Cecil T. Patterson/Wado Kai

[Gene Williams]

When I was in Nashville, Tenn. in '73/74 I could not find any Shorin ryu. There were several TKD schools and one or two other karate schools that did not impress me. I was a brand new shodan from an Okinawan instructor so my tastes were already formed. I had resigned myself to a year or two of training by myself in the yard or a gym when I happened to notice a one line ad in the phone book: Bushido Dojo Nolensville Road. I drove there that evening, walked inside, and there were a large group of students in white gi with a patch that had a dove's wings encircling a fist practicing kata that I recognized. I had never even heard of "Wado ryu." I saw an office to the right in which there was a large man who looked to be in his 40's talking to a big, rough looking guy with a red beard and Art Garfunkel red hair...Cecil Patterson and Roy Hinkle. I introduced myself, told them my history, and asked if I could watch a class. Hinkle Sensei asked, "D'you bring a gi?" Of course I did, so that was the beginning of my year or so of training with the US Eastern Wado Kai in Nashville.
Richard Goad, of this forum, and I must have crossed paths then, though he was probably only 14 or 15 at the time. He trained in Mr. Patterson's dojo in Madison, but the two dojo trained together. He and I may collaborate on this thread, which I started to pay tribute to a remarkable man, Cecil Patterson.
You won't hear much about Mr. Patterson outside of Wado circles, but he was a true pioneer in the Southeast and created something which, in my opinion, makes Trias and Parker and other self promoting wannabee's pale beside him.
Patterson produced more high-quality dan and stronger "style integrity" than any ryu I know of except for some of the old "village/family" ryu. I don't believe even Kuniba (dear to my heart), Hayashi, or Higaonna surpass him. I alone can name: Hinkle, Joe Rippy, Taylor Hayden, David Deaton, Becky Anderton, Wayne Tyler, Jimmy Edwards, Jimmy Kittrell, Jack Nelson, Brooks Harris, Mr. Parrish, Mr. Sawyer, Shelby Bridgeforth, and a number of others whose names I have forgotten. Richard can add as many more. That is just in Nashville (I think Parrish went to Fla.). Those classes were electric. Two front rows of dan doing the same kata the same way with focus and power in that snappy little Wado style was impressive. Kumite was clean and sharp. We occasionally put on bogu in Hinkle's dojo, the only time I have ever been knocked out (I mean like lights out) was in that dojo fighting in bogu :)
Mr. Patterson was very hands on as a sensei and as the Kaicho. He insisted on quality and good manners in the dojo. Wayne Tyler, Roy Hinkle and I had some wild times in Nashville, but in the dojo it was no nonsense.
I wasn't there long; I left Nashville and found Shito ryu and have been there ever since. But, everywhere I go and there is a Wado dojo I find the same strong karate and good manners. I have had over a dozen Wado dan train with me over the 25 years I have been teaching and I always expect, and receive, strong fundamentals, better than average kata, and attention to detail...and proper etiquette. The kata are always the same, the bunkai is focused and crisp, and most of them trace their lineage back to Cecil Patterson.
I wasn't there long enough to get to know him. He was formidable in a very quiet way, a good and decent man and a fine karateka. If there are American "meijin" he is surely one.

[Dennis Monk]

Gene sounds like you have a ton of respect for the man.
Nicely worded post also, might I add.

[rgoad]

I appologize for not responding sooner, weekends are very hectic around here.

Everything Gene says is true, and more really. As much as the studentws of Mr Patterson love him and his memory, it's hard to write about him because it sounds like exageration. It is good that people from other places and even other styles recognize his accomplishments.

All in all, the his greatest accomplishment was to establish a base of martial artists that have strong dedication to martial arts in a very traditional way that out lived him. Many schools survive on the energy of the founder and die soon after he leaves the scene. Others may find that no one ever reaches the same level of skill as the founder due, perhaps, to a less demanding environment. Finally, Many American schools had weak links to the counrty of their origin and the art would drift away from it's source, or never progress to the same level as the native counrty. Mr. Patterson overcame all of these by placing his art first and expecting the same of his students.

The uniformity of standards Gene spoke of was maintained by Mr Patterson personally. The promotion boards, in those days at least, were centralized for every rank. He had a Sunday Blackbelt class that was open to Brown Belts every Sunday but one each month when it was Blackbelt only. That was enough motivation for me, at least, to work for my grades just so I could go to that class. It was fierce and exhausting, but had a very strick ethic so you weren't being beat up by higher ranks, you were only expected to be focused when you stepped in the dojo. If your mind wandered, you were placing yourself at risk. People came from many miles away each weekend for this seminar.

The basic etiquet was always practiced, in or out of the school. The instructors Gene listed were always "Mr." or "Miss", or "Mrs." except in the school when they were 'Sensei'. There were unfailingly polite to you, as well. Those days were differrent in that if a senior became abusive he could expect to be roughed up by another senior. I can only recall that happening a couple of times in all the years I was there.

Mr Patterson was career law enforcement. He had numerous applications that were both theoretical or traditional interpretations of techniques as well as real no kidding street applications. He taught the Wado theory of evading the strike as a core principle and demonstrated using the block as a strike or 'nerve attack' as well as dislocations. He was a large man and could generate an aweful lot of power naturally, but he moved as if much smaller and instead of strength used us hip rotation to evade and return power to the attacker.

He turned out many high quality students, some of whom reached a certain amount of notoriety on their own. In every case, though, they still speak reverently of him as a father figure in the best sense of the martial arts instructor.

If you ever get the chance to visit a Wado school in Nashville or the souteastern United States that is part of the Patterson legacy you will see what I mean. They are very friendly, yet serious about their art. They would be good people to get to know.

[Lame Leopard]

Thank you for this tribute to someone who obviously touched a lot of people in a positive way. I had never heard of Wado Ryu until a few months ago, when I watched a tape by David Deaton. I could tell there was something special about this system just from the way Sinsei Deaton presented it on the tape.

Obviously, Cecil Patterson has passed down a wonderful legacy. Again, thanks for sharing.