Who was Sid Ka'imi Campbell?
Sid Campbell: Warrior, Actor, Author, Artist...
Sid Campbell was a dynamic individual hidden within the casings of a 'good ole boy from Alabama'. If you had just met Sid, without knowing anything about him, you would realize in minutes that he was a genuinely nice person. He would probably have told you a few jokes, chat a bit about what's on your mind, and would then try to get you to go out to dinner at one of his favorite sushi joints. You wouldn't have a clue that he was known to his students as Grand Master Sid Campbell, 10th Dan (degree) black belt in Shorin Ryu Okinawan karate. He might never mention the fact that he received a presidential award from President Jimmy Carter for giving combat troops martial arts training. He might forget to mention that he had been inducted into twenty martial arts Halls of Fame. You probably wouldn't recognize him from the many martial arts movies that he has acted in, or choreographed. Nor would you know that he has authored over fifty books, including martial arts instructional guides, historical references and a five book biography 'The Dragon and the Tiger' on Bruce Lees life during "The Oakland Years" (1962-1965). There'd be no clue that he has met and worked with the likes of Bruce Lee, Bill Wallace and Eric "Little King of Kata" Lee, to name but a few of the martial arts legends he has known. Imagine your surprise when you learned that the man sitting next to you, sipping tea (or maybe the more traditional samurai sake) and sweeping sushi into his mouth like there was no tomorrow, had created over two hundred pieces of Japanese and Hawaiian Warrior Art. Much of Sid's Hawaiian art is currently featured in his historical reference 'Warrior Arts and Weapons of Ancient Hawaii'.
Many considered Sid to be a 'Renaissance man' due to his varied skills and interests: Artist, writer, film producer, promoter, actor, graphic artist, designer, inventor, jewelry maker, educator, historian, lecturer, martial arts grandmaster, scriptwriter and photographer. However, what many find fascinating was that Sid also found time to sleep. Sid's art reflected his love for the lifestyle he had chosen. At the age of 62, Sid had spent his entire life learning, perfecting, researching and teaching martial arts. Sid had always been interested in painting, but fell away from it for a brief time, as other ventures dominated his attention. However, his brief hiatus from art was, in the long run, to his advantage. Sid traveled the world, making new friends and gathering information about his various interests, which included exploring the warrior cultures of the world. Sid approached his research with the same resolve, dedication and respect, that eventually earned him the rank of grandmaster. In Hawaii, the reverence in which Sid approached his research, earned him the name of Ka'imi (Seeker) amongst the Hawaiian people, who adopted him into their culture. Sid's Hawaiian and Japanese Warrior Art is as authentic as can be without actually having lived in the era, that Sid worked so hard to recreate. The armor, weapons and even the manner in which you may see a warrior holding a weapon, are realistically recreated for you on canvas. Sid's Japanese art contains many historical characters, battles and events and in it, he even recreates the ukiyo-e art, the floating world art of Japan. Sid's Hawaiian art was a labor of love. The Bishop Museum was kind enough to allow Sid access to their private archival vaults, where he was allowed to make detailed notes and sketches of preserved clothing, armor and weapons from Hawaii's warrior past. As with any warrior culture, the Hawaiian warriors were brutal, fierce, loyal, proud, while trying to protect and preserve a way of life that was violently disrupted by internal and external forces.
It is not possible to classify Sid's art in any one context. Much of it is historically accurate, down to the crests on the warriors armor, symbolizing the great clans and warlords (daimyo), whose battles shaped the Japan of today. He recreated the ukiyo-e (floating world) wood block art, a traditional form of art that was extremely difficult to craft in ancient times and only marginally easier in today's world. Sid's Hawaiian art is based on the knowledge and lore provided to him by the Hawaiian people. Much of the information was thought to have been lost, but has now been recaptured both in Sid's art, as well as his historical reference on the Hawaiian warrior culture. And of course, Sid has a vivid imagination, so it's no surprise that he took the knowledge he gained and created several fantasy pieces based on the knowledge and history of each culture.
Obviously there is much to know about the man/artist who, in his own manner, has created his own ukiyo-e, as the pieces/people he has shaped, take their place on the canvas that is this world. I have provided, at Sid's request, a number of links below that will guide you to additional information on the man known as Sid Ka'imi Cambell, who also liked to be known, as the Warrior Artist of Dragunshire. Warrior Artworks is not associated with any of these web sites and makes no claim or guarantee as to their content or reliability. The links are provided strictly as a courtesy to Sid Campbell. Please surf with care and always preview any material before allowing children access to it.
Note: If you would like to know more about the history of Sid's Hawaiian art, please feel free to pick up Sid's historical reference 'Warrior Arts and Weapons of Ancient Hawaii'. If you have any questions, concerns, or comments about this bio or site, please feel free to contact Warrior Artworks at admin@warriorartworks.com.
LINKS PROVIDED AT SID'S REQUEST
www.sidcampbell.net - This was Sid's personal martial arts web site and is no longer active due to Sid's death
www.worldgrandmasters.com - This site contains numerous links and articles some of which include the artist
www.rayfordshorinryu.com - This site belongs to one of Sid's graduates and contains photo's and documentation
www.worldblackbelt.com/Founding_Members/Founding_Members.asp - Picture and bio of Sid
www.freewebs.com/sidcampbellart - Sid advertised everywhere he could. His art is still displayed on a number of sites
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/dragun3/index.html - This site is no longer active
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/05/27/EBGIUCSB0G1.DTL - Article from the San Francisco Chronicle on artists book
http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Arts-Weapons-Ancient-Hawaii/dp/1583941606/sr=1-6/qid=1157487701/ref=sr_1_6/102-7629010-1696958?ie=UTF8&s=books - Link to Amazon.com where you can order/purchase 'Warrior Arts and Weapons of Ancient Hawaii'.
www.paladin-press.com - Paperback version of 'Balisong - The Lethal Art of Filipino Knife Fighting' can be purchased here.
