Evolution of This Website
When I first decided to build a website, I had very specific reasons for it. I had studied ISR at Wyoming with Sensei Woody Jensen in the mid and late 70’s. Over the next 25+ years, I studied other styles, establishing relationships with many quality martial artists. However, I never ran into anyone doing ISR. I was afraid I might lose my ISR and I didn’t want that to happen. Whichever martial art I might study, I always found myself returning to Isshin Shorinji Ryu Okinawa-te.
I remember sitting at the pool of the apartment complex where I was living in the early 80’s. I had a notebook and figured out a way to describe kata in words, at least well enough that one could figure out the sequence if they had ever known the kata.
Technology improved over time. I started shooting video for a living. It occurred to me that I could now record all the katas on video for future reference. Cool! Better than a notebook. I recorded, but had no place to display the videos. They were only for personal use.
More technological advances over time. I discovered I could build my own website. I managed to get it done. It was not very elegant, some of it was downright clumsy, but it worked. My videos and history were now available on the internet. Perhaps no one would ever visit the site, but at least it was available. Remember, at this time, I was not aware of anyone in the world who was still actively practicing ISR other than me.
Surprise!!! Turned out there were lots of people practicing ISR, one of them being Robert Cusumano. He contacted me and I found out that he came up through the ranks in New Jersey with my Sensei, Woodrow Jensen. In fact, Bob even helped move Woody out to Wyoming. Cool. I had an active link to my Sensei and a source for more ISR stuff. Bob even had some DVDs of kata he and his brother, the late Shihan Charles Cusumano, made back in 1991. More videos hit the website. Mike Donnell gave me permission to post his 1976 documentary video about Woody’s class. Another of Woody’s black belts, Robert “Pat” Dolan, allowed me to post his video “Karate for Elite Athletes”, a video he made when he was working with members of the Colorado Avalanche NHL Hockey team.
This led to additional videos from Sensei David Carr, Master Scott Francis, Master Mark Nixon and Shihan Charles Hunnicutt. I was led to some videos of Soke Murphy and they were added to the library. Most recently, we have some updated videos from the original group plus new videos from Sensei Stephen Jeckle.
I will soon be posting videos recently shot by a group in Tucson. Shihans Cusumano and Hunnicutt, as well as others whose identity I do not know right now, spent a week shooting new videos from different camera angles, performed slowly and in great detail, intended to be instructional in nature. I hope to begin posting these videos in the next month or so.
So the original purpose of the website has expanded, from one black belt trying to preserve the memory of his style, to a resource available to anyone with an interest in Isshin Shorinji Ryu Okinawa-te. The opening page was designed about 13 years ago, when I first discovered other people practicing ISR. It made sense at the time, but needs to be updated or completely redone. I’m looking for ideas. If you have an idea for the opening page photo/graphic/group-of-photos, I’m all ears.
I also hope to fill in the holes in my record of the history of ISR. If you can fill in some of this history, perhaps the origin and local history of a branch of ISR, I’m interested. I want this site to be as complete as possible.
When I built this current version of the website, I changed the whole base structure. I wanted it to resemble the old site, so that people visiting would know they were still at my site. I wanted to retain some of the old familiarity, as well as the old “feel”. It is not a clone of the slick modern commercial sites. That is by choice. It is not a commercial site. It is a free reference site. It is constantly in a state of evolution. If you have an idea to further that evolution, I want to hear it. I can’t guarantee I will implement your suggestion, but, at the very least, it might give me some ideas for growth.
My life has been full of happy accidents. I was not looking for ISR at Wyoming, but I found it. If Bob had not helped Woody move to Wyoming, it would not have been there for me to find.
If I hadn’t felt a need to preserve what Woody taught, I would never have built the website, I never would have met Shihan Cusumano or my other brothers and sisters in ISR. Life really does have a way of making things work. I’m learning to relax and let things happen. Hmmm…, I guess I am in a constant state of evolution, just like my website! Imagine that. 😉
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