{"id":18,"date":"2025-10-17T14:58:48","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T14:58:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.okknoxville.com\/?page_id=18"},"modified":"2026-09-16T17:57:50","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T21:57:50","slug":"meet-the-instructors","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.okknoxville.com\/?page_id=18","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Instructors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Shihan: Sensei Bob Noel, Rokudan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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Bob began his martial arts journey in the fall of 1978 under Sensei Frank Gorman<\/strong> and has trained in Uechi-Ryu Karate-do<\/strong> ever since. Over the years, he trained under and alongside his longtime friend Sensei Bill Meiklejohn<\/strong> and taught at Berkshire Martial Arts Academy under the guidance of Master Bruce Witherell<\/strong>. While continuing his study of Uechi-Ryu with both Master Witherell and Master Meiklejohn, Bob also studied Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and practical self-defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In June 2009, Bob and his wife moved from Massachusetts to Knoxville, Tennessee. With no established Uechi-Ryu dojo nearby, Bob began training outdoors in a local park, practicing hojo undo, kata, and two-person drills. When asked if he would teach, he agreed. What began as training in the park gradually grew into regular classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this period, Bob developed relationships with local Isshin-Ryu<\/strong> instructors and began attending seminars and tournaments while continuing to teach Uechi-Ryu. He also studied Isshin-Ryu weapons kata and pressure-point methods under his friend Master David Rayburn<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2013, Bob formally established his dojo in Knoxville, renting space at Maker’s Ekklesia Dance Studio<\/strong>. That school would become Knoxville Uechi-Ryu Karate School<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bob was awarded the title of Shihan<\/strong> in 2016 and was honored as Black Belt of the Year<\/strong> by the Okinawan Karate-do Union (OKU) in 2017. In 2019, Master Darin Yee, Hanshi, Judan<\/strong>, then President of the International Uechi-Ryu Karate Federation (IUKF), traveled to the Knoxville area to conduct a seminar attended by Bob’s longtime instructor Bruce Witherell, Hanshi, Judan<\/strong>. During the seminar, Bob was awarded his Godan (5th-degree black belt)<\/strong> certificate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Sensei Bob holds the rank of Rokudan (6th-degree black belt)<\/strong> and the title of Renshi<\/strong>. He continues to teach Uechi-Ryu, participate in seminars, and coach students interested in tournament competition. After nearly five decades of training, his commitment remains the same: to preserve the karate he has spent a lifetime studying and share it with the next generation of students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have enjoyed the benefits of Uechi-Ryu Karate for over 45 years and will continue to share the virtues and joy of Uechi-Ryu Karate for as long as possible.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sensei-Dai: David Higgins, Nidan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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David has been training in traditional karate for more than 30 years, beginning his martial arts journey at age 12 in G\u014dj\u016b-Ry\u016b Karate<\/strong> at the Boys & Girls Club in Monticello, Florida. Over the years, he has studied several Okinawan and Japanese martial arts, including Shotokan, Kishaba Juku Sh\u014drin-Ry\u016b, Yamane-Ry\u016b Kobudo, and Uechi-Ry\u016b Karate<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the guidance of Sensei Bill Lucas<\/strong>, David earned his Shodan (1st-degree black belt)<\/strong> in Kishaba Juku after six years of dedicated training. After moving to Knoxville, Tennessee in 2012<\/strong>, After moving to Knoxville, Tennessee in 2012, he continued his martial arts training and joined Knoxville Uechi-Ryu Karate School in 2018, training under Sensei Bob Noel<\/strong>. He earned his Nidan (2nd-degree black belt) in May 2025<\/strong> and currently serves as Sensei-Dai (Assistant Instructor)<\/strong> and leads the school’s Tuesday evening classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David’s approach to teaching emphasizes understanding the principles behind karate rather than simply memorizing techniques<\/strong>. His instruction focuses on strong fundamentals, body mechanics, kata and bunkai, practical application, and helping students understand how the concepts developed through traditional training apply beyond any single technique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside his Uechi-Ryu training, David continues to actively study Kishaba Juku Sh\u014drin-Ry\u016b and Yamane-Ry\u016b Kobudo<\/strong>. His continued study of other Okinawan martial traditions broadens his understanding of movement, body mechanics, and application while keeping Uechi-Ryu at the center of his instruction at Knoxville Uechi-Ryu Karate School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shihan: Sensei Bob Noel, Rokudan Bob began his martial arts journey in the fall of 1978 under Sensei Frank Gorman and has trained in Uechi-Ryu […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_mc_calendar":[],"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-18","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.okknoxville.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.okknoxville.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.okknoxville.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.okknoxville.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.okknoxville.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.okknoxville.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":359,"href":"https:\/\/www.okknoxville.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18\/revisions\/359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.okknoxville.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}