| U.S.A. Goju Organization |
| Sensei Barry M. Macchione |
Sensei Barry M. Macchione
Godan (5TH Degree)
1974 - 1975 Ro’s Tae Kwon Do
1976 - to present U.S.A. GoJu Organization
1982 – Shodan (1ST Degree)
1986 – Nidan (2ND Degree)
1990 – Sandan (3RD Degree)
1992 – Yodan (4TH Degree)
2009 --Godan (5TH Degree)
The beginning of Sensei Barry Macchione’ martial arts study and training began in 1974
under the instruction of Grand Master Hung Woo Ro original founder of Ro’s Tae Kwon
Do School, located in Winter Haven, Florida. Master Ro is also the Founder and
Chairman of the World Martial Arts Foundation and is well known and respected in the
martial arts world. Sensei Macchione, as a beginner, trained for a brief time with Master
Ro, and as Tae Kwon Do has its attributes, Sensei Macchione felt this style of Martial Arts
was not quite what he was looking for and moved on in search of different schools locally
and ended that search with the right Organization in joining Master Liquori’s U.S.A. GoJu
Organization through one of Master Liquori’s Black Belts - Sensei Alan Hardiman,
Shodan. After attaining the level of green belt, Sensei Macchione chose to change
instructors within Master Liquori’s U.S.A. GoJu Organization and traveled south to
Arcadia, FL to train with Sensei Emory Cross, Yodan. After training for six months and
while the training and instruction of Sensei Cross was excellent, disciplined, very intense
and extremely tough; traveling so far every training night proved to be prohibitive; hence,
Sensei Macchione relocated his training in 1977 to Master Liquori’s main school located
at: 2710 South Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando FL, well known as “The Main School”
where he remained until the closing of that school in March 2004 upon Master Liquori’s
retirement.
At present of this writing, Sensei Macchione has spent 32 years training, teaching U.S.A.
GoJu Karate under Master Liquori’s U.S.A. GoJu Karate Organization in the main school
and has operated his own schools in Winter Haven, FL and Dundee, FL and continues to
be active in the organization. Through the main school, Sensei Macchione trained,
studied, and taught under Master Liquori’s tutorage for many years. Master Liquori
always encouraged Sensei Macchione to maintain his own school as well, as Sensei
Liquori believed Sensei Macchione’ true skills were in teaching and passing on the art
and beliefs of Master Liquori and his U.S.A. GoJu Karate Organization. He also assisted
Master Liquori in his full contact Karate training as a sparring partner for WKA World
Champion Michael Bell and Champions Herbie Thompson and Alan Watson of Nisei GoJu
Ryu for several years while simultaneously teaching at his own schools. Sensei
Macchione traveled to the main school every week throughout the years to continue his
training and advance his skills; also encouraging his senior students to join him in training
at the main school to broaden their exposure and advance their own skills as well. Sensei
Macchione has owned, operated and taught at the Winter Haven and Dundee DoJo’s for
18 years and has had the privilege of teaching hundreds of students and had the honor of
several of these students attain various levels of Black Belt ranks under his tutorage.
During this era, he also worked out, trained and generated great rapport with other
organizations such as the Wado Ryu Karate system of Sensei Charles Parrish, Godan
and Sensei Butch Balingit, Godan, both of Lakeland, FL for many years and traveled
abroad assisting in training seminars in Puerto Rico with Sensei Larry L. Mabson,
Shichidan of the U.S.A. GoJu Karate Organization. Sensei Macchione also had the
privilege of working in the P.A.L. boxing gym with the late world class boxing trainer Jackie
Leonard (trainer of Sugar Ray Robinson and early co-trainer of Muhammad Ali “known as
Cassius Clay during that time”) at the P.A.L. gym for many years to train and promote
matches for his kickboxing fighters at that gym.
Sensei Macchione has always instilled in his students that competition was healthy and
as a student of the martial arts, he has competed at all levels of competition (White Belt
through Black Belt ranks) and participated in open tournaments as well as U.S.A. GoJu
Karate Shia and was successful in winning many tournament competitions in weapons,
kumite and kata and continued to participate in such until he achieved the rank of Yodan
(4th Degree) in 1992. Sensei Macchione believes it is incumbent upon the senior ranking
black belts of this organization who have the responsibility of its members to promote high
standards, discipline, respect, honor and personal accountability within. The reputation of
this organization is: of a strong, highly disciplined, and highly respected for its originality,
training and promoting etiquette and is clearly recognized and respected by all other
legitimate martial arts organizations worldwide. It is imperative that we maintain the
importance of our fundamental philosophies that Master Liquori has taught us and is an
unequivocal requirement to pass this on to our students throughout our life’s journey.
Sensei Macchione attributes his discipline, knowledge and life experiences as well as his
ability to teach great students to his beloved instructor, Master William A. Liquori and his
U.S.A. GoJu Karate Organization. It is of great honor to be a member of the U.S.A. GoJu
Karate Organization and without Master Liquori - life as I experience it would be different!
