SOKE JOSEPH MILLER

In 1963 at the age of 14, I began my martial arts career. It was at Saint Vincent’s Home for Boys in Brooklyn, New York where I met my Judo instructor Mr. John McGinley. In 1964, I started.

From Spanish Harlem to Japan

My journey in martial arts began in 1963. However, my early beginnings started in 1958 when I was enrolled in Saint Agnes School in Sparkill, New York. I was just nine years old. My mother being who she was, and wanting to ensure my safety by keeping me away from the troublesome streets of New York City, felt it was best for my future, to be at Saint Agnes School. After graduating from there in the 8th grade, I was scheduled to attend St. Vincent’s Home for Boys in Brooklyn, New York. While residing in St. Vincent’s Home, I attended Chelsea Vocational High School in 1963 located in the Manhattan, New York.

During his time, I was introduced to judo by my football coach and John McGinley who also served as my coach in football and baseball at Saint Vincent’s Home. My gym instructor, Doctor Saul Cohe, taught martial arts during gym at Chelsea Vocational High School. I was intrigued by the martial arts and became extremely interested in learning the system of self-defense. I had a conversation with Doctor Saul Cohe telling him that I wanted to learn more about this system of defense. He told me that he was a student himself and was learning at the Yoshitsune Dojo school in Closter, New Jersey. Dr Cohe felt that I should go and visit the dojo school. He gave me clear and specific traveling directions to the Dojo. My parents were more than willing to help with the transportation money.

One Monday evening in 1964 I headed by bus to the Yoshitsune dojo. As I got off the bus, the bus driver directed me to the dojo. I thanked him politely and then proceeded to enter the Dojo. I was confronted by this tall man coming down the steps. I asked if he was the janitor of this facility. With a smirk on his face he answered, “Do I look like a janitor?” With such certainty in my voice, I said, “yes, you do sir.”

The tall looking janitor asked me who I was looking for. I said I was looking for the Shihan of this school. I added that Dr. Saul Cohe who attends this school and is my gym teacher, told me to come here. So, the tall looking Janitor directed me upstairs to where someone would be able to help me. When I reached the top of the stairs, I was met by this beautiful lady who was so kind. She asked me, “how I can help you.” I said, “yes ma'am, I am looking for the Shihan of this school.” She said that the gentleman who just went down the stairs was her husband Soke Michael DePasquale. I foolishly responded, “you mean, the tall man who looks like a janitor, with no hair on his head, is your husband?” She gently responded yes. I said, “oh! I am in trouble.” I explained to her that I asked him was he the janitor. She gave a hearty laugh and said not to worry: I am the boss here at this school, but he is the boss on the mat.

I explained why I had come, and told her I didn’t have a uniform. She gave me one and said it was a gift from them. She directed me to the changing room where I changed into my uniform. She said to quickly head straight to the mat before her husband got there. I had never put on a martial arts uniform. So, when I got to the room, a student in the room came to me and told me I had my uniform put on wrong. He said that my pants were on backwards, as well as my top. So, I quickly made the necessary adjustment.

Suddenly, the whole room was quiet, and someone called everybody to attention: It was the man I thought was the janitor, Shihan / Soke Michael DePasquale. I first met his son, Michael, who was called Mikey. He proceeded to give me some instruction on how to bow to Shihan Michael Senior. Bowing was a tradition in the martial arts. Mikey just looked at me oddly and I felt somewhat self-conscious and nervous. I thought to myself that maybe he didn’t like me because I was the only person of color in the school. I decided to address this with Shihan Michael De Pasquale. I went over to him and said, “excuse me sir, how come there aren’t other black people here.” He said, “there are, and I am looking at him.” I chuckled and said, “right.” “You must be that young kid I saw coming up the steps who called me janitor. That's a big mistake you made and I'm going to make your life a living hell” he said fiercely. I said firmly, “I have no problem with that. Coming from Spanish Harlem I feel I can take anything you give me.” He said, “very well! we shall see.” That was the start of my career with the Yoshitsune Ju Jutsu system with Shihan Michael DePasquale and Mikey. The next day in class Mikey explained that going forward I was to address Michael DePasquale as Soke, because he founded the Yoshitsune system of Ju Jutsu. I told him I would remember that. Mikey and I grew close in our relationship at the Yoshitsune Dojo for the next four years. In the year 1968 I tested for first grade brown belt in Yoshitsune Jujutsu system. And Michael DePasquale junior was promoted to first degree black belt. We both felt an incredible sense of accomplishment.

After graduation in 1968, I decided to enroll into the United States Air Force. I completed my training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio TX. After graduating from basic training, I was allowed to come home for two weeks which I spent with my mother, dad and family. I also visited the home of the DePasquale’s enjoying my time with Soke Michael Sr and Mickey Junior. I did some workouts at the Dojo as well.

