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ISSHIN RYU
♦ ISSHIN RYU BACKGROUND
Contents:
• Origin of Isshin Ryu
• Third Anniversary of Isshin Ryu Karate
• Isshin Ryu Definition
• Isshin Ryu's Distinctive Features
• Footnotes
Origin of Isshin Ryu
Consider for a moment the humble craftsman sitting at
his potter's wheel. He places soft, pliable clay on his
work surface. The potter adds water, and with his
skilled hands, works and forms the clay. Time passes.
The clay takes shape, until at last, it is no longer
simply a blend of clay and water, but a creation. A
thing of beauty.
Master Tatsuo Shimabuku can be compared to the potter in
this story. And his creation, Isshin Ryu Karate, can be
compared to his clay.
Like clay and water, Isshin Ryu Karate was formed from
two pre-existing karate mediums: Shorin Ryu and Goju Ryu
karate.1 Master Shimabuku took the best
features2 from these established, but
different styles of martial arts, and to this blend or
fusion, incorporated a third element - Kobudo, another
style of martial arts.3 And just as clay
needs time before it is transformed into a finished
product, Isshin Ryu necessitated a certain amount of
time before it came into being. In a 1969 interview with
Sensei A.J. Advincula, Master Shimabuku explained Isshin
Ryu's lengthy creative process: "I did not just create
Isshin-ryu in a day. I've been adding and subtracting
and experimenting throughout the years."4
Master Shimabuku was much more than just an imitator or a processor of other masters' styles, however. He was also
an innovator*. For this new style of karate, Master
Shimabuku created a kata, Sunsu, which is not found in
any other style of karate.5 He also added his
own techniques and philosophies.
* According to a first-generation student, the late Sensei Sherman
Harrill, Master Shimabuku "was a very innovative person
he was ahead of his time. I don't think he looked for
the short comings of a style, but he took the strengths
of all the styles he studied and created a system that
works and is easy to teach. He went right to the
technique, and took out all of the fancy stuff."6
On 15 January 1956,
Master Shimabuku named his new style of karate "Isshin
Ryu".7 When asked why such a 'funny name',
the Master replied: "Because all things begin with one."8
First gathering of Isshin Ryu Karate, May 27, 19569
(Click on thumbnail to view photo in full-size.)
(Note: Master Shimabuku is seated second from the right.)
Master Shimabuku was a progressive teacher. He did not
believe, nor expect, perfection from his students. By
his actions and words, he showed that he did not
consider Isshin Ryu a rigid or unchanging style of
karate. According to Sensei Advincula, one of Master Shimabuku's first generation students, he "rarely did
his kata exactly the same way each time".10
Further, he allowed Isshin Ryu room for purposeful
growth, improvement and interpretation. As Master
Shimabuku once said, "All things in the universe will
change, and you must accept and go with change."11
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Third Anniversary of Isshin Ryu Karate
In February 1959, Master Tatsuo Shimabuku issued an
invitation to "all the United States military personne [sic]
to come and enjoy our exhibition" at the Eiraku Theater
in Agena, Okinawa on March 7, 1959. The occasion: the
third anniversary of Isshin Ryu karate.
In the invitation, Master Shimabuku gave credit to his
instructors for the development of what became 'his'
style of karate: Chotoku Kiyan (Shorin), Choju Miyagi (Goju),
and Choki Motobu (Shorin). He qualified these men as
"all the top level people on Okinawan Karate". Master
Shimabuku also stated in the invitation that the "birthdate
of the Karate modes [Isshin Ryu] was January 15th, 1956".
An interesting item in the invitation was the mention that
the exhibition would be televised live on RBC (Ryukyu
Broadcasting Corporation). RBC "first broadcast the
match all over Okinawa as the first experience on
Okinawa". (Like Isshin Ryu, RBC was in its infancy,
having been established in 1954.)12
The American, typed version of the "Invitation":13
3rd Anniversary Invitation of Isshin Ryu
Click here for
a larger, readable image of the "Invitation".
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Isshin Ryu Definition
It has been said that Isshin Ryu is "a martial art as well as a science of
self-defense, and self-development".14 But, what do the words
"Isshin Ryu" mean?
Isshin Ryu can be defined in the following terms:15
• "Is" means one
• "Shin" means heart
• "Ryu" means way
Together, "Isshin Ryu" means one heart way or whole heart
way.
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Isshin Ryu's Distinctive Features
Isshin Ryu's distinctive features set it apart from other styles of karate.
First, Isshin Ryu is based on three fundamental principles: simplicity,
subtleness, and effectiveness.16
Second, Isshin Ryu has three characteristics that define its style:
• the vertical punch (the primary punch in Isshin Ryu)
• thumb placement on top of the fist
• natural blocks with two bones
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Footnotes
1. "The Dragon Man of Isshin Ryu", by A.J. Advincula. Southern
Kicks Newsletter, Volume 4, Number 5, page 5.
2. From Shorin Ryu, Master Shimabuku took five kata (Seisan, Naihanchi,
Wansu, Chinto, and Kusanku), and from Goju Ryu, he took two kata (Seiunchin,
and Sanchin). Rosenbaum, Michael. Okinawa's Complete Karate System
- Isshin Ryu. Boston: YMAA Publication Center, 2001, p. 86,
and, "Brief History of Isshin-ryu". Retrieved 23 January 2003 from
the Academy of Okinawan Martial Arts on the World Wide Web:
http://acadoma.com/history.htm
3. "The Dragon Man of Isshin Ryu", by A.J. Advincula. Southern Kicks
Newsletter, Volume 4, Number 5, page 5.
4. "The Dragon Man of Isshin Ryu", by A.J. Advincula. Southern Kicks
Newsletter, Volume 4, Number 5, page 5.
5. Rosenbaum, Okinawa's Complete Karate System, p. 86.
6. Loveday, Roy. Isshin-Ryu Karate: Information, Promotion, & Training Manual.
Revised Edition, privately printed, page 44.
7. "The Dragon Man of Isshin Ryu", by A.J. Advincula. Southern Kicks
Newsletter, Volume 4, Number 5, page 4.
8. "The Dragon Man of Isshin Ryu", by A.J. Advincula. Southern Kicks
Newsletter, Volume 4, Number 5, page 4.
9. Private source.
10. "The Dragon Man of Isshin Ryu", by A.J. Advincula. Southern Kicks
Newsletter, Volume 4, Number 5, page 5.
11. "The Dragon Man of Isshin Ryu", by A.J. Advincula. Southern Kicks
Newsletter, Volume 4, Number 5, page 5.
12. "Unifying the Okinawan Communications Administration". Retrieved 3 May
2003 from OKICOMM on the World Wide Web:
http://www.cosmos.ne.jp/~okicomm/HistoryE/4/
13. Private source.
14. Rosenbaum, Okinawa's Complete Karate System, p. 72.
15. "Isshin-Ryu -- One Heart Way". Retrieved 23 January 2003 from Isshin-Ryu
on the World Wide Web:
http://www.tsunamikarate.com/isshin-ryu.htm
16. Rosenbaum, Okinawa's Complete Karate System, p. 50.
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