HISTORY OF CROSSVILLE ISSHINRYU KARATE ACADEMY
CIKA’s history begins in the mid 1970s when Sensei Ken Nelson began to teach Shotokan Karate out of his home in Crossville in 1975. Sensei Nelson taught karate in his home until he opened his karate school in Crossville on Stanley Street in 1980. Sensei Nelson met Master Harold Long in 1982 and was so impressed with Master Long that he switched from Shotokan to Isshinryu Karate in 1982. Sensei Nelson taught Isshinryu Karate in Crossvville from 1982 until he died in 1988. In 1988 Art Palmer opened his dojo named Art Palmer’s School of Isshinryu Karate on Elmore Road in Crossville. This school remained open continuously from 1988 until it closed in 2024, but it moved locations 3 times during that time. Art Palmers School of Isshinryu Karate was located first on Elmore Road, it moved to Hayes Street, then moved to 4th Street, and it finally moved to 1222 Dayton Ave Crossville where it remained until it closed in 2024. Master Art Palmer retired from teaching karate and closed Art Palmers School of Isshinryu Karate in August of 2024. Crossville Isshinryu Karate Academy was opened September 2024 at 1222 Dayton Ave, Crossville, by new owners Master Marty Robbins, Master Eric Bradberry, Master Ben Gibson, and Master Tim Sherrill.
CROSSVILLE ISSHINRYU KARATE ACADEMY LINEAGE
Grandmaster Tatsuo Shimabuku 10th Dan Founder of Isshinryu Karate
Master Harold Long 10th Dan Founder of the IIKA
Master Art Palmer 8th Dan IIKA Board Member, Isshinryu Hall of Fame Member, IIKA Instructor of the Year
Master Marty Robbins 7th Dan IIKA Competitor & Instructor of the Year/Co-Owner/Head Instructor of CIKA
Master Ben Gibson 6h Dan IIKA Competitor and Instructor of the Year/Co-owner CIKA
Master Eric Bradberry 6th Dan/Co-owner CIKA
Master Tim Sherrill 7th Dan/Co-owner CIKA
Sensei Ken Nelson
Ken Nelson moved to Crossville from Florida and he had a third degree black belt in Shotokan Karate. Sensei Nelson began teaching from his home in Crossville around 1975, and opened a school on Stanley Street in Summer 1980. In 1982 Sensei Nelson met Master Harold Long at a karate tournament, and was so impressed with Master Long that he transitioned from Shotokan to Isshinryu Karate. Sensei Nelson taught Shotokan in Crossville from 1975 to 1982, and he taught Isshinryu from 1982 until 1988. Sensei Nelson was a Cumberland County Sheriff’s Deputy and in 1988 he was killed on duty, when he was struck by a car while working a car crash on an icy road. Sensei Nelson was promoted to 5 degree black belt in Isshinryu after his death.
Master Art Palmer 8th Dan
Art Palmer, Hachidan (8th Degree Black belt), is the founder of Art Palmer's School of Isshinryu Karate in Crossville Tennessee. Master Palmer began studying Shorin Ryu Karate in 1975, under Mr. Will Dalton, in Jamestown, Tennessee. In 1978 Master Palmer moved to Crossville, Tennessee and he began to study Shotokan Karate under Sensei Ken Nelson (Art was 14). He earned his Shodan/1st Degree Blackbelt (in Shotokan) from Sensei Nelson in 1981. Sensei Nelson switched from Shotokan to Isshinryu in 1982. In 1985 Art received his 2nd Dan (in Isshinryu) from Master Harold Long. Sensei Nelson died in 1988 and Master Palmer opened his own dojo shortly after Sensei Nelson’s death.
In 2010 Master Palmer was awarded the IHOF Male Instructor of the year award, and the IIKA Nationals Instructor of the Year award. In July of 2013 Master Palmer was promoted to Hanchidan by the IIKA Board of Directors.
In 2017 Master Palmer was inducted into the prestigious Isshinryu Hall of Fame.
Master Palmer ran his school Art Palmer’s School of Isshinryu Karate from 1988 until he retired from teaching and closed the school in August of 2024.