Head-Masters List | Shinshinryu

Teaching Lineage of Shaolin Si Tie Chuan Fa

Sijo Yang, Founder - Zongjia Shaolin Si Pao Ming Chuan - Henan, China 1377

Seven Generations of names lost in the Shaolin Temple fire of 1647

Yon Ho Chen, 9th Generation, Shaolin Si Tie Chuan Fa - Henan, China 1679-1751

Lee Ho Chen, 10th Generation, Shaolin Si Tie Chuan Fa - Henan, China 1751-1814

Lee Chi Wang, 11th Generation, Shaolin Si Tie Chuan Fa - Ingea, Korea 1814-1881

Kim Chi Wang, 12th Generation, So Rim Sa Cheol Kwon Bup - Korea/Japan 1881-1967

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Albert C. Church, Jr., 13th Generation, Shorinji Tetsu-Kempo - Japan/America 1967-1980

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Harold Martin 14th generation, Shorinji Tetsu-Kempo (Karate-Jutsu) - America 1948-2016. Tai-Sijo harold Martin began his formal training with Albert C. Church Jr., in 1962. At this time, Church sensei was teaching outside of the rear gate of the Charleston Air Force Base. Church relocated the dojo to the Danny Jones Community Ctr. Shortly thereafter, Church sensei moved the dojo downtown to Joe Fikes Piano Store (Warehouse). In winter of 1965, Church sensei again moved the dojo to the Montague Ave location. Two years later in 1967, Church sensei left to go to Japan to receive the inheritance of Shorinji Tetsu-Kempo and named Martin sensei as Dojo-cho (senior instructor of dojo). In late 1969, after returning from Japan, Church sensei named Martin sensei as his "Ichi bon Deshi no Soke". In 1970, Martin sensei was named Soke-Dai (Inheritor-Head Family Elect), and later in the year joined the U.S. Marines.

In 1973, Martin sensei opened a second Shorinji Tetsu-Kempo / Nippon Kamishin Ryu school with Fudgie Brabham downtown Charleston. One year later Martin sensei moved the dojo to Remount Rd and N. Rhett.

In Apr. 1977, Church sensei named Martin sensei as Kaicho-Dai (President-Elect) of the Nippon Kobudo Rengokai (NKR) which included the arts of Shorinji Tetsu-Kempo as well as the Nippon Kamishin Ryu.

In Aug 1977, Church sensei also named Martin sensei as Soke Ni (Second Head Family) of Kamishin Ryugi Karate. (Note in January 1979, all official SOKE-DAI positions within the Ryu were rescinded. The Kai position of Kaicho-Dai (Next Generation President), and the Ryugi position of SOKE-NI (Second head Family) were never rescinded for Martin sensei.)

In Mar. 1979, Martin sensei (and Church sensei) promoted Tom Lequiere to Nidan, and Nov. 1979, Martin sensei turned over the daily teaching responsibilities of his NKR dojo to Tom Laquiere and Doug Sumner. Although not teaching classes, Martin sensei continued to oversee his dojo administratively as Dojocho. Six months later, Church sensei passed away and for personal reasons, Martin sensei did not continue to publicly teach his lineage/teachings of the art, choosing to only teach on a case by case basis.

In 2006 Martin sensei passed his art by lineage succession to Darrell Collins, sensei. 10 years later, in 2016, Harold Martin, died.

Martin, sensei's memory lives on through the students who continue training in the arts that he passed on.

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Thomas Brandon, 2nd Generation, began his formal training with Albert C. Church, Jr. in 1967 at Camp Zama, Japan. After returning to the United States, Brandon sensei moved to the Charleston, SC area to continue training under Grandmaster Church as his personal student. In 1970, Church sensei named Brandon sensei as Soke-Dai (Inheritor-Head Family Elect) of his own sub-lineage of the Shaolin Si Tie Chuan Fa (Nippon Kempo Wang Ha Tetsuken Ho Kamishin Ryugi). By 1975, Brandon sensei had earned Black Belts in the various Ryugi (sub-styles) of Kamishin Ryu and was named Nippon Kobudo Rengokai Vice-President (Fuku-Kaicho) for life. In Apr 1977, Brandon sensei was put on the Kamishinkai International Board of Directors, and later in Aug 1977, Church sensei also named Brandon sensei as Soke Ni (Second Head Family) of Kamishin Kempo Ryugi.

(Note in January 1979, all official SOKE-DAI positions within the Ryu were rescinded. The Kai position of Fuku Kaicho (Vice President), and the Ryugi position of SOKE-NI (Second Head Family) were never rescinded for Brandon sensei.)

In 1980, after the death of his master, Dai-Soke Church, Brandon sensei assumed his rightful position as Soke of the Ko Sie Ha (Whang Ha) Shorinji Tetsuken Ryu system, and continued teaching his system privately to those he felt worthy of teaching. Brandon sensei, was also mandated by Church sensei to teach Police personnel their personal system of Tai Jutsu, specifically formulated for Law Enforcement. Brandon spent many years steadfastly teaching Police Officers these restraint and arrest procedures. In 2016, Brandon sensei joined with Collins sensei, and assumed his position as Vice President of the newly renamed Kokusai Shinshin Bugei Renmei, and teaching his lineage teachings of Tetsu Kempo to the current Black Belts of this system.

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Darrell Collins, 15th generation, began informal training in 1979 within Isshin Ryu Karate which began his love for the martial arts. After joining the U.S. Army, 9th Inf/RDF in 1986, he began his concentrated studies of the martial arts, earning a black belt in an "Americanized" style of Karate. It was during this time that Collins sensei was first introduced to Jujutsu at the local YMCA (Collins sensei was later graded to the Shodan (1st degree Black Belt) level in that art).

After returning to South Carolina in 1989, Collins sensei began training in the family art of Shorinji Tetsu-Ken Do Kanda Ha Kamishin Ryu - KSKI, under Fred Timmons, Sensei-Sandan. Collins sensei has trained with numerous Shihan of Shorinji Tetsu-Kempo / Nippon Kamishin Ryu, outside of the KSKI, most of which were trained directly by Church sensei. During this training, Collins sensei earned several gradings in the seperate teachings (Kempo - Jujutsu) to the Shihan levels.

In 2002, Darrell Collins began training privately with Harold Martin as Soke-Dai (Inheritor-Elect). In 2006, Collins sensei was named the Inheritor of Harold Martin's lineage/teachings of Shorinji Tetsu-Kempo, and Nippon Kamishin Ryu (Martin Ha).

Collins sensei has also been officially recognized as Co-President of the International Black Belts Association, Vice-President of the International Tai Nei Chuan Federation, Board Member of the World Budokai Sonkei Federation and a member of the World Registry of Black Belts (WRBBOF).

Collins sensei continues his passion in training in the arts and has received ranking to the 10th Degree Black Belt in Kamishin Ryu (Martin Ha) as well as Boxer Level 3 in Shaolin Si Tie Chuan Fa under Harold Martin, Soke, 9th Degree Black Belt in the Dentokan under Roy Jerry Hobbs, Kaicho, and 8th Degree Black Belt in Tae Nei Chuan under Michel Hawi, Zongjia.

Collins sensei continued training in the "Okuden" (deep level) teachings of the art(s) with Harold Martin until his unfortunate passing in 2016. This same year, Collins sensei was also chosen as Soke-Dai of Thomas Brandon's inherited art, making Collins sensei the sole inheritor of two lineages as passed through Martin and Brandon sensei(s).