OUR PATCHES
Mizu
Gami
: The Isshin-ryu
patch, worn on the
upper left side of the karate gi, is known as the Mizu-Gami ( or “Water
Goddess” ). The goddess, is named “Magami.” The “Magami” has appeared
in the Orient for centuries, prior to it’s use in the Isshin-ryu
patch. According to a magazine article on Master Angi Uezu, Soke Tatsuo
Shimabuku purchased a painting, the day after having a dream of being challenged
to combat by a stranger, who was passing by, while the Soke was resting in his
courtyard. When Master Shimabuku refused, the stranger surrounded him with a
ring of fire. Shimabuku threw water on the fire and extinguished it. When he
looked for the man, he had disappeared.
The painting prompted reminiscences of his dream,
with a goddess, half woman and half sea serpent, rising from the ocean, with her
left hand open in peace and her right hand, ready to defend herself, was balled
in a fist, displaying strength and fortitude. He felt that this represented a
depiction of the essence of Isshin-ryu, the fighting style he had developed as a
result of decades of martial practice, since the central theme of Isshin-ryu would be defensive.
The “Mizu Gami” itself is encircled with a reddish/orange ring
representing the fire which had circled Soke Shimabuku in his dream state, which
transposed in his mind to represent the evil which assails us in this world. The
roiling sea water from which “Magami” rises, signifies purity and puts out
the fire, thereby defeating evil.
The gray background signifies night, when the man attacked the Master. It might also have demonstrated that all things in this realm are not simply black and white, but are more difficult to discern, just as the stranger suddenly disappeared. The dragon ascending to the sky, represents good fortune, perhaps an allusion to the good fortune of finding and studying Isshin-ryu, the martial art that means, “The one Heart Way.” In fact, the karate name that the Soke had taken, was Tatsuo, meaning “Dragon Man.” The three stars above the dragon, represent a depiction of the sky in the Far East and for Shimabuku was a reference to his three major teachers; Choki Motubo, Chotoku Kyan and Chojun Miyagi. The stars can also represent the physical, mental and spiritual ascendancy inherent in the study of the art of Isshin-ryu.
Meant to be primarily defensive in nature, the overall essence of the patch reminds us of the dangers around us and stresses our option of peace or defense, even if that defense requires deadly application of our art.
“The Essence” Patch
- the patch worn on the
upper right sleeve of the gi, was designed by Sensei Ed McGrath during the
seventies. Originally, is was represented in a circular form, until his
students, in the early nineties,
requested that the patch now be enlarged to designate that they were the
students of Ed McGrath’s school of Isshin-ryu. At the outset they wanted to have
the patch read, Ed McGrath’s Isshin-ryu
karate. However, if Mr. McGrath’s
Sensei had taught him anything, it was that Isshin-ryu
was the art presented to
us by only one man, Soke Tatsuo
Shimabuku. The manner of presentation of our art
should always take place with that premise in your mind. This may seem to be
splitting hairs, but reverence and respect should always be shown to our
original Master and the pioneers who spread that art from Okinawa, throughout
the world.
The “Essence” patch was meant to symbolize the world that we live in,
not earth, but the world of the martial arts. The Circle of White stands
for the students, the kyus, who begin with purity of mind and in that circle, we
represent the fundamental of consistency and continuity, for, as this era of
kyus move on and become the teachers of the future, they will be replaced by the
enthusiasm of a new breed of student, with an open mind for us to form into a
karate-ka.
The mass of Red is the student body, represented by all of the kyu
ranks, all striving for knowledge, development of mind, body and spirit and, in
the end, excellence. They represent the largest element in the dojo. They are
it’s body and soul and the life’s blood of any school.
The lower portion of the Circle of Black, representing the Dans or
Black Belts. They are the teachers and the Masters, who mold the future of the
kyus and they must be chosen with great care by the Master of the dojo, for the
benefit of the students. They must be intelligent, proud of the art they teach
and excellent proponents of and therefore, examples of that art. They must also
show loyalty, common
sense, honesty, with unblemished backgrounds in order to
safeguard the vulnerable students. They are never Saints, since those are hard
to come by, however, the word “dojo” means more than school, it literally
means “a place to learn the way.” The students are not only taught the art,
but, the etiquette of a dojo, temperance in all they do, courtesy and the
precepts of decency. The Black Belts, like their rank, are held to a higher
standard, in order to be models of good citizenship. The student body must be
able to look up to the Black Belts, or the dojo will not accomplish it’s
purpose.
The Red Dot within the Black Belt section signals to all
participants that even the Black Belts are still students of Isshin-ryu
and will
remain so throughout their life. A Black Belt who no longer works out, who feels
he knows it all is a student who is on the decline. The venue for the upper
ranks must always be a hunger for more knowledge, innovation of technique and
the highest level of skill that can be achieved with the body and athleticism
that fate has given them. The Black Belt must always go forward, must always
press the limits to achieve excellence.
To end on a personal note, Master McGrath has always been suspicious of a
Sensei’s resume, when it claims that they have degrees of black belt rank, in
several of the martial arts. In the days of the forefathers of Okinawan karate
and Chinese arts many of the greatest Sensei's
studied and taught one specific
kata throughout their entire life. They utilized that kata, to defend themselves
against multiple opponents and, in fact, they often voluntarily defended the
village they lived in against well armed marauding bands of thieves and bandits.
By that measure, men like Miyagi spent years in perfecting a series of moves
within one kata, aiming for overall perfection.