ISSHINRYUS GREATEST GENERATION
Which One Is It?

By Maurice Msarsa
(40+ years Isshinryu)

 

Grandmaster Tatsuo Shimabuku created Isshinryu in the mid 1950's. At thai
moment in time he was the only practitioner of this martial arts style. He, however,
had a dream that Isshinryu will be taught and practiced throughout the world. That
dream lives on. Isshinryu dojos are now located throughout many countries in the
world. We do not know exactly how many Isshinryu practitioners there are. We
venture to say the number exceeds one hundred thousand.

The first generation of Isshinryu karate kas learned the art at Grandmaster's
Shimabuku's Dojo in Okinawa. These individuals held Master Shimabuku in the
highest regard. Some were native Okinawans. Some were U.S. Marines stationed
on the island... mostly Korean War veterans. Many marines studied under Master
Shimabuku. To us in the U.S, the most notable were Harold Long, Harold
Mitchum, Steve Armstrong, and Don Nagle. There are many others. All these
individuals, Okinawans and Marines, are the first Isshinryu generation. As the
cycle of life dictates. Master Shimabuku and some of the first generation leaders
are no longer with us.

Upon their return home to the U.S, most of the first generation black belts started
teaching Isshinryu in such places as their backyards, basements, health clubs, or
small dojos. Karate was not well known. Most of the exposure was on TV or the
movies. There was some mystery about it. Classes were small. Many attended out
of curiosity. The first generation black belts taught it like they learned it. After
some tough workouts many dropped out. Over time, and as people became better
educated about the martial arts, attendance at the dojos grew. Black Belts were
hard to earn. Workouts were very demanding. Some more dropped out. Those that
remained, many of whom are still very active, are the second Isshinryu generation.
Most of these individuals prepared themselves to operate their own dojos by
earning their instructor credentials at their sensei's dojos.

Second-generation black belts operate many of the present dojos. As expected, the
third generation was being born and on its way of occupying a place in the
Isshinryu history books. Some third generation black belts have also opened their
own dojos and have, in some instances, already promoted some to black
belts...thus the birth of the fourth generation. In some locales, the fifth generation
is in the process of being trained by fourth generation black belts. As the martial
arts became more popular, and other styles and disciplines surfaced, many of the
practitioners adopted a cross training regime with Isshinryu as the base to build on.

When we go to tournaments, most of the competitors we see are from the third,
fourth, and fifth generation group. First (if any) and second generation individuals
are usually coordinating or judging.

Is it too early to ask, "Which is the greatest Isshinryu generation?"

The first generation of Long, Mitchum, Armstrong, Nagle, et al, would probably
say the second generation. That is the group that they meticulously taught and
nurtured to make sure that Isshinryu is purely taught as they pass it on to future
generations. Let's not forget that the marines that returned home were young
themselves. Most of their students were men and women of their age group.
During those early years, some strong friendships were forged, and a sense of
brotherhood began to develop between the first and second-generation black belts.

The second generation would probably vote for the first generation as the
"greatest"... they being the foundation that Isshinryu is built on. Without them,
where would we be? Here in the U.S, the first generation faced a lot of hardships in
getting Isshinryu started after their return home. Yet they stuck with it, overcame
financial setbacks, and worked endless hours to keep their dojos operating. How
can we not say that the first generation is the greatest?

Are we making this decision too soon? How about the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and
those future generations that we do not know anything about today? Those
generations have a good opportunity to make their mark on the future of Isshinryu.
Based on where we are today, my vote goes to the first generation.

Isshinryu One Heart