George E. Mattson is a well-known author of martial arts books and the first American to be awarded a black belt in Uechi-Ryū Karate-do.
Almost all of these have been in the United States of America except for the notable exception in 1985 which was held in Okinawa, Japan with virtual every Okinawan Uechi-Ryu Karate-Do master from Okinawa giving seminars and culminating in the participation in the annual All-Okinawa Karate-Do Kumite Championship with all styles of Okinawan Karate competing from all over the world each year.
[9] Tomoyose Ryuko originally taught George E. Mattson as a young American serviceman[10][11] for several hours in the evening after his duties on the military base in Okinawa only training occasionally at the Uechi-Ryu Karate-Do headquarters by Uechi Kanei and his other Master students.
Tomoyose Ryuko had studied previously with the founders of the other two major Okinawan Karate styles before starting lessons with Uechi Kanei finally.
Tomoyose Ryuko therefore has the distinction of being one of the very few that was a student of all three founders of all three of the major styles of Okinawan Karate, Uechi Kanbun, Miyagi Chojun, and Chibana Chosin.