History of AOKK Isshin ryu Karate and Grappling
A Short History
The Ryukyu Islands were strategically located between Japan and China. This placement made the Islands a buffer between the region’s two superpowers. Being in the eye of the hurricane, would greatly impact the development of Okinawan martial arts. Okinawa is the largest of these Islands, so China sent diplomats and established trade. If an attack was to be launched by the Japanese against China, Okinawa would be an ideal staging area. Japan knew Okinawa was ideal for staging an invasion by China. China sent diplomats, Japan on the other hand sent the conquering armies of the Satsuma clan. Oddly it was the diplomacy of the Chinese and the conquest of the Japanese that would be the impetus that drove the evolution of karate.
Karate’s origins are an enigma, but it is generally believed that karate was influenced by Gung-fu or Kung-fu and coupled with the indigenous fighting art of Te (hand). Which owuld later be called Tode. Kung-fu loosely translates as hard work. Kung-fu, as legend has it, started in the Buddhist temples of China but it most likely was developed by soldiers, palace guards, and law enforcement where self-defense was a necessary tool of their trade. Kung-fu was also developed by individual families. Diplomats from China were the first to demonstrate this flowing empty hand martial art on Okinawa. Later, when young men were sent to China to be educated, they too were trained in the martial arts along with the Chinese classics. They often would bring these Chinese fighting arts back to their country of origin and mix them with the indigenous styles of fighting. Though karate’s origin is a puzzle, we do have a good idea of how it developed. Karate was birthed on Okinawa.
The origins of Te are unclear. This system was crude in comparison with the Chinese arts, but when they were combined karate was born and it became a powerful system of self-defense. Not only was Te influenced by Chinese martial arts, but it also evolved differently in the different locations on Okinawa. Three main styles of karate emerged on Okinawa, and these were Naha-Te, Tomari-Te, and Shuri-Te. Tomari-Te makes use of light and quick movements, and combinations of techniques (Sells, 2000). Tomari-Te, it is believed, comes from a mixture of northern and southern styles of Kung-fu. Naha-Te allegedly came from the Fujian Shaolin fighting arts of China and was brought back by residents of the Naha area (Sells 200). The most influential area was Shuri. Shuri was the seat of government. It was also the home of Bushi Matsumura. The karate he taught would become Shorin Ryu. Shorin is the Okinawan pronunciation of Shaolin as a tip of the hat to where it possible originated. Karate would grow and evolve in these three hot beds of activity. Tomari-Te was the only system taught with great secrecy, so much of it has been lost. Shuri, Naha, and Tomari transformed Te into karate.
When the Japanese conquered Okinawa, they banned weapons, which forced the residents to refine their empty hand styles of combat and to turn everyday items into weapons. This scientific method of self-defense made controlling the islands difficult. Eventually, practice of the art was outlawed and driven under ground. It was taught in secret until an Okinawan school teacher demonstrated it for the Japanese emperor. After Funakoshi sensei’s demonstration, the Japanese emperor was so impressed he invited Funakoshi to stay in Japan and teach karate. Later, karate would be introduced into the schools’ systems as a form of physical fitness. Anko Itosu sensei would create the basic kata taught in most karate schools today. These kata were originally designed for children, but they created a good method of instruction to develop students of ages. Isshin ryu does not teach these rudimentary kata. Te (karate) and kubudo (weapons) were the only way the people of Okinawa could defend themselves against renegade Samurai and outlaws. Ironically, banning weapons forced the improvement of their empty hand skills creating the refined product we see today. It also created new weapons from simple everyday items.
Okinawan Map of Important Karate Areas
When karate became popular in Japan, its’ name took on a new persona. Even the meaning of the kara characters that make-up the written symbol for karate was affected. The character kara can mean China or empty depending upon the way it is written. Funakoshi sensei is credited with making this change shortly after beginning to teach karate in Japan. The Japanese held the Chinese in disdain. This and the Japanese sense of nationality made empty hand character more palatable for the Japanese student than China hand character. Okinawan karate was less rigid than the art that would eventually develop in Japan. In Okinawa the katas were modified slightly to accommodate a karateka’s physical size and flexibility. If you were very short, your middle block might have the elbow ninety degrees to the ground and your fist above the shoulder line, while a taller student’s block would be a fist and a thumbs distance from the ribs with the fist even with the shoulder line for the same block. This inconsistency was unacceptable to the highly organized Japanese. The Japanese desired a more structured approach and viewed karate as an art form that each student had to duplicate exactly the same. This Japanese influence is very strong in all of the modern versions of Okinawan karate today.
Karate T’ang Te
In the beginning there were no styles of karate. It was the Japanese that desired to name the art that they were diligently training in, so the Okinawan instructors that moved to Japan to teach returned to Okinawa to ask their teachers what the style of their karate was named. This was around the 1930’s, so the karate masters began to name their systems. Shotokan for example was the name of the place where students trained under Funakoshi sensei’s tutelage. He never named his system even though he changed much of it from the way he had learned it when he lived on Okinawa. His students began referring to it as Shotokan or Shoto’s hall. Shoto was Funakoshi’s pseudonym. Today there are more styles than you can count.
