SHADES OF ISSHINRYU
The well that sparked
Tatsuo's dream
Who would have thought in May of 1959
that this photo taken of #3 daughter Yukiko, this photograph of a
simple patch of weeds and flowers to the right of Master Uezu's
wife, would be known as the well of Mizu Gami or Megami. The name
all depends on what side of the broken spine of Isshinryu a person
subscribes to.
The well consisted of a circular shaft dug into the earth and the
rock wall surrounding it rose about 4 feet from the ground. There
was a simple crank that you could throw a bucket down and crank it
back up again. This was their water supply but to other people,
westerners, the well that provoked the dream.
My concern with this dream is that my
Master, as he was the one who supposedly had this dream, Tatsuo
Shimabukuro, never ever wore the patch that is now the figurehead of
Isshinryu. The credit for the following belongs to those who control
the Internet.
Master Shimabukuro's dream tells of
him training alone in his dojo, when he was approached by an awesome
stranger who challenged Tatsuo. Sensei, being a peaceful man and
according to the dream, stepped back, into what is called a
Seiunchin position, as in my version of the drawing of my Isshin Ryu
patch. He then lowered his left hand, palm downward, and his right
hand above and beyond his head. This, as I teach it, signifies a
position of a peaceful warning backed up by aggressive action.
Immediately his attacker disappeared, leaving Tatsuo surrounded by
flames. Tatsuo simply drew water from the well and doused the
flames.
There are different names for the
image portrayed on the several Isshin Ryu patches which are changed
as the need of the egos of those need stroking. Westerners have the
gall to challenge Angi Uezu's version of the patch, Mizu Gami,
meaning Water Goddess, and then there are those who challenge
Kichiro Shimabuku's version of the patch, called MeGami, which is
supposed to mean Goddess of Isshin Ryu. In my opinion, why throw
water on the flame if the water does not represent something? Mizu
simply means water.
Shimabukuro Sensei wore this
patch only once in his lifetime, as a favor to Don Nagle.
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