The Air Force had notified me in 1969 that I was going to be heading to Japan for the next four years of my military career. At this time, I received top-secret clearance for my next assignment in Misawa Air Force Base located in Misawa Japan. Soke Michael Senior let me know that he would write a recommendation letter to the founder of the Hakkoryu Jujitsu System. Soke Michael studied under Junji Saito a high-ranking Shihan and the Hakkoryu federation of Japan, whose founder was Okuyama Ryuho. His official name was Yoshiji Okuyama. The Office of Special Investigation for the United States Air Force came to see Soke Mike de Pasquale senior to verify who I was. Soke Michael DePasquale was one of my important references. Soke Michael was a former CID officer, Central Intelligence Division of the United States army. According to Mrs. DePasquale, Soke Michael and the CID officer talked for hours that day.

In November, 1972 I finally arrived in Japan. After I got settled at the base, I took a trip to Omiya Japan to meet the founder of the Hakkoryu Jujutsu system. It was a very momentous day to finally meet Okuyama Ryuho. He told me that he received a letter from Shihan Mike DePasquale. He asked me if I was ready to start my journey into the system. Of course, I said yes. While I waited to attend the New School, I made the most of an opportunity on base to teach the Yoshitsune jujutsu system Soke Michael DePasquale Sr taught me.

I soon began my enrollment to the school on weekends. My trips to the Hakkoryu headquarter in Omiya Japan was really hard to accomplish on a weekly basis. I had to take two trains to travel for eight hours to Omiya located in Saitama Japan. I commuted weekly for four years and I only missed one weekend due to being sick with a high fever. In 1973 I was ready to test for Shihan meaning master instructor in the Hakkoryu Jujutsu system. There were fifteen of us throughout Japan who were ready for this important testing. It took two-weeks of intense testing. I was somewhat apprehensive so I called Soke Michael Sr and asked him if I was going to be awarded the rank of Shihan like him. He said that he wrote a letter on my behalf to my teacher of teachers to bring you into the organization so you could train hard to achieve the rank of Shihan. I thanked Shihan Michael for all he had done to support me. I felt such deep love and gratitude. When the testing was done, I was awarded the title of Shihan.

After my tour was up at Misawa air base, I receive orders for Korea. They gave me a two week leave to see my family and friends. I visited friends in Canada and after spending some good quality time with them, I drove to New York to see my mother and dad. That evening I received a call from Canada and was informed that my friend lost cattle and his dogs due to a rabid dog. That same dog who infected those animals, bit me as well. I had to go immediately to the hospital to get a series of vaccination shots. All the details of what they found at the farm in Canada was sent to Mount Sinai Hospital in Harlem where I was being treated. I had to come in three times a day for twelve consecutive days. Theses shots were given in my abdomen and were excruciating and very agonizing. For the next twelve days I underwent this treatment just to discover that the treatment was not working well. If something wasn’t done to remedy the situation, I would suffer death. I had only several more days for the medical team to find an antidote to the specific rabid viral infection. The next day, the CDC in Canada had an experimental vaccine which they said might work. All the people that I came in contact with at the farm had to get the same type of vaccination. The CDC flew the vaccine in to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey and then to Mount Sinai Hospital. The following day I was given the new antidote. By evening the doctors had good news for me. The vaccine was working and I wasn't going to die. Thank God for the Canadian CDC.

As a result of this medical situation, my order to Korea was cancelled and they reassigned me to Montauk Air Force station in the Hamptons, Long Island. I began to conduct Jujitsu demonstrations throughout the high schools in the Hamptons and started to implement my shiatsu at Gurneys health spa in Montauk. Michael Junior, now Nidai Soke Michael DePasquale Junior started to conduct seminars at the Yoshitsune dojo to help keep the dojo from closing. It became very successful and I was so happy to be a part of that venture in support for all that Soke Michael DePasquale Sr had done for me. Nidai Soke Michael junior and I worked closely together in the Hakkoryu system. These were years that I shall always remember. We were reunited to continue to serve others in the martial arts.

It's now 2023 and I have this void in my heart. A place that was filled with Soke Michael Senior, Nidai Soke Michael Junior, Mrs. DePasquale and the rest of the family members. I owe my gratitude to the DePasquale family for all that I learned from Soke Michael DePasquale Senior and Nidai Soke Michael Junior. They poured their lives and their love into me and hundreds more just like me. Soke DePasquale Senior was a GRAND MENTOR IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD. His name will go down in the archives of our hearts and the Martial arts for the impact they had made in my life and that those he touched in his years of study. With Gods help, I will continue to keep teaching the Yoshitsune system in memory of the DePasquale legacy as well as y own system and those other systems which I studied in my 6 decades in the Martial Arts system. Until God calls me home.