Hanshi Ed McGrath's Corner
First Marine District, Garden City, Long Island, New York.
Teaching active Duty Marines, Sailors and Civilian Personnel principles of Isshin-ryu, "The Art," as it relates to Hand-To-Hand Combat or Close Combat. The idea is to use the Isshin-ryu, relaxed stances to hold energy and it's simplicity of logic to teach reflexive defense and then a debilitating attack. It is applied to multiple opponents, therefore, we teach stand up skills, with ground grappling, to neutralize any attack.
Chief Instructor Hanshi Ed McGrath, Ju-Dan
This was back when Sensei lived on Long Island.
The instructors that assisted Sensei were, Steve DiLorenzo, Frank Klos, Greg Melita & Dan Vena.
Sensei Don Nagle’s
Original Twelve Basic\Exercises 1957
1. Step forward and as foot hits the ground, throw well focused vertical fist snap punch.
2. Step back in circular manner, when foot hits the ground throw well focused vertical snap punch.
3. Step forward, with arm on same as forward and strike with snapped uppercut.
4. Step forward, throw mid-block with same arm as forward foot and throw a back-fist.
5.Step forward, throw snap low block along forward leg, throw five vertical, snap punches, in sequence of one, two, slight pause, one, two, pause, one.
6. Step forward, throw snap mid block with forward foot, throw five vertical, snap punches, in sequence of one, two, slight pause, one, two, pause, one. With right hand
7. Step forward and strike the target with shuto to solar plexus with hand of same side, then snap second shuto with opposite hand to side of neck.
8. Step forward with right foot and right hand horizontal at chest and opposite hand horizontal outside and back of your body, bring the back fist in a circular move with fist horizontal into the target ribs, then bring that hand back, as opposite hand simultaneously strikes the lower ribs with the other fist.
9. Standing straight up, move as though someone had bear- hugged you from behind. Step back with right foot between the feet of the opponent, while bringing the left forearm up horizontally while the right hand comes up to the left hand wrist to wrist and as you step back simultaneously, driving the right elbow into the targets forward ribs.
10.Step into seiunchin throw a horizontal block, Backfist and chest punch. The Sensei will show the proper hand movement. This basic had deception built into it, so it has to be shown by one of our instructors.
11. Step into Seiunchin stance throw a cross body block, backfist to the groin and back fist to the face.
12. Step back throw a down block, Groin Punch Block, step up and punch.
Grand Master Ed McGrath
Successor to Grand Master Don Nagle
I Will Keep His Legacy of Isshinryu Alive
I was Grand Master Don Nagle’s number one fighter for decades and after fifty years of learning, fighting and teaching I have put together a seminar that includes the use of the katas for self defense and hand-to-hand combat. I will also show you the stylish and beautiful in the manner of movement, during the 50’s and 60’s. We never fought in a boxer’s stance. In fact, Master Gary Alexander stated of the first time I came to Sensei’s Jersey dojo, that all of Senseis’ students were on the deck. They waited for me to arrive at the dojo in New Jersey, from Camp Lejeune. Gary said that when I came through the door with my gi tied in my obi, over my shoulder, he turned to the other students and said, “That is him.” It was probably my enthusiasm for a chance to fight all of Sensei’s students, one at a time till they went down and then move to the next student, until I had beaten all of the students.
All of my seminars are interactive with the students attending the session. I make all of the movements clear and easily used. You will be able to defend yourself with useful Ippon Kumite that stops multiple opponents’ attacks with hands, feet, elbows and knees. My motto, as you may know, is don’t get hit. You should always be in excellent shape so that you can take a strike to the body, without failing to continue fighting. My method is to circle the opponent in arcs, changing the direction of the arcs and staying just outside the opponents reach. By moving in arcs and changing direction often, I am trying to get my opponent into in an imbalance, which opens the opponent to your attack, but when the opportunity happens you must move quickly and keep your hands open and shoulders and arms relaxed. That will give you more speed for defense and offense. When you throw a strike you slam your hands into a fist at the last moment, remembering to snap the punch or kick, since that will give you deadly focus.
In the late 50’s we actually struck your opponent, since Master Nagle fought in true battle form. It was only in the 70’s that we realized that it was difficult to gain students if they were continuously going to their business with bruises on their face.
