Its not the system that makes a good martial artist
but the man that works hard at that system.
Grandmaster Steve Armstrong
Saturday June 12, 1999
On Wednesday April 24, 2002 I flew to the Retsil Veterans Retirement Home in Washington where Hanshi Armstrong is residing. I was able to stay on the compound so that I could devote my time to visiting Master Armstrong.
I have been calling Master Armstrong on the weekends for years but I have to admit I was excited about being there. I will not get into the mechanics of the visit but I would like to share one of stories he told.
While Master Armstrong was stationed on Okinawa a seargent came up to him and stated," your a contankerous S.O.B" (words changed to abbrieviation due to younger readers), in which he replied, "I may be contankerous but my mother is a grand old gal" and that was the last thing the seargent heard before he hit the ground. No charges were pressed and a new friendship was forged.
There was something else I would like to share. I was eating dinner at the dining hall with Mr. Armstrong when Luis and Rebecca Aponte came to pick me up for the seminar I was conducting in Shelton, WA that evening (4/26/02). Mr. Armstrong asked if we knew each other and immediately introduced Luis and his wife to me. I later found out that the Apontes visit him probably more than anyone else and because of that they have my respect.
The morning after the seminar I was dropped back at Retsil so I had the opportunity to stop in for breakfast and say goodbye before heading off to the airport. I do not mind telling you that I greatly admire Master Armstrong's loyalty to O-Sensei Tatsuo Shimabuku and to Isshinryu.
It is easy to talk about someone that you don't know but never forget that Isshinryu owes Master Armstrong, Don Nagle, Harold Long and Harold Mitchum a great debt for not turning their backs on us and we should never turn our backs on them or their memories. With the exception of Harold Mitchum these men are deceased or retired and have handed the reins to the Karate-ka they trusted to carry on their work. Great Karate-ka like Grandmaster Ed McGrath, Hanshi Toby Cooling and Hanshi J.C. Burris. Talking down their accomplishments only tarnishes your reputation and cast a negative light on Isshinryu to the martial arts community. We owe these men a lot, least of all is respect. Lets never forget them or the Isshinryu spirit.
Shihan Phillip R. Furgason
A short interview with Grand Master Steve Armstrong. Saturday June 12, 1999
Q. What kind of teacher was O-Sensei Tatsuo Shimabuku?
A. He was a fabulous teacher and a man of understanding
. I can’t say enough about him. He had the type of
personality that caused you to want to do better. He used
to say Armstrong number 10 which meant that I wasn’t worth
sh*t to make me work harder. He brought out the best in
people like you and me. He had the wisdom to do that-to
bring out the best in some of the worst. He was a fabulous
teacher [he] made you want to work your butt off.
When I flew him to the states the first thing he said was,
“Me want to learn Isshinryu”, like I was the instructor.
He wanted to see if I had kept up with my work - this made
me want to work harder. I loved that man.
Q. What would you like for my students to know about you?
A. Just that I worked hard to be a good karate ka under [O-Sensei] Tatsuo Shimabuku.
Taken from a phone conversation on 1- 16- 1999 Shihan Furgason
Furgason School of Isshinryu Karate
Creed, Code and Oath
