Brief history of Sphinx Shoto-kan Karate-do Int'l. (SSKI)

Source: Ben Micu Sensei / Jun Loyola Sensei

Master Eddie V. Rama, now a full-pledged 7th Dan Blackbelt, founded the Black Master Sphinx in Jeddah in 1990, he, being an original 4th Dan Blackbelt in Tacloban's Chapter of the World Sphinx Karate-do, Philippine Chapter headed and founded by Master Jimmy Galez. Sphinx is a form of martial arts employing consolidated styles of Kung-fu such as Tiger Claw, Monkey, Snake and Crane. It has also included in its curriculum, Arnis, which is an original Philippine stick-fighting form of-self-defense.

Master Eddie Rama founded the first Black Master Sphinx-ME Chapter at King Fahad Military Hospital. It eventually expanded and opened other chapters under his supervision in Naval Base Military Hospital, Dallah Group, Sunbulah Food and Pastries, Al Zamil Industries, Al Jomaih Motors, and Saudia Catering, among others.

It was in 1994 that Master Eddie Rama had noted tha martial arts competitions in Jeddah are employing mostly Shotokan and Shorin Ryu styles of karate that he decided to shift from consolidated martial arts to the more popular Shotokan style after undergoing training with Sontokan Karate-do, Phil. Chapter, and adopted the name Association of Sontokan Karate-do International (ASKI). Under ASKI, 3 other branches were added to its roster namely; Bahara Chapter, Xenel Chapter and the Al Aloun Chapter in the Industrial Area.

Under Master Ed Rama's leadership, ASKI (Sontokan) was able to organize the 1st ASKI-APO Invitational Karate Tournament in 1996, however, in the early part of 1997, he migrated to Canada and likewise founded ASKI-Canada Chapter, leaving ASKI-ME under the leadership of several original Sphinx and ASKI Senseis who continued what he had started. From there on, ASKI was able to have its first 3 inter-ASKI tournament and during 2005, ASKI had successfully staged the 2nd ASKI Invitational Karate Tournament and donated the proceeds to the "Bantay Bata 163" in the Philippines.

On March 2006 however, officers and members of the club and with the approval of Master Eddie V. Rama, unanimously voted to revert back to its original name "Sphinx" and added Shoto-kan to its name hence, the emergence of Sphinx Shoto-kan Karate-do International or SSKI-ME.