Larry Edwards, Shihan (Teacher of Teachers)
1959-62: Boxing lessons from father.
1963-66: Boxing with Sonny O’day in basement of Billings Library; Montana Ave, Chuck Trumbo at warehouse,
Minnesota Ave.; Over 40 matches, regional Champion.
1964-65: Wrestling lessons with Fred Brautigan, regional champion.
1958-70: Over 60 street fights.
1966-67: Kodankan Judo, Kyokushin Karate and Aiki-Jujuisu, Tomiki’s Judo Taiso at M.S.U.Blgs. & Y.M.C.A.
with Kyung Ho Min trained by Choi Yeong-eui & Head of Korea Yudo College - Earned 2nd Dan in
Karate- Judo & Aiki-jujuisu.
1967-69: Travel & trained in Japan & Korea.
1968: Kyokushin Kaikan Karate Student. First World TaeKwonDo Full Contact championships; 2nd place.
Judo lessons at Camp Casy, Korea. Earned rank of 3th Dan, Karate Aiki-Jujuisu & Judo.
1968: Provided technical assistance to Dr. Koo Joon Lee, in Kyokushin Karate, (founder of the
World TaeKwonDo Ass.)
1969: Returned to M.S.U., trained with M.S.U.-Blgs. Varsity Wrestling Team, Capt. Varsity Judo team, founded boxing & Martial arts at Boys club.
1969-73: Established 1st Judo, Aiki-Jujuisu & Karate Dojo in Montana. Assisted Jae Ho Park (4th dan Judo)
to organize martial Arts at M.S.U.Blgs- R.M.C.- Y.M.C.A. President of M.S.U.-Blgs. Judo & Karate Club,
Earned rank of 4th Dan in Judo, Aiki-jujuisu and Karate.
1970: Trained at the University of Michigan Olympic training center in Judo while instructing Kyokushin
Karate. Trained in Judo with N.A.N.K.A.Judo Yudanshakai (Southern California Black Belt Association)
1971-72: Instructed Kyuchin Hwang (3th dan judo), Mr. Cho. (3th dan judo) Karlo Fujiwara (4th kyu).
Earned 5th Dan in Judo Aiki-jujuisu and Karate.
1974: Assisted in the immigration of Syung Kyung Lee (5th dan judo, 5rd dan Taekwondo & 4th dan Hapkido) Suk Bung Park (4th dan judo), while obtaining skills of General Byung Jick Ro (Shotokan student, 10th dan Taekwondo). Earned rank of 6th Dan Judo, Karate and Aiki-jujuisu.
1974: Selected to attend Olympic Judo Training Camp in Colorado Springs.
1984: Trained in Aikido, Iaido, Jodo & Bokken with Meik Skoss, Kazuo Chiba, chief instructor at Oxford,England - Sussex University. Earned 7th Dan in Judo, Karate and Aikido.
1984: Trained in Tokyo at Kodokan Judo Dojo, Japan Karate Ass., Hombu Aikido Dojo’s,
Ibaraki Dojo, Kyudo, Iaido, Judo, Karate, Japanese weapons & teaching in Korea, providing Aikido & Iaijodo instruction & technical assistance in Korea to Jae Nam Myoung, World Hap kido Fed. & Korea Yudo College, establishing Aikido & Iaijodo in Korea.
1985: Trained in Japan at Ibaraki Dojo, Kodokan & Kyokushin Kaikan..
1986: Assisted in clearing the immigration of Kazuo Chiba, 8th dan in Aikido to San Diego, Calif.
1990-2000: Private Judo training under Scott Edwards, uchicdeshi of Haroshi Hasegawa
while training in Seido Karate & Katori Shinto Ryu Iaido.
2000: Established 1st Kyudo dojo in Montana after sending Christina Edwards to learn Kyudo & Aikido in Japan.
2003-14: Built 25,000 sq. ft. 5-acre Karate, Judo, Bujutsu, Kendo, Aikido, Kyudo, Iaido, Jodo, Dojo
2014-: Taveling to Japan for Kendo, Iaido, Kyudo & weapon training in the fall of 2014.
