Moses Powell | |
---|---|
Born | Norfolk, Virginia [1] Jan 13, 1941[2] |
Died | January 22, 2005 [3] Ft. Lauderdale Florida[2] |
Other names | Master Musa Muhammad |
Nationality | American |
Style | Vee-Jitsu Te, Modern Ju Jitsu, Sanuces Ryu Jujutsu |
Teacher(s) | Florendo M. Visitacion and Ron Duncan[4] |
Rank | 10th degree black belt[1] |
Years active | 1954– early 2000s |
Notable students | Ron van Clief |
Last updated on: October 2013 |
Moses Powell (1941–2005), also known as Master Musa Muhammad,[5] was an American pioneer of martial arts in the United States.[6][7] He was born in Norfolk Virginia.[1] He held the rank of 10th degree black belt, and was famous for his one finger forward roll.[3] Moses Powell was the first martial artist invited to perform a demonstration in front of the United Nations.[1] One of the first African Americans to instruct the DEA, FBI, and the Secret Service in martial arts.[3] He was also a featured demonstrator New York's World Fair in 1965.[1] Notable for being a black martial artist (of minority ethnicity in the United States), he served as an instructor to movie star Wesley Snipes.[3] He appeared in the documentary, the Warrior Within.,[8] along with Kevin Leon Evans Chuck Norris.[3] He was also the founder of the Sanuces Ryu Jujutsu system.[9]
Moses Powell appeared on the cover of Official Karate Magazine in September 1973, Spring 1982, and February 1976.[10] He was covered in Legends of American Martial Arts (DVD) [11]
Moses was also noted in the book Unlocking The Healing Powers in Your Hands: The 18 Mudra System of Qigong as a master of Jujitsu.[12]