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A short history on Sensei Daryl
Avery and a few extra
thoughts.
A Sensei should be a guiding
light, demonstrating the type of person
as well as the type of Martial Artist a
student should
become.
-Sensei Daryl
Avery Yon Dan - 4rd degree black
belt
Born in 1953, I was the youngest
of 5 children, and like most families, I have to
give my next older brother credit for making me
fairly tough as a young kid after my older
siblings had left home. Then, (and the years
may not be exact here as I am getting older and
more forgetful of the past timelines) when I was
around 12 or 13, my oldest brother was studying
Kodokan Judo. He was about 21 at the time
and after training judo for a while, he started
coming over to our house and teaching me as much
as I would learn. I remember he left his old
green class book with me that I spent every night
reading and examining the pictures trying to
understand the concepts of balance and using your
opponents force against them. I found
out later that after Judo, he started training
Karate in a style called matsubayashi-ryu under a
Sensei by the name of Frank Grant. I know
there were strict rules about showing outsiders
things you learned there and my brother
obeyed that rule because he never showed me
anything he learned there. He never even
talked about studying a martial art
anymore. Although he only trained a
year, before he had to quit, it was a side of
him I never knew until much later in life. I
just knew he was one tough older
brother. Throughout my school years, I
don't remember myself as any kind of
troublemaker. I always thought I was on on
the side of good if that makes sense. But
sometimes trouble found me just the same, but I
never had too much trouble defending
myself when necessary. At least not
when the odds were realistic.
I started my Karate training in
early 1971. Bruce Lee was the king of karate
movies at the time and many people were flocking
to karate schools to learn martial arts. I started
my training in Dayton, Ohio learning Chinese
Kenpo. I trained less than 6 months before running
out of money. It costs 45 dollars a month to train
then, which was a lot of money at the time. In
Early 1974 I was married and started training at a
new club in Eaton Ohio under Dan Coovert. Sensei
(teacher) Coovert had the fastest hands I have
ever seen. I learned a lot about speed from him as
well as the basic foundations of Shorin-ryu. I
trained with Sensei Coovert for a few years until
he had to close his dojo. He requested that we
continue our training under Sensei Jack McPeak in
Greenville Ohio. As Sensei Coovert was fast,
Sensei McPeak was fluid. It was like watching
water flow as he moved through kata (prearranged
movements). I learned what fluid motion was
supposed to look like from Sensei McPeak. After
training with him less than a year, I joined the
Air Force which put a temporary end to my official
Shorin-ryu training.
Having to leave the Shorin-ryu
karate school was the only thing that came close
to keeping me from joining the Air Force. But I
was in a dead end low paying job and wanted to go
to college and I didn't know any other way to
reach that goal at the time except to join the
military. There are a lot more opportunities
now than there were then. By this time, I
was dedicated to the style and new I would miss it
and my extended karate family very much. I went to
my Air Force basic training in San Antonio Texas
like everyone else. Air Force basic training is
not known for it's physical requirements. I used
to get up at night when everyone else was asleep
(except the guard) and work out in one of the
larger rooms in the dorm. The TI learned what I
was doing, but let me alone to continue. From
Texas, I moved to Biloxi Mississippi for technical
school. Our branch of karate was not available in
Mississippi (that I could find at the time), so I
joined one of the styles taught on base. This
school focused mostly on tournament fighting,
which did not appeal to me that much, so after a
few months, I just trained on my own in
Shorin-ryu.
Over the next 20 years of Air
Force duty, I was in many different styles. I
studied a Tae Kwon Do based style in Georgia, Tang
Soo Do for a short time in Mississippi and
Texas, Okinawan GoJu-ryu Karate in New York. While
in New York, I also was introduced to Issin-ryu
Karate. There were even a few no-namers that were
combinations of several different styles. While I
did try these other styles, I always returned to
Shorin-ryu. Shorin-ryu was the only style that won
my heart. Unfortunately, over time, I started
forgetting some of the fine points of Shorin-ryu.
Some of my moves were influenced from the other
styles I studied. Mostly, I forgot Shorin-ryu
katas. Over time, they just started disappearing
from my memory one by one. I continued training
Shorin-ryu on my own when not in other styles.
Since Shorin-ryu was what I loved, I continued
with what I could remember.
In 1995 I was stationed in Ohio
and started training again with Sensei Matt
McCormick at Wright State University. Sensei
McCormick stated many times that he was impressed
with the Shorin-ryu I remembered. At that time, he
said my foundations were very strong. The problem
of course was that my implementation of a lot of
techniques, including basic punching had become
sloppy (did not have the Shorin-ryu precision). I
had some injuries over the years which definitely
impacted my movements. One of Sensei McCormick's
strengths were quick changes between movements. He
liked to perform kata at many different speeds
including very, very fast. I tried to take as much
of this knowledge as possible with me. He helped
me remember my basic katas (we have 18 katas, 10
basic and 8 fighting).
