ZANSHIN: Change

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Z A N S H I N

by Dick Morgan

Change

       I thought about starting this article with the title, The End of an Era. My Teacher for the last 40 years, Grandmaster James R. Garrison, is stepping down from his position as headmaster of Pacific Rim Martial Arts Academy. He is moving out of the area, retiring to a farm near Roseberg, in Southern Oregon. He will still keep his position as Vice President of the World Oriental Martial Arts Federation, still oversee WOMAF business outside of Korea, still be in charge of promotion and rank, and still conduct seminars at Pacific Rim, as well as occasional seminars around the United States. And he will still teach at Pacific Rim occasionally, but not all the time. He is stepping down as Soke (headmaster) of Pacific Rim.

       Grandmaster Garrison's martial art history is extraordinary. He has studied under a list of masters that reads like the Who's Who of martial arts: Robert Dewar, Jhoon Rhee, Koichi Tohei, Walter Todd, Wally Jay, John Chow Hoon, Willy Cahill, Mitsugi Saotome, Sangcook Kim. Grandmaster Kim took Mr. Garrison with him on many trips to the far east to study martial arts from masters in Japan, Hong Kong, and Korea. Together, we have had seminar experience with Dan Inosanto, Fumio Toyoda, James Nakmura, Ellis Amdur, George Ledyard, Rene Ledemeyer, Art Gitlan, and many more I can't remember. Through Grandmaster Garrison, I have met and made friends with many accomplished martial artists through the years: Tom Wilson, Steve Fedux, Jason Mix-- there are just too many to remember. And those who have advanced to the rank of black belt under grandmaster Garrison Garrison have all been stellar individuals with high integrity, because so much was required of them.

       The picture is clear. Pacific Rim has always been a Mecca for those who wanted serious training. And of all the martial arts personalities I have met, I still believe Grandmaster Garrison to be the best teacher I have ever studied under in my fifty years in the martial arts. He brought not only his long history of serious martial art practice, but a life-long study of its history and philosophy. He has the most complete martial arts library in the Northwest, and possibly in the United States. He has the complete written records of the entire history of Hapkido, and the only filmed copy of the entire 48 katas of Shosuishuriu Jujitsu. Many of the Sosuishitsu (renamed) practitioners don't even know there are 48 katas, and only practice the 42 they know of.

       These forty years have been an extraordianry experience, an inimitable and stellar

personal history of my own. I feel rich with it.

But the history will continue. The new Soke, or headmaster, is Master Michael Martyn, sixth degree Judoka, and North American representative for the World Martial Arts Federation. A high work ethic and a fierce competitor, Master Martyn has practiced Judo for 25 years. This is a man who, at an international seminar, walked up to the Japanese students, and introduced himself the same as we do at Pacific Rim. He bowed and said oni-gashimatsu (Thank you for what I am about to learn) to the biggest Japanese Judoka, a man who towered over him. A man who threw him down hard and repeatedly before showing any mercy, slowing down his movement so that Mr. Martyn could learn. A lasting friendship developed between Mr. Martyn and Mr. Agamisu, who later became the head Judo instructor for Tokei University-- the source of most of Japan's Olympic Judo team members. Several of the Tokei University judo team members, all Olympic medalists, have come to Pacific Rim to train with us.

This was a man who endured a Judo seminar sponsored by the World Martial Arts Federation in Tokyo, And after five grueling days of training, was the only non-Japanese student to finish the seminar. Afterwards, he shrugged as he told Grandmaster Garrison, “It was just like training at Pacific Rim!”

       This is a man who has a thriving Friday night Judo class, filled with adults and kids of all ages, eager for randori. ( Judo free practice)

         Pacific Rim will be fine.

         I still don't like change.