GRANDMASTER AMEER (ALFRED 4X DENNIS)
09/23/1939 to 08/29/2004

Grandmaster Ameer has been studying and training in the Martial Arts since 1957. He is most noted for studying the Martial Arts style called Kyokushinkai under the great Grandmaster of the Kumite (fighting style), Masutatsu (Mas) Oyama. Mas Oyama is noted for defeating over 50 bulls with his bare hands and is accredited to be one of the originals to introduced Karate to the United States of America in 1952.

Grandmaster Ameer was first introduced to Kyokushinkai in 1957 by one of Mas Oyama's Chief Instructors, while he was in the United States Air Forces stationed in Hawaii. While in Hawaii, he became fascinated with Karate and started his Karate training. In the early 1960's, he went to New York City to one of Mas Oyama's schools under Mas Oyama's top instructors directed by Mrs. Yang to further his Karate training. His prior training while in the United States Air Force and his training in New York earned him his 1^st Dan (Degree) Black Belt from the Kyokushinkai School of New York.  He was asked by the Kyokushinkai Organization of New York to start a school (Do-Jo) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was donated boxes of Karate uniforms from Mrs. Yang, of which Grandmaster Ameer took much pride in and has always kept some of them as memorial history. 

When I use to visit Grandmaster Ameer's home with his lovely wife Luierener and five children, two sons Ali and Rahim, three daughters, Jamilah, Khayriyyah and Malika.  I would always admire all of the certified Black Belt certificates he proudly displayed on his living room wall of his home.  His home was one of very few homes you could visit and witness a wall of wonderful accomplishments. His ranking certificates from the Kyokushinkai School of Karate dated back to the early 1960’s.  Grandmaster Ameer was also one of the very few African-Americans back in the early 1960's who had authentic certificates of ranking from what many call a legitimate oriental Martial Arts Association or school.  He has also studied and earned black belts in many styles such as Judo, Jujutsu, Shotokan and he also trained in Aikido for 2 years in Turnersville, New Jersey.

In 1964 Grandmaster Ameer started his own Karate school called AL'S KARATE CLUB -1964 - 1969 in West Philadelphia. He has taught the Martial Arts in many community centers and Y.M.C.A'S in the Philadelphia and South Jersey areas. He has been known previously as the COMMUNITY STUDIO OF SELF-DEFENSE- 1969 - 1970, AL-ALI-KHAN'S WAY OF SELF-DEFENSE- 1970 - 1971, and also THE SANCHIN SELF-DEFENSE SYSTEM - 1971 - 1975. In 1975 he changed the name of his Karate School to the AMEER'S SELF-DEFENSE SYSTEM.

Grandmaster Ameer was known for doing the great breathing KATA (Form) called the SANCHIN. He never stopped learning, training, sharing and teaching. Grandmaster Ameer also taught us Judo, Jujutsu, Kendo, Kick-Boxing, Security, Military Drill and First Aid. He developed a great number of Master Black Belts and Black Belts who made great accomplishments in the Martial Arts and society.

Since the passing of Grandmaster Ameer (Alfred Dennis) on August 29, 2004, I, Robert H. Dickerson being Grandmaster Ameer's highest ranked Black Belt, owner, chief instructor and Grandmaster of the Universal Pasha Karate School, I will always keep the true legacy and history of Grandmaster Ameer (Alfred Dennis) ALIVE.

These are just a few who received their Black Belts and Master ranking from our great Grandmaster Ameer (Alfred Dennis).

Grandmaster Ameer always stressed safety and respect for all in his Karate schools. HE WAS DEFINITELY A TRUE GRANDMASTER OF THE MARTIAL ARTS.

1957- 1961- U.S. AIR FORCE, Based in Hawaii (Mas Oyama Karate Instructions)

1961- Received his black belt in Kyokushinkai

1961-1964 Mas Oyama Karate under the direction of Mrs. Yang ( New York City)

1961- He join the Nation of Islam (Temple #12) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Alfred 4X Dennis)

1962- Nation of Islam (Temple #12) Philadelphia Martial Arts Instructor & Top Security Officer

1962 - 1975- Professional Security Trainer and security for the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X, Imam Warith Deen Muhammad, Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, Minister Jeremiah Shabazz, Muhammad Ali and many other greats and celebrities.

