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View Full Version : William Durbin -- Kosho Ryu historian?



Don Cunningham
25th September 2001, 17:26
I am also interested in M.C. Busman's take on Durbin's writings. I've noticed so many historical inaccuracies and poor interpretations in Durbin's articles, that I imagine a list of such errors might be extensive. His lack of references also make it difficult to document flawed research. In my opinion, though, he makes a lot of the stuff up to fit his own biased perspective as he writes it. Compiling a list of such faults would be a massive job because there are so many.

Don Cunningham
25th September 2001, 19:45
I did a rather indepth analysis of Durbin's article sometime ago, pointing out all the inconsistencies and faulty logic arguments he offers in it. I posted it somewhere here on e-Budo, but it may have been a long time ago and before the infamous crash. I also brought up several of these issues in a recent thread about Mitose and Aikido, but was flamed on for mentioning it again.

His inconsistent arguments are designed to imply highly suspicious circumstances surrounding the murder. At one point, for example, he points to the statement by Terry Lee, the actual killer, that he never saw the victim's wife who was also viciously stabbed during the attack. Of course, he twists the statement to make it more dramatic.


Mrs. Namimatsu (Toshiko) was also attacked, yet the student says that he did not see her at all that night.

Terry Lee told the police he didn't see Mrs. Namimatsu that night. He also told them he didn't see Mr. Namimatsu, either, the person he was convicted of murdering. She survived the attack and definitely identified Terry Lee as the killer, though. This is conveniently overlooked in Durbin's version. Furthermore, in a related article, Durbin stated that Terry Lee has no recollection of any of the events of that night. This might also explain how he "did not see" the victims that night.

Durbin also likes to overlook certain other facts in his explanation.

What happened next is subject to interpretation, but a Mitose student went to collect a payment from Mr. Namimatsu.
When he arrived Mr. Namimatsu refused to make the payment. The student attempted to reason with the man, who was an experienced Jujutsuka, and a fight broke out. According to the student involved, there was a fight and Mr. Namimatsu was knocked to the ground, but he was alive when the student left the house.
Somehow this version is not nearly so convincing when you consider that Mr. Namimatsu was a frail Japanese-American senior nearly 70 years old while Terry Lee was a very healthy 27-years-old and fresh out of the Marine Corps. Apparently, this doesn't fit in Durbin's "interpretation" of the events.

I won't even go into the monument that Mitose was supposedly collecting money for or that Mitose was also implicated in several other extortion attempts, This is quite different reality from the patron saint that Durbin's article describes. Yet the idea that Mitose simply misunderstood American law and was only loansharking money as a favor is insulting to the reader's intelligence.

C'mon, how he expects any to buy into this is beyond me. Yet he continues and tries to implicate yakuza and other mysterious forces as possible conspiracy theories is simply irresponsible. He shows us nothing but his vivid imagination as evidence in this revisionists view.

R. Scherzinger
26th September 2001, 18:45
Hey Jeff,

Well the Bruce Juchnik stuff is a bit off. Durbin was affiliated with the SKSK, not ranked by the SKSK or Kosho Ryu. This was the first incarnation of Juchnik’s organization. This was subsequently passed to Thomas Barros and the SKSKI was created. The SKSKI is not affiliated with Mr. Durbin and after reading the article I know why, fantasy.

Who is Ramon Lono Ancho?
Who is Richard Stone?
Why are these his connections to Mitose if he was connected to Barros, Lee, and Juchnik?

There seems to be a great deal of reliance on Motobu’s history in the article. This is a problem because the time line for the connection is all wrong. Mitose would have been a little kid running with this group lead by a 40 year old man. Mitose was sent to Kyushu to live with his mother’s father and not Motobu. There is the deal with Seiko Fujita and his questionable connection to Koga Ryu. It is also simple enough to explain the use of Makiwara and the proximity of Kyushu and Okinawa and the cultural exchange.

But the question at hand, “Is Billy Durbin the historian for Kosho Ryu?” The answer is no.

Regards,

R. Scherzinger
26th September 2001, 21:21
Hey Jeff,

Thanks for the info on Ancho. I have trained with B.F.Lau and Emi Okazaki and neither of them ever mentioned Mitose training with Okazaki sensei. Where did you come by this information? I will be seeing Mrs. Mullens in Oct. and will have the opportunity to ask, but I would like to know where your source is.

