Arcenio James Advincula is a Martial Artist and a first-generation student of the founder of Isshin-ryū Karate, Tatsuo Shimabuku. He also has an extensive background in Largo Mano Eskrima, Hindiandi Gung Fu, Ryukyu Kobudo and Combat Judo. He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps who served for 22 years, 6 months, 18 days including two tours in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. He retired in 1981 as a Master Sergeant.
Some of his other notable accomplishments include; designing the Isshinryu patch,[1] receiving a Black Belt Emeritus from the United States Marine Corp,[2] working with the San Diego Chargers on body mechanics, selected by the Okinawan Government to represent the U.S. at the 2005 Okinawa Karate and Kobudo Exchange Symposium.[3]
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Arcenio James Advincula was born in Juneau, Alaska on January 25, 1938. When World War Two broke out Advincula's father, who was Filipino, brought him to a Filipino family by the name of Diaz to take care of him. His father left for Anchorage where he worked for the U. S. Army Air Corp at Elmendorf Air Base. At the conclusion of the war in 1945 Advincula was reunited with his father in Anchorage.[4]
Sensei Advincula began his Martial Arts training in 1946 at the age of 8. His father hired two of his friends who were close-combat instructors for the Philippine Army, Pete Rado and Tony Navarro, to train him. Pete Rado began teaching Advincula Escrima stick fighting and Tony Navarro began teaching him knife fighting with a K-Bar. They both taught him Combat Judo. Around this time his father bought him a Springfield Navy Training Rifle and he started rifle and bayonet training as well.
Sensei Advincula's active duty career in the United States Marine Corp spanned 24 years and began on April 30, 1957 when he enlisted at Anchorage, Alaska at the age of 19.[5] During the course of his career he served 2 tours in Vietnam, one of which was ended by a back injury. He returned to Vietnam for about 40 days in 1975 after volunteering to assist in Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of U.S. citizens and allies before the impending fall of South Vietnam. Some of the highlights of his distinguished military service include the following:
Advincula’s personal decorations include (Foreign and non-U.S. personal and unit decorations are in order of precedence based on military guidelines and award date):[5]
Began in 1946 at the age of eight. Instructors were Pete Rado and Tony Navarro, both of whom were Filipino Scouts and close combat instructors. Pete Rado taught Sensei Advincula escrima and Tony Navarro knife fighting. Later he trained with Loi Miranda in Alaska (1961).
In 1961, after returning to Okinawa, Sensei Advincula encountered an Okinawan friend with whom he had worked during his prior active duty. The man, Nago Shinu, asked him if he would like to meet "#1 strong man on Okinawa". Advincula at first declined because he thought Nago was talking about a weight lifter and he had no interest. Nago explained that he was referring a man who had studied Martial Arts in China. When he found this out he agreed accepted the invitation. He and Gayle Beams, who was one of his students at the Anchorage Dojo (see Isshinryu section below) went with Nago to meet Kang Kaneshiro (Kinjo) in Hamada. Sensei Kaneshiro initially agreed to teach Advincula but not Beams. He later accepted Beams as a student as well after Sensei Advincula requested that he do so.
Later, when Sensei Advincula began Ryu Kon Kai kobudo training with Kotaro Iha Sensei, he found out that one of the instructors in Iha's dojo, Aka Seiko, was a cousin of Kaneshiro.
Sensei Advincula began training in Shorinryu with Segin Nagamine at Kin Village, Okinawa in 1962.
Trained in Gojuryu with Kinei Nakasone and Masanobu Shinjo (Nakasone's teacher) beginning in 1963 at Kin village & at New Koza, Okinawa.
Began studying Uechi-ryu from Kosuke Yonamine at Koza, Okinawa, 1975 after the death of Master Shimabuku.
In 1975 started training in Ryu Kon Kai kobudo from Kotaro Iha at Taba village, Okinawa. Iha Sensei was the best friend of Advincula's brother in law. After Master Shimabuku died his brother in law asked him if he would like to continue his kobudo training with his friend Iha. He has continued his relationship with Iha Sensei to this day and he was promoted to Nanadan and received his Shihan Menkyo (Instructors License) in Ryukonkai Kobudo from Iha Sensei in September 2009.
