Fred Sypher was drafted in 1965 and joined the US Air Force. While stationed at Fort Myer, Virginia in 1966, he discovered Okinawan Kenpo under Gary Saluter, a fourth-degree black belt who had trained under Nakamura Sensei on Okinawa. After a flood destroyed Saluter's dojo, Fred was stationed on Okinawa in October 1967, where he trained in Shorinjiryu under Kise Fusei on Kadena Air Base. Sensei Kise was then a student of tenth-degree grand master Hohan Soken.
In spring 1968, Sensei Kise announced he would now teach Shorinryu Matsumura Seito, which he had been studying under Master Soken. Fred devoted every available hour to this system until his discharge in March 1970, returning to Maryland as a third-degree black belt. He became lead instructor of the Patuxent River Karate Club, then in 1974 opened the Isshokan Karate Dojo in Lexington Park—the first commercial karate school in St. Mary's County. He also taught Maryland's first accredited high school karate class at Ryken High School in Leonardtown. After receiving his fifth-degree black belt in 1977, Fred closed the dojo to marry and attend college.
For over 50 years, Fred studied and taught exclusively Shorinryu Matsumura Seito. He lived in Westminster, Maryland and conducted monthly seminars at Dean's Okinawan Martial Arts and Self Defense School in Hollywood, Maryland. He greatly enjoyed sharing what he learned over five decades of devoted practice. Learn more information about Shorin-Ryu Matsumura Orthodox (SEITO) Karate Association on James Coffman's web site.
