Two Beginners

Charles Murray and Victor Smith

Bushi No Te - April 2013

Sherman Harrill a Giant Presence who is still felt

Yesterday would have been Sherman Harrill’s 72nd birthday. {May11, 1941 ~ November 4. 2002) This was not to be, as he had departed this plane. An Isshinryu practionier he began his training on Okinawa under Shimabuku Tatsuo alongside my original instructor, Tom Lewis, and of course many others.


I am not his student, for I could not have the privilege of training with him on a regular basis, but his methodical approach to Isshinryu study, his joy if pursuing meaning and training, and his unending quest of Isshinryu Karate have altered my own understanding of my art, and he had similar impact on other’s training.

In the brief time I was fortunate to attend clinics with Sherman, and also help Gary Gerossie, one of this student’s host them, I observed him show over 800 possible applications (the count taken from my notes) and this was only a portion of his understanding.

He often would open a clinic showing applications possibilities of the initial movement of one kata, then after 3 hours would reluctantly decide to move on to the next movement. Sherman was inexaustable, after 6 or 8 hours of a clinic he would still be showing applications in the changing room. And he had serious health issues but though as the years passed and they caused him to slow slightly down, he simply kept going on and on.

To share a small piece of his teachings I offer a bit of the following notes from the first clinic I had with Sherman.



This series of techniques formed the opening hour or so of this clinic. They comprise a great variety of techniques underlying his art.

1. Most generally he sets off his defense on an angle when working on a technique. (my observation)

2. Stances

     a. Returning from Okinawa, Harrill Sensei’s Seisan Stance was more like a Sanchin stance. He feels this
     allows more movement to execute a punch without locking up.

     b. Sanchin Dachi also prevents scoop kicks into the groin, whether front kicks, or heel kicks to the rear.

     c. Nihanchi Stance also protects the groin from kicks. Shimabuku Tatsuo used to test the stance in this way.

3. On the street when you’re grabbed and then hooked punch, counter with an inner circular hook punch of your own.

      a. Using a counter attack roundhouse punch to deflect a roundhouse punch.. Your roundhouse punch
      travels on the inside (the shorter arc), deflecting and taking the collision energy to strike faster on the
      inside track.

4. Against a straight punch to your middle, throw a counter straight punch over the top of his punch.

     a. Use of a Reverse Punch to counter a reverse punch by punching right over the attacking punch’s
     forearm. Your forearm performs a wedging deflection during your own strike.

5. Against a hook punch (thrown from a natural stance) followed by a left straight punch, counter with the inside hook punch of your own, and tehen a straight punch over the top of their straight punch (wedging that punch downward).

     a. Against a roundhouse punch followed with a reverse punch, you can use basic tools 1 & 2 to do so in
     combination.

6. Also against a roundhouse punch, throw a straight punch to the attacking shoulder. You can also punch into the biceps. This punch may rise and then punch down into the shoulder too.

7. Against an attackers right foot stepping forward with a right punch,

     a. step outside their strike, with your left foot.

     b. Your left open hand parry moving clockwise over and guiding their arm down,

     c. Follow with your right open hand slap into their inner elbow,

     d. As their arm bends, roll it over (pulling up with the right hand and down with your left), and then slip  
    your left arm through the opening to press down against their arm’s triceps.

     e. This forms an arm lock

8. Against an opponents right foot forward right punch, where I’m right foot forward

     a. Throw a left straight punch over his punching arm into his stomach.

9. Against an opponents right foot forward right head punch

     a. Step right foot forward with a right high open hand parry across to the left

     b. Shift to the right front (knee release mechanism) wedging the attack away at the same time.

     c. Fold the right arm into a right horizontal elbow strike

10. Don’t tense while countering.

There was much, much more.

His example has been a source for my own study and an inspiration not to let my current problems slow me down. I miss his presence today, very acutely. For Sherman Harrill remains a bright beacon, whose light still guides those who trained with him.

The Sound of Silence

I haven't made any posts recently. I've been concentrating on my physical therapy for fall preventation and my own practice of my art. Remaining silent doesn't mean I've stopped my own studies, just thinking on what makes sense to share.

If anything we should always put our own studies first.

Charles Murray in Agena 1972

For Friends Long Gone

One of the hardest lessons you learn as an instructor is that your students will move on. No matter how much effort you put into their training, either within one year or after decades. Rarely does anyone talk about this, but this is the reality. One day the student is no longer there and most likely never seen again.

You are offering them the chance to experience your art and learn it. And they have and then they move on.

You have to realize you have done your job, they have learned from you and made the decision to move on. For our core lesson is to make one’s own decisions. This might be outside of their control such as moving for work. Or they may have interests that are more important to them.

You do not develop the student’s interest in the art, you but enhance it. You don’t create a life time of study for the individual, you just allow them to participate. You can’t create an instructor, you can only provide the environment for them t develop the interest in their studies and grow into the role.

You do this by allowing the student see you make continual choices for your art, and inspire them to do the same. When the time comes that they eventually choose to move on you celebrate that they have learned to do so. They learned from you how to choose what is appropriate for themselves.

That this is hard for you is not to be considered. When you choose to share your studies this comes with the territory. They have chosen a path to themselves that does not include continuing with you..

Perhaps they will continue to train, Perhaps they will not. Each person follows their own heart.

Most of the time, they will not tell you their intention. They will just not come back. In fact, they may well go out of their way to not meet with you again.

You wish them well, for they have to follow their heart. You will miss their presence and the time you spent with them. Each of them have been a lesson for you to learn.

Thank you for the time we spent together.

A person's unbalance is the same as a weight

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The Isshinryu code(1) of karate states “ a person’s unbalance in the same as a weight”. This if often understood as a way to unbalance your opponent and use their weight to make them fall, or at the same time a suggestion to protect your own balance. Each of which can be true.



The meaning to this codex has become more personal with the onset of my neurological condition which among other effects has greatly affected my balance in all activities. For example while walking remains very importqant to me I often use a cane for safety in this activity.



My study and practice of Yang Tai Chi Chaun, lasting for over 35 years, is almost at a gone. This is very hard to deal with for I love the practice of Tai Chi so.  The necessity of turning that this entails have brought my practice almost to a standstill. I stagger losing my stances during my practice, perhaps I’ll have to change to seated practice to continue. The loss of balance makes it almost impossible to direct the mind to perform the form, the act of not falling becomes a real weight on the mind. While often discussed as moving mediation by those who don’t practice the art, you actually have to keep your mind involved, most involved, while engaging in the practice of the form.



I find in Karate, less engagement of balance as in Tai Chi, or perhaps less turning movement would be more accurate. In turn, I retain more of my karate ability, much more when it comes to applying my art.But with my constant reminder that one’s balance is often gone,it does not take much to confuse my mind and become the weight, too.



“London Bridge is falling down”, and if I am not careful so am I too, down for the count.





(1.) Acknowledged this also came from the Okinawan Bubishi