Okinawa would once again be conquered by a foreign army and the proliferation of karate would begin again. In 1945 the United States Army and her allies would land on Okinawa. Okinawa’s strategic location would again play a part in the battle for Japan. It is from the chaos of war that karate would begin to spread through out the world. The once cloistered Okinawan culture would be open to the world after the destruction of the Great War. Soldiers would be the first to seek out the karate masters once sought out by the Japanese. These foreign armies would bring karate back to their countrymen.
The United States of America has in many ways influenced the development of karate. Its first involvement was when Commodore Perry forced Japan to open its doors to western trade via American warships. Japan was a closed society, and if a shipwrecked American was found on its’ shores they would be executed. Opening Japan’s borders led to it becoming a superpower in the region. It also led to the westernization of Japan and the Meiji Restoration which signaled the end of the samurai classes. Prior to U.S. pressure to open Japanese borders karate was taught in secret, afterwards it was still banned it could be practiced more openly. Once it was demonstrated for the emperor it became common place. The Meiji restoration banned the top knot or any symbol of the old feudal ways. Master Funakoshi writes in his book Karate Do My Life about his mother’s consternation over the removal of his top knot, so he could become a teacher. Open borders allowed Chinese and Koreans to enter Okinawan ports. It also allowed Okinawans to travel to China. Out of this era of change, karate would grow and flourish. Later, U.S. Marines would take the island of Okinawa in World War Two, and future generations of Marines would bring karate to the United States.
Once karate came to America it was influenced by American boxing and grappling. This change was seen by many karateka, to be a watering down of the traditional martial arts, but others believe it is merely the continued evolution of the art. Master Harold Mitchum was asked at a seminar about American instruction in karate compared to his instruction in Okinawa. He stated that due to the modern school facilities and the American understanding of karate that instruction today was better in many ways than the instruction in Okinawa in the 1950s. Master Mitchum is a traditionalist and does not believe in changing Master Shimabuku’s style.
AOKK Linage
Where it all started:
Tode Sakugawa aka Sakugawa Kanga
Isshin ryu can trace its beginnings back to Tode Sakugawa aka Sakugawa Kanga. He was one of the first Okinawans to blend the Chinese and Okinawan fighting arts. Not only Isshin ryu but many other karate styles began with Sakugawa sensei. Satunuku “Tode” Sakugawa (1733-1855) is considered the real father of karate. Allegedly, he began his training after his father was killed by robbers. He first studied the indigenous fighting arts of Okinawa which is the foundation of karate. He later went to China to learn even more about the martial arts in an effort to make his self-defense more powerful. Without his contribution not only Isshin Ryu but other karate styles would not exist as they do today.
You may be wondering why he received the strange sounding pseudonym “Tode.” In fact, “Tode” Sakugawa’s nickname is an Okinawan reference to his martial arts training or what we call karate today. The “To” refers to China and “de” means hand, so the literal translation would be “China Hand.” Earlier we noted that Gichin Funakoshi changed the translation from “China Hand” to “Empty Hand” to make it more palatable to his nationalist Japanese students. Funakoshi’s change raised some eyebrows from the old guard karate instructors living on Okinawa, but before long it was accepted by the elite karate masters. Sakugawa sensei’s fighting prowess became legendary. Eventually he was asked to teach his fighting art to the palace guards and the military. He also gave instruction to the male heirs of wealthy families. Sakugawa sensei was proud of the origins of his fighting system. He obviously was not troubled by the term China Hand that would become synonymous with his name.
It is believed that Sensei Sakugawa’s first teacher was Takahara pechin. Pechin is a title for a mid level Okinawan samurai. Takahara trained Sakugawa in the indigenous Okinawan fighting arts. There is a belief that Chatan Yara sensei trained Takahara. Supposedly, Chatan Yara sensei was and expert in weapons, so it is not a difficult leap to postulate that he was also an expert in empty hand fighting arts too. Even one of the Isshin Ryu sai katas is named for Chatan Yara. A high level Isshin Ryu instructor once stated that Chatan Yara was the name of a place and not the name of a man. This may have been the place Takahara sensei came from. The important aspect is that Takahara sensei was one of the instructors that trained Sakugawa sensei. Takahara would introduce Sakugawa to one of his most influential Chinese instructors.
Legend has it that Takahara gave Sakugawa permission to train with Kusanku. Kusanku was the legendary Chinese diplomat that was stationed in Okinawa. Sakugawa trained with him for four years while he was on Okinawa, and later he followed him to China and trained for several more years. It was when he returned to Okinawa, from his China trip, that he blended the Chinese and Okinawan arts to create karate. By doing this, he revolutionized Okinawan martial arts. Eventually, he went to work for the king of Okinawa and became a famous teacher of the fighting arts. He received the title satunushi for his efforts. Most importantly he would be the major influence on one of the greatest of karateka of all time Matsumura. Matsumura would carry on the art that Sakugawa created.
