One of my Tang Soo Do instructors posted a sad notice on Facebook a few days ago announcing that Dr. John Larlee, 10th dan Soke of Beikoku Mizu Ryu JuJitsu, had passed away at the age of 83. I never had the privilege of meeting Soke Larlee but something about the post caught my attention. It seems Soke Larlee was a remarkable man; instructor, Grand Master in Jujitsu, Master in Kodokan Judo and Shotokan Karate. He was also a notable past champion competitor in Connecticut and New England.
Soke Larlee was part of the first generation of martial artists to bring the martial arts to the United States after encountering them overseas while in the military. The American martial arts community largely owes its existence to men like him, some of whom have already passed on leaving their legacy to their students and successors.
Active in the martial arts community until the very end, Soke Larlee was a member of the World Head of Family Sokeship Council, a prestigious and very exclusive organization of 9th and 10th degree black belts internationally recognized as Masters and Grand Masters. The photos and biography pictured on this page are from the WHFSC Grandmasters Council 2011 Compendium.
“Bernard of Chartres used to say that we [the Moderns] are like dwarves perched on the shoulders of giants [the Ancients], and thus we are able to see more and farther than the latter. And this is not at all because of the acuteness of our sight or the stature of our body, but because we are carried aloft and elevated by the magnitude of the giants.”
Requiscat in Pace, Soke.
I had the honor of training under GM Larlee at his dojo on Broadway in New Haven back in the mid 70’s with a great group of men. Through the years I was able to train at his other facilities where he always spent time to teach techniques brutally correct let’s say, and loved every tap I had to make.
Thank you sensei
Soke John Larlee was both a very good friend and a student of mine (Shotokan Karate) for close to three decades, and had earned his 4th Dan in Shotokan under me at least a decade prior to his passing. His personal knowledge of the martial arts in general was quite impressive, to say the least.
We actually first met in the dojo that he taught in, as my karate instructor, Bill Haughwout, rented a portion of his dojo (the same one mentioned in the posting above this one) to Soke Larley.
Upon Mr. Haughtwout’s departure, both Sensei Larlee and myself moved on to other venues, as by that time, nearly 30 some-odd years had passeds after I started training, and I was at that time teaching classes on my own for my teacher for a few years, but went out on my own after my instructor moved to the west coast of the country.
I kept in touch with John for about a decade or more, until he fell sick with an ailment that would eventuallyt cause his passing just a few years later. Both my wife and I (she knew John as well) and John’s top level student, a high ranked dan in Judo & Ju-jitsu instructor hinself, and a surprisingly large amount of people attended the services.
John was an exceptional instructor, and always an interesting individual to talk to. Needless to say, I was saddened by his passing, but I will always remember him as a good friend, a superb student (karate), and a really class act.
Hanshi Mike Cunningham