November 2004 Newsletter

It has been proven over the last 50 years through many studies and reports that the subconscious mind is able to absorb information that the conscious is not focusing on. In fact, in many cases more so than when it does focus on it! It's opposite to what one would naturally think.

Napoleon Hill told us almost 70 years ago that "any impulse of thought which is repeatedly passed on to the subconscious mind is finally accepted and acted upon by the subconscious mind, which proceeds to translate that impulse into its physical equivalent, by the most practical procedure available."

He recognized the power of the subconscious so much that he devoted an entire chapter of Think and Grow Rich to it. "The subconscious mind will transmute into its physical equivalent, by the most direct and practi_cal media available, any order which is given to it in a state of BELIEF, or FAITH that the order will be carried out."

You may use the power of your subconscious mind to:

It is always good to know one’s roots. The following is a brief history of Tatsuo Shimabuku & Isshin-ryu Karate.

Tatsuo Shimabuku, the founder of Isshin-ryu karate, was born the 19th of September 1908, in the village of Chan, known today as Kinaka, a part of Gushikawa City on Okinawa, Japan. His parents were farmers and Tatsuo helped them since his youth at the farm. The Japanese name Shinkichi can be found in Shimabuku's family register and later on his passport. The Okinawans (since 1879 under Japanese government) gave two names to their children, because they were forced by Japan not to use any Chinese or typical Okinawan customs. They were also told not to speak the Okinawan Hogen (dialect) but Japanese. Many Okinawans gave their children an Okinawan name, which couldn't be used on their family register.

At age thirteen Shimabuku received his first karate training with his uncle, Ganeku, who also lived in the village of Chan. Ganeku mainly taught him Chinese philosophy and literature, astrology, and a little karate. According to Shinsho Shimabuku, Ganeku stayed two years in Fuzhou, China, where he learned fortune telling (sumuchi) and Shorinji Kempo. Because Shimabuku's uncle had to little knowledge of karate, he later introduced him to Chotoku Kyan, who lived in Kadena. This became his first teacher of three very famous karate teachers: Chotoku Kyan, Chojun Miyagi and Choki Motobu.

Chotoku Kyan (1870-1945) was a student of master Yasutsune 'Ankoh' Itosu, who taught him Shuri-te, and of master Kosaku Matsumora, who taught Tomari-te. These two styles were combined to Shorin-ryu, named after the Shaolin Temple tradition. Kyan was a perfectionist and Shimabuku became one of his best students. Around 1931/32, Shimabuku was about 23 or 24 years old. He walked barefoot to Kadena where Kyan lived. He trained six hours a day and after arriving home he helped his parents on the farm. Kyan was a traditional teacher and taught as first kata, Seisan. Karate in these years was a martial art and not meant for children. Shimabuku trained for four years with Chotoku Kyan and learned from him the following kata: Seisan, Naihanchi, Wansu, Chinto, Kusanku, a sai kata: Kyan no Sai and the bo kata Tokumine no Kun.

Chojun Miyagi (1888-1953) was the top student of Naha-te grandmaster Kanryo Higaonna. Higaonna formed Naha-te by combining Okinawa karate with Chinese kempo (Chuan Fa / Kung Fu). Miyagi, like his teacher, went to China to study Kempo. Back on Okinawa he formed his own style of karate, which he later called Goju-ryu (hard / soft style). In 1936 Shimabuku received lessons from Miyagi, who lived in Naha, which was much further than Kadena and again Shimabuku walked. Miyagi was known for his powerful grips and power training. From him learned the kata Seiunchin and Sanchin.

The next teacher was Choki Motobu (1871-1944). Motobu was a less formal teacher then his former teachers. This famous Shorin-ryu teacher was also known as someone who practiced his techniques in street fights. Motobu became famous in the 1920's in Japan, as he accepted a challenge from a boxer who challenged the public to fight. Motobu, already in his fifties, eliminated the boxer with a knock out. The Japanese news papers wrote articles and Motobu became instantly (with one strike!) a famous karateka in Japan. Tatsuo trained in 1938 for about a year with Choki Motobu, who lived in Naha, just like Miyagi. Motobu stressed the importance of Makiwara (punching board) training. Shimabuku's most important lessons were the practical applications from karate (street fighting techniques) and Motobu's version of Naihanchi kata.

At the age of twenty-three he married his wife Uto. From this marriage four children were born, in the following sequence: two daughters, Matsuko and Yukiko and two sons: Kichiro and Shinsho. Shimabuku named his two sons after himself: splitting his name Shinkichi in two parts. At thirty-nine he took the name Tatsuo, about the time he started giving karate lessons. Tatsuo means in English 'dragon man'. The dragon is on Okinawa a symbol of happiness and prosperity. His second daughter Yukiko married Angi Uezu, who is also an important master of Isshin-ryu. His first born son, Kichiro, is the official heir of Tatsuo and the only person named by the founder of the style to be the 10th dan of Isshin-ryu karate.

