This is a man who was in the Korean war, shot seven times in the shoulder and left for dead and had the bullet hole scars to prove it.” This comes directly from first hand knowledge from one of Wallave Reumann’s daughters. In 1957 Reumann came home from Japan with a 4th-degree Shihan issued by Henry Slomanski. This was the highest anyone could go without winning the matches as Slomanski did. Over the next four years, Reumann was living in Germany.  While there he was asked to train the Prince of Greece in karate. The Prince later went on to become the King.  Ruemann went on to start the American Karate Federation as it’s President. This federation had 2 dojos which later grew to 27.  They were affiliated with Master Tsuyoshi Chitose’s new style Chito Ryu, and is believed that Reumann still trained a select few in the Old Style. Master Reumann began teaching the new Chito Ryu, negating most of the old traditional style that Commissioner Slomanski continued teaching for years. The “old style” and it’s teachings continued with a few other Slomanski instructors, including Grand Master/Soke John B. Burkhardt. Commissioner Slomanski promoted Reumann as a favor to his master (T. Chitose) to a 5th degree while Slomanski held the 6th degree under Chitose’s new style Chito Ryu. Slomanski excepted the rank of a 6th degree in the new Chito Ryu to help Grand Master T. Chitose to open the martial arts in the United States. Grand Master Chitose had informed Slomanski the art could not be taught in the original form and could not make money. It had to be soften for all ages and genders. 

NOTE: In April 1960 nobody in the  world outranked Henry Slomanski in THE NEW STYLE CHITO RYU, EXCEPT CHITOSE. Contrary to what you would read on the Internet by misinfomred people with a personal agenda for such propaganda.  The same people say Slomanski was killed in Vietnam and spell his name incorrectly eg; Slemansky.  How can their facts be trusted with such slobby writings and simply no proof offered. You should know that some sites who portray themselves as experts on Slomanski, Ruemann and the rest who trained under Slomanski are irrrespsonable, ametuers and simply wrong!  There simply is no middle ground when somoene’s life is being told. It’s either correct or incorrect.  Grand Master Burkhardt has documented proof from the CHITO RYU ORGANIZATION in JAPAN on what is stated on this site

MORE TO COME ABOUT WALLACE REUMANN WITH ARTICLES FOR YOUR PERUSAL:

CONCLUSION:
The research shows he was a good person, soldier, and was a phenomenal martial artist. This man was not one who sold his life to comic books or any other silly media. He sold the rights to what he wrote, but not the rights to change the title or content. He sold what he explains later for $200.00 and was robbed of his dignity. He was also embarrassed by a former militant student who he finally banished him, his instructors, along with all that were trained by any of them. There are some people today that are proud to be taught by Cheatham or his instructors. Those students on other sites still acknowledge it was a racist dojo who trained militants primarily. To those, I question why you would train under such a radical and not walk away from those teachings and philosophies? This training did not add anything to society nor anything the martial arts stands for.  This is something to be ashamed of, not be a braggart of.
Master Reumann has passed away and from the research we have done, he had so much information to tell the world about the “Lame and Kill Matches in 1956”. He told many stories during his life about the training under Commissioner Henry Slomanski and the match they both entered back in the day.


letter to the editor of Black Belt


magazine affirms our research was in fact 


correct and accurate. Note: The $200 bill with


Wallace W. Reumann’s name.


                                                            
otice the title on the certificate at the top as Commissioner of Karate United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. Also note on Slomanski’s page the powers he held internationally. Reumann went on to be promoted to a 5th degree something that many in this world still can’t answer. How did he get his 5th degree from Slomanski if Slomanski did not have the authority unilaterally to do so?  This certificate, we believe, was issued by Slomanski in Japan 1959 to Reumann.  Research shows that  Reumann was stationed in Japan at that time, and that Slomanski had world wide powers with any Great Grand Master needed to sanction his powers.  We acknowledge what is said on top about the United States etc. but we also know  that Slomanski made promotions outside of the USA.



The Great Grand Masters did not restrict Henry Slomanski’s authority to promote karate throughout the world. To be clear this meant that by virtue of the Commissionership Henry had the power to authorize belt and did not need endorsement for each promotion by the Great Grand Masters. Henry had total autonomy.

