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I thought I would present a bit about the core to my studies and practices in karate and martial arts. I don’t want to assume that my core karate is known to everyone ergo this effort.
Isshinryu [一心流] The characters/ideograms mean, “one heart style.” The first character means, “One,” the second character means, “heart; mind; spirit; heart,” the third character means, “current; a sink; flow; forfeit.” Google translates it as, “Isshin Flow.”
I often wonder why the character is used [流] for ryu meaning to most of us as, “Style.” In truth, to my mind, [流儀] should be used because it literally means, “Style; school; fashion.” Then again, I tend to go overboard.
Back on topic, Isshinryu is a fairly new system created by Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei, over many years of innovation ergo why there is no actual birthday, and named it on January 15th, 1956.
Shimabuku's second son Shinsho, said, "My father was always experimenting. Trying new techniques. He did this all his life. He was an innovator. There is no birthday for Isshin-ryu."
The next is my view and my belief regarding Isshinryu, the style or system was unusual for the time of its creation and naming. I believe its popularity came about because of the American occupation of Okinawa and that the contracts and connections made with the military presence made Tatsuo-san’s living a bit easier after the war. The actual popularity may have stemmed from the Marines effort to spread karate as a combative system. It was the effort of those Marines in those early days that promoted and supported the system.
Personally, it stuck a cord with me when I first began training in Isshinryu under then First Sergeant W. D. Henry, my company First Sergeant. I suspect as a Marine that those original students of Isshinryu, being Marines themselves, felt that same connection as if something about the system and its founder made a personal connection with each of us.
Anyone can do a search and find the very essence of Isshinryu training and practice while discovering that there are several distinct interpretations of Isshinryu that gravitated toward a separate belief system that I refer to as, “The Nagle Isshinryu System; The Advincula Isshinryu System; The Long and Wheeler Isshinryu System; The Mitchum Isshinryu System; and The Armstrong Isshinryu System.” In essence, all of those distinctions on Isshinryu although different are all the same as to the core of the system. It is obvious in demonstrations of the similarities yet you will detect distinct differences that I believe effect every karate style/system.
Regardless, there are certain traits, for the time circa 1950’s, etc., that made Isshinryu vastly different while based on the same traits of other styles that meant a more apropos and effective system for combatives (military combat hand-to-hand) and self-defense (for the times and the association with the Marine Corps). This appealed to me and I suspect those other early Marine karate luminaries that began the spread of Isshinryu in the United States.
Apparently, others took Isshinryu because although a fairly recent creation, probably the youngest style/system of Okinawan karate in existence, it spread around the world as it appears in a variety of countries in Europe and so on. And, as you may correctly assume, those editions and communities created a unique way of practicing the core or essence of Isshinryu ergo why there are even more differences of the same exact style/system.
One of the best sources of Isshinryu can be found from two sources; first, is a Navy karate-ka who is currently stationed on Okinawan teaching, training and practicing Isshinryu who has take the research of historical Isshinryu facts, etc., to a new height; second, is a original luminary of Isshinryu who trained and practiced in the 1950’s and was instrumental in the spread of Isshinryu, Arcenio J. Advincula Sensei who currently resides in Southern California and who provides his rendition of Isshinryu history through his writings and teachings through his seminars. You can do a search to find his website, “Isshinkai: The Official Website of Sensei Arcenio J. Advincula,” where you can gain some insightful information of a variety of aspects regarding Isshinryu karate.
Several non-physical and more philosophical cultural gifts provided by Tatsuo-san to graduates of his students to Sho-dan student status was a copy of the, “Ken-po Goku-i,” “Isshinryu Dojo Kun,” and “Isshinryu no Megami” we can get a hint at the founders more spiritual (not a religious one) contributions in the creation and naming of the Isshinryu system.
I say that Isshinryu is my foundation is because it was the first style or system I started and then remained diligently attached to and dedicated toward to achieve my goals in karate and martial arts. Although I had dabbled in other karate styles/systems along with other martial arts such as boxing and a small bit of judo it became my core practice and study until I felt I reached a point where I could discover my own way in karate and martial arts, i.e., more self-defense study, training and understanding; more self-defense realistic study and application of multiple principled based methodologies and a more philosophical understanding of it all.
