Professor Richard A. Bell founded Sansei Isshinryu Karate-Do in 1980 and was chief instructor until his death in 2005. Professor Bell started his training in the martial arts in 1961 as a Marine recruit at Paris Island, South Carolina. Professor later trained in several styles and systems of martial arts; Jijitsu, Judo, Shorin-ryu, Wado-ryu, Uechi-ryu, Goju, Shotokan, Okinawan Isshunryu, USA Goju, Aikido, Okinawan Kenpo, Nisei Goju, Tai Chi Chuan, and Kendo. Teaching martial arts since 1967, Professor held many titles and ranks: Ph.D/Ma, Soke, Professor, Hanshi Shihan, 10th Dan Sansei Isshinryu, 8th Dan Nisei Goju, 6th Dan Lee Jijitsu-ryu, 5th Dan Okinawan Isshinryu, Intermediate Level Taoist Tai Chi Chuan, 6th Kyu Kendo, and 4th Kyu USA Goju. In 1994, Professor was inducted in the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame during his        service as a Deputy United States Marshal on St. Croix.

 

 

 

Tatsuo Shimabuku was born in Kyan Village in 1908, on the island of Okinawa on Saturday, the 19th of September.

 

Young Tatsuo began his study of Karate at the age of 8 when he walked some 12 miles to the neighboring village of Shuri to learn Shuri-Te Karate from his uncle. His uncle sent him home, but he returned repeatedly until his uncle finally gave in to Tatsuo's persistence and accepted him as a pupil.

 

For about four years young Shimabuku studied karate in his uncle's dojo, along with completing the most menial domestic chores. Having achieved a certain degree of skill in Shuri-Te Karate, he went on to formal training in Kobayashi-ryu. He met Chokotu Kiyan, who was already famous throughout Okinawa as a karate instructor, and become one of that master’s leading pupils. He also studied Goju-ryu Karate with Chojun Miyagi  and become his best student. 

 

Shimabuku’s reputation throughout Okinawa had reached its peak when World War II began. During the early part of the war he did his best to avoid conscription into the Japanese Army by escaping into the countryside where he worked as a farmer. 

 

Given his great reputation in karate though, many Japanese soldiers sought him out to study karate under him. The officers who finally caught up with him agreed to keep his whereabouts secret in exchange for karate training.  Thus, Shimabuku survived the war.

 

After the war, Shimabuku returned to farming and practiced karate privately.  Soon U. S. Marines stationed on Okinawa heard of him though and sought him out to start training in this new form of fighting: karate.  As one the island’s leading practitioner of both Shorin-ryu and Goju-ryu styles of karate, Shimabuku felt a need over the next decade to combine the two styles of karate into one. After consulting leading martial artists, Shimabuku founded his own system of karate: Isshin-ryu, meaning “The One Heart Method-Empty Hand.”