SOKE TATSUO SHIMABUKU

On
September 19,1906 a baby boy was born in the village of Chun
to a farming family. He was given the name Chinkichi Shimabuku. Young Shimabuku
grew into a strong lad with a strong desire to learn and achieve. At an early
age, he began to study karate from his uncle lrshu Matsumora (Kamasu Chan), in
the village of Chun. He studied with his uncle for
about ten years.

Around
1926, he began studying with Master Chotoku Kyan in the village of Katena.
Shimabuku looked at Master Kyan as his first formal karate sensei, and
developed and practiced the ki for which Kyan was known. Shimabuku had reached
his full maturity of five feet two inches and about 120 pounds by this time in
his life.

In
the 1930s, Shimabuku studied with Choki Motobu as he continued to study with
Sensei Kyan. With Motobu, he honed his skills in kumite (grappling). Shimabuku
was a farmer and karate teacher during the mid and late 1930s. During the
occupation by the Japanese in the mid to late 30s, Shimabuku, being a
businessman and an opportunist, invested all his money in horses and carts and
was employed by the Japanese military to help build the air strips at Kadena,
Okinawa. With the outbreak of World War II and the bombing and invasion of Okinawa by Allied Forces (U.S. Marines), Shimabuku's
little business was destroyed. During this time he moved north into the
mountainous terrain to escape from the heavily occupied southern territory held
by the Japanese. Here in the north central part of Okinawa, Shimabuku and his
family waited out the battle of Okinawa.

During
the occupation of Okinawa by the Japanese, and
prior to the invasion by

Allied Forces,
Shimabuku taught karate to the officers of the Japanese military. There were
some pictures taken of Shimabuku and his Japanese students during this time,
but Shimabuku destroyed most known pictures during the invasion by Allied
Forces to keep his activities secret.

When
the war was over, Shimabuku did not change his life style much; he kept
farming, as this was the only way to have enough food for his family. As more
and more U.S.
personnel were stationed on the island, Shimabuku quit farming and began
teaching them "Chan MigwhaAe" (forerunner to Isshinryu Karate). The U.S.
Special Services let contracts (about 1956) to many karate instructors on the
island to teach karate to U.S.
servicemen during their time off. Tatsuo Shimabuku was one of these
instructors. He received about $250 a month. During the '50 this was a lot of
money, especially to Okinawans who had struggled to exist during the war.

Shimabuku
was recognized as being proficient in both Shorin-ryu and Goju-ryu. Master
Shimabuku was never a dan in either style because there was no such thing at
the time. In those days there was no formal ranking system, as such, one was
judged as a black belt or a master based on one's actions as viewed by one's
fellow karate-ka.

After
Sensei Kyan's death on September 20,1945, Shimabuku began studying with Master
Chojun Miyagi where he furthered his ki and learned Goju-Ryu katas. He studied
with Miyagi until Miyagi's death on October 8, 1953. It was during this time
that Shimabuku began experimenting with new techniques. He wanted to change the
techniques to be quicker and faster. He used kendo protective equipment during
kumite. This is when he started developing different ways to block and punch.
Shimabuku went on to further his study of weapons with Tirara Shinkenin the
1950s and 1960s.

On
January 14,1954, Tatsuo Shimabuku went to sleep and had a dream. In this dream
he saw a vision of a goddess, half woman and half sea serpent. One of her hands
was raised in a fist, and the other was lowered and open. A dragon was flying
in the gray sky above.

When
Master Shimabuku awoke the next morning, he believed that the dream was
divinely inspired. It was on this day, January 15,1954, (refer to Master Tatsuo
Shimabuku's letter dated February 26,1959 included herein and signed by the
late Master) that he decided to break away from Okinawan traditional styles. He
was to name this new style of Karate - lsshinryu.

This
dream goes back to Master Shimabuku's teaching in Taoism and his changing his
given name from Shinkichi to Tatsuo. Tatsuo means dragon in Japanese. But the
most important thing in Tao teaching is that the dragon symbolizes supreme
wisdom, power, control, and social influence. Now, going one step further, the
"Flying Dragon" in Master Shimabuku's dream always depicts rain,
wind, clouds, and lightning.

Before
this day, Master Shimabuku had been developing and refining his ideas. He
called what he taught before lsshinryu, "Chan Migwha-Te." This name
was in honor of Master Kyan. Kyan's nickname was "Migwha" meaning
"small eyed chan" (Chan is the Okinawan pronunciation for Kyan) and
"Te" means hand. So this school was the "small eyed Kyan's
Karate.

After
telling his senior students of his decision to break away from Okinawan
Traditional styles, many of his students left him. Master Shimabuku continued
with his decision to formulate a new style that was radically different from
other Okinawan karate styles and began looking for a name for his new system.
In 1954, one of Master Shimabuku's senior students, Eiko Kaneshi, suggested the
new name. In the original kanji (characters), the name was
"lsshindo". In 1956, Master Shimabuku changed the kanji to read
"lsshinryu"; as it is today.

