OUR MISSION
To provide students arts training that cannot afford a commercial school, like my Sensei martial did for me. Promote and build self mastery and physical benefits. Increase drive, motivation disciple and confidence.
Meet The Instructor
I started my Martial Arts training in Fort Davis, Panama. My father enrolled me in a Kodukan Judo class which was taught by Sensei Sanchez in 1972. I may have spent about two to three months before I became disinterested in Judo.
I first attended Sensei TR Smiths class at the Port Tampa Recreation Center in 1979. This is where my dream of building and being the Sensei of a non-profit DoJo came from. All my Tora Dojo students know the story of how, I abruptly stopped attending my Karate class, when I couldn't afford lessons. One day, my Sensei came to my house and told me that I no longer had to worry about class fees. He, would teach me for free. So, that's why in the thirty plus years of teaching Karate, I've never charged a student, nor will I ever. I left Sensei Smith's Karate class late 1982.
From 1979 to 1983, I also attended a Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do class taught by Sabumnim Kim for about 6 months in 1981, Goju Ryu in David, Panama taught by Sensei Martinez (Summers of 1980 and 1981) and off and on, a Hakkoryu Jujitsu class taught by Sensei Harris Warren from 1982 through 1983.
April 1991 I began training with Burt “Owari Sensei” Cornell. A year later, I began training again with Shihan T.R. Smith. Two years after my return, April 1993, with permission, I began teaching a single student, who would later become my first Koshi, Julio Morrero. From 1993 to 1998 I taught my own class three times a week and attended Hanshi's class twice a week. It was also during this time I was exposed to some Kobudo (Okinawan Weapons) and learned a few Kata, Isshin-Ryu system. Which are now being taught at Tora Dojo. I always kept a small class and often rejected the possibility of allowing new students into my class. I always believed that small classes enhance training. My largest group of students was Seven students in the Advanced class and four students in a Beginner's class in 1997. In January 1998, For personal reasons, I dissolved the two classes but continued to train with Hanshi at the Washikan Hombu in Tampa, Florida. January 1999, After being promoted to Sandan (3rd Dan), I began teaching again. This time a total of four students, two from the previous class. I taught this class up to my deployment to Iraq in 2003. When I returned in 2004, three of the four students were waiting for me so I taught that class until 2009. When I deployed to Iraq for the second time, I turned the class over to Manny “Ageryu Sensei” Padilla While in Iraq, Camp Bucca, I trained in Boxing for about seven months. I wouldn't teach again until I came to live in Panama in 2013-2016. Here in Panama, at that time, I've taught a total of five students. All this was before I dreamed about, planned and plotted the creation of the Dojo I currently own and teach my students in Boquete. During that three-year period, I completed my Senseis last Giri (Obligation). In or around 2012. My Sensei, Hanshi T.R. Smith, tasked me with documenting his teachings for future generations. As a good Deshi of my Sensei, I did as instructed, completing his book only weeks before his death. The book is called, “Washikan, what my Sensei taught me about the Art of Karate Do.” No, the book was never published, since my Sensei wanted it for his students only. Several copies exist at Tora Dojo for reference. While living in Panama, 2013 to Present, I continued my Martial training with numerous Sensei's and Teachers. I’ve trained in Itto Tenshin Ryu Kenjutsu, June 2014-July 2023, under Reilly Sensei. Also, under Mr. Kevin Reilly, I trained in Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan 2013-2017. I created an unarmed self defense course called “Tora’s Defensa Personal’ and taught it to students at a gym in David, Panama from 2016-2017. I've also trained with Valdessa ShotoKan, whose Sensei, Omar Valdes, is the Komon Sensei of Tora Dojo. May 2024, both Valdessa Shotokan and Tora Dojo had a joint tournament together in David, Panama. I sponsored all my students, and the tournament was a success! Last year, 2023, I've started training in Aikido under Sensei Vega, who travels up to Tora Dojo about eleven a month to teach his class. In 2020. During the covid epidemic, I had the fortune of meeting and training with a Shinobi (Ninja) Sensei named Brian Simmons. He was very interesting and we quickly became friends. I really wished he never relocated back to the states, because together here, we would have been something. However, he left Panama and has a very successful Shin Gan Dojo in Texas. April 2023 to present, I teach a free Karate and also adult self defense class at Tora Dojo. In the last 15 months, as the Sensei and owner of Tora Dojo, I've paid for all my students expenses. I've had dojo made shirts, jackets and even gave them Gi's when they couldn't afford to buy them for themselves. The expense is great, but to help build my community and make this generation better citizens is all I can wish for. I have to do my part, like my Sensei did for me so long ago.