Okinawan Class Structure:
Before continuing on with the Isshin Ryu linage it is important to understand the Okinawan class structure before the Japanese occupation. The Takanoya written account, according to Patrick McCarthy’s translation of the Bubishi, delineates the class structure of Okinawa at the time of Sakugawa. He says it was divided into eleven classes: princes, aji, oyakata, pechin, satunushi-pechin, chikudan-pechin, satunushi, saka satunushi, chikudun, chikudun zashiki, and niya. Aji were mostly, but not always, the male offspring of a member of the royal court. Oyakata were upper samurai. Pechin and satunushi pechin were mid level samurai. The niya were the common people.
The pechin were mainly responsible for civil administration and law enforcement. The pechin class was divided into two classes the satunushi and the chikudun. A satunushi came from the gentry while the chikudun came from the common people. The satunushi pechin was broken down even further into separate classes that represented their specific jobs in the government. A member of the satunushi could do anything from recording deaths and births to being a court prosecutor. A chikudan pechin was the group that made the arrests and transported prisoners and generally enforced the law. It was from the satunushi class that Sakagawa would administer until his retirement.
Sokon “Bushi” Matsumura (1797-1889)
Sokon “Bushi” Matsumura (1797-1889) was a student of Sakugawa. He was of the chikudun pechin class of samurai born in Yamagawa village in the Shuri area. Sakugawa spent five years training with Sakugawa and became known for his fighting prowess. In McCarthy’s translation of the Bubishi, he mentions that Matsumura also trained under gong-fu Master Iwah. Matsumura even more refined the fighting arts developed by Sakugawa. Matsumura was also recruited by the King of Okinawa’s family. When he began service to the king, he was promoted to Chikudan Pechin. This is high level rank and would eventually he would become teacher to the royal bodyguards.
Matsumura’s nickname “Bushi” means warrior. Matsumura is believed to be the father of Shorin Ryu Karate. He chose the name Shorin, as legend has it, in reference to the great fighters of the Shaolin Temple in China. It is not know with any absolute certainty that he actually gave Shorin Ryu its name, but what is clear is the influence Matsumura had on not just Shorin Ryu but many other future Ryu as well.
Like everything about Matsumura, we discover that Matsumura was not his real name. Matsumura means, “Pine Village.” His family’s name some believe was Kiyo, but this too is not certain. He married a woman named Yonamine Chiru. She supposedly came from a family of martial artists. Legend has it that she would only marry a man that could defeat her in combat. The legend of Matsumura grows as his tales are told and retold by new generations of karateka. It is sometimes difficult to separate fact from fiction. What is undeniable is the influence, Pine Village, holds over Okinawan Karate yet even today. Matsumura sensei’s life was a true enigma.
He passed on many of the kata practiced today in modern Isshin Ryu and Shorin Ryu. Some of Matsumura’s kata are: Naihanchi, Passai, Seisan, Chinto, Gojushiho, and Kusanku. Several of these kata are taught in Isshin ryu today.
Tatsuo Shimabuku’s Instructors
Chotoku Kyan (1870-1945)
Chotoku Kyan (1870-1945) trained under Sokon Matsumura sensei, Oyadomari sensei, Matsumura Kosaku sensei, Maeda Peichin sensei, Yara Peichin sensei, and Kyan Chofu sensei. Kyan sensei was a small man, but was never defeated in hand-to-hand combat. He utilized every movement to increase the power in his techniques (Shimabukro, 1999). His theory of martial arts was to fight on angles to stay outside the attacker’s power. Believing that knowing your enemy’s strengths and weaknesses enable you to defeat him/her. Kyan demonstrated this when he defeated a Judo instructor in Taiwan. Kyan was in his fifties when this encounter occurred. Knowing the Judo player’s tendencies, he stripped to waist to prevent the Judoka from being able to grab and throw him. He patiently waited for the younger and larger opponent to launch his attack, and as he lunged forward Kyan grabbed him by the face and threw him to the ground and began to pummel the opponent. The opponent gave up and Kyan’s legend grew.
Kyan only weighed one hundred and twenty pounds, so he had to utilize techniques that were quick and on angles. Unlike Motobu, Kyan could not charge forward and use his power to overcome and opponent. He had to be innovative. He used the vertical punch instead of the traditional horizontal twist punch. The vertical punch is faster and does not expose the elbow like the twist punch. He fought on angles staying outside an attacker’s frontal assault. Pivoting off the back foot increases hip rotation; this move increased his punching power, and is an example of the small changes he made to improve his karate. Moving forward and outside an attack reduces the power contained in the strike.
He was born into an affluent family. His father was government official, and his father’s position opened the doors for young Kyan to train with the best martial artists in Okinawa. He is responsible for the creation of all Shorin Ryu systems as well as Isshin Ryu. Robert Trias, father of American karate, credits Kyan as a major influence on his system too. Kyan’s imprint on modern karate cannot be minimized. He died of starvation during the last days of the Second World War, but his legacy lives on.