 

Our Research Shows:

For decades, many in the martial arts world watched and may have enjoyed ridiculing Wallace W. Reumann for his business adventures. This was along with the media print who wrote about him relentlessly. He is a Master Instructor under the Commissioner of Karate, Henry Slomanski.  We are talking about a man, Wallace W. Reumann, who participated in the Lame and Kill matches in Japan with Master Melvin L. Sauer in 1956. He lived in Japan, trained hard, and spoke fluent Japanese. It was easy for people, whether intimidated by his ability or hanging on to his identity and achievements to take advantage of him. While he was serving abroad fulfilling his military duties, two people misrepresented his desire to promote his dojos by selling sensationalized advertisements to the media in comic books.  When viewing these ads on the Internet, take notice the mention of Reumann’s name is sparse as is the Commissioner of Karate. Henry Slomanski’s signature is located on the bottom right side of his certificate that is posted in the ad. A husband and wife team, once friends of Reumann and the husband was a member of his Dojo tried to portray incredulous feats and abilities that were impossible in a home study course. This was an attempt by them to make quick money and defraud the public with misleading information about an art that most had little or no knowledge of in the United States back then. This was not Wallace W. Reumann’s character or M.O, he wanted to disseminate what he had learned in Japan and bring it to the United States. Would anyone believe that a man who competed in a lame or kill match would promote a home study course without supervision of a skilled instructor and let you believe you mastered the art? Or, did he write a book introducing karate and some basic moves, in hopes students would have an interest and come to his schools? Probably!

This is the embarrassing side of martial arts and some people in society as a whole that comes out with unscrupulous characters. This is not the kind of martial art I trained under with Soke John B. Burkhardt – Red Belt and the only living Master Instructor under Slomanski.  A person always had respect for anyone who took an art, no matter what style. The teachings and message was reach down and help a fellow student and they should reach out to help you. Out of the media’s and writer’s laziness to search the facts and truth, they destroyed a man’s reputation while he should be on a wall of honor and fame.  Simply put a story of a soldier on foreign ground while serving his country, had his training, knowledge and his writings twisted in wording and stolen of meaning. Was the truth not worthy for the public to read or to write about the real truth. ”The writers and media, no different than today, have all the power. They spend years building up a candidate for a political office only to turn on them and destroy a person while they hold the office. I guess they do not have mirrors in their house. Reporting the truth and finding out the truth from the proper source should be the main goals, but instead unsavory actions won out.


Reumann articles are still all over the Internet decades later with false assumptions and opinions. Scant on facts.  As of today we are still researching for more detail and facts on Wallace Reumann. I guess writers are still having fun with the wrong articles or Reumann’s real intentions? Those who do this should be less narcissistic only wanting to see their name attached to these articles as if they are experts on this man.  Maybe they should all be good people in life and correct some of their clownish stories they have written in the past? Opps, that would embarrass them or they would say it is not news worthy, have the integrity to remove the wrong information.  Let us all see how much integrity they have. Again they control the power with no conscience for truth and facts. I control this article on this site, and if proven that certain facts are wrong I would gladly correct them. I am not attacking any one personally just business practices and ethics. They attacked Reumann as a person and what they believed was his business practice, thus attacking his character. This article is true and honest to the best of our ability and research.  I thirst for more information as to be able to put out the entire true story good or bad, not just the ones that make fun of a great martial artist and soldier.   It is much easier for writers to destroy a man as they hide behind a typewriter or act like catty children whispering stories of a man for their own agenda. Write about the wrong that was done to him with more breath to it.  Let us not misunderstand, a writer only writes a story for recognition and their agenda to slant it in their view or opinion. I have many friends who are award winning journalist. I have heard the stories.  

I guess if you cannot beat him physically you destroy him in the print. Again this is a disgrace.  A husband and wife team, of which Reumann trusted, should have gone to jail for what they did. He signed a contract for $200.00 of which in those times was a ton of money for a soldier. Talk about disgusting!! Frankly the truth does not sell papers and magazines either. Look at today’s news, it has to be horrible, gruesome, or politically bias for it to be printed or aired.  As the marketing world goes, you can be hyped up for the most basic achievements or made a fool of for mistrust  you put in your so called friends. Reumann had no knowledge of  this being done.  The writers out there who have written all the short sighted facts about Reumann and tried to disgrace a United States Soldier while deployed is a horrific part of shady journalism. These are perfect examples of why this Federation is not about commercialism and never has been. We seek the truth to be told and nothing less! Our lineage is filled with detail, great history, and pride! We are decedents directly from the Grand Masters to Slomanski. How many styles can say they are third generation from the Grand Masters and are telling the honest truth in the traditional style? This is not a watered down commercial version that has been changed for the masses. We did not create our own Grand Master. This is where Ruemann comes from as well. The same hard style and techniques that Slomanski beat 119 men with to be the third ranking belt in the world. The lineage stayed true to decorum,customs, and followed Slomanski’s wishes to Soke Burkhardt years ago.


