George E. Anderson, age 77, died Thursday, August 6, 2009.

Hanshi Anderson is generally considered as the founder of the USA Karate Olympic Karate movement in the United States. He, along with Patrick Hickey and Thomas LaPuppet Carroll marshaled the AAU Karate program into a full-fledged National Governing body. Hanshi Anderson, in addition to being president of this movement, was also president of the Pan American Union of Karate-do Organizations (now PAKU) and the chairman of the World Union of Karate-do Federation?s (now WKF) referee council later on becoming vice-president of that organization and being involved in the WUKO?s transition to the World Karate Federation. His involvement in the USA Karate movement included being on the United States Olympic Committee (representing karate as well as other sports) and he is generally considered responsible for getting the sport of Karate on the program of the Pan American Games as a medal sport. During his tenure with the WUKO, he also held the first World Technical Congress on sport karate which assembled and redrafted the rules of karate competition.

Hanshi Anderson was born in Akron on November 25, 1931 to William Edward and Winifred (nee Pape) Anderson. He graduated from Garfield High School and attended Witchita State and Akron University.

George was predeceased by siblings, Lesley, Thomas and Elizabeth. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Joan Anderson; by his children, David (Joyce) Anderson, John Anderson, Lesley Anderson, Lynn (Mark) Pethtel, and Joany Aquila; ten grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and nieces, Corinne and Laura. He believed in family and was a devoted husband, father and grandfather.

Mr. Anderson was a man of many talents and interests. He was a teacher, author, karate and jujitsu grand master, artist, concert violinist, builder, historian, and philosopher.

Mr. Anderson was one of the most influential figures of modern martial arts. He spearheaded the creation of the Central TaeKwonDo Association and was its first Chairman. He served as Secretary General of the Pan American Union, President of AAU Karate, President of the World Referees Council and on the U.S. Olympic Committee. Mr. Anderson was named "Man of the Year" by Black Belt Magazine and was featured in cover stories by Karate Illustrated and Karate Profiles. He received numerous high-ranking black belt awards and certifications from the most prestigious martial arts organizations in the world. Mr. Anderson wrote more than 50 technical manuals, guides, constitutions, and books. His own KwanMuKan style of karate boasts more than 2,500 black belts with multi-art schools throughout North America, the Middle East, Europe and South America. Mr. Anderson appeared on television and radio productions throughout the world, and received many accolades including inductions into karate, jujitsu, taekwondo and police instructor halls of fame.

A 10^th degree black belt, Hanshi Anderson was a true Renaissance Man. His early education focused on the classics and music. He became a concert quality violinist. And his life-long hunger for knowledge enabled him to speak in-depth on almost any subject.

Anderson’s keen intellect, hard work ethic, ability to inspire others, and generosity enabled him to rise to such heights. He was well read to the very end and had a great passion for life, which he lived to its fullest, traveling and teaching the martial arts throughout the world.

Anderson’s martial arts training began in the early 1950’s and extended over 50 years. His training moved from the Akron gyms to the early Korean karate movement, as it developed into Taekwondo, and then to traditional Japanese/Okinawan karate. He rose quickly to membership in the elite Trias International Society. He became President of AAU Karate, then founded the USA Karate Federation, for many years the National Governing Body (NGB) for karate in the USA. He next took an active part in the USA NKF, the present NGB for karate. Anderson also made his mark in Police Self Defense and Defensive Tactics. He taught and served as a defensive tactics advisor to many law enforcement departments around the country.

Anderson was also extremely successful at the world karate level. He was elected president of the Pan American Union of Karate Organizations, chairman of the powerful World Union of Karate-do Organizations (WUKO) Referee Council, and later WUKO’s first Vice President. As head of the World Referee Council, he organized the WUKO/WKF’s first technical congress, where the international rules for Karate were rewritten and categorized. He was also instrumental in getting karate included in the Pan Am Games.

Hanshi Anderson also founded the US Jujitsu Federation and was the North American representative for the Jujitsu International Federation (JJIF). And as a member of the US Olympic Committee (USOC) board of directors, he represented a variety of sports to the USOC.

His most recent projects included formulating and heading the US Masters Caucus for the USA NKF and spearheading the creation of the combined USA Karate and USA NKF Hall of Fame.

Among his many friends, students, and confidants were such martial arts luminaries as Robert Trias, Sadaki Nakabayash, Fusigero Takagi, Masafumi Suzuki, Ki Wang Kim, Byung Jick Rho, Ki Whang Kim, Richard Chun, Henry Cho, Kang Rhee, Kim Soo Jin, Jhoon Rhee, Mon Soo Park, Chong Lee, and Park Chul Hee.

He left a great legacy through his Kwanmukan style and his Shihan and Sensei students, who now carry on his tradition. Many of those who received rank underneath Hanshi Anderson run or represent major martial arts organizations today. Through them, his influence will continue for many years to come.