Joe was very athletic and played basketball, baseball, track and was the captain of the 1963 championship football team.  After graduating in 1963, Joe enlisted in the military.  He was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division stationed at Camp Schwab, Okinawa. 

    From 1963 to 1965 Joe studied Isshinryu under Grandmaster Shimabuku at the Agena Dojo.  (Above is a photo of Master Smith taken in 1965 while he was stationed on Okinawa) After re-enlisting, Joe was assigned to the HMM265th Division in Viet Nam.  While there he studied under Master Don Bohan.  Joe was promoted to ni-an by Master Bohan before leaving Viet Nam.

    Joe was honorably discharged in 1967 and returned to Champaign, Illinois.  He continued to practice Isshinryu and in 1978 founded the first Isshinryu Karate class in Central Illinois.

    Master Smith was a retired twenty year veteran Sergeant of the Champaign Police force, the first African American promoted to that position within the department. He was also the Training Manager and head of the Control Tactics Division of the Police Training Institute, University of Illinois. In addition, he was a founding father and served on the original Board of the Okinawan Karate Do Union. He continued to serve on the Board until the time of his death.

    Master Smith was promoted to 9th degree Black Belt by the Okinawan Karate-Do Union on June 16, 2001.  Master Smith passed away from a rare heart condition on June 19, 2001.

     There have been some lies told as to who Master Smith considered to be his instructors.  As his senior  student I want to clarify these deliberate attempts to spread misinformation.  Master Smith first considered himself a student of Grandmaster Shimabuku and then Master Bohan.  Master Smith considered Master Wheeler and Master Long to be his adopted instructors.

     In the early 2000s Master Smith was presented a certificate of rank from Sensei Harrill and Sensei Advincula. Master Smith accepted this certificate not as rank, but rather as acceptance into the brotherhood from fellow colleagues who had also studied "on the rock", (Okinawa) under Grand Master Shimabuku.

Master Joe Smith
1944 - 2001