WHAT IS THE FUTURE of ISSHINRYU?
By Grandmaster Maurice Msarsa

The recent wars in the middle/far east re-introduced us to 
a culture that we knew and heard about, but we did not quite 
understand how it functioned. That culture is TRIBAL MENTALITY… 
the tribal way of living…of believing…of following…of doing things…of 
thinking…of controlling. The tribal way where each tribe has its own 
leader, own rules, own functions, own activities, and own in breeding. 
We are somewhat familiar with the tribal ways from our study of the 
history of the original residents of the Americas …“the Indians”.  

In the USA we tend to be non-tribal. Is it possible for those that are 
non-tribal to adopt and practice tribal culture, and become tribal?

When we first became Isshinryu practitioners there was one Isshinryu 
Grand Master—Tatsuo Shimabuku. In our region in the USA we had 
one Isshinryu master—Harold Long. In the other regions of the USA, 
we recognized three other Isshinryu masters—Armstrong, Mitchum, 
and Nagle. It was accepted that the four masters would have their own 
dojos and own organizations. Yet, we all followed the leadership of 
Master Shimabuku.

Things do change. The longer we learned, practiced, and taught 
Isshinryu; the more   “Isshinryu Masters” we became. Becoming a 
“master” of a craft, a skill, a profession, an art, knowledge, is something 
we earn. Yes, in the last five decades, many of us earned the recognition 
and title, that of  “Master.”

Before Grandmaster Shimabuku passed away in 1975, he named his son 
Kichiro as his heir. Some of the Masters supported his choice.  Many of 
the masters (that always obeyed and supported Grandmaster Shimabuku) 
openly did not support his choice. They felt that a new organization uniting 
Isshinryu, under a different leader than Kichiro, should be formed. Many 
organizations were created. One effort was the creation of the International
Isshinryu Karate Association (IIKA). That organization is now a regional 
one. Another effort to show some unification was through the United Isshinryu 
Council. We do not hear anything from or about the Council. Instead, we saw 
more fragmentation in the Isshinryu family take place. Fragmentation, or 
breaking away, is very common in the martial arts. Through out the history 
of the martial arts we see evidence where Masters broke away from their 
traditional style (or organization) to form their own.  Today we have numerous 
independent Isshinryu organizations headed by numerous Masters and 
Grandmasters. Each organization has its own leader, own rules, own functions, 
own activities, and own in breeding…Sounds Tribal? Maybe… Will Isshinryu 
ever be united under one banner? Probably not…maybe for certain occasions 
and activities…

Enter the Isshinryu Hall of Fame (IHOF) banquet and tournament. For two 
days a year, Isshinryu brothers and sisters seem to be united. They 
(and their families) gather in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to support and enjoy 
the activities of this gathering. IHOF is open to all Isshinryu practitioners. 
That is an event where some of the highest-ranking Isshinryu karate kas 
socialize and work together and enjoy a brotherhood that seems to be 
absent the rest of the year. The IHOF Board of Directors has done a good 
job putting together the two-day program. Sometimes their choices of award 
recipients are questionable. (Note: Events like this take a lot of prep work for 
them to be successful. The IHOF Board delegated this responsibility to the 
Board Chairman. The success of this event depends largely on how good a 
job that person does. From my previous knowledge, I know this requires 
many hours, days, and weeks of work to prepare the necessary paperwork 
and make the proper arrangements. I do not know how much help the 
IHOF Board members give him.) After the two-day event, the Isshinryu 
karate kas head home…and back to their own dojos, associations, and 
activities…independent of what others are doing. Is that good or bad? 
Is it going to affect the future of Isshinryu? With that, the next question is: 

WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF ISSHINRYU?

I believe that, tribal or not…united or not… the future is bright and promising.  
Yesterday’s masters taught their students well. Many of today’s masters are 
well versed in the skills of the art. They are teaching and preparing the young 
karate kas for their future roles. At regional tournaments and shiais we see the 
eager faces of the competitors trying to exhibit their skills and knowledge.  Each 
year at the IHOF banquet and tournament, we see a cross section of old and 
young faces of today’s and tomorrow’s leaders from all over the country…all 
eager to be part of a tradition and an art that needs them. Through all this, new 
friendships are forged…friendships that last a lifetime. For the young, at this 
stage of their involvement in the martial arts, they begin to realize that Isshinryu 
has become a big part of their life. 

ISSHINRYU…ONE HEART