Dr. Moses Powell was born on January 13, 1941 in Norfolk, Virginia to Athenia and Moses Powell. He leaves to mourn his loss and celebrate his life: Gina Barnett, his life partner and his daughters Cheryl, Tina, Kirema and Siddeequah.
Dr.Powell, a 10th degree black belt, has studied martial arts for over 45 years. He is a member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame and the World Karate Hall of fame.
Dr. Powell was the first martial artist invited to demonstrate his skills before the United Nations.
He was the first Black man to instruct the Secret Service and the F.B. I. The Benin Empire of West Africa awarded him the International Benin Award in 1972 for his community work and efforts throughout the world.
Dr. Powell attributed much of his success to his teacher, the late Grand Professor Florendo Vistacion, founder of Vee-Jitsu Ryu.
Tribute to Dr. Moses Powell
He epitomized the warrior within
And sparked the warrior within many
The heart of a giant
Reliant on techniques
That could speak to the strong
As well as the weak
Bringing out their fighter's skills
When they didn't even realize
They had any
A true warrior within
And now his loyal students
Are warriors without his physical presence
Though his essence remains,
Sustained through his legacy
Sanuces Ryu JiuJitsu
"Forget it, if I touch you I got you"
Dr. Moses Powell we love you!
And your blood, sweat and tears
Will not go in vain
Sustained and etched in the mind
And brains of more Masters
Than there is laughter
And after 45 years of paying your dues
There has been no compliment
Not paid to you
The husband, father, brother, teacher and fighter
The lighter side of you might be missed the most
Evoking humor while training soldiers
And demonstrating submission chokes
Ukes honored to be touched by you
Happy to be training in Sanuces Ryu
And though from this physical world
You inevitably had to part,
When there is a meeting
Of the minds in your honor
It will always be Eye to Eye
And Heart to Heart
Julian "TrueLife" Brown
World of Sanuces, Maryland
The measure of a man...a man named Moses Powell
Who was he and how can we measure and honor such greatness
To list all of his accomplishments, honors and awards would be impossible. To say he made a difference would be an understatement. He was a man chosen to be great. What he made of that greatness is what truly separated him from other men. He gave over 50 years of his life to Martial Arts. It was his love and his life and most of all it was what he believed in and trusted. He was a natural teacher. A "let me show you" kind of man. And when he showed you, you knew you had experienced something powerful enough to change lives.
Moses awoke most mornings before sunrise to simply think and evaluate. He was in a constant state of contemplation. He was always thinking of the next thing, always preparing. Moses sacrificed everything when he committed his life to the art. He knew no other way. He offered his knowledge and wisdom to so many and was a mentor and father figure to countless men and women. In his work you will find his passion, his heart, his soul, his spirit, and the very essence of Moses Powell. He enabled the weak and made them strong and capable.
Moses has passed on now, with secrets, untold and wishes not granted. There are things he did and saw that no one will ever know. A real man keeps the burdens of his actions to himself and so he did. And like a man, he died with them. We'll never know how much pain Moses Powell was in at the end. That just wasn't him. He took his suffering with him.
So what can we do for him now in return for the many things he did for all of us?
With your thoughts and your actions, please honor his life and respect him always for his work, his grace, and the gift he gave so many.
MOSES LIVES...PEACE IS UNTO HIM FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER.
It is done.
