Donald Hugh Nagle
| Don Nagle | |
|---|---|
Portrait from the The Isshinryu Hall Of Fame
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| Born |
April 5, 1938 Jersey City, New Jersey |
| Died | August 23, 1999 (aged 61) Cardiac failure |
| Other names | "Laughing Red Devil", "Donald Hugh Nagle" |
| Residence | Jersey City & Belmar, NJ |
| Style | Isshin-Ryu Karate |
| Teacher(s) | Tatsuo Shimabuku |
| Rank | jū-dan (十段:じゅうだん): tenth degree black belt |
| Spouse | Annette Nagle |
| Children | Michelle Nagle & Sean Nagle |
| Notable students | Official Student Listing |
| Notable school(s) | Don Nagle's Isshinryu 371 Central Avenue Jersey City, NJ |
Don Nagle was a Karate Pioneer, Grand Master Of Isshinryu Karate & "Living Legend" from New Jersey.
Nagle was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on April 5, 1938 he had four sisters and four brothers.
As a teenager he began his 1st study of the martial arts taking lessons in Goju-Ryu Karate. He enlisted with the United States Marine Corps at age 17 and completed his training at Paris Island, SC. on December 3, 1955. He then went on to Infantry Combat Training at Camp Lejeune. His Military MOS 0121 was Personnel Clerk. He was stationed on Okinawa, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands off the coast of Japan. He was eventually stationed with the 3rd Marine Division at Camp Courtney and later he was transferred to another company and served on Okinawa from July 12, 1956 to September 9, 1957. While with the Marines he was temporarily assigned to the All Marine Judo Team stationed at Camp Lejeune. While on Okinawa, he began to study Isshin-ryu Karate with founder Tatsuo Shimabuku in approximately February 1957 at the Kyan (pronounced Chan) Village dojo and continued until he left the Island in September 1957. While training with Shimabuku he won the All Okinawan Karate Championships as a white belt besting the islands best black belts. Shimabuku awarded him his personal Obi upon winning the championships and promoted him to Sho-Dan 1st degree black belt. The "Laughing Red Devil" was a nickname Nagle was given while training on Okinawan Because of his fighting attitude and spirit and because due to the intense heat and sun his skin color turned red.
Upon leaving Okinawa in 1957 Shimabuku awarded Nagle his 4th Degree Black Belt. Nagle returned to the states in 1957 and partnered up with then Sgt. Ernie Cates (1st American Awarded 6th Degree Black Belt in Judo by the Kodokan "Judo Authority of Japan" and future 8 time all Marine Judo Champion) at his dojo located at 220 N. Bridge St. Jacksonville, NC. thus becoming the 1st Isshinryu Dojo in the United States. Continuing with another first the IKA (Isshando Karate Association) was created in 1958 and became the 1st Isshinryu Karate Association in the United States. Nagle's total foreign service time was 1 year 2 months and 14 days according to his DD-214 discharge papers from the Marine Corps.
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