Obviously, in my seminars, I lean heavily on my motto, “Don’t Get Hit.” I begin by using interactive Ippon Kumite to give the students a good base of defense, but then show them the manner in which we moved our hands in rhythmic and varied circles, to confuse the opponent during Ju-Kumite. It was a much more elaborate and graceful manner of Ju-Kumite. What they are doing now, at tournaments, looks like a street fight. I stress to the students to maintain a good manner of moving into the opponent, since I teach students not to confront the opponent, but to move to their side taking away one of their arms and eye. I want my students to circle the opponent, just out of reach and continuously turn in direction in a series of arcs. I realize that you have been taught to use a group of blocks, such as, Middle blocks, High Blocks and Low Blocks, as well as a Foot Block against an opponents’ kick. However, over five decades of fighting and teaching I no longer use the usual blocks, but instead, I use the palm of my hand to redirect the strike across the foe’s body, which causes openings in the opponents defense, just long enough to take control of the opponents’ imbalance to strike him in a vital area of his body hard enough to end the contest.
If you are interested in the manner in which Isshinryu students fought and did kata, since we never stood in a boxer’s stance as used now, your students will enjoy and cherish this seminar.
The cost for the seminar is: $300.00 for three hours, plus expenses (includes extra time for taking photos and autographs).
That’s right, I don’t charge $1,000.00, simply because I want as many of Isshinryu karate-ka to fully understand Original Isshinryu in its Full Essence of relaxation and beautiful movement! Also, the Sensei who is fostering the seminar should be able to gain a profit for his school. There are no various types of Isshinryu, only different types of people who, because of their particular physique will exhibit the katas as they are able to do them, but the basic Isshinryu does not change its movements. Those who change The Essence are trying to gain an improper forward position, where none exists. If you are in Isshinryu, you do not change what Shimabuku created, which came to life after having a lifetime of karate. He was simply making a style that was totally natural for a persons’ normal movement.
Edward F. McGrath, Ju-Dan
Grand Master, Isshinryu “THE ART”
I know that some high ranked Senseis state that you can’t fight multiple opponents, simultaneously. But I don’t believe that, at all, since I fought four young men in the street, when they tried to mug me. You simply have to move in arcs driving a back-fist into one persons’ face, while throwing a back kick to an opponent behind you. It is difficult for four people to attack you, because they get in each other’s way. You must move to keep them bundled together, while you pick off the assailants’ closest to you.
Vena Sensei
Inheritor of Ed McGrath's School of Isshinryu
Karate-do & Kobu-do
Founder of
THE I.I.A.O.K.A.
&
KOBU DO
Seminars and work shops are being conducted at various locations throughout the year, please inquire within to get our dates and locations. The dojo's we will be visiting this year are:
2021 Calendar
The John D. Remick, Sr. School of Isshin-ryu Karate do & Kobu do in Maryland.
E.M.S.O.I. Satellite Beach Florida
E.M.S.O.I. Long Island, NY Hamptons Jiu Jitsu
E.M.S.O.I. Durham, NC
E.M.S.O.I. Apex, NC
Neko Ryu Goshin Jitsu, NC
E.M.S.O.I. Amsterdam, NY
E.M.S.O.I. Bayonne, NJ
E.M.S.O.I. Wake Forest, NC
E.M.S.O.I. Youngsville, NC
E.M.S.O.I. Jacksonville, NC
E.M.S.O.I. New Bern NC
Dojo Competition/Team Empty Hand Kata & Team Kobu-do Kata/ Empty Hand Kata/Kobu-do Kata/ Ippon Kumite/ Ju Kumite/Weapons Kumite/
Our first competition will be at our home dojo in Wake Forest, North Carolina starting on January 2nd, 2021 and will run through the first quarter of 2021 March.
Our Second Dojo competition of 2021 will start on April 1st, 2021 and will run for 3 months until June, 2021.
Our Third Dojo Competition will start on July 1st, 2021 and will run through until September, 2021.
Our fourth and final dojo competition for 2021 will start on October 1 st, 2021 and will run through to December, 2021.
