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George started training at a time when
the word dojo was not even used, much less a legitimate school
for the study of karate.
Our dojo was in the basement of a ranch
style home I owned in 1961. In a residential neighborhood
signs were not even allowed. One fact remains in my mind that
made an impression on my memory. My family would not allow
any signs or special equipment to be used so all we had was a
bare basement. Hanging a decorative rug against one wall, we
used that as a punching bag, a makiwara so to speak. When we
removed the rug to move to another location we found the
cinder block wall destroyed from the continual banging of the
striking.
Ralph Lindquist brought George to our
dojo, as we almost always relied on referrals; we did not take
unknown students from the street. I had only two
requirements. One, a student must be an adult and, two, that
student must be male. It took me years to accept the fact
that those other than adult males could learn karate.
I missed most of George’s heyday, when
he was on the tournament circuit because I chose to put
Isshinryu to work for which it was intended. As a result, I
missed so much that was and is so important to the history of
Isshinryu.
George remains to this day a true
friend, one of the few men who could understand my thoughts
concerning rank. To me, George is a 10th Dan by
all standards.
I attended a seminar at a University
Hospital and witnessed exactly what his Tuite could do. I was
very impressed and in fact I think his method of fighting
would be exactly what a senior citizen would need to defend
themselves. Maybe his technique would make defending one’s
self much easier.
George has proven to me that he is a
true friend, one of the few I still have left in this life. I
have great respect for him.
Harry G. Smith |
