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Many thanks to Diane Cooling for this weeks masters profile. Her information was so well written I am submitting it verbatim. I’m sure you will find these Masters as interesting and accomplished as you would expect, coming from the Order Of Isshinryu. I will allow myself some brief personal comments on these men in appreciation for the privilege of having them on our site. Bud Ewing After Master Cooling, Bud Ewing is the highest ranking yudansha in the Order of Isshin-Ryu. Born on Thanksgiving, 1948, Bud has been a Cecil County boy all of his life. His college study at Goldey Beacom College was interrupted in 1967, when he was drafted into the Army. He was trained to be a medic in Frankfurt, Germany, specializing in field emergencies, surgery and pediatrics. He was then transferred to Viet Nam, serving until 1969. It was then that he was injured in a land mine explosion. He refused medical attention for himself until he finished attending to the seriously wounded men and they were moved to safety. This unselfish act earned him both a Silver Star and a Purple Heart. This compassion for others continues to be Bud Ewing's trademark. After returning home to Elkton, Bud renewed his friendship with Toby Cooling and went to work for Toby at his new enterprise, Jayco Liquors. He also acquired a passion for Toby's other life, Isshin-Ryu Karate, and began training in 1973. He was awarded a blackbelt in 1975. "In those days," Master Cooling relates, "Jayco was new and business was sparse. Bud and I would pass the time playing cards, doing kata, or fighting in the store. We were together seven days a week, so we had a lot of time to work on karate. At the time, I also believed that robbery prevention included the wearing of firearms (a '45 to be exact). "One night at closing time, Bud had the night deposit bag and I was putting some bottles away. We started doing kumite near the front doors. Well, as luck would have it, a passing motorist looked in and saw the manager of Jayco fighting to keep the money bag away from a robber with a gun. He contacted the police. As Bud and I closed up and locked the doors, we were met in the parking lot by six State Police cars, whose occupants had their guns drawn and aimed at us! Fortunately, I knew one of the troopers and we were able to explain."Bud became the owner of Jayco Liquors in 1981 when Toby went on to other business interests. Bud then became one of Cecil County's prominent businessmen. Over the years he has assisted Master Cooling with seminars for the Elkton Police department, Cecil County Sheriff's Department, the Coast Guard, DuPont Security, and various women's groups. In 1990, Sensei Ewing became the head instructor and sensei of the Elkton Dojo. A year later, the school was voted Dojo of the Year by the International Isshinryu Hall of Fame. In 1992, he was voted Male Instructor of the Year by the same organization. Master Don Nagle's Hall of Fame honored him as an Outstanding Contributor to the Martial Arts in 1997. He became a board member of the International Hall of Fame in 1993. In 1998, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Bud resides in Elkton with his lovely (and understanding!) wife Ellen. Their son Billy is a computer technician. MASTER SHAFFERS COMMENTS Master Denny Shaffer, Ku-Dan |
