Kokamishin Ryu Aikijutsu
In this case, older is better
Albert Curtice Church, Jr. was a unique individual. An extremely accomplished martial artist, philosopher, wise man and friendly to the point of a fault.
I first met him in 1969 at a Karate tournament in Florence, Southern Carolina. He had only recently returned from Japan and I from Ki Whang Kim's summer camp in Maryland. Unknown to me, we were both Shito Ryu Karate stylists. Although in years training, experience and knowledge there was no comparison - he was tops! Anyhow, I had learned this seldom seen, at that time in the South, thing called a wheel kick. Its now called Ushiro Mawashi Geri by Japanese Karate practicioners. Well, to make a long story short, I knocked out an old rival with the kick - quite unintentionally mind you. With that I can only guess that Al Church saw something in the half man, half boy standing there being disqualified.
He came over to me and asked something like: "Hey son, where did you learn that kick." I looked at the kindly looking fellow with the suit and tie on, unusual for the 95„ plus temperatures of Florence, and I said I'd learned it while getting my face kicked in Maryland, Ha! The conversation rapidly progressed from there, I did have some time on my hands thanks to my misguided foot. We soon discovered we had much in common. We were both Shito Ryu stylists, and he knew two of my instructors: Richard Baillargeon and Clement Reidner. So he very graciously invited me to his dojo in Charleston to train.
To be honest, I was a little thick in those days and didn't realize what an honor he had presented to me. But my step-dad was in the Navy stationed on board a ship in Charleston. So my mother and I went down for a few days visit. Taking advantage of being in Charleston I visited Church's dojo. That was the beginning of hundreds of trips for a good ole southern boy down to what became his martial arts Mecca. The distance from Wilmington, North Carolina to Charleston was short in comparison to the years I grew in his dojo.
I made many discoveries over the years that followed, changing my martial arts thinking and interests forever. With my background in Judo, Jujutsu, wrestling, boxing and Karate I found that Al Church was a virtual encyclopedia of martial arts knowledge. Throwing myself into it all, I studied Kempo, Judo, Jujutsu, Kobudo and Iaido all from a single man. Try as hard as I did, I often felt that I had only scratched the surface of his seemingly endless knowledge.
With Al I progressed and earned many grades, titles awards etc. He even complemented me for being a fast learner. Lucky for me because hard times were coming. Al began to have some personal problems in the mid '70s. That coupled with some organizational disagreements saw us going our separate way, for a time around 1977. Fortunately a conciliation was made in early 1980. This became especially significant when Al passed away that summer and I departed for my Air Force assignment in Japan.
While in Japan I threw myself into the martial arts. I regularly trained in Jujutsu, Aikido, Karate, Kobudo and Okinawan Toide/Tuite (grappling) at some of Japan's best known schools. The more I studied the more I appreciated what Al had taught me, especially in the Jujutsu sphere. I departed Japan in 1983 with Shihan (Master) gradings in Okinawan Seidokan Karate Kobudo and Hakko Ryu Jujutsu. Just to top it off, I received my black belt in Aikido from the Aikikai and had even had the opportunity to travel to Korea and study Hapkido. A year later I was promoted to Shihan in Okinawan Toide/Tuite.
Moving on to assignment in Europe, I began actively teaching. My Karate teaching efforts went well, but in teaching Jujutsu I soon realized that Al Church's Kamishin Ryu Aikijutsu was still very much part of me. I couldn't simply forget what I knew and teach strictly Hakko Ryu. Besides, there was something sacrilegious about not carrying on Church's teachings. Things that he'd learned from his own venerable instructors: Chiroji Yokota of Yoshin Ryu Jujutsu and Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu, from 1939 to 1942; Kim Chi Kooh of Chinese-Korean (Hapkido like) Kempo, from 1950 to 1952; Ryuho Okuyama of Hakko Ryu Jujutsu, in the mid 1960's; and his several Judo instructors.
As fate would have it, I found myself teaching a course in Idaho Falls with my old friend Earnie Robinson in 1985. Earnie is, like me, a martial arts eccentric. But also like me, he is one of the only four people that I know of who learned the complete original Kamishin Ryu Aiki Jutsu syllabus. Earnie and I put our heads together and compared notes. To put it simply we debugged our recollections from having been apart for over ten years. In this endeavor we were fortunate to have had copious hand written and typed notes, old waza lists from more than one source, and materials from ourselves, Church, and Harry Shupla (now deceased). When we had finished we had a remarkably fine product. The two of us were rightly proud, because we'd retrieved and saved a system of combat that was on the verge of extinction.
To this end I have demonstrated and taught Kokamishin Ryu in Europe, and will soon begin teaching it again in the United States. In 1985 I demonstrated and taught the art in Paris, France at one of Roland Maroteaux's courses. England has produced Europe's first Kokamishin Ryu black belt, Inspector Micheal Miles of the Suffolk Constabulary who actively teaches the art.
Just as a physician can breathe life into a patient using CPR, we have breathed life into Kokamishin Ryu by going back to its original teachings. We teach Kokamishin Ryu. We don't want a watered down philosophically similar art. The original old form of Kamishin Ryu, which includes techniques from beginner to 7th dan has its roots firmly planted in the ancient Ryu/Ha of Japan. Not in the Aikido like techniques of modern today.
I'm sure this article will result in some ruffled feathers, due to the other Kamishin Ryu groups around today. However, what I hope it will accomplish is for those now supposedly practicing Kamishin Ryu to take an inward look and ask themselves honestly whether or not what they're doing is the original version. If not, don't call me: take out your old waza lists and get back to basics. Begin practicing the old techniques again. The secrets are there! The answer doesn't lie in creating something newer still.