1964- Received 3^rd Degree Black Belt in Kyokushinkai Karate

1964- Started his own Karate Club in West Philadelphia

1964- 2001- Trained many Pennsylvania and New Jersey Police Officers

1965- Helped train famous boxers, in the development of their inner strength or KI

1967- Earned and received his Black Belt in Shotokan Karate

1968- Taught self-defense class at the Jewish Old Folks Home in Edison, New Jersey with great honors

1968- Earned and received his BLACK BELT MASTER'S DEGREE

1969- 2001- Trained the security for the largest Labor Union in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (LOCAL 332 / Sam Staten)

1971-1974- Chief Karate Demonstration Master for all of Temple #12 / Muslim Bazaars at the Blue Horizon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with the famous MUHAMMAD ALI, MINISTER JEREMIAH SHABAZZ, JOE TEX, DELPHONICS, FIVE STAIR STEPS, KOOL & THE GANG, and many more.

1972- Trained two students who guarded the WHITE HOUSE in Washington, D.C.

1973- Trained the famous boxer Muhammad Ali's wife (Belinda Ali) Karate techniques in Deer Lake, Pennsylvania

1979- Honored for his community service by the Philadelphia Housing Projects for teaching Karate in the Richard Allen projects, Bartram Village, and many other Philadelphia Housing Projects.  Ameer's Self-Defense System (Karate School) at that time was located at 2109 Ridge, Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19121.

1984- Started the Ameer's Self-Defense System in Camden, New Jersey for his student Mr. Robert H. Dickerson's Unity Community Center of S.J. Inc.

1985- He helped his student Mr. Robert H. Dickerson start his own school at the Unity Community Center of S.J. Inc., called the UNIVERSAL PASHA KARATE SCHOOL

1990- Honored at Rutger's University in Camden, New Jersey by 12 of his Master Black Belts and Black Belts and received a GRANDMASTER Plague for his 30 or more years of dedication to the community and the Martial Arts.

1996- Inducted in two prestigious Martial Arts Hall of Fames

1996- On September 7, 1996 Grandmaster Ameer gave out the highest rank of 8^th Degree Black Belt to his student Robert H. Dickerson, for his accomplishments in Camden, N.J. and nationally.

I will always remember the time when my younger brother Warren found Grandmaster Ameer's Karate school on Old York Road in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1971.   My two brothers George and Warren and myself were very excited to hear of this famous Karate Black Belt, whom many called the Black Oyama and some called him Hammer Head for breaking boards and breaks with his head.  As a writer, I always believe that you should honor and recognize those who sacrificed and made things possible for you to achieve great things through their struggles. It was a brother from the Nation of Islam, named Harees Hassan El, who introduced Carl Beaman Sr., to Grandmaster Ameer. My brother Warren met Carl Beaman, and he told my brother Warren how to find Grandmaster Ameer. That was the beginning of the greatest part of my life. My brothers and I trained very hard under Grandmaster Ameer whom at that time we all called Brother Alfred.  I was once told by Grandmaster Early Kelley in 1973 that we were the hardest training brothers he had ever seen in America. Grandmaster Early Kelley and Grandmaster Ameer were both in the United States Armed Forces. Grandmaster Early Kelley would visit many Karate schools all over New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and he would come back to our Karate school in North Philadelphia and remind us of how powerful and hard we were, and especially myself and my two brothers who trained under Grandmaster Ameer.

As I traveled in the early 1970's, I started to witness what Grandmaster Early Kelley saw as he compared us to many Karate schools. We loved training in Karate and Boxing everyday. There were no days off from training. As of today, I try to keep close to the same type of training at my Karate school, called the Universal Pasha Karate School in Camden, New Jersey.