The kata he taught were: Chinto, Passai Dia, Kusanku, Seisan, Anaku, Gojoshiho, Wanchin, and Wanshu or Wansu. Kata was an integral part of Kyan Sensei’s training of his students. Zenyro Shimabukuro, founder of the Seibukan, best demonstrates Kyan’s original kata. Watching his kata, the Isshin Ryu karateka can see that the katas Tatsuo taught are not changed greatly from the Kyan’s original teachings. Kyan was defiantly a great influence on Tatsuo Shimabukuro.
Choki Motobu (1871 – 1944)
Choki Motobu (1871-1944) trained under Sokon Matsumura, but believed that the only true way to perfect karate was in combat, so he would frequent the entertainment districts in Okinawa and fight anyone that crossed him. He was a strong man that reveled in his physical strength. His introduction to karate came with one of his many fights where he was soundly defeated by a karateka. This defeat sent him in search of a karate master. Matsumura was reluctant to take Motobu as a student because of his pugnacious spirit, but because of his social standing Matsumura could not refuse. He is most famous today for the two kata he used in his training, Naihanchi Shodan and Naihanchin Nidan. Although he did use kata in his training, he believed the only way to hone your karate skills was through kumite (fighting). His peers, like Funakoshi, found him course and held his rough mannerisms in contempt. Motobu was reported to have said, “Funakoshi’s karate was simply dancing.” It didn’t make the relationship between the two better when Funakoshi was given credit for defeating a foreign boxer that Motobu had actually fought. The foreign boxer had beaten all the Judo champions sent against him, and in his arrogance offered to fight anyone in the crowd. Motobu at fifty-two years old answered the challenge. He was instructed that he could only use open-hand techniques, so he hit the boxer square in the face with a palm-heel strike knocking him out (Motobu, 2001). A King magazine article, that would have made Motobu a national hero, was published with Funakoshi’s picture. Karate became an overnight phenomenon, and Funakoshi prospered while Motobu Ryu remained in the shadows. Motobu began teaching in an area Funakoshi though to be part of his domain fanning the flames of discontent. Some believed that Funakoshi, a schoolteacher, was jealous of Motobu’s royal ancestry. The reality was that the two men were complete opposites in all aspect of their lives. Motobu was blunt while Funakoshi was diplomatic. Funakoshi claimed that Motobu was an illiterate, which was not true, and on one encounter Motobu actually threw Funakoshi to the ground. By the end of the Second World War, most of Motobu’s Daidokan dojo karateka were dead, and if it were not for his son Chosei Motobu the ryu could have passed into obscurity (Motobu, 2001). Funakoshi believed that the human being could be made better using karate as a vehicle to that end, while Motobu believed in the purity of karate and the refinement of karate was its own reward.
Motobu Sensei influenced Isshin Ryu by giving it Naihanchin kata. I believe that Motobu’s pugnacious spirit also lives within the Isshin Ryu system, and found willing acceptance by the marines that graced Shimabukuro’s doorway. Motobu may be gone, but his spirit and kata are alive inside Isshin Ryu karate.
Chojun Miyagi (1888 – 1951)
Higonna Sensei who was trained by the Chinese instructor Ryu-Ryu-Ko trained Chojun Miyagi. Tatsuo Shimabukuro trained with Miyagi sensei. Miyagi Sensei was one of the most prominent teachers in all Okinawa. His system is known as Goju Ryu, or hard and soft way. From the Goju Ryu system, Isshin Ryu took the katas Sanchin and Seiuchin. When Tatsuo trained with Miyagi, he was elderly. We don’t know this as fact, but when Miyagi grew older he would watch Sanchin kata from one place in the dojo. Being impolite to turn your back to the Sensei, the kata was modified, so the student stepped backwards thus never turning his/her back to Miyagi. This is the Sanchin taught in Isshin Ryu, so it is not a great leap to believe Miyagi was elderly when Tatsuo Shimabukuro trained with him.
The Chinese version of Sanchin was limited to the size of the room. It was designed to move forward as far as possible, when the class ran out of room the kata would at that point turn and continue. Sanchin was more of a floor exercise than an actual kata. A few Goju Ryu stylists look down upon the version of Sanchin taught in the Isshin Ryu system. They are elitists and believe the Isshin Ryu version denigrates the kata. These myopic instructors will never grow beyond the boundaries set by their own elitist attitudes, and should be pitied. Isshin Ryu’s Sanchin is as viable as any version taught in any system today.
Chojun Miyagi did not believe in the grading of students as we emphasize presently. No one was awarded any black belt grades during his life. After his death, his students then opened schools and put the accepted dan and kyu systems in place. I believe Miyagi though that ranking students would take away from their training for the sheer enjoyment of learning the ancient martial arts. Miyagi Sensei will be remembered as one of the greatest martial artists of all time, and his contribution to Isshin Ryu cannot be understated
These are the kata promoted by Miyagi Chojun are: Sanchin, Seiuchin, Gekisai Dai Ichi, Gekisai Dai Ni, Safia, Shisochin,, Sanseru, Sepai, Kuruaunf, Seisan, Suparimpei, Tensho.