Our history
History
Due to the location of the Ryukyu Kingdom (Okinawa) and trade with both main land China and Japan, all forms of Karate has aspects of both Kung-Fu (Kempo) and Jujitsu in its development. The first records from Okinawa refer to the Ryukyu unarmed Fighting Art as Ti (Okinawan for Hand). This developed into To-Di (Okinawan for Chinese hand) and later to the three major factions that were key to the development of Karate Do. To-Di’s three factions were Shuri Te, Naha Te and Tomari Te and was only taught to family members and Ryukyu Warriors. Once the Japanese took ownership of Okinawa, To-Di was taught outside its selective traditions. In the year 1609 A.D., The Ryukyu Kingdom was invaded and conquered by Japan. During the almost 300-year colonization and reign, led by the Satsuma Clan of Samurai, the Island of Okinawa adopted many aspects of the Japanese culture to include Budo. In the year 1872 Japan adopted Okinawa. The former Ryukyu capital changed its traditional cultures and language to the Japanese Culture provided by its conquerors.
Nippon Shorin Ryu (Japanese Young Forest Style) is a direct decedent from the oldest forms of Okinawan unarmed self-defense (Shuri-Te). Nippon Shorin Ryu’s linage began in the Chinese Providence of Fukien in Southern China. The Fukien providence is well known for famous Martial Arts styles to include Chuan Fa (Fist Principles). A Monk named Wone Chun Yoh (1630-Unknown) of the legionary Fukien Shaolin Temple, Mastered Hsing-I and Chi Kung, trained a young fellow monk named Kwang Shang Fu (1670 to 1762) in the art known as Chuan Fa. Kwang Shang Fu was assigned to the Ryukyu Kingdom as a Chinese envoy. His mission was to teach Chinese customs and culture to the inhabitants of the Ryukyu kingdom and facilitate trade. While as a Chinese representative of the Ming Dynasty, Master Kwang taught students Chinese Kempo and created the basis of the art later to be known in Japanese as Te. Kwang Shang Fu trained Sakugawa “Karate” Kanga (1733 to 1815) for a short period of approximately two years. Kanga is considered to be the father of Okinawan Te. Chatan Yara (1668-1756) A student of both Wone Chun Yoh and Kwang Shang Fu, is considered the father of all empty hand Okinawan Karate even though his expertise was in Kobudo. Yara also taught Sakugawa “Karate” Kanga and Peichin Takahara. Peichin Takahara (1683-1760) The story goes that Yara sent Takahara to oversee Kanga’s training. Takahara was the first to define the meaning and the importance of “Do” in Okinawan Do Te. Master Sakugawa trained Sokon “Bushi” Matsumura, who created several of the original kata’s which were much longer than their modern format. Over the last two centuries, the original Kata’s were modified by other Sensei’s and taught to their students. Most Sensei’s excused their departure from tradition by stating that the original katas were too long and complex for their students. For example, the kata Kushanku, one of the Kata’s created by Master Sakugawa and named in honor of Master Kwang Shang Fu was later divided into two separate katas, Kushanku Dai and Kushanku Sho. Master Sakugawa created the Dojo Kun. Which is the code of moral principles that several traditional Japanese Karate Dojo’s adhere to. The Dojo Kun covers basic morale and spiritual fundaments required to train in Karate Do. Sokon “Bushi” Matsumura (1809-1901) known as the father of Shuri-Te possibly had the largest influence in Modern Day Karate-Do and was quite the legion during his own lifetime. All forms of Okinawan Karate seem to be linked to Matsumura. Considered the Grandfather of Shorin Ryu and was at one time, the bodyguard of the King of the Ryukyu