The empty hand system of self-defense known, as Karate, is one of the oldest and most traditional forms of martial arts taught throughout the world. “Shorin” is the Japanese pronunciation for “Shaolin.” This name identified Shorin-ryu with the Shaolin Temple in China, renowned for it’s fighters. “Shorin” means “young forest” and can be pronounced “Shobayashi,” “Kobayashi,” or “Matsumura.” Ryu means method/style. This form of karate is rich in technique and tradition and was created out of the need for self-preservation.

With the implementation of the United States/Japan post World War II peace treaty in Japan on April 28, 1952, Okinawa was separated from the Japanese administration and put under United States administration, which made Okinawa a U.S. military base. It wasn’t until 1972 when Okinawa was returned to Japanese administration authority.

At or around 1960, during the Vietnam era, an airman named Heinz while assigned to the United States Air Force, stationed at Kadena Air Force Base, located on the island of Okinawa, sought knowledge of the art of Karate. Airman Heinz traveled to local surrounding villages near Chatan & Yomitan prefectures and discovered that something similar to Karate was taught instead. He discovered that Chatan & Yomitan prefectures studied the predecessor of Karate, an art called Okinawa-te. In fact, the well-known father of Karate, the late great Gichen Funakoshi, learned and taught Okinawa-te for many years prior to contributing to the development of Karate. Actually many martial artists from around the world wrongly interpret Karate and Okinawa-te as synonymous. Regarding the use of the name karate: In China, there was a province by the name of Kara, which was responsible for unifying the old country. It is believed that during the period of the Kara Kingdom, Chinese martial art leaked out to many satellite countries (Japan, Okinawa, Korea, etc.). There are two ways of writing in kanji, one of the three alphabets in Japan, the characters for the word karate. When written one way, it reads "Chinese hands", and when written the other way, it reads "empty hands". In Okinawa martial artists borrowed fighting techniques, not only from China, but also from the Phillipines, Taiwan, Sumatra, Maylasia, Indoneshia, and various other loctions and developed an indigenous martial arts system and called it Okinawa-te (Okinawa hands). The Japanese changed "Chinese hands and Okinawa hands" to one descriptive system of martial arts to the kanji that reads "empty hands". Okinawa and Japanese regional martial arts systems such as Shorin-ryu, Goju-ryu, Shito-ryu, Shotokan were now epitomized subsystems under the umbrella of Karate.

Okinawa-te and Chinese Kenpo were blended together and developed into a system called Shorin-ryu. Okinawa dialect Shorin-ryu (an Okinawa martial arts system) translates to “Young Forrest Method” which is synonymous to Chinese Mandarin dialect - Shaolin Tzu, where the famous Shaolin Temple was located and practiced the art. Villages Chatan & Yomitan consisted of many different “internal and external” martial arts style practitioners. These villages had various indigenous Okinawa Shorin-ryu systems, such as Shuri-te and Tomari-te, along with diverse Naha-te Okinawa systems taught. In addition, Jujitsu instruction was popular. The famous “Peichin Yara, born as early as 1816 in Shuri and later moved to Yara Chatan Village, combined Okinawan Te and Chinese martial arts systems handed down from ancient times to become unique and indigenous to Okinawa martial arts. He learned from all these systems and became very knowledgeable in these diverse arts. Since then several Shorin-ryu systems politicized evolving sub-systems such as Matsubayashi, Kobayashi, Shobayashi, etc., to represent formal systems, which dictated the separation of Okinawa styles that disallowed cross style system training. This practice of separating and sub-setting Okinawa martial arts training is still prevalent today.

Airman Heinz never became enthralled at training in any “one separate Shorin-ryu subsystem”; instead he diligently sought after the erudition of Okinawa-te in its entirety. Shorin-ryu was his major martial arts influence but also received exposure to other systems such as Jujitsu, Naha-te, etc. Because of this wholeness approach to learning Okinawa-te, KSDA Shorin-ryu kata’s exhibit techniques from all major and minor Shorin-ryu, in addition to minor Nah-te, subsystems.

After attaining Blackbelt in Okinawa and upon returning from the Vietnam conflict, airman Heinz attended Morgan State College (later in 1975 was renamed Morgan State University) in Baltimore, Maryland. There he and a close friend named Bob McPherson, who was a master in Shotokan Karate & Jujitsu, instructed one of the toughest martial arts training programs one can imagine. Kumite consisted of “bare knuckles” resulting in many student injuries. Often kata training consisted of hours of repetitious drills which caused several Karate-ka’s to pass out from exhaustion.

