About Tasshi Bill Brown

I am an old farm boy who is now serving as the North East Regional Executive for  Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield in Jonesboro, Arkansas. I was raised on the farm in Woodruff County with five sisters, three brothers and a mother and father who loved us very much. We received our first indoor plumbing when I was fifteen. Oh happy day. After graduating from high school in Augusta, I left for the University of Arkansas. This was only after assistance from the couple my Mom and Dad worked for. They enrolled me and secured me a student loan. I played football and basketball in high school and quickly found that sports was the only thing I was fairly good at in college. I soon made captain of  the U of A Rugby team. My study habits were weak at best. After 2 ½ years at U of A, I enlisted in the US Army. I soon found myself at Ft Bragg, NC. During this time I met the most amazing young lady. She was the current beauty queen at one of the nearby colleges. It was love at first sight(for me)… It took a great deal of time and persistence however to convince Cindy that she loved me too. However, she has now been my partner, my friend, my confident and my sweetheart for 37 years.

I spent three years on active duty and eighteen years in the reserve with intermittent active duty tours. I have had the privilege of serving with the 82nd Airborne Division, the Old Guard(as a Sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier), and with Special Operations(12th Special Forces Group and 431st Civil Affairs Company). I had the privilege of serving on both extremes in the military. I served in what President Kennedy called ‘The world’s best in ceremonial duties’ as a Sentinel at the Tomb and in what many around the world call ‘The best in combat arms’, as a Weapons Specialist on an A Team in Special Forces, better known as the Green Berets. Both are extremely grueling both physically and mentally. During this time I had the privilege of serving our great nation in seven different countries. I will always consider it a privilege to have served our Country and our Lord. And, I will always consider it an honor to have had the opportunity to stand in the gap against evil men and evil forces on behalf of our great Nation and our great and mighty God.

I began my martial arts study while in the Army. After my discharge I studied here and there as my wife and I moved from town to town with my work. However, in 1982 we moved to Ft Smith. It was here that I met the man who is my teacher today, Hanshi Jerry Partain. When I met Hanshi I was in awe. I had never met anyone who taught and delivered technique in this way. I knew I had met the man that I would aspire to be in karate and kobudo. