John Pinghero - You will usually find Mr. Pinghero, who started with Master McGrath at the same time as Mr. Klos and where one goes, the other usually shows up for one more fight, “for old times sake.” The matches between Klos and Mr. Pinghero are legendary and will gather a crowd of their peers like fly's to honey, reminiscent of the matches between Master McGrath and his Sensei, Grand Master Don Nagle. Mr. Pinghero is one of the fastest and best balanced fighters Isshin-Ryu has ever turned out, winning hundreds of tournament matches and Kata contests throughout the nation. His reverse wheel kick to the head was a specialty, which felled many opponents near the end of the full contact era, until Master McGrath had to forbid the kick as too dangerous to be used in the dojo. The other students sighed with relief. Recently, Mr. Pinghero has stunned his peers with superlative kata performances and on 4/26/1998, he took first place in kata in the Executive Advanced Benefit Tournament for the American Cancer Society, an annual event that draws the best competitors in eastern United States. A favorite student of Master McGrath, for his accomplishments, despite some bad breaks, including an on the job accident, his latest success as a teacher in Isshin-Ryu and aide to Sensei McGrath, have gained his place in the Don Nagle AOKA Hall of Fame, as well as the esteem in which his peers and his Sensei hold him. As a result of his demonstrated superiority, loyalty to his Sensei and the manner in which his maturity has progressed his technique and teaching capability, without decreasing his drive to win, on March 22, 2002 Grand Master McGrath promoted him to Ku-Dan 9th Degree Black Belt.

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