2025 THE FOURTH ANNUAL
STEVE ARMSTRONG MEMORIAL OPEN
MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT & SEMINARS
THANK YOU for another wonderful tournament!
With 120 competitors and 20 seminar participants, this has been our biggest tournament yet.
We are so honored and grateful to everyone for attending and competing in our 4th Annual Steve Armstrong Memorial Open that took place on February 15th, 2025.
The morning started out with three hours worth of seminar classes, moving into the main tournament where we had all ages and ranks compete in open hand kata, weapons kata, and precision teams.
Continuing with the traditions from years past, the opening ceremonies include a bow in, national anthem, recognition of the Armstrong family members in attendance, and introduction of this year’s guest of honor. With a food court available, raffle prizes, participation medals, and ranking trophies, we hope everyone who competed and attended enjoyed their time and left having had a wonderful day building memories.
A special thank you to all of our volunteers who made this event possible, and the whole Dai Chi family.
COMMUNITY IS A CORE PART OF KARATE HERE IN THE PNW. DAICHI ISSHINRYU IS PLEASED TO PRESENT PHOTOS OF OUR PAST EVENTS AVAILABLE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD FOR FREE.
THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING, PARTICIPATING, AND PROMOTING THIS EVENT! YOUR SUPPORT AND GENEROSITY ALLOW US TO CONTINUE PROVIDING THIS ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF KARATE.
CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF
MASTER STEVE ARMSTRONG
Master Steve Armstrong was instrumental in building the foundation of Isshinryu Karate within the United States, specifically in Washington State.
Master Armstrong was a pioneer is organizing and hosting large Karate tournaments, throughout the U.S. We hope this annual tournament will continue to honor his legacy and the Armstrong Isshinryu lineage.
We have been honored to have members of Master Armstrong’s immediate and extended family join us each year at our annual tournament. Thank you Armstrongs for your support and your love shared to the karate community.
2025 GUEST OF HONOR: PHIL MATTOX
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Master Armstrong loved to talk about Mattox’s trips to Japan as part of Mattox’s work with Northwest Airlines. Mattox witnessed Master Armstrong’s continual quest for new teaching formats such as videotaping and book authorship that have become classics. Mattox was honored to be part of community demonstrations where he observed Master Armstrong’s articulate and scholarly public speaking presentations.
Currently residing in Vancouver, Washington, Mattox Sensei and Master Don Washabaugh have co-authored a book to be released from Bookbaby Publishers this spring chronicling some of Mattox’s experiences during this early Steve Armstrong period entitled Isshinryu Karate: Nature and Nurture (How Isshinryu Can Work For You). Mattox Sensei can be reached at plmattox@hotmail.com.