GUARDIAN KARATE ASSOCIATION

George started training at a time when the word dojo was not even used, much less a legitimate school for the study of karate.

Our dojo was in the basement of a ranch style home I owned in 1961.  In a residential neighborhood signs were not even allowed.  One fact remains in my mind that made an impression on my memory.  My family would not allow any signs or special equipment to be used so all we had was a bare basement. Hanging a decorative rug against one wall, we used that as a punching bag, a makiwara so to speak. When we removed the rug to move to another location we found the cinder block wall destroyed from the continual banging of the striking.

Ralph Lindquist brought George to our dojo, as we almost always relied on referrals; we did not take unknown students from the street.  I had only two requirements. One, a student must be an adult and, two, that student must be male.  It took me years to accept the fact that those other than adult males could learn karate.

I missed most of George's heyday, when he was on the tournament circuit because I chose to put Isshinryu to work for which it was intended.  As a result, I missed so much that was and is so important to the history of Isshinryu.

George remains to this day a true friend, one of the few men who could understand my thoughts concerning rank.  To me, George is a 10^th Dan by all standards.

I attended a seminar at a University Hospital and witnessed exactly what his Tuite could do. I was very impressed and in fact I think his method of fighting would be exactly what a senior citizen would need to defend themselves.  Maybe his technique would make defending one's self much easier.

George has proven to me that he is a true friend, one of the few I still have left in this life.  I have great respect for him.

Harry G. Smith