An Invitation to Don Nagle’s AOKA, Inc.
The Don Nagle AOKA, Inc. is presently inviting additional Isshin-ryu schools, to enroll in our Association, which is dedicated to keeping the legacy of Don Nagle vibrant in the history of the martial arts. One of the original first generation American students of Shimabuku Tatsuo Soke, Don Nagle excelled. As a white belt he toured the other Masters dojo’s on Okinawa and challenged their black belts and beat them. As a result of this individual assault on established dojo’s he was referred to as "The Red Devil." Sensei Nagle was always very light skinned and undoubtedly was sunburned from the Okinawan sun. Thus, the "Red" connotation. Shortly afterward, the Masters throughout Okinawa spoke to Shimabuku Soke, requesting that he keep Don Nagle out of their dojo's. Prior to leaving Okinawa, Nagle, as a white belt entered the annual Okinawan Championship Tournament.
Surprising everyone on Okinawa, Don Nagle worked right through the tiers of rank and won the Championship. With that win Don Nagle instantly brought validation to this new martial art. In my estimation, Isshin-ryu, was not an off shoot of other styles, but in essence was so totally different, that it could be looked upon as a new paradigm, a martial art in and of itself.
As a historical note, the Don Nagle AOKA, Inc. tournament held every September, the rules allow that the winners in all classifications are enabled to fight there way through to the Grand Championship. In essence a white belt could actually win the tournament. We do this to again honor Grand Master Don Nagle, for his remarkable career in Isshin-ryu, The Art.
Sensei left Okinawa as a Go-Dan (Fifth Degree Black Belt) and he moved to his next tour of duty at Camp Lejune, .Jacksonville, North Carolina. In 1957, Sensei Nagle partnered with Master Ernie Cates, the five-time Marine Corps .Judo Championship at 22 New River Street outside the base. All of the students In the dojo were active duty Marines, many of them Recon Marines. This was the first Isshin-ryu dojo In America, established in 1957. Among his students were Rick Niemira, .Jim Chapman, Lou Lizzote, Don Bohan, Ralph Bove, Otto Anderson and myself. I arrived in late 1958, to face brown belts Niemira and Chapman.
Eventually, he left the Corps, and within several years he had become a member of the Jersey City Police Department, becoming an undercover detective, winning the Medal of Honor and becoming one of the most prestigious detectives in all of the North East. Prior to his death, he was proud to be assigned as a Federal Marshall, after retiring from the Jersey City Police Department.
He had opened several dojo's in .Jersey City and again, with the aid of Rick Niemira and .Jim Chapman, he began to turn out Champions and Sensei’s once again. At that time, Gary Alexander won both the United States and Canadian Championships, becoming the First American Champion, under the tutelage Of Sensei, Niemira and Chapman.
His prowess in kumite and his ability to create Sensei’s from his student body that would go on to win Championships and turned out students who won Championships. As a result, the magazines referred to Sensei Nagle as, "The Living Legend." It was this background of triumphs and unparalleled fighting skills that led to his being chosen as the First American Grand Master, after Harold Long's IHOF in Tennessee, during an enclave of approximately two hundred and fifty to three hundred highest ranked Black Belts, representing some twenty top Associations from the United States and Canada. Lou Lizzote stated that Kichiro Shimabaku, who was a toddler when Nagle was in Okinawa, was paying no attention to America, other than collecting money. He felt that we were at the right time to have a Grand Master and nominated Master Nagle, which was quickly seconded by Harold Long, who said, "There Is only one man we can pick and that Is Don Nagle, the best fighter In the United States." A vote was called for and every hand in the room went up. Before his death he attempted to bring unity and brotherhood to Isshin-ryu, by tying together the North East and the South. This Is Increasingly relative, since Isshin-ryu is stronger globally, than it is in Okinawa, which for all intents is leaderless.
Now the Don Nagle AOKA, Inc. has an exciting objective, in the way we intend to go -back to The Future," while upgrading our present abilities. With a strong base and further expansion of members on an International scale, we can certainly create a -Golden Era" for Isshin-ryu, "The Art." With the right people united in Isshin-ryu, dreams can come true.
We have realized that our Association is at the proper moment to grow on a global basis. Since our Board of Directors has sanctioned this growth movement, we have already begun to have dojo’s contact us to enroll. We are not going to meddle in your schools initiatives, such as promotions, but will, instead, certify these promotions, lending the seal and prestige of The Don Nagle AOKA, Inc. to your student's progress. If invited, to your Shias, one of our board members will attend as a guest.