Sensei Advincula was first stationed on Okinawa in late November, 1958. After he had completed his check in sheet and was reporting to his NCOIC he saw a sign for judo classes and he asked the NCOIC about the classes. The NCOIC, who was a Green Belt in Isshinryu, asked him if he would like to try karate and told Sensei Advincula that he would take him to meet "Papasan" on Advincula's first liberty. Sensei Advincula accepted the invitation and on December 1, 1958 he went to the Agena Dojo and met Master Shimabuku for the first time. Advincula trained with Master Shimabuku regularly until his departure from Okinawa nearly fourteen months later. After returning to Alaska in April 1960 he opened his first dojo in Anchorage, teaching out of a health club facility.
Sensei Advincula returned to Okinawa as a civilian on January 2, 1961, He once again began training with Master Shimabuku at the Agena Dojo. It was during this period that Sensei Advincula received the consent of Master Shimabuku to design and have made the Isshinryu Megami patch.[1] This is the only patch that is known to have been approved by Master Shimabuku.
Around May 1961 Sensei Advincula returned to Alaska but shortly thereafter (25 September 1961) he re-enlisted for active duty and he returned to Okinawa in November 1961. He continued his Isshinryu training with Master Shimabuku at this time.
In late 1964 Sensei Advincula was re-assigned to Camp Pendleton and he returned to California, where he opened a dojo in Carlsbad, California with H. Mitchum.
In August 1965 he was deployed to the Republic of Vietnam to serve a 12 month tour (see Military Background). He returned to California once again in August 1966.
In February 1969 he returned to Vietnam for his second tour of duty. After he sustained an injury he was med-evaced to Okinawa and assigned to Casual Company, Camp Butler. He continued his training with Master Shimabuku once again.
Upon completion of his tour Sensei Advincula was assigned to Parris Island, SC from April 1970 until January 1975 at which time he was once again stationed on Okinawa. It was during this period, on May 1, that Kichiro Shimabuku opened his Kinaka dojo and hosted a Grand Opening. Sensei Advincula encouraged Master Shimabuku to attend and one of the last known pictures of Master Shimabuku (possibly the last) was taken as he left the event.
1977 Co-founded the United Isshin-ryu Karate Association with Harold Mitchum.[9]
1983 Made three Escrima Videos for Panther Productions.
1986 Published author in Black Belt Magazine & Wholeheart News.
1987 Black Belt Magazine Co-instructor of the year with Ray Dalke.[10]
1988 Featured in Karate/Kung-fu Illustrated.[11][12]
1996 Commemorated 50th anniversary in the martial arts.
2001 Co-founded the Isshinkai (Isshin-ryu Karatedo & Kobudo & TOMO NO KAI) with Kensho Tokumura
2002 Created Video (now DVD) series of instruction on Isshin-ryu Karate and Kobudo.
2008 Commemorated 50th anniversary in Isshin-ryu Karate.
Sensei Advincula began hosting Okinawan cultural tours in April 1994. He takes small groups to Okinawa to meet, train and socialize with friends, family and Okinawan Martial Artists. One of the primary purposes of the tours is to give those participating an opportunity to learn about and experience the culture of Okinawa, as his teacher, Master Shimabuku requested: "Even if we cannot promote friendship between Okinawa and America through karate, my true hope is that if karate becomes popular in the U.S.A. and Hawaii, then Okinawa would also become more well understood."[13]
On one of these tours, April 15, 1999, Master Shimabuku's second son Shinsho (Ciso) presented Sensei Advincula with his father's bo cover.[14]
In January 2005 the government of Okinawa held the "Okinawa Karate and Kobudo Exchange Symposium". This symposium was organized to educate and demonstrate the difference between Japanese and Okinawan karate. Guests were invited from several of the different prefectures in Japan, and one guest from each of the following countries Argentina, France, Germany, Iraq, and Sensei Advincula from the United States. Only five people from outside of Okinawa and Japan were to selected to attend and he was one of them.[3]
1987 to 1993 - Body Management Coach (body mechanics) of the San Diego Chargers (NFL) Football Team.[15]
1992 Designed Fighting Knife (FleshEAteR) for knife maker, Jim Hammond.[16]
1994 Interviewed by CNN as knife expert on O.J. Simpson case.
1994 Flesheater knife plays a major role in the 1994 action novel, The Reckoning, by James Byron Huggins. One editor said, “This book does for knife fighting what Tom Clancy did for submarine :warfare.”
2010 The book “The Reckoning” by James Byron Huggins is to be made into a movie with Arcenio Advincula as the martial arts choreographer and technical advisor for the knife fighting scenes.
