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"All things begin with one"

The above statement was Shimabuku Tatsuo's reply when Kaneshi Eiko, one of Tatsuo's senior students, asked him why he was naming his new style of karate Isshin-ryu

Kaneshi say's Tatsuo is the dragon within the Megami.

Advincula: “Is it ok to call the symbol Mizugami (水神) Water god) or Megami (女神) "Goddess.".”

Kaneshi: “ It is Bukkyo (仏教 ) "Buddhist." Shimabuku made Sunsu with ken (剣) "sword" and Megami (Goddess of Isshin-ryu) together. Megami would be correct. Shimabuku did not copy from a Mizugami (Water goddess). It has nothing to do with water. It is original from his dream.” Shigema and Kaneshiro both nod in agreement.

Advincula: “Did Tatsuo ever sleep on a water tank (cistern) in the afternoon?

Note: According to Joseph Jennings book “Encyclopedia of Isshin Ryu Karate, Copyrighted 1982, on page (7), Angi Uezu says, “In the yard, the Master had a tank, which was used to collect water in case of drought and to supply hard working students with a refreshing drink between workouts. One day, after a full day of teaching, the Master sat on top of the tank in order to enjoy a little sake and cup of tea.” A water tank or cistern is called a suisou (水槽) in Japanese. This statement in Joe Jennings book that Tatsuo was sitting on a suisou or cistern when he had his vision of the goddess is what prompted the above question.

Others, including Uechi Tsuyoshi say the story Uezu told was Tatsuo fell asleep on a well.

Shimabuku Tatsuo told me and later Shinsho, said he was listening to a radio and daydreaming late in the evening when this vision occurred.

Kaneshiro: “This has nothing to do with Mizugami. This is not a Water Goddess. Every martial arts has a vision or symbol. One day he (Tatsuo) had a dream. Goddess (Megami) came to him and said teach everyone. This God or Goddess at first was at first not clear to Shimabuku. It came ridding on a dragon. The Goddess talked to Shimabuku saying he had enough karate knowledge to teach publicly. This was his own god which told him. Shimabuku was a Sanjinsoo fortune teller so he had more religious beliefs than most. Shimabuku went to a frame shop and saw a picture similar to the one in his dream. He borrowed the picture and had the Megami made up.”

Note: As already stated Tatsuo told me the same story and it was confirmed by Shinsho. Shinsho shows me a picture of the Megami that is in one of Tatsuo’s old fortune telling books. The goddess is Kannon (観音) or the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. Both Tatsuo and Shinsho call it Megami (女神). The goddess is often depicted riding a dragon and is known as Ryuzu Kannon (龍頭観音) which means "Dragon head Kannon." Ryuzu Kannon is depicted as a woman seated on, or riding on a dragon. Sometimes the goddess is depicted standing next to a dragon. Goddess in Japanese is Megami (女神). Kaneshiro, claims that Tatsuo saw a picture of Ryuzu Kannon or The Goddess of Mercy at a frame shop but Kaneshi immediately refutes this.

Ryuzu Kannon (龍頭観音) Buddhist Goddess of Mercy ridding a dragon.

Kaneshi (interrupts): “This is not right. I went to Shuri with him (Tatsuo).”

Kaneshiro: “I heard he went to Naha and got the idea from there.”

Kaneshi: “Shuri , and we had two pictures made. One for me and one for Shimabuku. It doesn’t make any difference what god it is, it’s his god.  Bu no Kamisama (武の神様) "God of Martial Arts." That's how much he was into the martial arts.”

Advincula: "So Isshin-ryu Kamisama!”

Kaneshi: “That is not wrong.”

Note: Kaneshi first had the picture painted with a dragon head on the body of a woman. He brought the painting to Tatsuo who laughed and said that it should be the opposite with a the upper body of a woman with lower body being a dragon. He then gave Kaneshi the nickname of Ryuto (龍人) or Dragon man. Kaneshi said it came from the East Dragon Tatsu or Dragon from the East (龍東). This shows that Tatsuo knew about the Tatsu Dragon (辰) constellation.
 

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