What it was Like to Train Under Fusei Kise , 4th Dan Shorin-Ryu Karate, 1960-1964.
I (James H. Coffman) Jimmy, met Sensei Kise in 1960 when I was stationed on Okinawa. I was an electrician, stationed on Kadena AFB. Kise was a civilian working also as an electrician. My first work assignment was to be Kise's helper and driver on base.
During the first four hours of the work day, I don't think Kise said ten words to me. During the lunch break one of my co-workers told me to go over and slap that small Okinawan. I asked "which small Okinawan"? The little guy, named Kise. I asked why? I was then told that Kise was a Karate instructor. When we (Kise and I) went back to work, I asked Kise if he was in fact a karate instructor? Once I said the word KARATE, the gates opened. Kise asked if I liked karate? I asked him if he could break a brick; he laughed and said yes. I said he would have to show me before I would believe him. We picked up his friend, Miasato, another Okinawan electrician and life-long friend of Kise's and drove out to the officers housing area where we found a flower bed with bricks around it. I ran over and pulled up one of the bricks. We then drove to my barracks, where I picked up my camera. Next it was out to an area where we could do the photo. Kise broke the brick and I was hooked.
I attended Kise's class that night. Kise at the time lived in a bad area of Old Koza, his dojo was the back part of his home. His teacher, Maishiro, Hachi-Dan, was his neighbor, who was so close that you could reach out of the dojo window and into Maishiro's home.
