Martial Arts History Museum plans for a 2007 Opening   In 1999, the Martial Arts History Museum project began. First, an official Martial Arts Hall of Fame was created to launch the museum. The museum was a brainchild of kung fu pioneer Michael Matsuda.      "I felt that we were losing our history, our traditions. I felt that the martial arts, which in some cases are thousands of years old, should have a museum to keep our history alive," notes Matsuda. "In the last 50 years, the martial arts has made a dramatic impact on America and the world. Many of our pioneers are still alive, but all will be forgotten if we don't do something to preserve our history."

     Our goal is to create and launch the museum in 2006. We are working closely with the City of Los Angeles to secure a location on Wilshire Blvd., on Museum Row.
    The Martial Arts History Museum is not a "who's who of the martial arts" but it is an accurate accounting of the history of the martial arts and those pioneers who have contributed to the spread of the arts. It will have tons of artifacts including uniforms, weapons, shields, championship belts, trophies, hitting pads, Chinese dragons, drums, utensils, mats, all that is involved in the martial arts. It will also have a variety of section on martial arts in the media, films, cartoons, etc.  In addition, the museum will have a variety of exhibit every few months focusing on kickboxing, Ed Parker's system, the UFC, the tournament champions, etc.
    "The goal of the museum is to focus on the history, but have enough exhibits to include everything about the martial arts so nearly everyone has their artifacts in the museum at one time or another," adds Matsuda.
     One of the main areas is the official Martial Arts Hall of Fame. This will be a huge wall to will be updated each year.  The nominees and inductees are selected by the Hall of Famers themselves in a huge voting process.
    Each year, the museum holds the Hall of Fame Ceremony in Los Angeles as 10 new individuals are inducted into the official Hall of Fame.
     The Martial Arts History Museum is a non-profit organization and all donations and Museum Memberships are tax-deductible.
     We ask for your support in creating the museum by making a donation.

The Plans for the Martial Arts History Museum
   In the entire martial arts community, we don't have one, centralized place where martial artists can gather and call home. We need a home for the martial arts.
             The Martial Arts History Museum is being designed to accommodate the following:
                  1. Museum of the History of the Martial Arts
                  2. Home of the official Hall of Fame
                  3. Special section for Announcements
                  4. Special section for Book Signings
                  5. Area for seminars or new film announcements
                  6. Book store
                  7. Martial Arts Theatre for small group viewing and premieres
                  8. Resource library of information
                  9. Vault for restoration and archiving
                  10. Gathering place for meetings
                  11. Available to accommodate busloads of kids
                  12. Cultural center for understanding of language, traditions, etc.
        The martial arts needs a home and this is the perfect area.
        All artifacts will be on loan in the museum. This allows the museum to change displays periodically.
        Every few months, an area will be designated for a new exhibit. In addition, we will have an area for the press whenever a new film is announced and an item from the film is donated.
        The museum needs to be a functional home for the arts; a place where people of all ages can enjoy and and appreciate the arts for generations to come.  The museum will enlighten the eyes of our children so that they will understand the impact and life-changing events that the martial arts has created.

We want the museum to work. If approached cautiously and slowly, we believe it will. Our current plans are structured within a five-year plan which will be combated in phases. This phases involve the following:

PHASE 1. BREAK GROUND (on paper)
The Martial Arts History Museum was founded by Michael Matsuda in 1999.
The Museum was publicly announced on November 18, 2001 was pronounced
at the 6th Annual Dragonfest Convention.

PHASE 2: ESTABLISH AN INDEPENDENT HALL OF FAME
One of the first and main goals of the Martial Arts History Museum was to establish an honorable and
respectable Hall of Fame.  One that was not associated with any publication, organization or association.  A Hall
of Fame that would pay tribute to the achievements of pioneers, champions, masters and martial arts contributors.
A non-biased Hall that would have martial artists select their inductees rather than non-martial arts editors.
The Martial Arts HALL OF FAME was created in 1999. Inductees are selected by a voting process by martial artists
from all over the world.  In 2005, the voting process will be made by the actual Hall of Fame inductees.
We are glad that the community has embraced the museum's Hall of Fame as
one of the most prestigious and legitimate Hall of Fames.

PHASE 3: CEREMONY
In 2001 the Museum Ceremony began at the Dragonfest Convention.
Inductees were announced and presented on stage.
In 2003, film director Art Camacho assisted in helping establish the first
official Hall of Fame luncheon at the Stardust in Las Vegas.
In 2004, the Museum Ceremony held at the Woodland Hills Hilton to a sold out audience.
In 2005, the biggest Museum Ceremony will take place at the Marriott on
June 25 in Woodland Hills, CA.

PHASE 4: NON-PROFIT LICENSE
The Martial Arts History Museum is not designed to be a profit-making venture. This is going to be a non-profit
organization in which martial artists from all over the world can donate and join. The money donated will be
tax-deductible and the funds will go to creating the podiums for the artifacts, biography plaques, statues,
memorabilia, blow up of photographs, etc.

PHASE 5: MUSEUM EXHIBIT
At the Hilton in Woodland Hills, the first Museum Exhibit was opened with an official
Ribbon Cutting, August 21, 2004.

PHASE 6: MEMBERSHIP & DONATIONS
We are now at stage 6:
The Martial Arts History Museum is now accepting donations. All of which are
tax-deductible.  It is only by your help that a museum for us will succeed. Please donate generously
as we strive for this chance in history.  We ask that you work with us and support us.
We not only ask for donations from the community, but from the pioneers themselves who will
be featured in this museum and the magazines that many of us have posed for and made money for.

PHASE 7: STRUCTURE
The design phase. The Museum has selected designer Richard Wade to assist us in designing the
museum.  Richard's father was the designer of the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles and
the California Hall in the same location. We would like the Martial Arts History Museum
to resemble the California Hall.
 

Contacting Us
If you are interested in investing in the museum, please let us know.
You may email us at info@martialartshistorymuseum.com

Martial Arts History Museum
P.O. Box 800668
Santa Clarita, CA 91380

Note: The name "Martial Arts History Museum" was recorded
on Oct. 29, 1999. The Hall of Fame awards was officially presented during the groundbreaking ceremonies
at Gerald Okamura's 6th Annual Dragonfest. The name of the "Martial Arts History Museum's
MARTIAL ARTS HALL OF FAME" and "Martial Arts History Museum" was established in 1999.
The Name "Martial Arts History Museum" is the official name and Trade Mark of the museum.
The logo and name of the Museum must be used by permission.
The Hall of Fame statue is exclusive to the Martial Arts History Museum and Funakoshi statue
is an exclusive design for the museum.
The Martial Arts History Museum will only recognize the Museum's Hall of Fame as the
official Hall of Fame for the Martial Arts.