The martial arts world lost a giant this week.
Shuseki Shihan Rayot Anthony DiFate — 10th degree black belt in World Oyama Karate — passed peacefully, surrounded by family, on Monday, October 12, 2026, in White Plains, New York.
63 Years of the Way
Born in Yonkers, New York, Shihan DiFate's journey began in service. He joined the U.S. Army from 1960 to 1963, serving in Korea with an honorable discharge — and it was in the 101st Airborne Division, training in hand-to-hand combat, that he first put his hands on the martial arts.
Upon his discharge, he joined the Yonkers Police Department in 1966, where he taught self-defense and tactical combat to fellow officers. The department sent him to FBI training school for advanced tactical training, riot control, and hostage negotiation. He retired in 1977 after injuries sustained in the line of duty while working undercover.
But the Way never left him. Shihan DiFate devoted 63 years to martial arts instruction, attaining a 10th Dan in World Oyama Karate, a 1st Dan in Judo, and a 1st Kyu in Aikido. He competed nationally and internationally, carrying the art across borders the way only a true budoka can.
A Warrior's Legacy
Sixty-three years. Think about that. Generations of students. A lifetime spent preserving and passing on an art that demands everything and gives back more. That is what a life in the martial arts looks like when it's lived all the way through.
DAOS Magazine honors the warriors who built the culture we document — and Shuseki Shihan Rayot DiFate built plenty of it.
Visitation is being held Friday, October 16, 2026, from 3:00 to 7:00 PM at Ballard-Durand Funeral & Cremation Services, 2 Maple Ave, White Plains, NY.
Rest in peace, Shihan. Oss.
This tribute was published by DAOS Magazine — deadlyartofsurvival.com — preserving, documenting, and advancing martial arts culture and history.