SENSEI
Those who made the road before
Harold Long
Isshinryu lineage: Tatsuo Shimabukuro → Harold Long
Harold Long was born on September 3rd, 1930 in Rockwood, TN.
He joined the Marine Corps in 1949 and fought in 1950 in Korea in the battle of the "Chosin Reservoir" against the Chinese Army.
In 1957 he was sent to Okinawa and started training mid 1957 in Isshinryu karate together with Dick Keith at Tatsuo Shimabukuro's Agena Dojo. Art Smiley, who was the most senior student at the time, taught both Harold Long and Dick Keith.
Harold Long left Okinawa in May 1958.
In 1959 he started giving lessons in his back yard of his house in California. After his discharge from the Marine Corp in July 1959, he moved to Knoxville TN where he later opened his first dojo.
In 1963, he attended the systems head meeting of the first World Karate Tournament in Chicago, Illinois, headed by Robert Trias, to set-up rules for all American karate tournaments.
Harold Long founded his own Isshinryu organization in 1975 and called it the International Isshin-Ryu Karate Association (IIKA).
In December of 1995, Harold Long closed his dojo in Knoxville, Tennessee, and retired from active teaching. He moved into the US Navel Retirement Home in Gulfport, Mississippi, in 1996.
On October 12th 1998 Harold G. Long passed away.