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Grandmaster Walter "Toby" Cooling Ju-Dan I can’t believe that I went so long in Isshinryu before I met Toby. We were in our young hey-day at the same time but while I was being a total homeboy he was off to Okinawa to get it first hand. I kept hearing his name dropped, but mostly it was
during my self-imposed exile. The first was from Phil McElroy. Phil was telling me about a seminar and "how much this guy knows. "It some what hit me wrong because I felt even more out of it hearing my old compadre bragging on how much he had learned from this "outsider". I was
sensei jealous and guilt ridden. Then When Phil Little and I were working together at Holiday Fitness, he was saying that Toby was a great guy. Next Butch said, "You really got to meet this guy". "You two have some things in common". It was like not knowing a word and then after
you learn it you hear it all the time. I met Toby for the first time at a tournament but we didn’t get to talk much. I didn’t expect him to be so friendly and down to earth. He knew everybody and everybody knew him. He had the unmistakable look and aura of a leader. In the short time we had, he
went out of his way to be friendly and talked to me like I had done as much as he had. I knew as well as he did that he has forgotten more than ill ever know. He is accomplished at every phase and facet of
Isshin-ryu. Once he was showing me some bunki and he said, "now knock my arms off".
So I thought well ok cowboy you ask for it. So I whacked his arms. Nothing, nada, he didn’t budge. I realized then that this guy could really bring it if he chose. That’s why I never divulged a deep dark secret to him...until now!! After I first met him at the tournament I talked to Mr. Long on
the phone. I told Mr. Long about meeting him and he ask me if Toby was wearing the
mizu-gami. I, not knowing any better said no. Mr. Long had a fit. There was some riff between them over what patch to wear. Welcome back to Isshin-ryu where some times the little stuff was blown out of proportion. My
new friend and I had ratted him out. Well someone else got the blame. At the time I thought that was funny so I guess ill have to apologize to another good friend for letting him take the fall. Shaffer the agitator strikes again. Toby invited me to his shiai in Maryland. I witnessed for the first
time how talented he was and his people skills. I watched his Black belts (which are all very good) give test to black belt candidates. It was brutal. They have to really know their stuff, and they do! The next day we were to have a kata seminar given by Toby to all his association members. The gym
was locked and no one there to open. Toby sat all the members on a hill and in jeans and a flannel shirt proceeded to run all the kata. It was good, he was good. Again, the reaction of a good leader. During this weekend master Don Nagel attended the shiai. I had not seen him in years and he was
obviously in bad health. It was at a meeting with he, Butch Hill, Master Lee, Ralph Passaro and Toby, that I witnessed him verbally and with written documentation promise Toby that at his death he would succeed him. Master Nagel didn’t keep his promise to Toby. Although it went to a well-qualified
person, all agreed that Toby was the man. I consider it to this day a grave injustice. To Toby’s credit he went on to bigger and better things. It certainly didn’t affect his popularity. His seminars are world popular. Now that’s popular. He is a part time (he makes his own hours) deputy
sheriff, and has just landed a very plum position teaching defensive tactics at the law enforcement academy. He is retired from business after making enough money to satisfy the national debt. His accomplishments are so extensive that you owe yourself a visit to his web site to read about them. One
huge accomplishment to his credit is marrying Isshin-ryu partner and soul mate Diane. This was his finest moment. Some guys get all the luck; but some times it’s better to be lucky than good, unless you are Grand Master Cooling who happens to be both... Master Denny Shaffer, Ku-Dan |
