Harold M. Mitchum

Harold Marion Mitchum is a tenth degree black belt in the Isshin-ryÅ« karate system. He learned under the founder of Isshin-ryÅ«, Shimabuku Tatsuo, while serving three tours in Okinawa (spanning approximately five years and 10 months) with the U.S. Marines. Though Mitchum himself claims that he was on Okinawa and trained under Shimabuku for seven-and-one-half years, this is not the case. A article from December 1978 indicated that Mitchum left Okinawa as a black belt in 1959. Indeed, as corroborated by his service record, Mitchum's first tour on Okinawa lasted from February 19, 1958 until May 1, 1959. Mitchum returned to Okinawa in October 1959 and, as evidenced by photographs from February 1960, participated in demonstrations hosted by Shimabuku's dojo. In November 1960, Mitchum left Okinawa again, whereby he did not return for his third tour until the following May. Later, on June 10, he was appointed President of Shimabuku's newly formed American Okinawan Karate Association.
In 1961, Master Harold Mitchum became the first of Shimabuku's American students to be promoted to 8th degree black belt by Master Shimabuku, which ranked him as the most senior American student. Though the high black belt ranks Shimabuku awarded to his American students were rescinded on June 10, 1961, Mitchum again received promotion to 8th Dan prior to leaving Okinawa for the final time in November 1964. During Master Shimabuku's second visit to the United States in late 1966, three other American students were promoted to 8th Dan: Don Nagle (1939-1999), Steve Armstrong (1931-2006) and Harold Long (1930-1998).
When Mitchum and Steve Armstrong gave Shimabuku a red belt to wear, Shimabuku removed the red and white belt he had on and gave it to Harold Mitchum to wear (red belts are generally reserved for those masters having achieved 9th or 10th dan, while red and white belts are reserved for the ranks of 7th and 8th dan).
Mitchum retired from the Marine Corps on June 30, 1973 and settled in Albany, GA. He opened his first permanent dojo there in 1974.
On June 5, 1988, Masufumi Suzuki, then head of the All-Japan Budo Federation and the Seibukan Academy in Kyoto, Japan, promoted Master Mitchum to ninth dan. Masafumi Suzuki was a close friend of Master Shimabuku's and said that he had heard him speak very highly of Mitchum. Then on March 20, 2004, the board of directors of the International Isshin-ryu Karate Association presented Mitchum with a 10th dan certificate.
Master Mitchum was inducted into the Isshin-ryÅ« Hall of Fame in 1982. He is the founder and the current director of the United Isshin-ryÅ« Karate Association (est. 1977).
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