Hanshi Russell Best - Bio

Grandmaster Russell Best (Hanshi) is a respected martial artist and pioneer in Okinawan Isshinryu Karate, known for his leadership as a military-based instructor, his role in training early generations of Isshinryu practitioners, and his participation in the broader karate community.

Early Career and Military Service

Grandmaster Russell Best was a veteran who served in the United States Marine Corps. During his military service in the 1970s, he worked at the Camp Lejeune Complex Legal Office in North Carolina while simultaneously acting as the head sensei and chief instructor of Isshinryu Karate on the base.

During this era, Isshinryu was expanding across the United States, heavily influenced by U.S. Marines who had trained in Okinawa under Isshinryu’s founder, Grandmaster Tatsuo Shimabuku. As a 4th Degree Black Belt and Chief Instructor at Camp Lejeune during the mid-1970s, Master Best was instrumental in preserving and teaching traditional Okinawan karate to military personnel and local practitioners.

Instructional Legacy & Students

Grandmaster Best was recognized for rigorous instruction, focusing on the core fundamentals of Isshinryu—combining the hard, linear strikes of Shorin-ryu with the soft, circular movements of Goju-ryu.

Among his prominent students is Hanshi Marvin (Marty) Prentice (9th Dan), who began his Isshinryu training under Master Best at Camp Lejeune in June 1972. Prentice trained under Best until his release from the Marines in late 1974, earning his 1st Degree Brown Belt (Ikkyu) directly under Master Best's guidance before going on to become a key figure in the Isshinryu Karate Academy of Pittsburgh.

Philosophy and Contributions

Throughout his martial arts career, Hanshi Best emphasized the practical applications and discipline of karate over theatrical adaptations. During the mid-70s martial arts pop-culture boom, he was noted for maintaining that true karate was rooted in discipline, effective self-defense, and physical condition rather than cinematic stunts.

Over the decades, Grandmaster Best advanced within the Isshinryu rank system to achieve the title of Hanshi. He has participated as a featured master instructor at major Isshinryu training seminars and martial arts camps (such as Camp Hovey-Kan), sharing original first-generation style lineage knowledge with high-ranking instructors across the country.