Welcome to Peter G. Urban's Official authorized website. This Welcome Center was created to give our visitors some background information along with some navigation tips about Maestro Urban's U.S.A. Goju Karate Association website, which he lovingly referred to as his "Fight Schools Network". This website has been on line and continually evolving since 1998, and there is a lot of interesting things to see and read on these pages. I encourage you to bookmark this website so it will be easier to locate when you return.

Back in1996, Maestro had already long realized the power of the internet, and he was very interested in "getting on it" so that he and his organization would have an international presence there. His loyal student and friend, Dayton Guinee went to great expense for Sensei to have "a presence" on the internet, and the AmericanHeritag website that he created was a wonderful resource to visit. After all, it was Grand Master Urban on the internet!

Sensei Guinee, like everyone else in the world at that time, (except a few computer geeks), did not know, or have time, or inclination to learn the difficult HTML technology to manage the language needed to edit and maintain a website, so he had to hire a webmaster to update the website every time that Sensei wanted changes. Maestro Urban was not a very patient man, and he always wanted things done NOW!, "In the here in now!", Today is Now! etc,,etc.,etc.

Maestro started looking for someone in his organization who was capable of building and maintaining a new website for his U.S.A. Goju Association. When he asked me about this "project" , I offered to do the research to see what it would cost to create and manage a website. When I realized the tremendous cost in doing this through a professional web designer, I decided that I would "take on this task" and teach myself how to work in HTML and basic web design to help him realize this internet dream.
 

The first website was simple and basic (I was learning as I was doing), but Maestro loved it and was very proud that he was on the internet again and could make changes and updates more quickly than before. Maestro did not have a computer and only saw his website (live) when (on a few occasions) I brought my laptop with me when I visited with him at his home. The way that Maestro "stayed on top of" and approved all entries to the website was through constant communication by fax and by phone. I would also print out all pages and send them by snail mail so that he could physically hold on to his special internet project.
 

One of his first goals of going online, was to be the first Karate Grand Master to be internationally recognized as the "Greatest American Karate Sensei of the 20th century", and Grand Masters from all of over the world send him certification acknowledging Peter Urban with this title. These certificates and letters remained on the website for many years, and I removed them when I changed the website to frame sets after his death. His second goal was to have a presence on the internet where he and his network loyalists could be recognized.
 

I became Maestro Urban's personal webmaster because I was there when he needed this done, and I accepted his challenge. Maestro was concerned that when he passed away, there might be those who would attempt to diminish or over ride his authorized website, and that is why (in his July 2003 "Last will and Testament" Urban Speaks newsletter) he proclaimed me, his webmaster, as an "untouchable" in matters concerning the internet and the URBAN GOJUDO website.

If you are new to this website, here are a couple of my favorite areas that you may want to spend some time:
The "Eulogy to Sensei Urban" pages are full of wonderful letters of personal experiences with Maestro.
The 'Urban Speaks" Newsletter page is where you will be able to read Maestro's "Last will and testament" newsletter.

Maestro Urban's legacy has made a tremendous contribution to the world of Karate. Our USA Goju family is diverse and gigantic, with five generations of American Goju tradition and spirit, and yes, all of the dojos stemming from his life's work, are indeed, a family.

Respectfully,
James Price, Hanshi
Webmaster to the Late, Great, Peter Urban, and his beloved U.S.A. Goju Karate

P.S. Thank you Sensei Guinee for creating the very first Urban Goju Website for Maestro Urban. You are a cyber pioneer.

 

 

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Page updated on 3.11.08