March, 2018 – Issue #3 – Volume 4

Karate for Life - in The Villages

Sensei Lee Aiello – 7th Degree Black Belt

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We meet Mondays at Lake Miona 11 to 12:15; Wednesdays at Seabreeze 11 to 12:15 and every Thursday we have a practice session (especially good for newcomers) at Laurel Manor 1 PM to 2:30 PM for everyone and 2:30 to 3:45 for newcomers. Instructor for Newcomer’s Session: Black Belt, Ron Resseguie, Assisted by Purple Belt with Black Stripe, Carl Phelps

Very good time at the anniversary dinner/dance on March 3rd. Thank you to all who worked to make it happen and to those of you who came to enjoy it!

WHITE BELT TESTING (for Yellow) will be on Wednesday, May 9th. Everyone wear their Black Gi please

Various Styles of : Sensei Aiello’’s style is Shorei Ryu and some , Sensei Kennedy’’s style is Shorin Ryu, Hanshi Bowles style is Shuri Ryu - all four styles are extremely similar.

Semsei Aiello said that they combined the styles and call our style, that we all now study, Shorei Kempo. He mentioned that all styles, with the exception of Shotokan, come from the same area in Okinawa.

What are the different types of karate? (question that I asked Google) The four earliest karate styles developed in are Shotokan, Wado-ryu, Shito-ryu, and Goju-ryu. The first three styles find their origins in the Shorin- Ryu style from Shuri, Okinawa, while Goju-ryu finds its origins in Naha.

Sensei Aiello and Sensei Kennedy were wondering out loud one day how many we have learned. I list them here for you, using a Black Belt perspective, because not all belts have to know all the katas:

Five Pinans Nei Hanchi

Five Neckos Saifa

Sanchin Bassai Dai

Shorei Mege Karumpa

Annaku Newest : Passai

Seisan Also New: National Dance

Wan Su Have I forgotten any?

This month, I’m going back in the archives to take out my interviews with Sensei Aiello and Sensei Kennedy – the interviews that pertained to their training in the .

I don’t think that all of the newer students in class have read about their training…..

SENSEI AIELLO – 7th Degree Black Belt – trained in the Shorei Ryu and Shotokan Styles

A little about Sensei Aiello’s background in Martial Arts:

Sensei Aiello got started in Martial Arts in Kenosha, Wisconsin. At the time, around 1965, Sensei Aiello was living in Kenosha and Sensei’s neighbor, Tim Hillary, came back from service in Japan as a black belt in Shotokan.

Tim Hillary started teaching karate Shotokan Karate around 1965, and Sensei Aiello decided to become 1 of his 8 students, and stayed with Tim Hillary for about 2 1/2 years. Then, Hanshi (Reverend) William Foster arrived in Kenosha, Wi in 1968. In 1968, William H. Foster moved to Kenosha Wisconsin from Peoria IL, a very low-key event, yet an event that would later change the lives of countless individuals. William H. Foster was the Chaplain of Kenosha Hospital as well as Senior Pastor of the First Congregational Church.

Richard Guttormsen (who was studying with Sensei Aiello underTim Hillary around that time) had met Hanshi Foster and suggested that the then-current head (Tim Hillary) of the Tozai Kyoki Karate Association in Kenosha talk with him.

About three years before Hanshi Foster’s arrival, Tim Hilary started teaching a karate class at the local YMCA. Due to a job change (he became a DEA agent), Sensei Hilary had to relocate to the Michigan area.

Sensei Hilary had heard that the new pastor at the Congregational Church in Kenosha had studied karate, and approached Hanshi Foster requesting that he visit his (Sensei Hillary’s) class with the possibility of continuing to teach his students. Sensei Aiello (of course, he was not a Sensei at the time) was a member of Sensei Hillary’s class – that class that Sensei Hillary was asking Hanshi Foster to take over.

Hanshi Foster had been a missionary in for 10-12 years, and while there, he studied Kung Fu under Lo Wei Doun. This is where he got his passion to pass on to his students his discipline of “control of body, mind and will”.

After visiting the class, Hanshi Foster agreed to teach the class, and hence the start of his karate legacy. For over 50 years after, Hanshi Foster freely gave of his time and knowledge, not only teaching karate, but transforming so many of his students from kids into adults.

Tim Hillary was Sensei Aiello’s first Sensei. He was with Tim Hillary for about 2 1/2 years, then with Reverend Hanshi William Foster for about 5 years.

Richard Guttormsen was with Hanshi Foster as well. Sensei Aiello left Hanshi Foster, along with Shihan Richard Guttormsen, and Sensei Aiello then stayed with Shihan Guttormsen for 18 years, then rejoined Foster in 1990 and was with both Foster and Guttormsen for 4 more years, all the time staying in the Ying Yang Do Karate Association – they were all members.

In 1984-90 Sensei Aiello was an assistant to Hanshi Richard Guttormsen in Kenosha, Wisconsin at a racquet and fitness center.

At that time, Hanshi Foster was Sensei Aiello’s Sensei, Hanshi Koepple was Foster's, and he (Hanshi Koepple) would come to their dojo in Wisconsin many times. Hanshi Koepple got his black belt from Hanshi Trias, Hanshi Foster got his black belt from Koepple. Hanshis Koepple and Foster would both travel many times to Arizona to train with Hanshi Trias. (Lucille here: you may not remember the sequence, but can you see how the teaching and teachers were all intertwined? Being taught by many Masters probably went far in reinforcing Sensei Aiello’s learning.)

