How I initially met John Kerker

When I was finishing my Sherm-pedia I was contacted by John Kerker.

 

After a decade attending and hosting clinics with Sherman Harrill, suddenly he passed away. I was in such shock that for 3 months I spent every free minute viewing the video tapes he permitted me to film of those clinic at my school and the many notes I kept from the other clinics.

As I was finishing my Sherm-pedia (my opus for myself) John Kerker (Shermans senior student wrote to me, offering me comments on my efforts. Eventually I finished my Sherm-pedia and then sent a copy to John. It was filled with so much that was a value to me.

The years passed and eventually John was giving a clinic in Chicopee Ma. - about a 3-hour drive for me. I went and we met.  Though family commitments only allowed me to be there a few hours, I learned a great deal. I took many notes and later that evening wrote them up and sent a copy to John.

What I learned from John was being able to experience so much that Sheman had privately told me. He always maintained he was not teaching his students at those clinics. Rather showing some of the potential ways kata technique could be used. He maintained that how he taught in his dojo was quite different. The reason was that the attendees were not his 'Students', they had not chosen to receive the full power of his strikes, and many other details. For one thing he never had enough time to cover all of that. For a clinic he could only do so much.

Then observing John in action, I saw what he meant. His partner was being struck over and over with the most intense strikes I have ever seen anywhere, regardless of the system of the striker. And more amazingly after being dropped with each strike the attacker continued to rise and allow himself to be struck again then again.

Over the next several clinics I learned so much from John about how Sherman taught, filling those many details Sherman never had enough time for

This was the first time I corresponded with John.

 

From: kerk930@aol.com  

To: isshim@attbi.com

Subject: Fwd: [Pleasant_Isshinryu] Another small step in my Isshinryu studies

Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 20:41:52 EST

Mr. Smith,

I've read your articles About Sensei Harrill with great interest and with a smile on my face. Having spent quite a few years with him in I've had the opportunity to see the entire spectrum of Isshinryu practitioners in the Dojo.

I've been helping everyone from White belts to 6th Dans since I was a green belt in trying to get in synch with the way that Sensei approached and executed his technique. It was interesting for me especially to watch how he operated at a seminar as opposed to his own Dojo.

I've seen you remark that you were pretty sure the experience was a lot different. You are very correct in saying that. It was especially interesting before 1992 which was his pre heart attack era. This is when he was really into contact. Sensei always use to say that what he considered light contact was full contact to most others.

I can say with great confidence that I felt each of those 800 techniques you mention plus probably 3 to 4 hundred more, each several times. I've also read the posts about your Tai chi with some interest. When I first met Sensei Harrill, I had spent 12 years studying a system that comprised the three classical internal Chinese Arts. 

Meeting him to say the least was a bit of a shock. He used to come over to our school on Friday nights and train. Since I was the senior student in that school, he spent most of the time with me off to the side of everyone else. At the time I met him he had few students and wasn't into the seminars yet, so I was one of the first people he could whack and try these things he'd been working on so long.

After are first meeting It took me about another 1 1/2 years to realize what an opportunity it would be to go full time into his Dojo. When I asked him if he would accept me as a student, he had two requirements. One, that I inform man to man my current instructor and tell him what I was doing. Two, that he start me from scratch as a white belt, and that I refrain from practicing my other style and do only Isshinryu. I accepted and what followed turned into a great 16-year relationship between the two of us.

I was amazed by his technique and power. In class I bet I wrote 10 pages of notes each class. I have 6 full notebooks from those beginning days. Often the two of us were the only two in class. One day after I had been there about 1 1/2 years, he looked at me and said," John, you know you waste an awful lot of class time scribbling in those notebooks." I told him that how else in the world will he expect me to remember all the things he showed me. His answer was to practice your basics and Kata and the Tatsuo Kumite techniques. Just as he had done.

For the last 14 1/2 years that's what I've done. The training at the Carson Dojo has not stopped with the passing of Sensei Harrill. In about two weeks I will take operational control of the Dojo which is what Sensei his wife and Family have wanted. Believe me it's tough sometimes. I miss him terribly. 

I have five Seminars planned this year right now, when I get all the dates firm they will be posted. Everyone as always is welcome to come to the Dojo in Carson and train as always. I have people coming in from out of town the next three weekends to train.

The only thing that is important to me is that Sensei Sherman Harrill's unique way of doing Isshinryu Karate continues. That is what we his Dojo students are doing.

If there is anything I can ever help you with, please feel free to contact me at any time. In about a month, I will have a new phone at the Dojo and forward that to everyone.

Also, Victor, although I belong to three of the IR lists, I post very seldom. That is not meant to mean anything other than I translate thing a lot better on the Dojo floor than I do a keyboard, That's the way Sherman trained me.

In Isshinryu

John Kerker 

From: "victorsmithus <isshim@attbi.com>" <isshim@attbi.com>  [ Save Address ]

To: Pleasant_Isshinryu@yahoogroups.com

Subject: [Pleasant_Isshinryu] Another small step in my Isshinryu studies

Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 16:43:21 -0000

I realize we all have vastly different dreams and instruction behind what the Isshinryu system means. And of course we're passionate about our beliefs.

One vision, as presented by Sherman Harrill, is that there are uncounted application studies behind the Isshinryu system. For those who don't follow that path, that's fine for them. For those who've experienced some of his instruction, we march to a different drummer.

Since Sherman Harrill died last October, I had a dream to compile my notes (and finish reviewing several clinic video's I hadn't documented) on his presentation of applications (and principles) behind the Isshinryu system of Karate.

Well, focusing on almost nothing else I've finished. Watching over a dozen hours of previously undocumented video tape and re-writing everything to make the material as consistent as possible.

So, in the few years and chances I had to study with him, I experienced over 800 applications of the Eight Isshinryu Kata. And got an entire mess of underlying principles and themes behind his training. And now I've documented all of it.

Of course, I fully realize I don't have but a small snapshot of his teachings, but there's enough to keep us busy for life.

I came to realize, much of my own research the past 5 or so years, was looking at those things he didn't cover, or principles not in his Interpretation of Isshinryu, or applying his principles to other areas than what he presented.

It strikes me as an incredible legacy for my students, who have gone through all of those clinics with me for the most part.

I've catalogued most of them by Kata, and until I ran out of page protectors, I printed out 72 pages so far, (the first 1/2 of the  Isshinryu kata. But there was much more detailed application study from the remaining kata, so I have no idea how long it will be whenever I complete printing it out later this week.

I also realize most of it is useless to those who didn't go through the training. Even the video behind them becomes quickly un-watchable, except for the densest (such as me). But having experienced it, you can readily re-construct the analysis.

Decades ago, when incredible instructor and friends, pushed so much material at me I had to work to retain it, keeping detailed notes became a necessity. 

Now today, they've paid off incredibly.

I really wanted Sherman to write this (or film this) himself. But he wasn't keen on the idea. I fed him much of my clinic notes, as he liked to see what people retained, but he wasn't interested in pushing his material beyond what he presented personally.

It's been like a continuous dip into Sherman-ness, preparing this material. I recognize I won't maintain the same intimacy with his material in the future, but having done so, I've ensured his footsteps won't wash away with the tides of time, at least for my students.

So, I guess the idea is Study Hard, document harder, and keep learning.

Victor