Master Tatsuo Shimabuku (1906 – 1975)
Tatsuo Shimabuku was born in 1906 on Okinawa and died in 1975. Tatsuo Shimabuku was born Shimabukuro Shinkichi, but later changed his name to Tatsuo or dragon boy. He began his study of Okinawan karate at the age of eight. His first sensei (teacher) was his uncle Chan Kamasu. It is alleged that his uncle was a master of Shuri-Te one of the three major regional styles of Okinawa Te, or karate. Later Shimabuku sensei would formally train with Chotoku Kyan around 1920. Chotoku Kyan taught Shorin Ryu and is the father of many of the karate systems taught today. The majority of the empty hand kata taught in Isshin Ryu came from Chotoku Kyan. Shimabuku sensei also trained with Motobu Choki. Motobu and Kyan were both trained by Sokon Matsumura. Motobu sensei was an expert aggressive hardnosed fighter, so he influenced Shimabuku in this arena. The Naihanchin kata taught in the Isshin Ryu system came from Motobu sensei. He believed that all the situational self-defense a karateka (karate student) needed lay hidden in the three Naihanchin kata. The last karate instructor Shimabuku sensei would train with was the famous Chojun Miyagi. Miyagi sensei is the founder of Goju Ryu. Isshin Ryu’s Seiuchin and Sanchin kata came from the Goju Ryu influence. Shimabuku sensei was considered a master of Shorin Ryu and Goju Ryu. Another love of Shimabuku sensei was the weapons of Okinawa, and he was trained by the legendary Moden Yabiku the teacher of Taira Shinken. Isshin Ryu is a well-rounded martial art.
During the Second World War, Shimabuku sensei’s reputation as a karate master was so great that Japanese soldiers sought him out for instruction. Legend has it that they shielded him from conscription, so he could continue to teach his blend of Shorin Ryu and Goju Ryu. When Okinawa was in shambles after the war, Shimabuku sensei returned to farming. Later during the Okinawan occupation, American Marines stationed on the island, would also seek him out for instruction. Some of these marines would later become Isshin Ryu legends. They are Harold Mitchum, Harold Long, Steve Armstrong, Aresenio Arvincula, Harry Smith, and Don Nagle. These American pioneers of Isshin Ryu made it one of the most popular martial arts taught in America. Shimabuku sensei did not limit his teaching to the Americans, he had several Okinawn students as well. His top Okinawan students were Kaneshi Eiko, Kinjo Chinsaku, his son-in-law Angi Uezu , and his son Shimabuku Kichiro. Chinsaku sensei was said to have one of the most powerful side-kicks on Okinawa, but never converted from Shorin Ryu to Isshin Ryu. Isshin Ryu karate is now taught all over the world and this new international generation also becomes students of Shimabuku sensei.
When Master Shimabuku started teaching his brand of Shorin Ryu, he used different names. One was named for Kyan sensei. It was at first called Chan Mighwa-Te or Small Eyed Kyan’s karate. This was in reference to Chotoku Kyan. Kyan’s nickname “Small-Eyed Kyan” was believed to be a reference to his poor eyesight, but in 1954 he changed the name of his system to Isshin Ryu, or “One Heart Way.”
Shorin Ryu was Tatsuo’s original style of karate. The name Shorin was an Okinawan reference to the legendary fighting arts taught in China’s Shaolin temple. At his divergence from Shorin Ryu to Isshin Ryu, a rift was created within his own family that would not be mended until shortly before his death. Karate in Okinawa is a very serious thing. Tatsuo’s younger brother Eizo would continue to teach Shorin Ryu after his brothers break from the system. The majority of Ezio’s early karate training was at the hands of his brother. It was Tatsuo that introduced Ezio to Kyan, Miyagi, and Motobu. Ezio’s Shorin Ryu would be named Shobayashi (Young Forest) Shorin Ryu to distinguish it from other versions of Shorin karate.
Shimabuku sensei changed some of the katas during his tenure, and this caused a lot of controversy at the time. For example, while most systems used the horizontal twist punch, he preferred the vertical punch. This punch was faster, protected the ribs, and removed the exposure of the elbow to joint locks. Still in modern tournaments Isshin Ryu practitioners are questioned about this punch. Oddly enough it was Kyan that taught the traditional punch as being somewhere between the vertical and horizontal position. To change Okinawan karate meant that he had to stand alone and defy convention as well as centuries of history and tradition. This took great courage. Tradition in the Okinawan culture, at this time, was integral to their way of life. According to Master Harold Mitchum, Isshin Ryu began to gain acceptance when Master John Bartusevics won the first All Okinawan Championship tournament. Today Isshin Ryu is accepted world wide as one of Okinawa’s great styles or karate.