Islands. His students continued the development of Shuri-Te and are too numerous to mention. Matsumura’s top Student, Choshin Chibana (1886-1969) who changed the name from Shuri-Te to Kobayashi Shorin Ryu. He brought Shorin Ryu from Okinawa to Mainland Japan years before Master Funakoshi’s demonstration of Karate-Jitsu at the Budokan and for the Japanese Ministry of Education in 1922. Later in life, Master Chibana removed Kobudo (Okinawan weapons) from his style of Shorin Ryu. Karate means “empty hand” referring to without weapons. This can be directly traced to writings from Chibana Sensei. I’ve noticed several Sensei’s’ give the word “Kara” or “empty” to have a deeper meaning, emptiness or void that is found in San-Shin. Since I have never discovered anything mystical about Karate and was taught that Karate is a form of unarmed self-defense, I will define it as “without weapons.” Chibana Sensei was the first to teach Shorin Ryu to non-Japanese students. Anko Itosu (1830-1915) who was a Student of Matsumura and famous for creating Pinan katas and dividing the Naihanshin Katas into three separate katas we know of today and practiced by almost if not all Karate-Do schools. Itosu Sensei was the teacher of Gichin Funakoshi (Founder of Shoto-Kan) and Choto Kyan. Another very influential in the history of Shorin Ryu was Choto Kyan (1870-1945). It was said that Kyan Sensei never backed down from a challenge or lost a fight. A student of Anko Itosu mastered Shuri-Te and Tomare-Te before the age 30 and founder of Shorinji Ryu, Ken Ko Kan. Choto Kyan was also a student of Sokon Matsumura. Shoshin Nagamine (1907-1997) Student of Choto Kyan and Ankichi Arakaki (1899-1927). Nagamine was the founder of Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu. The name “Matsubayashi” was chosen to honor Master Matsumura. Akio Nozoe(1926-1987) Student of Shoshin Nagamine founded Nippon Shorin Ryu Kushin-Kai. His Dojo was established in 1946 located in Kumamoto, Japan. He was the Komon Shihan “Master Adviser” to Shigenobu Nakano. Shigenobu Nakano (1926-2012) Who studied Wado Ryu from Takemoto Sensei and Senior Student of Nozoe Sensei. Founder of Nippon Shorin Ryu Kenshin Kai. The Hombu Dojo is in Fukuoka, Japan. Carlton Shimomi- According to Hanshi James Herndon’s Nippon Shorin Ryu linage outline, Calvin Robinson Sensei was taught by Shimomi Sensei as well as Nakano Sensei. During the early 1970’s, Hanshi informed me that Shihan James Herndon, also former Student of Sensei Dennis Hallenbeack in the Azores, traveled to the Hombu Dojo in Japan and trained in Nippon Shorin Ryu. Nakano Sensei promoted Shihan Herndon to Yondan during that time. He interned assisted Hanshi Smith with his Nippon Shorin Ryu progression. Sensei Dennis Hallenbeack was Hanshi T.R. Smith’s first Nippon Shorin Ryu Sensei. Hallenbeack taught in the Azores Islands during Hanshi’s Air Force assignment in 1965. No other additional vetted information was recovered. Hallenbeack Sensei was a student of Robinson Sensei and Roberts Sensei, who were both students of Nakano Sensei. Robinson Sensei and Roberts Sensei were recently added to a hand written Washikan Lineage chart updated December 2017. Hanshi T.R. Smith, founder of Washikan, Shin Busaido Kai Dojo in Tampa, Florida. Hanshi taught Shihan Braddock who is the “Renshucho” School technique director for the Washikan Hombu Dojo and Dojosho for Tora Dojo. Note: As of today, April 11, 2017, the Hombu Dojo in Fukoaka Japan (Nippon Shorin Ryu, Kenshin Kai) is still in operation. Yoshitaki Sensei is the Kyoto (Senior Sensei) and administrator, and Teriama Sensei is the “Kai Renshucho” Sensei. In the words of Hanshi T.R. Smith, clear as mud, right?