Lee “Strings” Murray was one of those kids you would never think of as being a Black Belt. He was extremely quiet, reserved, affable and almost never without a smile on his face. His ego was just not there, as it can be with so many in the martial art world. Let this not be misunderstood, however. Lee’s demeanor was exactly like every martial artist’s should be: graceful, without the hint of arrogance or hardness of personality. Lee Murray was the living epitome of the Kiado-Ryu maxim: “Humility is the highest form of strength.”
Lee Murray was a true Black Belt … and a good one. He got his nickname “Strings” because he was forever walking around with his shoe laces untied. No matter. When it came to putting on the gloves and getting down to business, Strings was right in there, tying up his opponent’s hands with excellent hand and checking skills and confounding them with a rich assortment of kicks.
Perhaps one of Lee Murray’s greatest assets was his support of his peers. Never a jealous bone in his body, Strings was always encouraging his classmates to do their very best, applauding them in their performances and extolling them to greater heights, leaving one to ponder: “Who is the greater among us, the one who excels or the one who encourages others to excel?”