The physical training in Iaijo can be strenuous, emphasizing progressive development of strength, flexibility and aerobic capacity. In addition to developing students with the highest level of physical skill, Iaijo aims to develop individuals of the highest moral character.
The best workouts are in daily life, not in the dojo. How a person lives every day in the storms of life, is the test of true fitness. Training hard at life — being fit & tough— has been my best path to success. My father, General Edwards returned from World War 2 to start a family. He trained me as a boxer from a young age of 11, with my older brother Roger as my boxing partner. My father, felt I needed more serious training. From the old Billings Chief Trailer court to a old home on Bench blvd., in the 5th & 6th grade, I worked catching Billings boys & girls sneak in car trunks at the City Vu Drive in while in the day, I worked for my father for ten cents a hour. A year later, I was at the boxing school of sonny Oday in the basement of the city library by the seedy saloons of Minnesota Ave. A short time later, I was shining shoes at all the seedy bars in Billings, two bits a shine & no charge for the education in the streets. I fought in street fights after junior high school in the 7th & 8th grade behind the hamburger stand or in the Ward city parking lot. Our boxing club switched over to a warehouse across the tracks in the skid row of Billings, just north of the cribs. In high school, I got a job at the most popular bar in town, cleaning up the kitchen, preparing food & getting up at 2;30 PM to clean the entire saloon for five dollars a week. I learned how mean people can behave as I burned the point with my 34 ford while dodging fists, baseball bats, clubs & knives pulled out by youth who watched too many John Wayne movies. Fighting in the ring or wrestling on the mat of the high school is easier than in the streets. While I attended Montana State University, Billings in 1967, I worked in the two martial dojo’s in Billings, while producing positive results for the boxing club on Minnesota Ave. I watched in fear as average boys & girls in high school would damage other children in unfair street fights. It reenforced my determination to continue martial training while working in a sign business with my father. At the age of 18, I was drafted out of college & learned much in the army. I endured much hardship and loneliness alone in foxhole listening points on the DMZ, later working with Nuclear guns in heavy artillery. I spent half my nights in the dojos of of Korea. After getting out of the army, the first thing I did was to return to my university studies & Martial art training. I worked in the sign company while going out with my military buddies playing around with the seedy saloons of Billings. I was soon picking up the construction trade with my future father in Law. At the end of the day, sometimes, I would go up to Ted to thank him for letting me work. He would pay me at the end of every week, while often commenting about me not being good enough for his daughter. I never treated him sorely, was grateful to him, & was always polite to him. I never told him how I felt, but inside his words often hurt me, I knew Ted only wanted the best for his oldest girl. I’m a coward at heart. I actually care about what people think about me. I am powerful in daily life because my wife is like a high Montana mountain — peaceful and relaxed. Because a man is always up front and fighting, a woman should always accept him with warmth. No matter what happens, my wife is there, stable, flexible in storms, glowing snow at night and infinite background. Some people forget what is important and keep talking about disappointments. I always find scenes that touch my soul. I cry a lot, I burst into tears often over little things, I hide this because I am very shy. Fighting ways are very primitive, if you understand the world, you can remember what humans are.
Competition with the strong is the destruction of the body and the building of a strong soul. Make it harder, so raise the standard, I will help lift it. Smart people have a sense of whether something is a chance or not. Once you recognize that something is indeed a chance, pursue it. Some can get it, others can’t. Make your best effort and stay in control.
I spanked my children when they clearly disobeyed, however once they understood rules & things, I never spanked or struck them. Parents and teachers are not strict enough. They can’t control themselves. They often push responsibility onto others. Think of this! In Martial ways, it is easy to explain the rules. We tell parents that we are very strict, but it is they who must ultimately show restraint. We cannot beat sense into their kids for them. My daughter’s dreams were to act like their mother, boys talk like their father. A good partnership is about different values, different sense, like when different magnetic poles are attracted to each other. When I’m kicking a heavy bag in the dojo teaching my children Martial Ways as my father taught me, I could sense her looking at me. I hope she felt proud of me, we are good partners. We have been in the dojo together for 44 years pushing & lifting each other.
Iaijo DojoKarate Judo Aikido
2217 Hwy 87E.
Billings, Mt. 59101
Telephone: (406)248-5836
E-mail: edwards@iaijodojo.com