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ARTICLES
AND COMMENTARY
FAVORITE MYTHS
6 THRU 10
The major purpose for
these "Myth" articles, are two fold; First to clarify some personal
misconceptions, and as a neutral, non political master, to speak to some of the
issues and controversies existing in Isshin-ryu. I only write about what I
believe to be true from seeing it, not just hearing about it. My opinions of
people and things, are formed from having personal knowledge of the parties and
circumstance that has created each topic. Also, maybe forty years of martial
arts and my student/family tree, would qualify me to have these opinions.
MYTH #6) MR. LONGS PROMOTIONS WERE ALWAYS AUTOMATIC:
For the benefit of history and the edification of the younger
Sensei/Masters/Students, I have this story to share. It may surprise you. First,
let’s remind ourselves that Mr. Long earned his spurs by building a virtual
dynasty. He did this without a sensei to drive over and talk with, or help
mediate differences with other contemporaries. He alone in the early years,
faced the general populations ignorance regarding karate. Then came the back
biting that went on in his day also, over who had rank and who didn't. He didn't
have a board of directors or a big association to back him up. He took on all
comers and never stepped aside for anyone. He built his reputation in and out of
the ring while developing a stable of black belts that would take his teachings
and become Isshin-ryu icons in their own right. All the trails he blazed for us,
that we often take for granted, is what qualifies him as a pioneer, a legend,
and a force to be reckoned with until the day he died. He is the gold standard
for what a Ju-dan is supposed to be. But first, he had to justify receiving his
Ku-dan along the way. Imagine that!! Today with all the Ku-Dans (like myself),
walking around, even sporting a "Grandmaster(sic) title”, he had to justify his.
When Master Shimabuku died, the top rank was eighth dan. I was serving on the
IIKA board as Vice President. We were interested in Mr. Long being promoted to
(9th) Ku-dan. When the idea was presented to him he said, "yes, but only if the
board voted 100% in favor of the promotion." In the board meeting the nomination
was made and Mr. Long was asked to leave the room. It was secret ballot and it
came back with four no's. I went to his room to tell him that it had passed as a
majority vote. He said no, it has to be 100% or nothing. After some discussion
among the board members you could tell who the no's were. I, as well as some
other board members, were becoming more, and more, agitated with the
conversation (debate). Apparently, some members felt that it would be holding
Mr. Long up for ridicule to promote him to rank that high (their words). Yes, I
know it sounds strange now, but this was in 1979, and "ninth dan" was a rank no
one had. Now when you go to the hall of fame tournament, there are more 9th and
10th dans than Sho-dans and Ni-dans. But back to the story! My trips back and
forth to Mr. Longs room to tell him we couldn't all agree, was taking its toll
on me. To his credit he was calm but disappointed. I asked him to give me one
more shot at it. I called for an open vote, but three of the four held to no,
based on their beliefs. We swore ourselves to secrecy and I gave Mr. Long the
final vote. He never asked who voted against him and I never said. That night I
visited some of the no voters, told them how I felt and that eventually was
going to tell him who they were. I know that was dirty pool and I would not have
done it, but due to my youth and temper, I didn't give it a lot of diplomatic
thought. Plus, someone telling Mr. Long that after all the promotions he had
given out, that his wasn't happening didn't sit well. So I wrote the letter
below, and called for another meeting in Greenville SC, at my fitness center.
The meeting was held; the vote was 100% and Mr. Long got a well deserved
promotion. The dissenter’s names were never given, and from me never will be.
They went on to accept several other promotions from Mr. Long without holding
him or themselves up for "ridicule". My how easy the shoe fits the other foot.
MYTH #7, People don't
like to be told what to do anymore:
My first comment to this "modern" thinking is, El Toro Poo Poo. I mean what
people are we talking about here? I'm sure that when it comes right down to it,
no one except a pure follower likes to be told what to do. Well that's tough!!
To be a good leader, you have to learn to be a good follower long enough to
learn the ropes. Even then, there are people who are very good second men but
not leaders. When these second men take over, or are placed in a leadership
role, the dynamics of an organization quickly changes. . The first thing they do
is install the "lets all be equal" system of governing. Because. . . . . "people
don't like to be told what to do". Truth is, they don't like the responsibility
of decision making, and immediately swap progress for harmony. Show me one
association, dojo, or even class, that has this type of leadership, and I'll
show you lack of progress, a lack of unity, and lack of good future leaders. I
submit to you, that without strong, effective, and consistent leadership, based
on discipline and total compliance with the goals of the group, you have the
tail wagging the dog. Vince Lombardi, who knew a thing or two about leadership
says, "good people yearn for discipline." He knew that it gives them the
structure and security, to grow in a predictable environment. You don't have to
be any one "type" to be an effective leader. There are many different leadership
styles. You only have to look at the different personalities in our Masters
bio's to see that. They all have their way of getting their point across, but
the discipline is always in place. They also have one common trait. They believe
in themselves and what they are doing. They all also possess a definite work
ethic of their own, and are excellent teachers. They all inspire through being a
living example of what they teach. I was told in 1980, when I took over a
bankrupt company of 16 fitness locations, that you couldn't work people the way
you used to. I found that not to be true in the least, and maintained a, go hard
or get gone work pace until I retired in1996. I was a hard ass boss to say the
least. I managed the way I teach martial arts. I wound up with a group of
sensational young motivated employee's. When I left, many of my employees had
become company officers, owners and very successful people in the industry. The
stories of my outburst in managers meeting are legendary. Why did a bunch of
hard nosed people like that put up with it. The same reason a bunch of hard
nosed Nashville students put up with it for so many years. The same reason my
Red Dragon group puts up with me. We were and still are all in it together, for
the betterment of, ALL. I never asked anyone to do anything I didn't do myself.