The Air Force was not done with me
yet and shipped me back to Mississippi. I suffered
additional injuries before I retired and the final
year in the Air Force was physically bad for me.
When I retired, I moved back to Ohio and started
training under Sensei Nellie Tilton in a club that
she had opened in Eaton. She used to have a club
in West Alexandria, but moved it to Eaton. I
trained in this club for several years. Over time,
I was able to overcome many of my physical
impairments. I finally attained the rank of Shodan
(1st degree black belt). I continued to train at
the club as well as teach occasionally. Sensei
Tilton helped me learn the rest of the katas in
our style as well as helping me with many of my
physical disabilities. She had to leave the club
due to family illness and Sensei Mark May took
over the club and the primary training
responsibility.
I shared teaching responsibility,
occasionally, with Sensei May until he had to
close the club. I enjoy teaching and sharing with
others the great knowledge that has been shared
with me. While occasionally teaching with Sensei
May, I also trained in the Troy Ohio dojo under at
the time 6th degree Sensei Jeff Leistner. Sensei
Leistner and I trained together in 1976 under
Sensei McPeak before I entered the Air
Force. Sensei Leistner's strengths include
flowing and precise movements as well as good
speed. I have learned a great deal from Sensei
Leistner. As a member of the Troy dojo, I am also
a member of the WSKF (World Shorin-ryu Karate
Federation) under the direction of 10th degree
Hanshi Frank Grant.
As a nidan, I reopened the Eaton
Ohio dojo under the WSKF banner, with Sensei
Leistner and Hanshi Grant's blessing, on January
1, 2000.
Since then I have promoted
to Yon Dan 4th degree and moved the club to
the Eaton YMCA.
Many people who have never
trained in karate hear the words Black Belt and
immediately assume mastery. I don't believe this
is ever the case in any style of martial arts.
Becoming a black belt in Shorin-ryu means that you
have a good understanding of all of the basic
movements, you can perform at least 12 of the 18
katas in our style proficiently, know all of the
Okinawans (patterns of practice fighting), and
much of the history of the style. - It always
helps to know where knowledge comes from if you
wish to make it yours to take it further, that is
why history of karate is important. Don't
take this statement wrong. Becoming a 1st degree black belt is like
graduating high school. Continued training takes
us into advanced knowledge and techniques just
like going to college and beyond into lifes
lessons. However, if you have made it to 1st
degree black belt in the style of Matsubayshi
Shorin-ryu, you have surely earned your rank and
no matter who you are, there is no doubt in
your mind that you have earned it. This
is because every Sensei in this style I
have ever met have believed the same thing.
You get what you give. If you want
it all, you have to give your all. And
your life could depend on it, train that
way.
In our style, there are 9 adult
ranks before black belt. Then there are 10 levels
of black belt. A 10th degree black belt is an
honorary rank reserved for the highest ranking
person or Grand Master of our style. At
times, there might not be a 10th degree in a
style. Karate is a life long process of learning.
The higher black belt ranks are awarded on
knowledge as much or more than on physical
abilities. What we give back to karate, not what
we have received from it, also becomes very
important in progressing through ranks. Black
belts in our club teach, not for money (because we
don't get paid), but because we are dedicated to
the Art and wish to share this knowledge with
others. Even our monthly club fees are usually
just enough to keep the doors open and the
electricity on so we all have a place to train and
learn.
This style is a very effective
style of martial arts. Shorin-ryu is stated as
being 90% hand techniques and 10% feet. It is also
stated that Karate is only 10% physical and 90%
mental (give or take a few percent points). This
style not only develops physical abilities, but
also mental abilities. I guess one of the reasons
I first started training Shorin-ryu was a desire
to learn self defense. After 6 months of training,
I realized that self defense techniques were just
a very nice side benefit from everything else I
get from Shorin-ryu. Some of the other things I
have gotten from Shorin-ryu includes focus, self
awareness, knowledge, strength, speed, endurance,
awareness of others, self peace, self control,
motivation and other things to numerous to
list.
Evil people want easy targets to
abuse. They normally don't attack people who they
believe can defend themselves. If you have never
tried karate, Shorin-ryu clubs are a great place
to give it a chance. We have good people, good
teachers and a dedication to helping others
learn.
I have trained with many people
with disabilities over the years. Some of
the people I trained with were missing a leg or
arm. I've known of some students in wheel
chairs studying this style, and as many of us get
older, we just come up with parts of the
body that for some reason, we don't
think works as well as they
should. My doctors have told me many times,
that the only reason I am still moving and not in
a wheel chair myself, is because of all of the
Karate training I have done over the many
years. Yes, sometimes it hurts, and
sometimes it would be all to easy just to
quit. But, I still have life left in
me. I still have things to learn and things
to teach. Karate is about self
improvement. It's about trying to be a
little better tomorrow than you were today,
physically if possible, mentally always. I
don't believe in quitting. I believe you
should always be doing as much as you can do,
whatever that is.
Enjoy life. Enjoy
Karate-do.
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