Sempai_Slayton

Mr. Louie Slayton

Sempai

Nidan 2nd . Degree Black Belt

Hikari Ryuza Ryu® - Danzan Ryu Jujutsu

Hikari Ryuza Ryu Do Kan®

Council Member Hikari Ryuza Ryu Yudansha Kai®

Sempai Slayton

I was born April 13, 1941 Ester Sunday in Sacramento California. I am proud to be the 10th generation American (starting 1692 Brookfield Mass.) and the 4th generation Californian (starting in the 1850s).

I went to school in the Sacramento area and was active in sports (football, baseball, basket ball, track and wrestling.) In 1958 I decided that I was hanging out with a wild bunch of guys and it was not the best thing to do. I quite school the day I turned 17 and joined the U.S. Navy.

The Navy provided me a great opportunity. I worked hard at everything the Navy assigned me too and they in turn allowed me to apply for areas that normally would not be available to a high school dropout. Out of boot camp I applied for IC electrician school and received 14 weeks training in electrical and electronics. I graduated 2nd out of 25. In my last week of school they showed use where one of my systems would be located high up on the mast of a ship. The same week they asked for volunteers for submarine service and needless to say that I don't like heights very much so mine was the first hand to go up. Two weeks later I was in submarine school in New London, Conn.

Out of Submarine school I was assigned to the USS Charr SS328 a world war two Guppy Two conversion. The Charr made a West Pac tour going to Japan, Hong Kong and other classified locations. On the way back to the US we arrived in Pearl Harbor and everyone went on liberty except the seaman gang who had to stay aboard and chip and paint. Being the young and foolish quick to get mad individual that I was I would show them and I put in an application for Nuclear Power school. Two weeks later when we arrived in San Diego I had orders to Nuclear Power school in New London. Conn. I spent the next 52 weeks going to school to become a Nuclear Power Plant operator.

When I finished school I was assigned to the USS Permit SSN 594 in new construction at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. I spent the next two years on the Permit playing around in the Pacific Ocean. While I was on the Permit I married my wife Marian who I met in Junior High school. And my son Scott was born a year later.

I requested IC B school in Great Lakes and was promptly shipped off to Great Lakes Illinois for 34 weeks of training in advance electrical and electronics equipment. While at Great Lakes my wife blessed me with our daughter Theresa. When I finished B school and a Chief from the Permit asked me if I would like to go back to the Permit and be in charge of the IC gang. By now I was an IC1 (E6) so I said yes. When I arrived at the Permit the Chief got himself a transfer and I think he planned the whole thing to get off the Permit.

One year later I put in for put in for a transfer to new construction and received orders to the USS James K Polk SSBN 645 at Electric Boat shipyard New London, Conn. I spent the next two years on the Polk Gold crew making one patrol (3 months) in the Atlantic Ocean operating out of Rota Spain and places classified. When I got back to the States my young daughter did not know who I was so I decided that it was time to get out of the Navy and lead a normal life.

We moved back to California and I went to work at Mare Island Naval Shipyard as an electronic mechanic. Other job I held a Mare Island were Electrical Nuclear Inspector and Electronic System Mechanic Nuclear. I worked at Mare Island for 5 years and one day one of my friends that had been laid off called and asked if I would be interested in an Electricians job for the Bureau of Reclamation.

I went for an interview and they offered me a job the same day. I started work for the Bureau at Tracy Field Division as a Power Systems Electrician from 1972 to 1978. During the time I was at Tracy Field Division I lived in Manteca California and I was a Scout Master and Reserve Police officer for the City of Manteca holding the rank of Police Officer, Patrol Sergeant and Patrol Lieutenant. While I was working at Tracy I attended Delta College and received an Associate in Arts Degree graduating with High Honor. I then transferred to New Melones Dam as the Resident Electrician during the construction of the dam and later operations. In 1982 I applied and was selected for the Electrical Foreman's job at Folsom Dam. In 1987 I retired from the Bureau of Reclamation with 30 year service. While at Folsom I joined the Navy Reserves.

I then went to work for University of California at Davis as an Electrical Supervisor advancing to Superintendent, Senior Superintendent, Assistant Director Structural and finally to Director of Facilities in charge of over 650 employees. This included the following departments, Fire, Grounds, Custodial, Maintenance and Agriculture services. I retired after 13 years of service.

My Navy Reserve included SIMA (Ship Intermediate Maintenance Ashore), Concord Naval Weapons Station loading bombs and ammo on ships, Fork Lift instructor at CNWS, Boat Captain Special Boat Unit Eleven, Naval Security Officer Yorktown Virginia. I retired from the Navy with 23 years' service.

I live with my wife Marian whom I met in the 9th grade. We have been married 48 years and live in Nevada City since we retired in 2001. We like to travel in our 5th wheel across this great country of ours. We enjoy our grand children Timothy, Connor and Grace.

Since I retired I have an Electrical Contractor license and work with my son Scott in his General Contractor Business part time.

I have had the honor of studying Hikari Ryuza Ryu Jujutsu® under Grandmaster Crimi since 2002. I originally started with the Nevada County Sheriffs Volunteers self defense classes on Thursdays. In 2006 I decided that I wanted to pursue the path of a black belt in Hikari Ryuza Ryu Jujutsu ®. I enrolled as a full time student attending class at least 5 nights a week. The last year before my Black Belt exam I was studying 4 hours a day 7 days a week. The final exam was one that I will never forget. It did not come easy that is what makes it special and worth doing. I received my Shodan/Black Belt in Hikari Ryuza Ryu Jujutsu ® /Danzan Ryu Jujitsu in January 2008 at the age of 66. You are never too old to learn. The friendship's I have gained are highly valued and will last a life time.

The History of Jujutsu in different forms goes back over 2000 years. We have the honor and privilege of our linage starting with Tanaka Sensei Who taught Master Henry Seishiro Okazaki Yoshin Ryu Jujutsu. Starting in 1924 Professor Okazaki toured Japan and studied many forms and went on to develop Danzan Ryu Jujitsu. One of his students was Professor Estes who taught our teacher Grandmaster Crimi Danzan Ryu Jujitsu and it is the foundation that Grandmaster used to develop Hikari Ryuza Ryu Jujutsu®. When a person makes a decision in life one should look at the past, present and future to determine the correct path to follow. All 3 of these are present in the Dojo. We have our past history to look at and learn from. We have our present teaching and examples to follow. And last but not least we have the future where we want to be and what the world should be like. No matter how small we are we affect everything around us. The high standards and value that are taught at the Dojo is not just Martial Arts but is the values that develop the younger generation. These values I place very high in my own life. It is for that reason I am proud to associate with Hikari Ryuza Ryu Dojo®. We have the world best teacher in Grandmaster Crimi and Professor Geary.

I have had the privilege of being an assistant instructor in Hikari Ryuza Ryu Weaponless Defense® for Law Enforcement. I also have the honor of assisting in instructing on regular bases classes at the Dojo in Penn Valley.