Isshinryu Karate rollcall

[isshinryu5toforever]

We haven't done something like this in a while, so I want to see who is involved in Isshinryu Karate.

If you don't mind, and you don't have to, please tell us where you train, your rank, and maybe your instructor's name or association.

I can start since I'm the one asking,

My home dojo has recently, as in the last few years moved to Barron, Wisconsin. That's where I go whenever I'm actually in Wisconsin.

My current rank is Yondan.

My instructor, Master Lloyd Brown, does not belong to an association. He is currently doing kobudo training with Master Peter Carbone of the Weapons Connection.

I'd like us to have a discussion on the current state of Isshinryu Karate, and perhaps what we think may be lacking, if anything, from the style we all practice.

[Lupin1]

I do Isshinryu. I train in a teeny tiny little program run out of a Boys and Girls Club in southern New Hampshire (I've only got another 2 1/2 weeks there, though, until I'll be training on my own). I've studied there about 5 years now (non-consecutively) and I'm a 5th kyu. My instructor is Victor Smith (if any of you have been to FightingArts Forums you probably know him) and he trained in Isshinryu at Tom Lewis' dojo and in a few other styles with various other people.

[BDPulver]

Been studying, practicing and teaching since 84. At the moment i just study and practice. Still looking into trying to find a place to open up a dojo.

But home dojo is in Hackettstown, NJ. I try to go back once a year (would like to go back more but gas is outrageious still). I live in Ashland, KY now.

Rank is still Nidan due to when I moved. There is no one in this area that is part of my association. I am part of the IWKA.

My instructor is Kyoshi John Hughes and his instructor is Hanshi William H. Duessel who was instructed by Tatsou Shimabuku and follows Kichiro Shimabuku now.

[Crazybones]

I've been doing Isshinryu since I was 12, and I'm a ni-dan! OSU! and nice to meet you all!

[isshinryu5toforever]

Anyone willing to chime in on organizations and what they think of them?

As of right now, there are no less than 5 Isshinryu Karate organizations in the United States:

USIKA

IIKA

OIKKA

WIKA

American Budo Kai

There are probably many other smaller organizations.

It seems to me like there are far too many. That might be just my opinion though. What do you guys think?

[Lupin1]

We're not a member of any organizations because my instructor likes to do his own thing. I can see why there are so many of them though. I mean, the original Isshinryu practitioners in the US came over here after usually no more than a year of training on Okinawa and then they came over and started teaching people. There's a lot of disagreement. Not to mention Shimabuku was known to teach the same kata slightly differently to different people.