Godan (5TH Degree)
1974 - 1975 Ro’s Tae Kwon Do
1976 - to present U.S.A. GoJu Organization
1982 – Shodan (1ST Degree)
1986 – Nidan (2ND Degree)
1990 – Sandan (3RD Degree)
1992 – Yodan (4TH Degree)
2009 --Godan (5TH Degree)
The beginning of Sensei Barry Macchione’ martial arts study and training began in 1974
under the instruction of Grand Master Hung Woo Ro original founder of Ro’s Tae Kwon
Do School, located in Winter Haven, Florida. Master Ro is also the Founder and
Chairman of the World Martial Arts Foundation and is well known and respected in the
martial arts world. Sensei Macchione, as a beginner, trained for a brief time with Master
Ro, and as Tae Kwon Do has its attributes, Sensei Macchione felt this style of Martial Arts
was not quite what he was looking for and moved on in search of different schools locally
and ended that search with the right Organization in joining Master Liquori’s U.S.A. GoJu
Organization through one of Master Liquori’s Black Belts - Sensei Alan Hardiman,
Shodan. After attaining the level of green belt, Sensei Macchione chose to change
instructors within Master Liquori’s U.S.A. GoJu Organization and traveled south to
Arcadia, FL to train with Sensei Emory Cross, Yodan. After training for six months and
while the training and instruction of Sensei Cross was excellent, disciplined, very intense
and extremely tough; traveling so far every training night proved to be prohibitive; hence,
Sensei Macchione relocated his training in 1977 to Master Liquori’s main school located
at: 2710 South Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando FL, well known as “The Main School”
where he remained until the closing of that school in March 2004 upon Master Liquori’s
retirement.
At present of this writing, Sensei Macchione has spent 32 years training, teaching U.S.A.
GoJu Karate under Master Liquori’s U.S.A. GoJu Karate Organization in the main school
and has operated his own schools in Winter Haven, FL and Dundee, FL and continues to
be active in the organization. Through the main school, Sensei Macchione trained,
studied, and taught under Master Liquori’s tutorage for many years. Master Liquori
always encouraged Sensei Macchione to maintain his own school as well, as Sensei
Liquori believed Sensei Macchione’ true skills were in teaching and passing on the art
and beliefs of Master Liquori and his U.S.A. GoJu Karate Organization. He also assisted
Master Liquori in his full contact Karate training as a sparring partner for WKA World
Champion Michael Bell and Champions Herbie Thompson and Alan Watson of Nisei GoJu
Ryu for several years while simultaneously teaching at his own schools. Sensei
Macchione traveled to the main school every week throughout the years to continue his
training and advance his skills; also encouraging his senior students to join him in training
at the main school to broaden their exposure and advance their own skills as well. Sensei
Macchione has owned, operated and taught at the Winter Haven and Dundee DoJo’s for
18 years and has had the privilege of teaching hundreds of students and had the honor of
several of these students attain various levels of Black Belt ranks under his tutorage.
During this era, he also worked out, trained and generated great rapport with other
organizations such as the Wado Ryu Karate system of Sensei Charles Parrish, Godan
and Sensei Butch Balingit, Godan, both of Lakeland, FL for many years and traveled
abroad assisting in training seminars in Puerto Rico with Sensei Larry L. Mabson,
Shichidan of the U.S.A. GoJu Karate Organization. Sensei Macchione also had the
privilege of working in the P.A.L. boxing gym with the late world class boxing trainer Jackie
Leonard (trainer of Sugar Ray Robinson and early co-trainer of Muhammad Ali “known as
Cassius Clay during that time”) at the P.A.L. gym for many years to train and promote
matches for his kickboxing fighters at that gym.
Sensei Macchione has always instilled in his students that competition was healthy and
as a student of the martial arts, he has competed at all levels of competition (White Belt
through Black Belt ranks) and participated in open tournaments as well as U.S.A. GoJu
Karate Shia and was successful in winning many tournament competitions in weapons,
kumite and kata and continued to participate in such until he achieved the rank of Yodan
(4th Degree) in 1992. Sensei Macchione believes it is incumbent upon the senior ranking
black belts of this organization who have the responsibility of its members to promote high
standards, discipline, respect, honor and personal accountability within. The reputation of
this organization is: of a strong, highly disciplined, and highly respected for its originality,
training and promoting etiquette and is clearly recognized and respected by all other
legitimate martial arts organizations worldwide. It is imperative that we maintain the
importance of our fundamental philosophies that Master Liquori has taught us and is an
unequivocal requirement to pass this on to our students throughout our life’s journey.
Sensei Macchione attributes his discipline, knowledge and life experiences as well as his
ability to teach great students to his beloved instructor, Master William A. Liquori and his
U.S.A. GoJu Karate Organization. It is of great honor to be a member of the U.S.A. GoJu
Karate Organization and without Master Liquori - life as I experience it would be different!
