10/08/2026
A Tribute to Grandmaster Ewing
Aubrey “Bud” Ewing was a lifelong resident of Cecil County, Maryland, a community he proudly called home throughout his life.
While attending Goldey-Beacom College, Bud’s education was interrupted in 1967 when he was drafted into the United States Army. He trained as a medic in Frankfurt, Germany, specializing in field emergencies, surgery, and pediatrics, before being transferred to Vietnam, where he served until 1969.
During his service in Vietnam, Bud was injured in a land mine explosion. Despite his own injuries, he refused medical attention until he had first cared for the men around him who were more seriously wounded. For this extraordinary act of courage and selflessness, he was awarded both the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. It was an early and powerful example of a quality that would define him throughout his life: his compassion for others and his willingness to put their needs before his own.
Bud began his Isshinryu karate journey under Grandmaster Toby Cooling, earning his sho-dan in July 1975. Over the years, he became not only an accomplished martial artist, but also a dedicated instructor, mentor, and respected leader within the Isshinryu community.
In 1990, Sensei Ewing became chief instructor of the Hombu Dojo. Just one year later, the school was honored as Dojo of the Year by the Isshin-Ryu Hall of Fame. His own martial arts accomplishments and honors included:
1992 – Male Instructor of the Year, Isshin-Ryu Hall of Fame
1993 – Appointed to the Board of the Isshin-Ryu Hall of Fame
1997 – Outstanding Contributor to the Martial Arts, AOKA Hall of Fame
1998 – Inducted into the Isshin-Ryu Hall of Fame
Bud’s relationship with Grandmaster Toby Cooling extended well beyond the dojo. In 1973, he went to work for his friend as manager of Jayco Liquors, eventually purchasing the business in 1984. Through hard work, integrity, and the same steady character he brought to every aspect of his life, he became a well-respected businessman in his community.
As a sensei, Grandmaster Ewing expected the very best from his students—not simply because he demanded excellence, but because he believed they were capable of achieving it. He was generous with his time, readily staying after class or meeting with students who wanted additional instruction, correction, or review. His students came to appreciate his firm corrections, his remarkable attention to detail, and the quiet, steady leadership with which he taught.
Grandmaster Cooling often referred to Grandmaster Ewing as his “encyclopedia” of kata. Once Bud had been shown the preferred way to perform a technique or kata, he remembered it precisely and remained unwavering in its ex*****on. He became a trusted keeper of the details and traditions that had been passed down to him.
In 2025 the Order of Isshin-Ryu elevated Master Ewing to the position of tenth degree black belt and awarded the title, “grandmaster”.
Yet perhaps more important than his rank, awards, or martial arts knowledge was the kind of man Bud Ewing was. The compassion he demonstrated as a young Army medic remained evident throughout his life. He was dependable, generous with his time, steadfast in his beliefs, and deeply loyal to the people he cared about.
His relationship with Grandmaster Cooling was built on decades of friendship, mutual respect, and shared dedication to Isshinryu. Bud was not only his student, but also his colleague, trusted friend, and one of the people upon whom he could always depend.
Grandmaster Ewing remained loyal to his sensei and to the principles he had been taught until the very end. His legacy lives on not only in the honors he received or the positions he held, but in the students he taught, the traditions he preserved, and the many lives touched by his quiet strength, generosity, courage, and compassion.