. Selling people on Isshin-ryu is easy. Selling someone on your concepts and
methods is not. You have to be real and you have to keep everyone else real
also. My guys know that I am very willing to have only one student if that is
what it takes to achieve the goals as I see them. Yes, as I see them. The leader
has to be a visionary. Has to see around the corners for his people and be there
when they arrive. If this is not all true, then how could a poorly educated,
overly emotional, hair trigger tempered, person like me, build three
multimillion dollar companies, retire at 56, and lay claim to so many good
students and ex students. Luck?? Not twice in the same career in two different
towns in two different era's. You gotta hit’em where they live. People love to
be told what to do from someone who is doing it with them. Nobody likes a shade
tree supervisor. Get down in the trenches with the troops. That's where all the
fun is anyhow.
MYTH # 8) WHEN YOU
BECOME A Roku-dan YOU SHOULD STOP FIGHTING:
Actually this is an unwritten rule from Mr. Long. His reason was solid, and up
until a couple of years ago, I fully agreed. He believed that by the time you
reach Roku-dan, the days competing should be over. It is time to devote all of
yourself to your students. He was also trying to save some of us from ourselves.
The competitive juices don't stop flowing just because you are 6th dan, and it
is very hard to stop competing. So he didn't want us out there making fools of
ourselves. Thinking we could still keep up with the kids. Remember, this is
point fighting we are talking about. Not good old dojo rough and tumble. What
played into all this, was the age of most of us when we achieved our first
masters rank. In all reality, if we hadn't made our rep as a competitor as yet,
doing it at forty/plus, wasn't going to happen either. Now the way some guys
take care of themselves, they can still go strong at forty plus. We also now
visit other dojo's and have shiai's to test skills before they evaporate at the
wrong time. Also, think of how many young Sho-dan's we have now. There were not
that many kids before to test the masters rank at an early age. Tony Williams is
a good example of a guy who has been around long enough, and is knowledgeable
enough, to be a Roku-dan. He has accepted promotions at a very slow pace in
order to continue competing. Lots of competitors are hoping he'll take that
promotion soon. David Gabbard retired long before he wanted to, to accept a
Master's rank. With all the kids now, we are going to have a bunch of Tony
Williams' situations a few years from now. I suggest we set the Masters rank at
7th dan or 50 years of age, whichever comes first. In open tournaments, masters
put on black belts to compete as they choose. There are some flaws in that, and
I would rather go with the aforementioned suggestion of the cut off place.
MYTH # 9) THERE IS NO
NEED TO CROSS TRAIN IN OTHER DISCIPLINES:
There are as many good reasons as there are good people cross training. Granted,
not all Isshin-ryu Masters and Sensei's know how, but that is no reason not to
learn, or designate a student to learn in order to teach the rest. There of
coarse is no reason to do this if the Isshin-ryu system is all you care to
teach. It is the greatest style of all. It can however be made better by
augmentation or supplementation of cross training knowledge (jujitsu/grappling,
Pankration, ect.). The Tuite and Chin-na bunkai in Isshin-ryu, isn't sufficient
to cover all situations; especially on the ground. However, grappling/ju-jitsu
will help you better understand a great deal of the Isshin-ryu bunkai, as much
of what works standing up, also works on the ground. It is another alternative
to being tested by a more well rounded martial artist in the street, or having
something thrown at you that you are unfamiliar with. Once again, I direct your
attention to our Master's bio. They are all great Isshin-ryu Master/Sensei's.
With few exceptions, they are all avid cross trainers. If Isshin-ryu is all you
need, then all these knowledgeable masters are badly misinformed. Naaa! That
would be the greatest MYTH of all.
# 10) THAT THE FIRST
NINE ARE ALL MYTHS:
They are not. They are all opinions, shared by many in some cases, a few in
others, and maybe after all; just me. They are circumstances and opinions that
will not make or break Isshin-ryu, as it is strong enough to have endured all of
us for a long time. Some may be worth taking note of, as I believe that each of
us are sincere in our wish to keep Isshin-ryu alive and well. People do this,
not just tradition or habit. I believe in Isshin-ryu and Isshin-ryu people. It
is the best part of me, and my best friends are Isshin-ryu people. As far as I
know, I have no enemies in Isshin-ryu and I don't think anyone else does either.
I have some people who don't care for me very much, and I have usually given
them good reason to feel that way. There are a lot of these kinds of feelings
floating around, but regardless of the differences in regions, opinions or
politics, there is a base respect everyone feels for each other (whether they
want to admit it or not). Everyone that has stuck it out and stayed the course,
has to respect the others who have done the same. When I finally hit that
rocking chair for good, I'd rather think about my friends, than despair over my
enemies. If not, my whole Isshin-ryu life would have been a MYTH.
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