Some interesting stories from Sensei’s past: when Sensei Aiello was in Peoria, Illinois, on business during these early years, Sensei decided to go see if Master Koepple’s dojo was open. Sensei Aiello went there and he (Master Koepple) pulled into the parking lot right after him. Master Koepple got out of his car and walked over to Sensei Aiello’s. Sensei Aiello rolled down the window and said “do you remember me?” Master Koepple said “Yes, you are one of Hanshi Foster's students and your name is Aiello.” Master Koepple had a great memory, because twenty years had passed and he still remembered Sensei Aiello!

From about 1991 -1994 Sensei Aiello ran the karate program at the YMCA for kids 8-14. From 1995-1998 he had his own dojo and gym, for all ages. From 2001-2004 he was at a recreation complex and ran all the martial arts there. In 2005, he was at the Villages College…….…and here we are – almost eight years of a terrific class on Mondays and Wednesdays in the Villages!!

SENSEI KENNEDY – 7th Degree Black Belt - trained in the Shorin Ryu style

A little about Sensei Kennedy’s background in Martial Arts:

The path of J. Donald Kennedy in Marital Arts 1964 -2017 Graduating college in 1964 and also being a new husband with new responsibilities, my old care-free days had to be a thing of the past.

A friend of my wife’s husband informed me of a karate class that was being held in a local church basement and we decided to see what it was all about. After watching what the instructor was demonstrating to his students, I was amazed at his ability to defend himself with limited effort and total self confidence in his ability to control any adversity that he would encounter. Even though he seemed to move effortlessly, the power he generated was to me amazing.

When I arrived home that night, I promised my wife that I would I would curtail all other actives if she could see her way to except my new “passion”. After much discussion and many promises made by me, she relented and knew she had something to hold over me when she wanted something done.

Following the approval session with my wife, I asked the instructor if we could join his class and we were accepted on a trial basis. That was in the winter of 1968.

For the next five years I trained under Sensei Walter Daily Yodan of the Shorin Ji Ryu Karate system. During this time period I competed almost every weekend, thinking that IF I competed long and hard enough I too would be able to acquire the skills that my Sensei possessed.

It was during this period that I and five other high belts pooled our money and opened a commercial school. At this point, I was still competing and looking for answers to reach the next level in my martial arts efforts. In April of 1973 I was awarded my Shodan, 1st degree Black Belt, and thought that this would enlighten me to find that “kye” that all marital artists hope to acquire.

In 1975 I was awarded my Nidan 2nd degree Black Belt and I found myself still looking for the answer to what is physical and what is mental and how do they coexist or how do they bond or merge?

In October of 1978 I was awarded my Sandan 3rd degree Black Belt by the head of the Shorin Ji Ryu karate system, Master Zenpo Shimabukuro, who at that time was the supreme instructor of Seibu Kan Karate Dojo in Okinawa, Japan. A little background on Master Zenpo Shimabukuro, one of my favorite Senseis:

I had met Master Zenpo Shimabuku in this way: originally, when I went to a class taught by a Special Forces guy (during the Vietnam era) he trained under a very high Sensei – Master Zenpo Shimabuku. Since I tend to look at activities with an entrepreneurial eye, I decided to start a martial arts school and brought Master Zempo Shimabuku to America and he taught at my schools. When I taught martial arts at Villanova University, I taught their club sport collegiate teams, competing around the US and Master Shimabuku taught with me.

Seibukan karate-do was founded in 1962 by Zenryo Shimabukuro (1906–1969). Sensei Zenryo, 10th Dan Hanshi, was the foremost student of Sensei Kyan Chotoku. After 10 years of training under Sensei Kyan, Sensei Zenryo built his own dojo in Jagaru, Okinawa in 1962. He named his dojo "Seibukan" meaning "the holy art school". In 1964, Sensei Zenryo received his 10th Dan black belt from the All Okinawan Karate-do Federation. After his untimely death in 1969, his son Hanshi Zenpo Shimabukuro succeeded him as the head of Seibukan karate-do. Hanshi Zenpo Shimabukuro (10th Dan black belt) was born in Chatan, Okinawa, on October 11, 1943. As the present head of the movement (Shorin Ryu Seibukan), he has loyally maintained the tradition of Sensei Chotoku Kyan, which he inherited from his father, Zenryo. Hanshi Zenpo Shimabukuro is the Supreme Instructor & Technical Director and President of the International Okinawan Shorin Ryu Seibukan Karate-do Association which has branch dojos in over 18 foreign countries. In 1984 I was awarded my Yodan 4th degree at the Seibukan International Convention, hosted by my Dojo in Downingtown Pa. In the 80’s, I went from competing to promoting the Martial Arts. The following is a partial list of some of my involvements:

A. Certified AAU class” B “referee

B. North east United States Director of the Martial Arts rating system.

C. PKA (Professional Karate Assoc.) judge, trainer, and promotor.

D. Partner and trainer of Philadelphia Patriots Professional Karate Team.

E Member, USA. Karate Federation

F. Trained under Masaharu Sakimukai, recipient of over 30 black belt degrees

G Promotor of the Villanova College spring and fall tournaments.

H In 1987, awarded 6th degree black belt by the All Okinawa Karate Kobudo In the 1990’s, due to increasing business pressures, I passed my schools in PA. Delaware, Ohio and West Virginia on to my head students. Some still exist others have been passed on.

In the 2000 years, my training was and is more of a personal one as I am still a beginner as far as the arts are concerned. Sensei Aiello deserves the utmost credit for providing an activity that allows one to pursue a healthier mind and body. I suggest that all the students take advantage of it as long as you are able.

As always, I have one of my proverbs: (our March “thought for the month”)

SEEK AND YOU SHALL NOT FIND - STOP LOOKING AND IT WILL BE THERE!

Lucille: Thank you both, Sensei Aiello and Sensei Kennedy, for the interviews and, from all of us – THANK YOU both for continuing to be so dedicated to teaching all of us!

See you all in class! Lucille