As for the recognition deal with durbin I think that it is an effort to lend credibility to his art. On that note I think it is interseting in terms of his choices for recognition. SKSK and its organization has been under fire and divided for years. The Jukokai is a joke. Koga Kosho is headed by a menkyo hanshi, the first of his kind. So where does that put a Dai soke? There is a saying about pigs and mud that may pertain here.

Anyway I have read his work with amusement for some time now. It is mostly conjecture and implied affiliations. I find it poorly researched and without supporting evidence. Like I said "fantasy" for lack of a better word seems to surround his work.

Thanks,

R. Scherzinger
26th September 2001, 21:50
The Suenaka line is unproven. I, as well as other members of my Kai, have attempted to contact him on a number of occations and he has been unapproachable in terms of Kosho Ryu, not that I blame him. But he seems to have been a dojo hopper in HI, so I dought in depth study like Young, Chow or Yamaguchi. Needless to say I would really like to talk to Mr. Suenaka one day about his training in HI not just for the Mitose part but also to learn about Okazaki as well.

Anyway I don't dought that Mitose Sensei and Okazaki sensei knew each other, but I don't believe there was a "traditional" student teacher relationship.

Thanks

Ken Allgeier
26th September 2001, 22:24
I was at ' Borders Books ' the other day and was reading through W.Durbin book on Kempo.I have to say that the book was/is a joke,which raises the questions.


Why was it published ?

Why would anybody buy it?


Their is no new or useful information in the book. The people used in the photographs look like models and not like experienced indivduals who have been training in some type of a fighting traditions.Granted a photograph is just a photograph,but it should eluciadate some type of dynamic potential.One thing is for certain is that those indivduals in the photos know nothing about hip rotation.


The section on' kata ', is misleading, those are not Karate kata shown in the book,because they are not derived from either Shuri-Te, Tomari-Te or Naha-Te or any other recognized tradition from Okinawa.Thus they can not be considered to be authentic Karate kata.


As far as Durbin's article are concerned, where are his references, footnotes,ect.In one articles he states that Chojun Miyagi founder of Goju Ryu ,studied several styles of internal Chinese MA.The problem is that, this is pure conjecture with no supporttive evidence.There have been a number of good articles in " Dragon Times " that researched the foundation of Goju Ryu, I recommend the reader find these articles and forget Durbin's nonsensical ramblings.



Does anyone know why Durbin is a Doctor ?












ken allgeier

Don Cunningham
27th September 2001, 05:57
Durbin's "doctorate" is from Juko-Kai's University of Oriental Philosophy. No kidding.

Ken Allgeier
27th September 2001, 08:32
Did Dr, Seuss use to teach at the U.O.P ?









ken allgeier

R. Scherzinger
27th September 2001, 16:52
What is a PhP? Philosophiae .......?

I was obviously sheltered during my graduate studies to have not heard of this degree path. How can the Jukokai (side bar: I find this name too phonetically related to joke kai ha ha) give out this degree? Only universities are allowed to grant PhDs, right? These universities have to be registered with the state.

This also changes Durbin from stretcher of the truth to an all out lair. I know that this is America and you can say and do whatever you want, to a point and I have defended that right. This manipulation of the “academic system” and his prolific writing of mistruth regarding martial arts is wrong. Anyway just my two cents worth.

Regards,

Don Cunningham
27th September 2001, 17:41
Durbin may not only be a liar, but he may also be guilty of a crime. It's illegal in many states to use an academic title such as "Dr." without having earned an appropriate degree from an institute of higher education, accredited and recognized by the respective state. I can't find Kentucky's laws online, but there are similar laws in most other states.

As for the University of Oriental Philosophy, this was recently closed down by the authorities in Maine where Rod Sacharnoski currently resides. However, Durbin supposedly "earned" his doctorate from the UOP while Rod was residing in North Carolina. Yet, a check with the North Carolina Department of Education shows that the UOP was never registered or licensed in that state, either, so it was operating illegally even at the time Durbin supposedly graduated.