Members of the Association, who have Tournaments or other events of note, will be promoted by the Don Nagle AOKA, Inc. on several of our excellent web sites.
Your dojo’s that join us will take part in seminars on righting principles, kata, weapons and marketing your dojo. We will also help to advertise our associate's dojo’s as Four Star Schools under the auspices of the Association and listed on our sites with all the relevant Information. We believe that all Association dojo's should have a healthy financial future.
Our first Initiative will be the Certification of all tournament officials, so that the parents of your students and the adult students will realize that they will all have an equal opportunity to win matches. We have already begun to lay the foundation for this incentive and will pass on this ability to our new associates. Our rules will eliminate any contact to the head, committed to the overall safety of the contestants and will be free of any legal problems. With well-trained and caring officials we will be able to keep the matches exciting by realizing only focused kicks or punches, pulled instinctively near specified targets. Taps on the shoulders will not receive a point. We will make the tournament crisp, exciting and packed with excitement. We do this simply because we feel that Tournaments are held for the contestants, giving them a chance to win, a safe match, strictly kept regulations, non-theatrical calls and a total dismissal of the patches on contestants gi’s.
Eventually, we would like to spread the original moves of Shimabuku in the original kata’s, fully uniting the Association in the true Isshin-ryu. We realize that tournaments have, over the decades, changed much of the kata’s, in order to gain points from the judges. We see the reality of unity in the kata’s as the Soke taught them will take some two years.
I ask you to join us in this brotherhood of Isshin-ryu around the globe. Come with us for a bright future and the mystical pride of being an Isshin-ryu karate-ka. You will be welcomed with open arms.
We will ask you to pay an annual fee, so that we can sustain the initiatives that we have in mind for our associated members. The fees are, as follows:
. $250.00 per year for dojo’s with more than 25
Students.
. $150.00 per year for dojo’s with 25 or less
Students.
. $100.00 per year for dojo’s with 10 or less
Students.
. $50.00 per year for "Associate Membership." This would entail dojo’s, which taught other than Isshin-ryu, in order to develop a base for interaction within dojo’s of many styles, for an overall education in karate. We will also take part in inter-dojo kumite and the opportunity to see and discuss other techniques. This will also mean that we can have open tournaments, bringing back the days of large, profitable events. This section will also cover the Isshin-ryu teachers who are "subsidized," by an entity, i.e., town, civic group, corporation, etc. wherein the Instructors do not receive any income, nor do the students pay a fee.
Board of Directors
Master Nick Adler
Master Phillip Furgason
Master Brian Fitzgerald
Master Dennis Hoare
Master Chet Holubecki
Master Frank Klos
Master Bob Mansfield
Hanshi-Go Ed McGrath
Master Rick Norris
Master Ralph Passero
Master John Pinghero
Master Barry Steinberg, M.D.
Master Ernie Temple
Master J. George Wanko
Master Michael Wanko, Ph. D.
All Board Members have at least 30 to 35 years experience in the art, with some established for five decades.
As new dojo’s and Associate members become members of The Don Nagle AOKA, Inc., we will establish an Advisory Board from the new Sensei’s In our organization, In order to glean the intelligence, knowledge and new Initiatives that can be filtered to the Board of Directors. These new members will be assimilated into the Board, as openings occur.
If you wish to join with us, you may reach us through Mr. Ed McGrath's web site by locating the address of the sites web master, Master John Pinghero. Please e-mail him at thedojo@aokaincmcgrath.com , give him the following Information:
Dojo Name.
Location.
Sensei and his/her background and the name of their Sensei. Number of students.
Whether or not you run an Annual Tournament and when it takes place.
Thank you and I look forward to meeting you, for a better future in Isshin-ryu, The Art.
Ed McGrath, Ju-Dan
Grand Master, Isshin-ryu
Successor of Don Nagle,
“The Living Legend”
Questionnaire for Prospective Dojo's
Joining “The Don Nagle AOKA, Inc.
Name of Dojo
Location Street
City/State
Zip Code
Sensei Name/Rank
Your Teacher Name/Rank
Other Instructors Name/Rank
Brief Bio – Sensei and Dojo -
How Many Students Do You Have
Why Do You Want To Join AOKA, Inc.
Date