Tatsu (Dragon)

The dragon plays an important role in the I Ching, the Ken-po goku-i, Isshinryu and to Bushi Tatsuo Sensei. We in this country, the west so to speak, see the dragon from a totally opposite perspective. Some who study the ken-po goju-i and Isshinryu in the spirit of Sensei already know that the Asians, Chinese and Okinawans, see the dragon as something totally different.

The dragons, unlike in the west, are known to have the following traits/attributes:

1. Highly charged energy source.
2. Associated with wisdom, justice, proper conduct, and success.
3. Symbolize dynamic and arousing forces within.
4. Genius of strength and goodness.
5. Spirit of change and life itself.
6. The claws are seen as forks of lightening.
7. The green scales are seen as the glistening of rain and wind swept pine trees.
8. Their voices are heard as thunder.
9. The trigram "Chen," arousing and thunder, carries the attribute of a dragon.


We in Isshinryu see the depiction of Tatsu in the symbol of Isshinryu, the Isshinryu-no-megami.

If we have studied the ken-po goju-i and connected the meaning of the symbol to it we already know that it has a good deal of meaning to those who are seeing it as it was meant to be seen.

We already know that the energy source of our style is in the practice of "sanchin." We know that Bushi Tatsuo Sensei exemplified the traits of wisdom, justice, proper conduct, and success. After all he studied deeply the ancient classics used in his endeavor to be a supreme sumuchi. He demonstrated to the first generation students who knew him well is actions toward justice in life and the proper conduct one should demonstrate daily. His success, well there is Isshinryu don't ya know!

If you read through the traits and attributes you can see that all of them were a part of Bushi Tatsuo Sensei and his greatest effort and hope was to instill that same set in all of the persons who came to him to learn the fighting art of Okinawa, Isshinryu.