Soke Murphy obviously enjoyed graphic design. Did he go to college to help learn or improve these skills, or was he entirely self-taught? Did he ever do design work professionally?

I know he did some work in the Corps. Maybe revisions to the Landing Party Manual. I remember him saying that he had something to do with the yellow footprints that new recruits re introduced to on their arrival at PI.

Welcome back Jim!... Welcome Chris!... Thank you Russ and Tim for posting the patches.

Chris, from what I can remember about the blue patch with the two headed dragon; The artwork was drawn by one of his students in the Parsippany dojo. The kanji symbols on this is the same as on the brown patch saying "Isshinshorinji Ryu Okinawa-Te". Note the dragon only has 3 legs emphasizing the value of the number 3 (take it for what you want, 3 pillars, mind/body/spirit, etc...), the dragon is stepping out of the yin/yang circle, and the two heads indicating an attack is possible from both sides.

I'm not sure why he chose the colors for the one's you posted. I figure since it was designed back in the day, brown and yellow were very popular.

Regarding the eagle patch Russ placed over the Society of Black Belts patch. I know that it is what Soke wanted to start using along with another one... Russ, is this a new one for you or did you have it before?

Regarding the Academy of Martial arts patch; the symbol in the middle has something to do with a particular weapon... I'll think about it a little more but want to emphasize that 'symbolism' was not stressed in my training as much as application, theory, and form were.

Soke loved his eagles and the symbolism with america. He emphasized the fact that we are in the US and should talk, dress, and name things as such. He emphasized practicality and de-emphasized 'tradition for tradition's sake'... On a side note, I wonder why he didn't use a patch with a black lab on it as he also loved his dogs!?

But I'm glad things are picking up with regards to discussion again!

Carl

The only patch we had was the one that Chris Wissman posted.
Sensei gave me the others when he was up here. I think the eagles were meant to be shoulder insignia on a black uniform.

The dragon heads complement the blue isshin Shorinji patch. The SBBA was not something that stayed with us for reasons discussed in another thread. I included it because I think it was Soke's design.
Russ

i am pretty sure Bob said he drew the blue dragon patch.
o.k. here is your sanchin story.
Bob and i are driving around one day in his big old truck talking about things like punching ferocious bulls in the head and Mas Oyama. he said that he was at a demonstration where Mr. Oyama performed sanchin with a tensho section slapped right in the middle and he just thought that was something.
he liked it so much that he assimilated it into the system.
chris, yes he did go to art school and did this as a profession in his younger days i believe.
i still have a couple of those early 80's v-neck canvas pullover tunic gi's that Soke designed. the two round blue patches were sewn above each breast.

That pretty much explains why I thought there was a Kyokushinkai connection. Never saw the V neck tunic though.
I missed answering a post from a few days ago about a pow wow of the tribes.
I assume by the western metaphor that you are thinking of maybe Idaho?

I dont that Mr Murphy was the real creator of the isshin shorin ji ryu system
It was a dropped system in okinowa
As said in the Asian Fighting Arts

SN7NS,
Did you read (albeit) the previous threads in its entirety?
In short, it said that the one in the Draegger book is not the one we are discussing... You study under Chirico... Did you ask him these questions? If so, what did he say?
Also, what is Master Chirico up to these days?
Carl

Son,
At the risk of being redundant, a number of people including Dr Vigianno and I have tried to explain how our system originated. If you choose to ignore our explanation and that of your Sensei Master Chirico there is nothing more that we can possibly do for you. I am sure that I speak for everyone on both this and the previous thread when I ask you to please stop asking the same question. Our answer will never change. Should you be interested in discussing technique or the differences between the video's we have posted and that which you have learned from your Sensei, I feel sure that between us we can provide, if not an answer, a number of pretty good opinions. If you wish to discuss this please feel free to send me a personal message. I wish you well.