In 1966 Master Shimabuku came to America. While in America he made the famous films that can be seen on U-Tube. He performs the katas very slow, so the students filming the form could more easily see each move within the kata. Many karateka believe the Isshin Ryu forms should be performed as seen on film, but this is not true. Each form should be performed with power and grace as if fighting an opponent within the context of situational self-defense. If kata is not performed as a practice of situational self-defense, it is as Bruce Lee called it “a fancy mess.” Each move within the kata is as important as the kata itself.
Master Don Nagle (1938-2000) American Isshin ryu Roots
Sensei Don Nagle (1938-2000) trained under Tatsuo Shimabuku. Nagle sensei was one of the first Americans Tatsuo promoted to eight-degree black belt. He brought Isshin Ryu to New Jersey, and is considered by many as the father of American Isshin Ryu. Nagle started his training with Shimabuku in 1955. He became the Okinawan karate champion in 1956. He was a former marine and New Jersey police detective (Long, Wheeler, 1981). It is difficult if not impossible to express how much Don Nagle influenced not only Isshin Ryu but also all of American karate. Nagle sensei’s biography is found in the Who’s Who in Isshin Ryu. Master Harold Long and Allen Wheeler sensei compiled list of the most influential men of Isshin Ryu. The most prominent figures were given a small biography. Don Nagle figures prominently in all Isshin Ryu hisotry.
James Chapman (1936-1971)
James Chapman (1936-1971) was trained by Don Nagle. His training under Nagel began in 1958, and within fourteen months achieved the rank of Shodan. Chapman sensie opened his first dojo in Aurora Illinois. He spread karate through out the Illinois and influenced the spread of karate through the Michigan areas. His top student was Doug Noxon. James Chapman Sensei died in an automobile accident while driving to the funeral of his top student Noxon sensei. Some of Chapman sensei’s students were Master Jesse Gallegos, Master Herman Kussro, and Doug Noxon sensei. His students continue to spread Isshin Ryu from coast to coast. The tragedy of his passing was felt by the entire Isshin Ryu community. James Chapman has a special memorial page in Master Harold Long’s Who’s Who in Isshin Ryu. Many Isshin Ryu students have ties to James Chapman.
Doug Noxon (19xx, 1971)
Doug Noxon (19xx, 1971) trained under Chapman sensei. After reaching the rank of Shodan, he moved the Michigan area. Once in Michigan he opened a school and soon Isshin Ryu began to spread through the Michigan area. Noxon sensei is most remembered for his top student Master Willy Adams. He is also remembered, by his students, for his powerful kicks. Douglas Noxon has a special memorial page in Master Harold Long’s Who’s Who in Isshin Ryu.
Hanshi Jesse Gallegos (1925-1995)
Hanshi Jesse Gallegos (1925-1995) was trained by James Chapman and Don Noxon. After the tragic deaths of Chapman sensei and Noxon sensei, Jesse and Jane Gallegos along with Herman Kussro formed the American Okinawan Karate Associates. Later, Jesse and Jane would be instrumental in gathering together martial artists from the Chicago area to form the International Council of Black Belts to promote the martial arts in the Chicago area. Mr. Gallegos was synonymous with karate in Aurora Illinois and is fondly remembered by his associates and students. Gallegos sensei was as unique as the belt he wore. He did not wear the traditional red belt of the 9th dan, but instead wore a white belt with one solid red stripe around its circumference. Jesse Gallegos once said,” We should use karate to build people up and not to tear them down.” Gallegos sensei is noted in the Who’s Who in Isshin Ryu, and would have been give a biography, but the information was not received before publication.
Master Charles “Chuck” Baehr (1959- 2011)
Sensei Baehr began training in Tang-Soo-Do in 1974. While attending college, Mr. Baehr co-taught karate with fellow students. His instructors were Sabum Alan Vidas and Jan Eggum. He achieved his rank under their tutelage. This training influenced Mr. Baehr in a very personal way, and he helped found a Tang-Soo-Do organization in Illinois. Master Baehr truly loved the Korean martial arts.
Master Baehr sat on many black belt panels, and it was while sitting on one of these panels that he first met Master Gallegos. After his Korean instructors dissolved their school, he became not only a student of but a close friend of Master Gallegos. Master Baehr was so impressed with Gallegos sensei that it fed his desire to study Isshin-ryu. Master Gallegos passed away in 1995. Baehr sensei was promoted to 6th Dan before Jesse Gallegos sensei’s death. Until Mater Baehr’s death, he maintained contact with Master Jane Gallegos (Jesse’s widow), and although he lived in Arizona, he spoke with her often. In 2009 Master Jane Gallegos and Master Ron Troutman promoted Baehr sensei to 8th Dan in Isshin Ryu through the International Black Belt Council. Master Baehr was also recognized as an 8th dan, in Isshin-ryu, by the United Black Belt Council. In 2007 Baehr sensei and Spencer sensei cofounded the American Okinawan Karate Kobudo organization for the promotion of Isshin ryu karate and Okinawan weapons instruction.