You can say as I travel through my winter years, 60’s and over, I have redirected my efforts from the chiefly physical into a form of study, practice and training that is wholehearted, i.e., embraced the fundamental principles of all martial arts and karate systems including American and European while refocusing on the multiple defense methodologies as can be seen by the following:
PRINCIPLE ONE: PRINCIPLES OF THEORY (Universality, Control, Efficiency, Lengthen Our Line, Percentage Principle, Std of Infinite Measure, Power Paradox, Ratio, Simplicity, Natural Action, Michelangelo Principle, Reciprocity, Opponents as Illusions, Reflexive Action, Training Truth, Imperception and Deception.)
PRINCIPLE TWO: PHYSIOKINETIC PRINCIPLES (Breathing, posture, triangle guard, centerline, primary gate, spinal alignment, axis, minor axis, structure, heaviness, relaxation, wave energy, convergence, centeredness, triangulation point, the dynamic sphere, body-mind, void, centripetal force, centrifugal force, sequential locking and sequential relaxation, peripheral vision, tactile sensitivity, rooting, attack hubs, attack posture, possibly the chemical cocktail, Multiple Methodologies [actual tactics and attack methodologies of impacts, drives (pushes), pulls, twists, takedowns/throws and compression, etc. are best for stopping a threat]???see below)
PRINCIPLE THREE: PRINCIPLES OF TECHNIQUE (techniques vs. technique, equal rights, compliment, economical motion, active movement, positioning, angling, leading control, complex force, indirect pressure, live energy and dead energy, torsion and pinning, speed, timing, rhythm, balance, reactive control, natural and unnatural motion, weak link, non-telegraphing, extension and penetration, Uke. Multiple Methodologies [actual tactics and attack methodologies of impacts, drives (pushes), pulls, twists, takedowns/throws and compression, are best for stopping a threat])
PRINCIPLE FOUR: PRINCIPLES OF PHILOSOPHY (Mind [mind-set, mind-state, etc.], mushin, kime, non-intention, yin-yang, oneness, zanshin and being, non-action, character, the empty cup, inner peace.)
PRINCIPLE FIVE: PRINCIPLES OF SELF-DEFENSE (“Conflict communications; Emotional Intelligence; Lines/square/circle of SD, Three brains (human, monkey, lizard), JAM/AOJ and five stages, Adrenal stress (stress induced reality based), Violence (Social and Asocial), Pre-Attack indicators, Weapons, Predator process and predator resource, Force levels, Repercussions (medical, legal, civil, personal), Go-NoGo, Win-Loss Ratio, etc. (still working on the core sub-principles for this one)”Attitude, Socio-emotional, Diplomacy, Speed [get-er done fast], Redirected aggression, Dual Time Clocks, Awareness, Initiative, Permission, multiple attack/defense methodologies (i.e., actual tactics and attack methodologies of impacts, drives (pushes), pulls, twists, takedowns/throws and compression, etc. are best for stopping a threat)
PRINCIPLE SIX: CHEMICAL COCKTAIL: (Attacked Mind, Train It, Breath It Away, Visualize It Away, Sparring vs. Fighting, Degradation of Technique/skills, Peripheral Vision Loss, Tunnel Vision, Depth Perception Loss/Altered, Auditory Exclusion, Weakened legs/arms, Loss of Extremity Feeling, Loss of Fine Motor Skills, Distorted Memory/perceptions, Tachypsychia (time slows), Freeze, Perception of Slow Motion, Irrelevant Thought Intrusion, Behavioral Looping, Pain Blocked, Male vs. Female Adrenaline Curve, Victim vs. Predator, The Professional, Levels of Hormonal Stimulation, ???)
Multiple Defense Methodologies [actual tactics and attack methodologies of impacts, drives (pushes), pulls, twists, takedowns/throws and compression are best for stopping a threat (types of force applied such as spiraling, scissoring, carving, vibrating, and/or sheering forces.)]
Still, when you see me practice and train; when you hear me; when you read my writings in all the various forms you will still see, hear and feel the Isshinryu that underlies all of it but with less emphasis on technique based study, training and practice vs. greater emphasis on principled-methodology based study, training and understanding through practice.
In closing, and after some research, Isshinryu although the founders name, for my training and practice and study will be changed to, “Isshinkei,” to have greater meaning and understanding when translate as, “One heart/mind/spirit system/lineage; group,” because, although my Japanese and understanding of the language and kanji is really rudimentary at best, seems less appropriate, i.e., “current; a sink; flow; forfeit.” At least as my current translators programs provide now.
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