IN MEMORY OF
JOHN LEO RAMELLA III “O-SENSEI”
10/29/1955 - 09/19/2009
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John Ramella was a devoted husband, father, karate instructor, and friend. He was a simple man of great integrity with an enormous love for God, Country and Karate. He proudly served as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne during the Vietnam War, and upon discharge returned to his beloved West Virginia where he opened the Djin-Li Karate Club. O-Sensei dedicated the remainder of his life to teaching others the art of karate to include serving as the Assistant Regional Director of the AAU National Karate Program. O-Sensei was a student of the Shotokai through Reed Richardson Sensei and Shotokan through Tracy Cook Sensei. Following the death of both teachers, O-Sensei affiliated with Donald Madden and the Ko Sutemi Seiei Kan (All American Karate Do Union) where he remained until his passing in 2009. As a competitor, O-Sensei was a consummate fighter obtaining several national championship titles in karate and judo. He also held a position on the United States Judo Team in the late 70s. In 2006, with the support of his wife and a handful of his most loyal students the life's work of O-Sensei materialized into the Djin-Li Karate Do Alliance or (DKA-Shotokan). Today, John Ramella's mark on karate spans the country where the next generation of karate-ka carry on O-Sensei's wish "That we pass along to others that which we were given, and to share the true meaning of karate-do".
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