The Isshin Ryu Megami has no religious inclinations as I understand it. Just because there is a godess in the emblem does not mean we worship the godess. Megami is merely a godess, period. Replace her with any godess from any religion or other standing of the word godess and that's all that's important.
From what I understand, the the patch is a symbol of Isshin Ryu, our logo if you will. Every piece has a meaning. The vertical oval (or fist) represents our vertical punch. The raised fist and lowered open hand representing the strength of "a godess" and then gentleness of a mother. The dragon representing Shimabuku Sensei and to acknowledge that the godess is a mother. The three stars: Mind, Body, Spirit as well as Shimabuku Sensei's three main Karate instructors. All of the colors represent each of the belt ranks.
The symbol of Isshin Ryu is this patch. Is she a Megami? Yes. Is she in the water? Yes, so she could be considered a Mizugami. Is she the Mizugami? I say it's irrelevant. I grew up calling her Mizugami (as she very well could be, because she for us is merely a symbol, not whatever the Okinawans believed Mizugami to be) and so I believe they are both right and that even if I replaced her with Athena the symbolism of our art would still be there (though perhaps not the heritage
).
From what I understand, the the patch is a symbol of Isshin Ryu, our logo if you will. Every piece has a meaning. The vertical oval (or fist) represents our vertical punch. The raised fist and lowered open hand representing the strength of "a godess" and then gentleness of a mother. The dragon representing Shimabuku Sensei and to acknowledge that the godess is a mother. The three stars: Mind, Body, Spirit as well as Shimabuku Sensei's three main Karate instructors. All of the colors represent each of the belt ranks.
The symbol of Isshin Ryu is this patch. Is she a Megami? Yes. Is she in the water? Yes, so she could be considered a Mizugami. Is she the Mizugami? I say it's irrelevant. I grew up calling her Mizugami (as she very well could be, because she for us is merely a symbol, not whatever the Okinawans believed Mizugami to be) and so I believe they are both right and that even if I replaced her with Athena the symbolism of our art would still be there (though perhaps not the heritage
).
