Prior to entering the karate side of the martial arts, Sensei Murray was a prolific wrestler in high school and college in the toughest wrestling area of the United States…the Midwest with Oklahoma and Iowa a short bus ride away. His most memorable match was pining a 3 time state champion from Pennsylvania in the first round at a North Dakota State University duel meet in the 60’s.

Also, in the 60’s, Sensei Murray began Karate training under Jim Arwood/Tomasaburo Okano Sensei (Hachioji City, Japan). Okano Sensei was a direct student of Funakoshi Gichin and was considered a “national treasure” by the Emperor, requiring special permission just to leave the country. Jim Arwood began training with Okano O’Sensei while in the military and stationed in Japan. They didn’t want him there and would try to make him leave. After awhile they invited him in to use him as a makiwara, but Arwood Sensei trained to Nidan before returning to the USA. Arwood Sensei ran a strong group of dojo in Houston, TX prior to moving to California. Jim Arwood was a personal friend of Sensei Murray and trained many champions of which Robert Halliburton, George Minshew and Sensei Murray were among.

In 1968, Sensei Murray embarked on training at the KEI SHIN KAN in the United States, which was headed by Grandmaster Takazawa Masanao. Takazawa O’ Sensei was a direct student of Toyama Kanken, Dai Shihan from age 17 until Toyama passed away in 1966. Toyama Sensei never claimed to teach a restricting “style” of karate because styles were limited by the personality of their founder. He chose therefore to train and master the systems of Shuri-te, Tomari-te, and Naha-te and united the training but keep the katas “pure” as he had learned them because they complemented one another. He taught instead, Okinawa Seito Ryu Karate-Do (Ryukyu Island/Okinawa orthodox/pure system of the karate or “empty hand” way).

Rod Murray, Kumite in 1970.
Picture from Black Belt Magazine.

James Nelson (USA Shihan) and Bill Dye first brought KEI SHIN KAN to the USA and taught it to Robert Yarbrough & Charles Matthews. They in turn began teaching others such as Murray Sensei. Sensei Murray traveled throughout the USA competing and winning many kata and kumite championships from California to Ohio and from Washington to Florida.
In 1992, Sensei Murray traveled to Nagano, Japan with Bart Coy and Isaac Espinosa to compete in the 1992 Koshiki (hard contact) Tournament. Both Coy and Espinosa were 13-year-old students in Boise, ID in the early 70’s when Sensei Murray was competing nationally and training with friend and fellow black belt…Nobuhiro Shinohara Sensei. Many teams from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan were there for the trophies! At the age of 47, Sensei Murray’s 3-man team had taken 1st Place Koshiki Kumite.

At the 1997 AAU National Karate Championship, Orlando, Florida, Sensei Murray won a Silver Medal in Kumite and Bronze Medal in Kata. After three spinal surgeries for broken vertebrae and herniated disks in the L-5 area of his back, Sensei Murray is fighting his way back to competition and trains five days a week to strengthen his back in what he calls “physical therapy kata” training. There are currently 5 other adults in his class with herniated disks, broken ankle, and torn rotator cuff. They’re all progressing at a faster rate then with standard physical therapy.

The training hall once named KEI SHIN KAN by Toyama Dai Shihan has evolved into Keishinkan. The teachings, methods, and philosophy of Grandmaster Takazawa have integrated with those of Toyama to further the essence of karate-do in such a manner as befits the 21st century warrior! Sensei Murray still maintains the pure (seito) system (ryu) karate of Okinawa as originally taught by Toyama Dai Shihan to Takazawa O’Sensei down to Sensei Murray.
Murray Sensei is “the keeper” of the Okinawa Seito Ryu “way.” The techniques, theory, and philosophy of Masanao Takazawa (Keishinkan), Tomasaburo Okano (Kenkojuku Shotokan), Robert Trias (Hsing-yi Chuan, Shorei and Shuri), Bill Clingen (Tong Soo Do), Phil Porter (Judo/Aikido/Karate), and Jay Lunnon (Pai-Lum Tao Kung Fu) have been incorporated or blended into the training curriculum, but the katas remain pure unto themselves.

Newest pictures of Rod Murray, February 2004

Pictures and information provided by Mr. Rodney Murray, Seattle, WA.