Training with Sherman Harrill – June 10, 1995 (at Garry Gerossie’s)
Harrill Sensei is a contemporary of Tom Lewis. He trained with Shimabuku Tatuso for 14 months.
In ‘1960’ Isshinryu wasn’t a completed system (ie kobudo kata were undergoing changes). Different people were being taught differently. Shimabuku didn’t do most of the training, the seniors did.
In the case of Kobudo, Shimabuku was still working on the shape of of Isshinryu system. For example there used to be a basic Sai kata (Kyan No Sai) which was later discontinued because the techniques were found in Kusanku Sai and Chantan Yara No Sai. The instructor who was teaching the Okinawan Karate-ka Kobudo only taught the upper body skills, the weapons work. This approach let each stylist use the lower body techniques of their own system.
Mr. Harrill doesn’t do Chia-Fa. With Mr. Advincula he does Hiragonna No Tonfa.
Shimabuku taught empty hand Kata, kobudo Kata nad Kumite. Kumite meant prearranged drills for self defense (Advincula, the secret scrolls of kumite). These drills were practiced by the Marines for demonstrations. Many of the Marines never stayed long enough to learn them. Mr. Harrill explained that they formed the basis of the Bunkai principles he does. Advincula Sensei is the ‘best’.
The patch is the Mei Gami (Not Mizu Gami), the Isshinryu Water Goddess.
Shimabuku Tatsuo originally gave Mr. Harrill a Rok-kyu Dan certificate. Mr. Harrill pressed him and received signed copies for Sho Dan through Go Dan, in addition to his Rok Kyu Dan. He then waited the appropriate time before accepting each rank.
He met Mr. Harold Mitchum, in 1990.
Mr. Mitchum promoted him to Seichi Dan in 1992.
Mr. Harrill joined Mr. Long’s organization for 6 months , but left disliking the politics. (In 2001 he related to me that it was because of promotion standards, which he was not in agreement with.) He was present at the IKKA meeting where Don Nagle (now deceased) was promoted to 10th dan and voted President of Isshinryu in America.. Mr. Harrill chose to vote for his only opponent (which Mr. Nagle requested there be another person to consider, and the group picked one at random), a green belt. Which raised a few eyebrows.
He tries to keep his kata to the technique taught by Shimabuku, for future generations. His Bunkai, however, explores as wide a range of technique as possible.
-- -- --
Later notes:
Mr. Harrill began teaching, which had been a dream, after his two daughters were killed by a driver. They had wanted him to open a dojo, so he did. When others dropped in his school, he began to get a reputation for the applications he was teaching and researching. Eventually he taught Goju and Ueichi groups in the Mid-West (such as Phil Koeppel), and Isshinryu around the world. One year he spent a month in South Africa, teaching Goju practitioners.
It was through Garry Gerossie taking the time to locate me (Victor Smith) that I came to hear of Sherman and trained with him at Garry’s school, first in 1995.
Sherman knew I was a student of his old friend, Tom Lewis.
When we first met, Sherman stated, “I want you to understand I’m not looking for students.”
Understanding, I replied “I want you to understand I’m not looking for a new Sensei.” We hit it off fine after that. A number of years later I was able to bring Mr. Lewis and Mr. Harrill together for a weekend. Sherm taught a clinic focusing on Wansu and some Bo.
Mr. Harrill remarked how he trained his brother in Isshinryu, and in 1962, is brother went to Okinawa (I believe as a Marine), and first demonstrated his kata. Shimabuku Sensei, having abandoned the vertical punch at that time, told him, “No, that’s the older style fist we don’t use anymore!” but then added, “Now its ok, its just we’re doing this now.” [Aside in 1962 in Pittsburgh, Shimabuku Sensei taught for 6months and he taught the turning punch during that time.]
He supported my writing on Shimabuku Tatsuo’s instructors, sharing video record of Taira Shinken’s kobudo teachings to assist my analysis.
I hosted him about 5 times, or I provided our school, my adult students, and Garry Gerossie (his student in Concord, NH) picked up the costs the clinic fee’s didn’t cover.
I was also able to train with him at Chester Houlbecki’s in Granby, Ma. And at Joe Aeillo’s dojo in Cranston, RI. Over the years.
And we would frequently chat on the Inter-net, discussing topics of interest.
Meeting Sherman for the first time he made sure we all knew not to hit him in the chest. He had had a serious heart attack about 5 years earlier and felt it necessary to protect same.
As the years passed, he had more frequent heart incidents. One year at my school he began a clinic very grey and we were worried about his health, though he got stronger during the day. Dr. Harper tried to offer medical assistance over the next few months, and later that summer he did have another heart attack.
