Isshin-ryu Karate In The United States

After the war was over, sometime in the late 1940’s, the US Military stationed personnel on Okinawa. Just as the Japanese had done during the war, our military sought out Master Shimabuku to ask him to teach martial arts to the servicemen who were quartered on the...

IIKA Development

(Left to Right)Harry Acklin, Harold Long, Ed Johnson, Harold Mitchum Original IIKA organizational meeting in Knoxville, Tennessee, 1974. In 1973, Harold Long headed a group of Isshin‑ryu practitioners who traveled to Okinawa to see Master Shimabuku—knowing that...

Harold Long And The IIKA

(Left to Right)Front: Butch Chilton, Maurice Msarsa, Tommy True, Allan Wheeler, Phil McElroyBack: Harold Long, Roy Vaughn, Jim McDonald, JC Burris, Denny Shaffer, Jimbo ButlerEarly IIKA board meeting in Nashville, TN around 1979 In 1973, Harold Long and other leaders...

Harold Long’s Influence

(Left to right all rows) Front: Harold Long, Angi Uezu, Bill Arnwin Middle: Tommy True, Andy Anderson, JC Burris Back: Allan Wheeler, Travis Brasfield,Maurice Msarsa In 1963, Master Long attended the “Systems Head Meeting” of the first World Karate...