Team Kata is a feature of this competition, we encourage the students and black belts to participate in this event at each competition. The fighting will be monitored as if you were using your uke. This will lower the risk of injury, there for no padding will be used other that groin protection and a mouth guard.
Judo Practice is our warm up, Ju Jitsu is our Practice together, Karate-Jitsu is our Practice, Randori is our Ippon, Ju Kumite will be our resolve in a waza that reflects using a uke. (To reduce the risk of injury.)
Dojo competitions allow the students and Sensei's to see other means and methods and it allows everyone to learn from one another.
Team Kata requires practice, you must organize and practice the kata to present as a team.
Empty Hand, individual & team kata are required for your dojo to compete.
Kobu-do Kata, individual & team kata are required for your dojo to compete.
We will adhere to all dojo rules and regulations when the students interact, all Sensei's are in control of their own team and how they behave. Remember these competitions are for us to share and review the Isshin-ryu curriculum as a group on a yearly basis. We will reduce cost and injury if we can effectively come together and compete.
Seminars Utilizing
Isshinryu “The Art”
Into
Self-Defense
And
Hand-To-Hand Combat
By My Sensei Ed McGrath
Over a period of five decades, studying under Grand Master Don Nagle, teaching thousands of my own students to excel in this art. In 1958, when I began to study under my Sensei, Don Nagle, I was a First Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. In that era, we struck our opponents with the famed focused snap strike and kick. The hit would go approximately two inches into the foe’s body and the strike would be pulled back faster than it went in. It created a shock wave where you struck, creating extraordinary pain, often causing a knockout. My favorite move was to circle the opponent, with my open hands relaxed beside my outer thighs and suddenly slide closer and throw a back fist to the jaw of my partner. It often dropped them where they stood. I always fought with my shoulders and arms totally relaxed, which made my punches and kicks extremely fast and lethal.
The difference of the past to this era was that the movement of the hands continuously moving in wonderful flourishes as we circled with our feet making semi circles for each step. At that time the magazines referred to our movement as “The Dance of Death.” Sensei Nagle was factually the essence of Shimabukuryu Soke’s creation of Isshinryu karate. I was among the first group of students that Grand Master Nagle taught, at Ernie Cates’ Dojo, in Jacksonville, North Carolina. By the 60’s both Nagle and myself were on the cover of the martial arts magazines throughout the United States and Canada.
In 1990, I went to the First Marine District, in Garden City, Long Island, N.Y. and offered to teach the Active-Duty Marines. While I did instill in them the eight empty hand katas, I realized that in combat true Isshinryu movement would not be appropriate for hand-to-hand combat. Therefore, I used the multitude of Ippon-Kumite moves I had been practiced on and over the next nine years I developed many of my own related to close combat against multiple opponents. My students were both enlisted Marines, as well as Officers, including one female Marine Officer, who gave as good as she got against the men. Erin was one tough Marine, often beating many of the males. When she was hit she instantly shook it off. I was very proud of her.
After nine years teaching the Marines twice a week for an hour and a half each session, I had to stop since it was costing me too much in gas and I was retired by then. However, a plus was that I was able to go to Quantico, Virginia Marine Base and get to know a new friend, Colonel Joseph Shusko, where they have their martial arts building. All Marines eventually have to pass through his Self-Defense Course. It is an excellent program and its tag is “Every Marine a Rifleman, Every Marine a Martial Artist.” Although he has now retired, they have retained his program and he still gets paid as a Colonel, to carry the program forward. He is an extraordinary grappler and takes on the biggest Marines and beats them, despite the fact that he is a slim man. He grapples with every Marine who comes through the program and it shows, since he usually has a cut on his nose, eye or lip. He goes into these matches against tough, young Marines who are in perfect shape and beats them. He is amazing!
He allowed me to demonstrate what I had done with Ippon-Kumite or hand-to-hand combat. But I am now looking to go back to the Martial Arts Program, with Frank Klos and show them more variety, in order to finish an opponent in two seconds.
I use these same, instant blocks and strikes, simply by diverting the opponent’s strike by placing your palm on the foe’s forearm, pushing the strike across the opponent’s body, which means that he cannot throw the other hand either. While all of this takes place you slide to his side and strike to the ribs or side of the face. I also take the opening after getting to his side to place him in a death lock, cutting off the flow of blood in the carotid arteries to the brain and causing the foe to collapse. If it were in actual war basis, you would hold it until they were dead.