On
February 26,1959, Master Shimabuku held an exhibition party for the third
anniversary of Karate lsshinryu modes as shown by the document written by Master
Shimabuku in his own hand. During the early years of lsshinryu karate, 1956-57,
Masters Harold Long and Don Nagle studied lsshinryu from Master Shimabuku.
Thus, at this time in Grand Master Shimabuku's life, lsshinryu and Shimabuku
became one.

Master
Shimabuku always had a number one Okinawan student and a number one American
student. Eiko Kaneshi was the number one Okinawan student. Kinjo Kinsoku was
his best Okinawan student, and Sensei Harold Mitchum became his number one and
best American student, but before Mitchum became Shimabuku's number one
student, there was a Marine by the name of Sergeant Hall, an EA. All that
Sensei Mitchum remembers of him was that "he sure hit hard." After
Hall left Okinawa, Sensei became the Master's
number one and he never had an equal. Hall is the man who took Mitchum to meet
Master Shimabuku and on March 23,1958, Sensei Mitchum officially started
studying lsshinryu Karate.

In
1959, Master Tatsuo Shimabuku's classes had grown so large he opened another
school down the street about two blocks from the main dojo in Agena village.
(Agena is a suburb of Gushikawa
City.) At the second dojo
Master Shimabuku had Sensei Mitchum teach; Sensei Mitchum taught Americans and
Okinawans alike. The Master had a small area at one end of this dojo where his
daughter and son-in-law, Yukis and Angi Uezu lived. Angi Uezu did not start
studying lsshinryu until the mid '60s. Master Shimabuku opened another dojo
across the street from the gates of Camp
Hanser.

In
the early '60s, the Special Services cancelled the Martial Arts contracts with
local instructors. Master Shimabuku did not understand why. So he asked Mitchum
to go with him to find out why he lost the contract teaching karate to U.S. based
personnel. The Special Services officer that Special Services thought that they
were paying too much for the services explained it to the Master and Mitchum.
They (Shimabuku and Mitchum) were told that Special Services were going to
conduct a study to find out what an instructor in Japan was paid and adjust the
contract pay according to the study. Master Shimabuku, along with other
instructors, got their contracts renewed at about the same old rate.

In
1960, a meeting/party was held in Agena, Okinawa
to establish an Association. Master Tatsuo Shimabuku, Kinjo Kinsoku, Eiko
Kaneshi, Harold Mitchum, Steve Armstrong, an interpreter, and others were
present. There were two main decisions that came from this meeting: 1) the
Okinawan- American Karate Association was established, and 2) Harold Mitchum
was installed as the President of the newly formed Association. The Association
established dues to be paid every month and the membership roster of members
was made up by Ralph J. Bove and Harold Mitchum (See list of membership in
Association in 1960). The only names of Americans not listed are Harold
Mitchum, Steve Armstrong, and Ralph J. Bove, who were officers in the
Association.

In
1961, the Association's name was changed from Okinawan-American Karate
Association to American-Okinawan Karate Association and a newsletter was sent
out stating that all Dan grades awarded prior to June 10,1961, were invalid.
All black belts went back to Sho-Dan Grade and Master Shimabuku reissued other
ranks accordingly. Also Grand Master Shimabuku issued a formal letter appointing
Mr. Harold M. Mitchum to the post of A.O.K.A. President.

About
1963 the main dojo had a roof put on using A.O.K.A. funds. Also, there were
pictures in the local newspaper of Master Shimabuku donating money to a local
charity.

In
1966 Master Tatsuo Shimabuku visited the United States. Mr. Steve Armstrong
had Master Shimabuku flown to Tacoma, Washington, from Okinawa
to visit with him. From there, he was flown to Knoxville, Tennessee
to Mr. Harold Long's dojo. From Tennessee, he
flew to New Jersey to see Mr. Don Nagle and
from there he returned to Mr. Steve Armstrong's dojo in Tacoma, Washington.
During this time all three were promoted to eighth Dan's. Mr. Steve Armstrong
filmed Master Shimabuku doing the 14-lsshinryu katas; 8 empty hand and 6
weapons katas.

Master
Shimabuku turned over the running of the Association to Kichiro in the early
1970s.On May 30,1975, Master Tatsuo Shimabuku died. After cremation, the Master
was buried in a beautiful Botanical
Garden Cemetery
close to Kadena Air Base, along side his oldest daughter. Master Tatsuo
Shimabuku's wife lives with the youngest son at this time.

Grand
Master Tatsuo Shimabuku first intended to give the lsshinryu System to his
number one student but to appease his angry son, on his deathbed Grand Master
Shimabuku gave lsshinryu Karate on Okinawa to
Kichiro. The Grand Master had given directions to his lsshinryu leaders in America to
teach lsshinryu Karate and expand their organizations. These leaders were
Harold Long, Steve Armstrong, Harold Mitchum and Don Nagle. Master Kichiro
Shimabuku began the lsshinryu World Karate Association, with a branch in the United States.
The American Okinawan Karate Association remained active with Master Armstrong
at the helm.

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