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MASTER JAMES OGLE
7TH DAN
Foreword:
My special thanks to Angela Ogle (who will be featured later in the "Ladies of
Isshin-ryu articles") for supplying the information on the modest Mr. Ogle. I have been after him for months to no avail.
If James didn’t become a member of an association you couldn’t blame him. Reason being, when he gathers his family around, it almost is an Association. First there is wife Angela (Go-Dan). Daughters: Jessica (brown-belt), Amber (San-Dan), Megan (Ni-Dan), and son-in law, Brad Watson (Ni-Dan).
Their love for Isshin-ryu has been a great common bond, but their spiritual faith has been the glue. They are truly a remarkable family.
When I came back, it was interesting to see who had come to the forefront. One guy I had known but not well was James Ogle. It didn’t take long for me to figure out that this guy was something special and i needed to get to know him better. He was very prominent (along with his family) at
tournaments as well as seminars and clinics. You could tell he was in great shape but I had no idea how good until I met up with him in Nashville a couple of months ago at a pancration seminar. I’ll get back to that later. I was aware that he had good students, which translates to good
instruction, because of how they handled themselves in the tournaments. In 99 when I checked the H.O.F. results, Ogles school came in third. They then took first in 2000 and slipped all the way to second last year. That’s quite a run. I probably noticed James first refereeing. He was hard working
and decisive. He had a good eye for good technique and ran an orderly but friendly ring. You could tell from watching that James still took his turn in the ring at his dojo. I have a theory that Yodanshi’s that no longer train consistently and match, lose their judgment skills also. I have a basis
for that theory but this is James article so ill wait on that one. I usually don’t go in to a lot of the personal achievements on the people I’m writing about, because we all know each other so well, it’s common knowledge. I’m going to make a bit of an exception with James because ill bet
most people don’t know. Why...guess why...!
James began his Martial Arts in 1973 under Master (Pistol) Pete Mills. A good one to start with. Master Mills remains his Sensei. He also studied Tae Kwan Do. We’ll forgive him for that.....He has of coarse worked out under the direction of Mr. Long as well as Russ Hankey and Steve Armstrong. He
took up Jujitsu and Judo in 1991 and has had a virtual "who’s who" of instructors to include: Masters Mills, Henzo Gracie, Walley Jay, Michael Depasqually and presently Butch (scrap-iron) Hill. James is a real competitor and a good one. He has won numerous kata and kumite championships
(to include open and closed Tae Kwan Do) (we’ll continue to forgive him for that) around the country. Now back to our Nashville pancration/Jujitsu work-out .I had no idea he was as tough as he is. I knew he was tough, but that tough, NO!! He is a gamer of the first order. He is not just tough but
very good also. I also learned first hand what a good, patient, instructor he is. He helped me quite a bit. He also shared his faith and his philosophy on living with me. That is the lesson I took home with me. That was worth the trip. He lives it ...He is it...That’s what makes it stick. When
told him i was going to do a write up on him, he looked at me like I had asked him if he had ever been a member of the Communist party. Like why me?? Why not indeed. James Ogle, a man to get to know...A man to admire.
Master Denny Shaffer, Ku-Dan
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