I teach the students a vast number of self-defense and H2H moves covering every possible attack by the opponent. The students are encouraged to take part in the movements and if I see someone doing it wrong, I spot it and correct their movement. This is a pure self-defense course, with the movements easily remembered, since the students practice every move that I show them.
Ed McGrath, Ju-Dan
Grand Master, Isshinryu
My wishes For The Future
Of Isshin-ryu, “The Art”
Of Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei
And Don Nagle Sensei, “The Legend”
I have given great thought to the future of Isshin-ryu, the creation of Tatsuo Shimabuku, Soke and brought to this country by the man who most exemplified it’s fighting principles, Don Nagle, “The Living Legend,” who was the first American to be honored with the title of Grand Master, by a convocation of many associations, sitting in judgment.
The bad news is that I am not invincible and at 70 years of age, I feel that our lineage of those who love Isshin-ryu should be upheld. Of course my first thought was of my close friend and all time Isshin-ryu Champion fighter, Master Ralph Passero. However, in a conversation with him, he told me his thoughts, clearly and honestly, as he has always spoken to both Sensei Nagle and myself. He stated that his business enterprises were growing rapidly, as well as his maintaining his dojo and carrying on the memory of Sensei Don Nagle, with the annual tournament and dinner. Having mulled over a list of possible candidates, I immediately mentioned the name of Ernie Temple and Master Passero met that idea with great enthusiasm.
What am I looking for, in the next American Grand Master, what qualities must that person have? Well, he must be known to his peers and approved by them. He must have a long period of teaching, on a high level and this should be evident in his body of students. He must have been a fighter of note, as were both Don Nagle and myself, both of whom actually loved fighting and wanted to win, at any cost. His students must look up to him and I have had the pleasure to meet many of his followers at my seminars and tournaments. This person must be teaching in the doctrine and purity of Grand Master Nagle, since it is his memory that we cherish, as no other association does of their Master. He was unique, extraordinary and cannot be duplicated. The best that I can hope for is that all who come after me admire and love his memory, as I do.
I truly believe that Master Ernie Temple has these characteristics, as well as, good old American common sense, a keen intellect, an instinct to excel and an excellent mind and background in business.
In the coming months, I will be striving to draw into our Association, American Isshinryu, additional top notch dojo's and Sensei's, so that I can rest in peace, knowing I did my best to keep Isshin-ryu true to it’s heritage.
At our Annual Memorial Tournament in September, I will promote Mr. Temple to Ku-Dan, ninth degree black belt, so that he will be set for his elevation upon my demise. I know he will make my Sensei and me proud of him. I want all of the Isshin-ryu dojo's and their Sensei's to pledge to him their best effort and aid. My dojo Ed McGrath's School of Isshinryu Karatedo & Kobudo established in September 1959 will be headed up by my Dai Ichi Dan Vena, upon my demise the rank that my Sensei Don Nagle passed to me, will pass to him and he will carry on my legacy as Soke, Dai Ichi. I want all of the Isshin-ryu dojo's and their Sensei's to pledge to him their best effort and aid. All of my Black Belts will help in the effort to continue my work in unity & harmony. Display to the community the camaraderie that existed in that original dojo in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
Edward F. McGrath, Ju-Dan
Grand Master, Isshin-ryu “The Art”
By the will of my Sensei, Don Nagle
On This Date, July 22, 2005
Sensei McGrath passed away on December 20th., 2014, he will be sorely missed but never forgotten. I have worked for Sensei all my adult life and have trained with him for over 45 years. It is my objective as a legacy leader in Isshinryu to carry on Sensei McGrath's work. I have reached out to everyone I can to ask for unity and harmony within our respective groups, organizations and lineages and so far we have had success. Every dojo I visit is very receptive to the message of Hanshi McGrath.
Thank You for cooperating and allowing me into your dojo's to spread the means and methods of Grand Master Don Nagle as taught by Hanshi Ed McGrath.
Vena Sensei
Ju Dan
Isshinryu the Art.
