Mr. Otto has been featured on the cover of a multitude of martial arts magazines.
SAINT THOMAS, VIRGIN ISLANDS, March 01, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Jerry Otto has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Mr. Otto is a martial arts grandmaster and the co-owner of Shen Dragon Karate Dojo in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Originally established in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, in 1981, he spent 10 years in the United States before relocating his dojo to the island of St. Croix in 1991. Having taught students for more than four decades, Mr. Otto provides world-class training via an intense and comprehensive regimen. In 2021, he notably served as an instructor for the global teaching seminar at the World Martial Arts Live Event of the World Kobudo Federation.
Mr. Otto began competing in tournaments during the early 1970s, where his focus resided on fighting and kata skills. He notably competed for the U.S. National Karate Circuit, through which he gained recognition as the only competitor over the age of 35 and won six first place national titles in two years. He competed in more than 10 national tournaments in the North American Sport Karate Association and Professional Karate League, winning 18 First Place Awards and earning top rankings in both the U.S. and Canada. Most auspiciously, Mr. Otto was named as the Undefeated Champion in both divisions in 1989.
Trained in Chinese Martial Arts as a teenager, Mr. Otto resided in Taiwan during the mid-1960s before returning to the U.S., where he continued his training at a Shorin-Ryu-Chinese Kempo School. Years later, in 1989, he studied under the tutelage of Hanshi Tadashi Yamashita, through whom he developed his skills in the Kobayashi Shorinryu Karate System and was ultimately promoted to a Renshi sixth degree blackbelt.
Mr. Otto has been featured on the cover of a multitude of martial arts magazines for his contributions to the field of martial arts, including on the front cover of Martial Arts Extraordinaire Magazine in 2021 with an article titled, 'The Art of Survival: How the Shen Dragon Survived Two Cat-5 Hurricanes and One Year of Pandemic Conditions.' He has also garnered recognition in the Sport Karate Museum History Book in 2021 and with a featured biography of the Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Honors in 2022. In 2021, Mr. Otto and his students also produced a four-minute short-action film, "Black Feather," which was directed by William Anthony Torrillo and went on to receive eight Special Awards at the Action on Film Megafest Film Festival in Las Vegas and a Media Award that same year.
Active with the American Martial Arts Alliance Foundation, Mr. Otto served as a member of the board of advisors and ambassador for the Caribbean region since 2018. Recognized with numerous inductions into Halls of Fame and Honors for his contributions to the field of martial arts, he received a Golden Lifetime Achievement Award from the Action Karate Magazine in 2018 and a Joe Lewis Eternal Warrior Award at the Battle of Atlanta 50th Anniversary in 2018. He also won several undefeated U.S. National Karate Kata Champion awards. Crediting much of his success to his tenacity, Mr. Otto is likewise grateful for the many strong relationships he has forged with numerous industry leaders, teachers, and students.
Mr. Otto is a founding member and President of the Virgin Islands Martial Arts Development Association, Inc. (VIMADA) non-profit (501(C)3, whose mission is changing lives through the comprehensive practice and study of the martial arts and to foster the competitive values of the U.S. National Karate Championships, World Class Competition and the Olympic movement for men, women, and children of the U.S Virgin Islands.
About Marquis Who's Who®
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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