On November 15th, after a long illness Grand Master Steve Armstrong has passed away.He was an original student of Shimabuku Tatsuo on Okinawa and one of the early pioneers of Isshinryu in North America.  He was in the original group of 4 men promoted to 8th Dan by Shimabuku Tatsuo and later took over the American Okinawan Karate Association rising to 10th Degree Black Belt and doing  a great deal to unite and promote Isshinryu.

 His contributions to Isshinryu will be long remembered.