25 CISKA Instructors in ASKA BLACK BELT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM,

TRIBUTE CLINIC, in St. Louis

April 9th, 3 of our Central Illinois Shotokan Karate Association’s (CISKA) senior instructors taught and presented at our American Shotokan Karate Alliance (ASKA) chapter, and 25 in all, participated in a memorial clinic and service in St. Louis on Saturday.

Sensei Rick Brewer, Sensei Jim Hartman, and Sensei Jim Stahly (standing in for Sensei Carl Hartter who is having major surgery this week) all taught, along with Sensei Chuck Kerrigan of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania at the day-long event. The majority of the 35 plus participants were black belts with many decades of training each. This was a very dedicated and seasoned group of karateka.

It was a bitter-sweet remembrance and celebration of our time with O Sensei, Randall G Hassell and his tremendous contributions to Shotokan Karate. He began his training with Hidetaka Nishiyama when he was 12 years old. He wrote, edited, and published 29 books and over a hundred articles worldwide.

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The clinic began with the ASKA Shihankai members making welcoming remarks to the group and outlining the day’s activities.

ASKA Shihankai member, Sensei Rick Brewer taught the first session of kumite strategies. He covered Sen No Sen, Mushin, correct body posture, vision, interception skills, and developing powerful and instantaneous reactions to attack. Then, the next session was taught by James Hartman who stressed strategies, tactics, and techniques for kumite attacking. Hartman Sensei worked with the group on efficient uses of hips in attacking with punching and kicking.

Midway through the clinic, Shihankai members Rick Brewer, Merlin Taylor, and Chuck Kerrigan, shared their own heart-felt experiences, many adventures, and many humorous reflections, that all had with Sensei Randall Hassell over many decades. Randall Hassell’s son, Brian Hassell, shared his feelings of gratitude with the group as Marilyn Hassell, O Sensei’s wife, looked on.

Next, Sensei Jim Stahly taught an energetic hour of a wide variety of defensive kumite techniques and strategies. And to bring the last portion of the clinic to a close, Sensei Chuck Kerrigan taught many principles of the kata, Hangetsu.

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-More in depth-

From Sensei Brewer

“Sensei Hartter and I joined forces with Sensei Hassell in the late 1980s. Our Central Illinois Shotokan became nationally affiliated with American JKA Karate Association (AJKA) founded by Randall Hassell, Ray Dalke, and others. Soon after, the American Shotokan Karate Alliance was founded with Randall Hassell as its Chief instructor, and with us on its board of directors. (If you refer to the Spring Masters Magazine issue on line, you can see an extensive 15 page biography of Sensei Hassell’s karate contributions that I wrote at the request of its editor and publisher, and my regular column was a tribute to him as well)

Through his hard work, our Central Illinois Shotokan Karate students enjoyed many wonderful first hand and up close experiences and visits with Sensei Osamu Ozawa (in Illinois and in Las Vegas!), who was the most senior Shotokan Master in the Western Hemisphere at that time. We had many wonderful and insightful conversations with Shihan Ozawa! We had more enriching clinics and conversations here with the legendary Stan Schmidt (8^th Dan in the JKA and member of the Shihankai in Japan) in Bloomington and St. Louis: again, as a result of Sensei Hassell’s help and friendship. That list goes on and on. His enthusiasm for teaching karate was honest, abounding, always an informative treat, and highly contagious! He was humble and dedicated to his karate students. And, out on the dojo floor he bubbled with energy! He lived the karate way, Budo, in his everyday life. He will be missed, but through his students, his literary works, and his life commitment to karate-do, his legacy will endure!”

OSU!