Riley Hawkins (now known as HANSHI Hawkins) was a young talented & tough karate student of now, SENSEI Heinz and SENSEI McPherson. SENSEI Heinz awarded the Blackbelt to Riley Hawkins because of his diligence in training and his vehemence of spirit while learning the art and science of Shorin ryu. After completing and receiving a language arts degree in 1964, while graduating from Morgan State College, SENSEI Heinz ceded the college Shorin-ryu instruction and granted Riley Hawkins the privilege of instructing Shorin-ryu at the Sharp Street Community House, adjoined to a famous church, which is now a national historic site, on Etting and Dolphin Streets in the heart of Baltimore.

It was 1965, and now a SENSEI, Riley Hawkins had to create a name for his Karate School. Simply, he asked the neighborhood kids who joined his school to suggest a name. It was unanimous – THE AVENGERS KARATE CLUB would be the name of his school. The neighborhood kids got the name from a famous comic book “Super Hero Team” called the “Avengers”.

Meanwhile, SENSEI Heinz was hired to teach French language instruction at Garrison Junior High School, located in northwest Baltimore. Interestingly, Michael Mobley (now known as RENSHI Mobley) who resided in northwest Baltimore attended Garrison Junior High School in the fall 1966, not aware that his French teacher, Mr. Heinz was a martial arts instructor. Later that fall, Karate-ka Mobley joined the Avengers Karate Club. Only after about 2 weeks since joining the Avenger Karate Club, Karate-ka Mobley was surprised to see his French teacher enter the Avengers DOJO. SENSEI Hawkins called everyone to attention and directed everyone in the DOJO to bow to SENSEI Heinz. Karate-ka Mobley was astonished to discover Mr. Heinz was a Martial Arts Instructor. From that day on Karate-ka Mobley addressed his French Teacher was SENSEI.

SENSEI Heinz encouraged and mentored SENSEI Hawkins to instruct Shorin-ryu the way he learned the art while stationed in Okinawa. SENSEIHeinz gave firm guidance to SENSEI Hawkins to always be open-minded concerning learning and teaching martial arts instruction. He persuaded him to not limit his martial arts knowledge and experience by only associating with martial arts alliances that have a political and financial agenda as their chief interest. SENSEI Heinz teaching philosophy was the embodiment of native Okinawa martial artists from the prefectures of Chatan and Yomitan Okinawa; “teach martial arts as a way of life.”

And did he teach! Citizens from Baltimore abroad would travel by bus, cab, foot, and car to witness the exciting bare knuckle sparring sessions. This DOJO was like a mini Madison Square Garden. SENSEI Hawkins taught while setting an exalted example as a national competitor. He fought the best tournament competitors from throughout the country, was nationally rated and made the cover of the infamous “Blackbelt Magazine”. The Avengers Karate Club grew and grew. The Sharp Street community house Dojo location could not handle the rapid increase of student’s; therefore in 1968 SENSEI Hawkins decided to move the location to another historical site – The Druid Hill YMCA. It wasn’t long before the Druid Hill YMCA couldn’t handle the sudden student increase. Very shortly the Avengers Karate Club swollen membership cause the club expand to 6 locations. Avengers were respected and feared by many. Many times competitors from other schools would arrive at tournaments to discover the Avengers were competing thereby changing their mind to not compete for that day.

SENSEI Hawkins promoted Karate-ka Mobley to Blackbelt during the summer of 1971. In 1973 Blackbelt Mobley attained SENSEI status and opened 2 Karate schools – Webster Kendrick’s and Woodmoor Recreation Centers. In 1974 instructed a college curriculum based karate program at the Community College of Baltimore. In 1976 he joined the US Army serving his country throughout locations in the United States and Europe. During 1980-1983 he instructed and promoted martial arts throughout Europe. From 1982-1987 he served as President of the European American Martial Arts Association (TEAMAA).

Entering the 21st century RENSHI has taught and continues to instruct Shorin-ryu at Georgia Tech and Agnes Scott College and is the founder and President of the Kids’ Self Defense Academy. The KSDA is an after school care structured program that puts keen emphasis on respect, discipline, and having fun for lower/elementary students. Students are taught that Martial Arts are only used as a last resort. Our most popular axiom is, “The greatest battle ever won is the battle that’s never fought”. Key emphasis is put on conflict prevention & resolution (proactive self-defense), obesity prevention, safety awareness, and just having plain fun! Currently the Kids’ Self Defense Academy consists of 6 different private schools with more planned to come.