While I was training in Grandmaster Ameer's North Philadelphia Karate School on the corner of 29^th & Poplar Streets in September of 1973, a man came in and watched us train.   There were approximately nine young men including myself training in the school that day.  When the class was over he came to me and said: Brother, there is something about you I like, I want you to meet my daughter, who I later learned was actually his step-daughter. I asked him when do you want me to meet her. He replied that he will get back to me.  I asked him his name and he said Brother Gordon Shabazz, who we later founded that we had the same last name of Dickerson.  We couldn't trace our relationship, but we did learn that both of our Dickerson families in North Philadelphia were from the same areas in Maryland.  After he left, I asked Grandmaster Ameer if he knew Brother Gordon and he said yes. He explain to me that Brother Gordon was a Boxing coach.

Approximately three weeks later, Brother Gordon came back to our Karate school. He watched us train again and after we finish, he asked me was I ready. I said to him yes sir. Brother Gordon explained to me that his daughter is from Philadelphia, but she was at her aunt (Geraldine Guy) and uncle (George Guy's)  home in Willingboro, New Jersey. George Guy was a famous entertainer from Southwest Philadelphia, who was called the man of 1000 voices and one of the nicest men I have ever met.

Bro. Gordon only knew how to get there by following the Willingboro Bus from Broad and Cherry Street in Center City, Philadelphia. At that time I had a 1965 Ford Mustang and he instructed me to follow the Willingboro Bus. I remember stopping every time the bus had to stop. I remember laughing a lot about this situation. I asked Brother Gordon, why he wanted me to meet his daughter. He would skip the subject, but later I learned that she asked him to get her a good brother who trains in boxing and who is serious about life. She said that she was tired of her recent relationships. As we approached the home, I became a little nervous, but when we went in the home, I remember how her cousins, kept coming out to see what I looked like and finally Wanda came out to meet me, and believe me she was very fine and beautiful. For some reason, I did not expect to meet such a fine and beautiful young lady like that. She was 17 years old and her name was Wanda Annette Johnson.

The Martial Arts (Karate) is a way of life. It has a built in mechanism that develops the whole person through body, mind and spirit. This beautiful girl, Wanda Annette Johnson ended up being my wife. I remember the sweet moment of taking her to her 12^th grade prom in May of 1974. I also remember the night, which was Wanda's eighteenth birthday on March 27, 1975, I took her to my Boxing match at the Blue Horizon on Broad Street in Philadelphia. It was the Joe Frazier Silver Gloves Boxing Tournament and I was really happy that night because I won by a first round knockout. Wanda and I got married on September 27, 1975 in North Philadelphia.  We were blessed with four beautiful children, two boys (Jamal and Nasir) and two girls (Atiya and Ayanna),through God's grace and blessings, all of our children have achieved high academic accomplishments as college students, cosmetology graduate, college graduates, school teachers and business managers. I met my wife in the Martial Arts and I promise to prepare a place just like Grandmaster Ameer did for my family and others. The Universal Pasha Karate School has many marriages and families today that happen because of the Karate school.

I promise to keep this story and legacy with updated photos and information. Perhaps, one day I will write my life story.  SCROLL DOWN  to observe some historical photos.

Inspiring words from Brother Harees Hasson El which we will always treasure, respect and follow:
"Strive for ROOT KNOWLEDGE instead of Branch Knowledge"

HOLY BIBLE / Matthew 19

Sincerely,

Brother Sensei Robert H. Dickerson
9^th Degree Grandmaster Black Belt

This photo represents to me (Robert Dickerson) the beginning of my true mission of 
"Children, The Future".   Wanda was still training up to 8 3/4  months of
her pregnancy, carrying our oldest son Jamal P. Dickerson who was born
October 7, 1976

Sensei Robert H. Dickerson                     

This photo taken January 2007
of the Dickerson Family.

Left to Right-
Ayanna, Atiya, Wanda, Robert, Jamal & Nasir

Left to Right-
Atiya, Ayanna, Wanda, Robert, Nasir & Jamal

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