introduction of Ryukyu
Kempo to Tatsuaki, but also a brotherhood bond formed between him
and Thomas. Very influenced and fascinated, both he and Thomas
would research, watch videos, read, and do everything in their power
to learn more about the art of Ryukyu Kempo and its roots.
In 2004 he was introduced to
Renshi Andrews. At first he was
intimidated by the vast difference between Taekwondo and Ryukyu
Kempo but eventually grew to grasp both arts. He has
attended both Grandmaster George A. Dillman’s and Grandmaster
Jack Hogan’s seminars and has learned much about Ryukyu Kempo and
use of pressure points. He
is currently under
Renshi Andrews' guidance to learn the art of
Ryukyu Kempo.
Sensei Hayashi
serves as an
active uchi-deshi, or resident student, of
Renshi Andrews.
Sensei Hayashi is the
webmaster of andrewskarate.com.
