It All started 30 years ago now. Thank God that I had a back operation 1 year prior to my meeting Hohan Soken Shinshii (Sensei in Japaneese,or Teacher in English). This gentleman was 81 years old, and in great health. Seeing this young man work out, with the military GI's at Yozadake Airstation in Okinawa. This was the Alternate ADCAP (Air Defense Command Post) with around 150 personnel.
Shinshii Soken starting teaching at Yoza around mid Oct 1970. Thanks to Ted Lange Shinshii brining him to the site. Also Fujiyama, and Nishime Jinjiro also would transport Hohan Soken later. They assisted in Soken's teachings, but Soken was a very Active man for 81.
During my 30 years of study now, I had never felt I would try and lead others to the Okinawan Shorin-ryu Matsumura Seito Karate-do martial art. Regretfully said "Soken Shinshii was truly afraid his art form was dying. That he was going to teach what was passed downed to him, and that even the Okinawan followers, were not staying with the Orthodox side of his Art".
I understand that more today than ever. I guess even some young Okinawan's who studied under him, felt he was a old man. So the felt they needed to change his manner of teaching. They truly didn't need too. Now that are hundreds if not thousands of Americans who studied under some of Soken's seito, and are not teaching his system, but what the felt it should have been, and adding other styles as well. It is kind of like, if you have a tire that is not flat it rolls very well, yet if flat it doesn't. It is time to fix the flat.
Well I had never dreamed or thought I would be trying to help those that want it, to teach what Soken's concepts were. Thanks to my medical problems, and thanking God I don't have more than that, it has kept me in line with what I was taught.
When I returned from Okinawa in Sept 1972, I fought a couple of practitioners, who were better. Yet this didn't make me want to learn their system. They had years and years of practice compared to my 2. I truly didn't deserve the Rank I recieved leaving Okinawa. Yet if I kept studying as I have it would be earned.
Truly Thank God, and Hohan Soken for leading me in the proper ways.
