How it began - Pleasant Isshinryu

9-10-2001

Hi,

I don't know if you're interested, but as an alternative to the wide wide world of current Isshin-non/Isshin discussion, I created a new discussion group "Pleasant Isshinryu" at Yahoo.Groups.com.

Based on the principle that free speech does not exist on the group and NOBODY is allowed to get nasty or discuss 'RANK' and such issues. Instead Pleasant Isshinryu discussion where everybody will respect everybody.

So far today I've discussed an application of Chinto, why individuals have left Isshinryu for other training, and there's been a discussion on Matoyshi's Kobudo begun.

It may not succeed, but if you're interested let me know and I'll add you to look at what we're trying.

Victor Smith
Bushi No Te Isshinryu




When I decided an Isshinryu discussion group, I wanted to find a unique identifier for the group.  On the Original Isshinryu List a member created the Alfred E. Gami as a pleasant look at Isshinryu.


I thought of the Alfred E. Gami would be a great way to symbolize what I hoped the group could become, a unifying way to discuss Isshinryu in a pleasant manner without the vituperative discussion that would pop up on the other Isshinryu lists.
 

For the most part we succeeded for over 10 years and only one time did I have dismiss 3 members who could not  live up to our principles, I tried multiple times to calm them down. It was not successful and so I followed what I promised.

After Facebook took discussions over and those discussions got calmer. I hoped my group Pleasant Isshinryu played a small part of that happening.