His heart problems continued to come, and about a year before his death, he even damaged his biceps during a clinic in Seattle. But the next weekend, he taught in Granby and Houlbecki Sensei’s dojo, and concentrated in part on one arm techniques, too.
When Mr. Lewis came out, Mr. Harill proudly explained to me that he had recently done an entire clinic on Sanchin, relating all of it to the rest of the system. I really was interested, but as the years passed, he didn’t cover it, focusing on the needs of the students at the clinics, first. The last time Garry was able to bring him in for a clinic, I was invited to come up the night before to train, and I was really hoping to work on Sanchin. But Mr. Harrill was so weak and ill I didn’t have the heart to even bring up training. Of course he recovered and the next day ran a great bo clinic (teaching a 2 person Okinawan bo set).
I'm trying to put my thoughts together about Mr. Harrill, the experience I shared and what I will do with this to continue what I received for my students.
As I remember Sherman clinics, he left us a very complex message, full of depth and texture. Attending a clinic with him was always an exciting experience. When I first had occasion to train with him he was showing material at a frenzied pace and would run through what seemed like hundreds of techniques in an 8 hour period. The next clinic was in my school and his pace didn't slacken. You could not injest so much material, you just experienced it.
But over the years, perhaps in part due to his health, or perhaps in part due to his listening to seminar participants, he showed down the pace of technique instruction. This was easier for those working the techniques, but at the same time that new information channel began to show secondary messages, on the deeper structure behind his teachings. Often quiet expression of the underlying principles that allow one to continue this study on their own, with work.
The full impact of the layers of instruction he offered is difficult to access, it is so deep.
Heck, at this point it may be appropriate to discuss communications theory. All efforts of communications can be analyzed as a channel of communications, and information flows both ways. In all human
activity, there are most frequently multiple channels of information being presented, all at the same time. The more you can recognize those layers, the more you can understand what is actually being said.
In such sense, I would offer the clinics I attended with Sherman most often contained the following.
1.An example of trust and friendship
2.An exposition of the results of a lifetime of study
3.An exposition of the potential depth of the Isshinryu system and an ongoing discussion of his personal Isshinryu history.
4.The direct teachings presented
5.Deeper principles behind those techniques, or why they were there.
The sum of these events and more was definitely greater than any one part. They all were Sherman.
Sherman chose to reveal a portion of his work at these Isshinryu clinics. In part reflecting the abilities of the group he was teaching. There is no question he could not give everything he would teach in his school. But the portions he choose to reveal were incredible.
On first exposure his clinics would resemble a Japanese term I heard defined long ago, the technique of no technique. So many techniques were offered you could not retain even a fraction of them. But that quickly would change as he was concentrating on our Isshinryu system.
Several times, discussing the issue that he could generate greater cash flow for his efforts, I questioned why he didn't try to write a book(s) or create a video tape series. But he never expressed that was his goal. Its seems to me he felt this training had to be experienced first hand.
He did permit me to keep copies of the video tapes of those clinics held in my school, and I know he did the same with other instructors. But I believe Sherman felt his efforts weren't a closed issue, but a live experience for him. Thus he was always trying to work out new applications.
Those video tapes represent a record that is useful because we've shared that training with Sensei. They do not constitute a replacement for him, though.
From this I would believe he wanted us to follow the same example, to continue to grow in our own studies, with his efforts pointing the way for us, and the more general principles to become tools for our
own development. Of course that puts a great deal of responsibility on us to try and follow his lead.
I never had the opportunity, time or resources to travel to train further with him. I know this represented lost opportunities. In 1999 he described how he had finally conducted an entire clinic on Sanchin, with a great deal of satisfaction. But in subsequent years the clinics I was able to attend or host covered different material. Finally last year when we hosted a clinic with him for the last time, I was invited by Garry Gerossie up to his house the night before to work out. I was hoping to focus on Sanchin with Sensei.
But Sherman was so ill from traveling I didn't have the heart to ask the question, and instead we chatted about Isshinryu news and history. True to form he blasted through the next day as if nothing
was wrong. But I regret that lost chance a great deal.
So how best to follow the example Sherman shared?
I've always used his teachings as a starting point for my and my adult group's research and training. But I feel strongly as an instructor I need to take a further step to bind what we received for my students shared future.
I've begun to gather my notes together and am compiling a Sherm-pedia, detailing each technique we studied with him the past 7 or so years. I also intend to further review the video record we possess to
verify I've documented as much of the training, underlying principles and history as possible.
Then I will make it available for the Bushi No Te Isshinryu instructors and senior students as a resource to guide training and further research.
In no way can it replace Sherman, but I hope it can be used to help us focus on his teachings more distinctly.
No comments:
Post a Comment