By TNN Bermuda
The doors of Harto-Ryu Karate Dojo opened quietly on a warm Bermudian afternoon, but what happened inside was anything but ordinary. The air was thick with history, reverence, and purpose as Professor Lemuel Muhammad — a ninth-degree red and white belt in the martial arts — stepped onto the mat.
For Muhammad, this was not a first encounter with Bermuda, but a return nearly 30 years in the making.
“My first time here was about 27, 28 years ago with Dr. Moses Powell,” he reflected, his voice filled with memory. “Now, to be back here, it feels like I’ve come full circle.”
This time, though, the visit carried a mission. Initially, the goal was to help reignite the practice of Sanukis Jiu Jitsu on the island. But upon meeting with Bermuda’s own Kiyoshi Arnold-Allen, Muhammad quickly recognized that the flame was still alive.
“Kiyoshi Arnold-Allen is definitely embodying the spirit of Sanukis,” Muhammad explained. “So now we’ve decided to collaborate — to reinvigorate the spirit of Dr. Moses Powell here on the island and bring Sanukis back in a major, major way, unlike ever before.”
•What is Sanukis?
To the uninitiated, Sanukis may sound like just another martial arts style. But to Muhammad — and to those who have studied its founder — it is something far deeper.
“Sanukis is the martial arts expression of Dr. Moses Powell, who was and is a super master of the martial arts,” he said. “Although it’s been defined as survival through simplicity, Dr. Powell himself is Sanukis, and Sanukis is Dr. Powell.”
Dr. Powell, a legendary figure in martial arts history, first brought Sanukis to Bermuda decades ago, leaving behind a powerful legacy. For Professor Muhammad, honoring that legacy is now a sacred responsibility.
•A Lifetime of Training
At 54 years old — turning so next month, he notes proudly — Professor Muhammad has spent 40 years in martial arts. Thirty of those years were dedicated to the BSK system and Sanukis specifically.
His belt, a striking red and white, symbolizes more than rank. It represents a declaration. Earlier this year, Muhammad formally introduced his own system — Jigokan Jiu Jitsu, meaning self-defense complete. With the blessing of his teacher, Grandmaster Abdulaziz Muhammad, and acknowledgment from grandmasters across the United States, he now carries the mantle of Grandmaster himself.
“This belt represents me as a grandmaster and the head of a system,” he explained. “It’s my expression and continuation of the legacy of Dr. Powell and Sanukis.”
•Martial Arts as a Way of Life
When asked what martial arts has given him, Muhammad’s response was layered with gratitude.
“It saved my life,” he said. “Meeting my teacher put me in a position to grow in the way that I have. This is my career path, but I don’t feel like I work because I love what I do. I live the dream that a lot of martial artists don’t get to live.”
His school, Martial Arts World, is located in Lansing, Illinois. There, students range from four years old to an astonishing 98. From dawn private lessons at 5 a.m. to evening classes, Muhammad describes his schedule as “working eight days a week — by choice.”
•The Connection to Bermuda
What links Martial Arts World in Illinois to Harto-Ryu Dojo in Bermuda is a shared love for Sanukis and for the late Dr. Moses Powell.
“Doc is the glue,” Muhammad said with a smile. “He’s one side of the Oreo cookie, I’m the other side, and Doc is the cream inside. That’s our connection.”
It is a connection that Muhammad sees only deepening in the years ahead.
•Looking Ahead: 2026 and Beyond
While this visit brought three of his students, Muhammad already has his eyes set on the future.
“It is our intention that in 2026, we return to Bermuda with 25 to 50 of my students for a Sanukis international event,” he revealed. “It will be a tournament of epic proportions, God willing.”
For Muhammad, the event would not only honor Dr. Powell’s legacy but also reawaken the energy he once brought to Bermuda.
“As long as God gives us oxygen in our lungs and we live long enough to see the day,” Muhammad said, “we’re coming back.”
From Lansing to Bermuda, from teacher to grandmaster, from legacy to future — Professor Lemuel Muhammad’s journey is proof that the spirit of Sanukis is alive and ready to thrive once more on island soil.
📍 Martial Arts World is located in Lansing, Illinois. For more information, visit martialartsworld.club.
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