Master True (9th Degree) began studying Isshinryu in 1963 under Grand Master Harold Long. In 1964 Master Long and Mister Bobby Dodd opened Master Long’s second dojo in Harriman, Tennessee. Mister Dodd turned the school over to Mister True in 1966, and it now holds the distinction of being the oldest continually-operating Isshin-ryu dojo in the state of Tennessee. The Roane School of Isshinryu teaches only traditional Isshinryu, adhering closely to the techniques originally developed by Shimabuku as he taught them to Grand Master Harold Long, and as he taught them to Master Tommy True.
Notable Awards:
Master True is widely recognized as an unapologetic supporter of the ways of Grand Master Long and considers his most significant promotions to be when Long awarded him his sho-dan rank in 1965, his roku-dan rank in 1981, and his ku-dan rank in 1998.
He is retired from the Y-12 National Security Complex where he worked in electrical engineering for 37 years. Prior to that, he served in the United States Air Force for four years. Master True lives in Kingston, Tennessee with his wife Kay. They have one daughter, Lisa, and a granddaughter, Tayler.
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