Baehr sensei also had the good fortune to be trained in Northern Shaolin Long Fist, Tai Chi, with some Pa Kua and Chinese Weapons. His instructor in the Chinese arts was Master Wei Chen Ni. Baehr sensei once said, “Wei Chen was easily the most knowledgeable, humble, and skilled martial artist I’ve ever met.” It was this training that effected the way we performed the Okinawan weapons kata found in Isshin ryu. Master Baehr believed the kata should be less static and more flowing like the weapons forms of Chinese martial arts.
Mr. Baehr was married to his Dorothy wife for over twenty years. Master Baehr passed away in 2011. He is greatly missed by his friends and students.
Sensei Gary Spencer (1954 – )
Sensei Spencer began his training as a child with his father. His dad trained in Judo and also boxed while in the Navy. He passed these skills down to his son. In 1974 Spencer sensei began training in Tae-Kwon-Do, but he was not a serious practitioner until he began training in 1978 under Wayne Smith a Shotokan instructor. Spencer sensei lived in a rural area, so karate instructors moved in and then moved away as their life dictates changed. This was a frustrating time. Sensei Spencer trained in multitude of different disciplines from 1978 to 1981. This was good in that it gave him a broad sampling of Japanese, Okinawan, and Korean martial arts. To get training he would drive fifty miles one way to a larger town just to get instruction. This went on for about six years.
Spencer sensei began training with Sabum Jeff Hurst in Tae-Kwon-Do/ Moo-Duk-Kwan. Mr. Hurst was a psychologist and still lives in the town where he taught so long ago. Mr. Hurst was the first instructor that Mr. Spencer was able to train with for an extended period of time. Eventually, it was Spencer sensei’s turn to move away. He moved to Phoenix for better job opportunities and a chance to further his education. When he left Sabum Hurst, in 1985, he had attained the rank of 2nd degree black belt.
When Sensei Spencer moved to Phoenix, he began training in Isshin Ryu karate with his first Isshin ryu karate instructor. While under his tutelage, he trained in traditional Isshin ryu karate, kickboxing, jujitsu, and weapons which were all parts of his first instructor’s theory of the multiple ranges of combat. In 1994 he was promoted to 4th degree black belt in Isshin ryu. Spencer sensei and his first instructor parted ways in 1995. The separation was amicable and in the best interests of both parties. This training set the foundation for what is taught in the AOKK today. Sensei Spencer continued his training and teaching students privately at his home until he began publicly teaching again at the First Southern Baptist Church in 2005.
In 2006 he met Charles Baehr a 6th Dan in Isshin Ryu. Master Baehr saw the school’s advertisement on one of the student’s shirts and came to investigate the classes’ integrity. After talking and training with sensei Spencer, Sensei Baehr joined the school and in 2007 began working with sensei Spencer to organize the American Okinawan Karate Kobudo Organization (AOKK.) Sensei Beahr’s Isshin Ryu instructor was the highly respected Master Jesse Gallegos 10th Dan. In 2008 Baehr sensei lobbied Master Jane Gallegos to promote Spencer sensei. In February of 2009 Master Jane Gallegos and Master Ron Troutman, the leadership of the International Council of Black Belts, promoted Spencer sensei to 6th Dan. In 2014 Spencer sensei and Beasley sensei were promoted to seventh-dan by the United Black Belt Council.
Sensei Spencer was awarded a Master Instructors License by the American Grappling Association. This organization was disbanded in 1996. Sensei Bernie Alguire awarded Sensei Spencer the rank of sixth-dan in jujitsu in 2012. The study of jujitsu is integral to training in the AOKK and to understanding the bunkai of our kata.
Sensei Spencer is a member of American Grappling Association (AGA), United States Karate Alliance (USKA), International Tae Kwon do Federation (ITKF) United Black Belt Council (UBBC), American Okinawan Karate Kobudo (AOKK), and the Isshin ryu World Karate Association (IWKA)
Master Taria Shinken
Taira Shinken was Shimabuku’s weapons instructor. He was also Kenwa Mubuni’s and many other prominent karate master’s weapons instructors. Shinken sensei is the direct link to our weapons forms. These kata may have been modified by Tatsuo sensei, but they ‘re the core of our weapons training. The major weapons of Isshin ryu are the bo and sai. The minor weapons of Isshin ryu are the tonfa/tuifa and nunchaku. In the AOKK we introduce the student to the katana and tanto. The tanto is reserved for the most trusted of students. Spencer sensei was trained in this weapon by a very dangerous instructor that gained his skill in combat, and that knowledge although preserved is to be passed on selectively.
Master Rick Robinson
Sensei Rick Robinson began his training in Ohio. Isshin Ryu was the first system in which he earned a black belt. Later, he would train with Chuck and Arron Norris and receive his black belt in Tang-Soo-Do. Mr. Robinson was promoted to 5th dan under the AKKA. Mr. Robinson was promoted to 6th dan by Baehr Sensei in 2009. Mr. Robinson was an Executive Board member of the UBBC until it was dissolved. Sense Robinson was a great technician. Each move was strong, focused, and exact. Robinson sensei was Spencer sensei’s first weapons instructor. His influence over the way the AOKK performs their kata cannot be understated.
