Aaron Banks (martial artist)
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Aaron Banks (1928 – May 2, 2013) was a martial artist born in Bronx, New York.[1] He brought Chinese Kung Fu, Korean Moo Duk Kwan, Japanese and Okinawan Goju-Ryu karate, judo and boxing under the same roof in his New York Karate Academy. During his life, he promoted 352 karate tournaments, conducted more than 1,000 demonstrations, and organized over 250 martial arts shows. His karate influence can be seen through his karate school which he operated for 30 years and the 200,000 or more students he taught.[2] Aaron Banks also brought martial arts to the public with his "Oriental World of Self-Defense" shows that played in Madison Square Garden for over 20 years via ABC-Wide World of Sports, NBC Sports world, CBS sports, and HBO sports, where millions of viewers watched.[3]
Aaron Banks was born in 1928, a year before the Great Depression in Bronx, New York. His mother was a nurse who consistently gambled. His father was an editor of sports writing for the failed New York newspaper Morning Journal. Banks was married twice. His first wife was a secretary who left him after his drug use and his short stint in the hospital due to pneumonia. Banks said that she was constantly nagging him to settle down. Banks' second wife was a show girl, but the marriage quickly dissolved again due to the difference in salary. Banks earned around $40 a week and his wife $1000 a week. It was shortly after this that he was employed at the record store where an infamous incident changed his life. He died May 2, 2013.[4] Banks had a dream to become an actor, which was not fulfilled to his liking.[5]
Early career
At the age of 19, Aaron Banks decided his job was to be an actor. He charged in and managed to get the part of a gangster in the movie Greenwich Village Story and the Broadway play Two by Saroyan. When he failed to achieve any star roles, Banks decided to start with a singing career. He studied under the tutelage of Alan Greene along with Harry Belafonte. When Banks failed to make it big-time, he moved on to his third career as a director of plays. He started his first studio and held auditions. One of his memories was of a girl singing. "She's terrible", he commented, not knowing that this girl was Barbra Streisand. He also ran through many small jobs such as salad-maker, dishwasher, short-order cook, and theater usher. Finally his string of jobs ended when he tried to be a salesman at a Colony record shop. His simple and short statement on the incident that changed his life was, "I had a fight and lost." While the original argument was trivial, Banks exploded and while he was obviously the smaller opponent, he fought ferociously. In the end, it took six policemen to drag him away from the fight. Banks then studied karate under John Slocum. After 10 lessons, his drug and alcohol use ceased. He trained under multiple teachers and learned many different techniques. Within four years, Banks earned his black belt in Goju Ryu.[6]
