IN MEMORY OF: Aaron Banks (August 28, 1930 - May 9, 2013)

Picture copied from Blackbelt Magazine's Facebook page.

On May 9, 2013 (this past Friday), the Martial Arts world has lost a luminary. He was a prolific promoter of the Martial Arts.

Copied from Blackbelt Magazine's Facebook page 2 statuses:

RIP Aaron Banks

In an e-mail, New York City-based karate instructor Paul Mormando, a longtime associate of Aaron Banks, said this about his good friend:

"He was my one and only mentor and the greatest martial arts promoter of his era. I participated in well over 25 Oriental World of Self-Defense shows ... martial arts were his life."

and

RIP
Aaron Banks (1928-2013)

Black Belt just received word that Aaron Banks, a goju-ryu stylist under Peter Urban and a successful East Coast tournament promoter, has passed away. 

Banks, who earned his first black belt in 1962, was perhaps best-known as the creator of the Oriental World of Self-Defense, which he launched in 1966. Subsequent shows took place at Madison Square Garden and other prominent venues, as well as on television.

A tribute to Banks will be published on our website (www.blackbeltmag.com) next week.

My sincerest condolences to the loved ones, students and associates of Great Grandmaster Aaron Banks.



NOTES:

As of this posting, Wiki has not updated their entry on Aaron Banks. Also, Great GM Banks Facebook page lists his birth year as 1930, whereas the Wiki entry has 1928.