Page 20 - Martial Science Magazine Feb/2014 #1
P. 20
By: Henry Binerfa INTERVIEWHANSHI
Photos: Yisel Viamontes and DAN TOSH
courtesy of GM. Dan Tosh
Revision: Alcidez Cervantes Black Belt 8º Dan
Shorin Ryu
THE
When and how did you come to the
20 practice of martial arts?
I started studying shorin-ryu karate at
the Coffeyville, Kansas Boys Club in 1958
under the direction of Sensei Joe Spriggs.
My family was very poor and when my
uncle Bill Price took me with him to the
YMCA I noticed people working out in
one of the rooms. It was Judo. I wanted
to do that but couldn’t afford the annual
and monthly fees. A family friend said
there was something similar at the Boys
Club. When I asked how much it cost, I
was told $8 per month to join the club
and no additional fees for karate. At 5
years old, I persuaded my friend’s father
who owned McDonald’s Feed Store
across the street from my grandmother’s
house to give me a job sewing the burlap
bags closed for $.50 per day. I’ve never
stopped doing Shorin-ryu since starting
in about February or so of 1958.
How did you meet Grandmaster Musashi
Miyagi?
A friend and I were working out in gym
on the base at Kaneohe Marine Corps Air
Station and as we were talking about my
style of shorin-ryu, he mentioned that
he heard of this guy on the Island that
was an Okinawan karate guy, but it was
herd he was pretty tough to train with.
I found out it was Miyagi Sensei and his
first name was Musashi. That was a bit
strange, since Musashi is not an Okinawan
name. His father was Okinawan and is