Just as Reumann was duped by two people (Nelson AKA Mitch and Yoshie Fleming, as per the below Reumann article) who marketed their own agenda under his name, the media and the general public were duped as well. The public acted as if they believed that Reumann would sanction these outlandish claims after the training he endured and his teachings from Slomanski.  The truth lies with Reumann’s students and fellow Master Instructors. They knew his abilities, intentions, and that marketing of this kind was a dishonor to not only the old style of karate under Commissioner Slomanski. but to their teachings as well.  This would have also been inexcusable to a Command Sgt. Major named Henry Slomanski.  Yes one in the same. From soldier to soldier, from Master to student, it was disrespectful if done knowingly. This couple got away with it because of Reumann’s service abroad, because once it was published in the mass media it is hard to rescind and promote the truth. In fact, it is said that part of the contract forbid Reumann to stop its progression. It is sad he could not refute it because it flourished around the world as if he was a clown who embellished facts and was a disloyal student. This page is defending a man we never knew. We know the decorum and customs of this training and some of it’s Master Instructors under Slomanski. We know what Reumann endured was wrong because he was a victim of the scam just like the public was. Therefore, this style of training, Commissioner Slomanski or anyone who trained under Slomanski is not to be made a fool of including Wallace W. Reumann. Changing the words “Simple Karate” to “Super Karate” is a far cry from what his intentions were. Yes, he did market his dojo’s. There is no crime in this although not what Slomanski stood for. If Slomanski was about commercialization, let us think about his student Elvis Presley. He could have joined teams with Elvis as others did and made millions by advertising his win in the Lame and Kill Matches and used the Elvis name and his money. 

The second major personal violation to Reumann was another one of his students. This student was James Cheatham. When Reumann went back in the service he turned over the reins to Cheatham; from the research we have done. If any of the facts are incorrect I will be glad to change them upon being proven they are incorrect. Cheatham chose to teach a militant group known as the Black Panthers. This was a total affront to Reumann, Slomanski, Sauer and Burkhardt who were all military men and who all fought for their lives in combat for this country. Brave men and women are what gives the media the right to freedom of speech; what men and women fought and continue to fight for. This is a gut wrenching thought to me as a Master Instructor. When a student who you trusted and trained turns against your teachings.  Did Wallace Reumann make public of Cheatham’s betrayal?  No, he handled it like a soldier and took care of business himself  and dealt with the hurt inside.  Many have told us Reumann totally banned Cheatham and no longer recognized his belt or his student’s belts. I guess Reumann treated Cheatham with more respect than he showed Reumann in later years.  It still goes on today, there are students who have disagreed with their teachings, their Masters or the structure of their Federation.  It seems a rank can go to some people’s head especially if they were not given the proper authority to start their own style.  They are like vigilantes and do things unilaterally, feeling they have the self appointed qualification to rename a style and go on their own as a Master 10th degree. All the while teaching what their Master’s taught them and made them. They go against  their Master’s wishes and rules that were set forth, to create their own styles. Yet for commercial purposes they wish to hold onto the fact they trained under a notable Master utilizing his name and photos in order to boost membership and their bank account.  Some have went as far as renaming a style they took until they became a lower to middle ranked belt and made themselves a 10th degree under the new name. This is the commercial end of karate, which Slomanski would not condone. I would suggest once you create your own style without adhering to the decorum and customs of the main Federation any belt that was awarded by you should not be recognized.  Your knowledge cannot be taken away, but the main Federation should no longer recognize your belts for dishonoring the rules and regulations of the Grand Master that you brag you trained under.  One should lead by example, should their students go off on their own and create another style as their master did?  Their intent . . . make money not honor their Master and his teachings! I wonder if they would like to re-write the bible their own way? They can tell the story the way they wish, leave out the critical people and parts and make themselves Jesus or God himself or what ever faith you have and believe in. It can be in any religion one believes in and sell all kinds of books. We all know the Bible is the most sold book ever, the authors and people are dead as well.  Yet, after all these years we still have people following the Holy Book every week in churches and society acting by the golden rule for the most part. 

READ BELOW THE LETTER WRITTEN TO BLACK BELT MAGAZINE  FROM MASTER Reumann.
– written from a humble embarrassed  martial artist and soldier, who was defrauded by people he trusted and had faith in.

Duped For Two Hundred Dollars As The World Watched

“Duped for two – hundred dollars, as the world watched. All the while laughing at years of fraud committed by others about a martial artist who trained under Commissioner Henry Slomanski. He was a career American soldier too. No one had the character to correct it and do the right story . . .  Except Black Belt Magazine. They published a letter to the editor in MARCH 1965, no one else cared to do anything but ridicule.”


Soke John B. Burkhardt Mugoi Gijutsu Karate Do.

**** Special Note: We would like to thank Wallace’s daughter, Janet Reumann-Gaspar, for her generosity in helping our endeavors to honor a great martial artist.  We are deeply grateful to Janet for this help.