 In 1939 Shimabuku traveled to the Philippines, he stayed there for two years. According to Tatsuo's second-born son, his father gave karate lessons to a theater group. Before Japan got involved in World War 2, in 1941, he went to Osaka where he worked as a general supervisor until 1944. At that time Shimabuku went back to Okinawa to get his family and take them to Kyushu, Japan, to protect them from the war. He earned his living as a farmer. One year after the 'Battle for Okinawa' (1945), he brought his family back to Okinawa. From age 39 Tatsuo started giving karate lessons. According to Shinsho in the following dojo: Konbu Dojo in Tengan (1946), Tairagawa Dojo (1947) and Chan Dojo (1948). At that time he called his style Chan Migwa Karate, after Chotoku Kyan's nickname (Chan Migwa = small-eyed Kyan in Okinawa Hogen; Kyan wore glasses). After 1951 he called his karate style Sun nu su karate after the nickname he received from the mayor of Chan. In Tatsuo's family there was a dance called Sun nu su, which means 'son of old man'. Later Shimabuku shortened Sun nu su to Sunsu, also the name of the kata he created.

Tatsuo Shimabuku learned in the years 1951 to 1961 Kobudo (old weapon arts) from Shinken Taira (1898-1970) to deepen his knowledge in this fighting art. He already learned diverse kobudo-kata from his first important teacher Chotoku Kyan (Kyan no Sai en Tokumine no Kun). From Taira's kobudo he added the following kata to Isshin-ryu: Chatan Yara no Sai, Urashi Kun, Shishi no Kun and a tuifa (tonfa) kata Hamahiga no Tuifa. Beside these weapon kata Isshin-ryu karate has Kusanku Sai kata, which was developed by Shimabuku himself.

At a special gathering with his students held at January 15, 1956 he declared that his style of karate should be called: Isshin-ryu Karate. Isshin-ryu means: one-heart or one-mind method. Eiko Kaneshi, Tatsuo's right hand man said: "Why Isshinryu, why such a funny name?", and Shimabuku replied: "Because all things begin with one". Isshin-ryu stems from three different martial arts. One of the interpretations of the three stars in the Isshinryu emblem, the Megami / Mizu Gami, which was designed with Tatsuo Shimabuku's approval in 1961 by Arcenio J. Advincula, is that they stand for Shorin-ryu, Goju-ryu and Kobudo. Tatsuo Shimabuku once said that Shorin-ryu's Naihanchi the mother, Goju-ryu's Sanchin the father and the result was Isshin-ryu. Shimabuku analyzed and perfected all kata, techniques and applications he learned from his diverse teachers. He took what he regarded the best and most effective out of Shorin-ryu, Goju-ryu and Kobudo and together formed that into a new system. Shimabuku developed a karate system with fast, direct and powerful punches and kicks, without every superfluous movement. He replaced the traditional twisted punch with the trademark of Isshin-ryu karate: the vertical punch. A punch with a vertical fist is faster and has more impact.

Tatsuo instructed the people of Okinawa and also many American soldiers, who were stationed on Okinawa after the war. In 1956 he started to use the Agena dojo, giving him the opportunity to be nearer to the American bases. Shimabuku became one of the first professional karate teachers.

AS WINTER SEASON APPROACHES - - REMEMBER TO LISTEN TO WRNJ 1510 ON THE AM DIAL FOR CLOSINGS. IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND, EVEN IF WE ARE OPEN . . . OR IF YOU ARE NOT SURE IF WE ARE OPEN . . . CALL THE DOJO.

APPROPRIATE GIFTS FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASONS AND BIRTHDAYS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE DOJO . . . GI BAGS, NEW UNIFORMS, SPARRING EQUIPMENT, PATCHES AND SENSEI DUESSEL’S DVD.

Congratulations to:

• Junior Green Belt #1- Ashley Hunt, Olivia Lewin
• Fifth Degree Black Belt - Rob Pushard (Manchester, Maine)

Promotions are granted when the student demonstrates the proper techniques and a continued advancement of practice and training, inside and outside of the dojo

Congratulations to the people who attended the benefit tournament in Mt. Arlington on October 24th.

The next tournament is Sunday, November 7th at the Wayne Boys & Girls Club - - 153 Garside Ave. - - Wayne, NJ - - starting at 10:30 A.M.

THERE WILL BE NO BROWN AND BLACK BELT CLASS THIS MONTH - NOVEMBER 19TH .