Master Nick Adler
When Spencer sensei first learned the Isshin-ryu weapons kata they were very static. In the late eighties Nick Adler came to Arizona and modified the way we performed the kata. His interpretation added more movement. He said that fighting with a weapon is not a static exercise because the opponent does not stand in place. They move so the student needs to move also. This was revolutionary and at that point Robinson and Spencer’s Isshin ryu weapons kata changed. Sensei Baehr liked the changes, and they kept them in the AOKK. Sensei Baehr trained in traditional Chinese weapons as well as the Okinawan weapons. He too found the Okinawan kata to be static unlike the flowing movements found in the Chinese arts, so the Alder changes became the foundation for the AOKK forms. Master Baehr also heartily approved Adler sensei performed the kata. Baehr sensei made only slight changes to the way Spencer sensei performed the weapons kata.
Hanshi Adler came to Phoenix in 1986, and at that time he gave a weeklong seminar on the weapons of Isshin Ryu. He was the USKA weapons subject matter expert while Hanshi Robert Trias was still alive. It was through Hanshi Trias that my first Isshin ryu instructor was introduced to Hanshi Adler. His school is located in Smithtown New York. In 1995 Don Nagle Sensei promoted Adler Sensei to Kudan 9th degree black belt. Adler sensei’s biography is also found in the Who’s Who in Isshin Ryu.
Master Norman Beasley
In the AOKK we teach a rudimentary understanding of the katana. This was the most effective weapon of its’ time. It was this weapon that the Okinawans would face in mortal combat. When the Satsuma clan outlawed weapons on Okinawa, the people were defenseless, so to protect themselves from outlaws they developed the traditional weapons we study today. To confront a wayward samurai was certain death unless you had some means of defense. In the AOKK we believe that the student should have an understanding of how to wield this blade so that they can better defend it. Sokon Matsumura sensei was trained with this blade. Norman Beasley is our technical expert in this area. His studies of Shinkendo are the foundation of the AOKK training.
Sensei Norman Beasley was born in Chicago Illinois. Beasley became president of the American Karate Kickboxing Association in 2001. His present rank is 7th degree black belt. Training, for Beasley sensei, began in 1974. In 1977 he heard about a great martial arts instructor and began training with Roland Rose sensei in Isshin Ryu Karate. He spent the next thirty years perfecting the ways of Tatsuo Shimabuku. Beasley sensei has an extensive martial arts background having studied various disciplines including Judo, Shito-ryu, Shorin-ryu, Wing Chun Kung Fu, Aikido, Tae Kwon Do, Shinkendo, and traditional Okinawan Weapons. Mr. Beasley has been teaching the martial arts since 1982.
Mr. Beasley was promoted to 6th dan by Baehr Sensei in 2009. He was also the president of the United Black Belt Council. Mr. Beasley and Mr. Spencer both trained under sensei Spencer’s first Isshin ryu instructor for over a decade. It was from Beasley sensei that AOKK has the bo kata Sunokaki-no-kun. This is the first weapons kata taught to kyu ranked students to prepare them to learn the more difficult forms as they advance in rank.
Master Bernie Alguire
In the beginning grappling and karate were not separate. Spencer sensei was taught grappling as part of his normal curriculum. Without understanding locks, chokes, and throws you cannot fully grasp the bunkai of your kata. A great portion of the forms, taught in Isshin ryu, contains grappling techniques, so jujitsu is a staple of the AOKK’s students’ training.
Alguire sensei holds high black belt ranks in Judo, Jujitsu, Japanese Karate, and Korean Karate. He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army. His service was with Special Forces. He served in Vietnam, Kosovo, Panama, El Salvador, and Desert Storm. His martial arts experience is long and prestigious. His last job was as a police officer before going into permanent retirement. He now serves as a technical expert in judo and jujitsu for the AOKK. He was also awarded a Master Instructor Certificate from the AOKK in 2021. Master Alguire is the go to guy when we have question on a judo or jujitsu technique. He is the AOKK’s technical expert. His vast knowledge is greatly appreciated.
Sensei Frank Dickson 5th Dan
The senior jujitsu instructor in the AOKK is Frank Dickson. Dickson sensei holds a third-degree black belt in traditional jujitsu. He also holds a Senior Grappling Instructor Certificate from the AOKK. Mr. Dickson has also earned a fifth-degree black belt in Isshin-ryu karate. The AOKK philosophy is unique. It blends the traditional jujitsu technique with striking and ground technique. Dickson sensei is well grounded in the theory of fighting in the three ranges of personal combat. Mr. Dickson believes a fighter must fight like the third monkey trying to board Noah’s ark. His training is less sport and more self-defense. He has created a group within the AOKK called Third Monkey Jujitsu.
The AOKK believes that a student must be able to fight in all ranges of personal combat to be effective. It also teaches not to fight in the opponent’s comfort zone. Never grapple with a grappler, box with a boxer, or kick with a kicker. To do this you must be able to fight proficiently in all ranges of combat. This is the core of the AOKK philosophy,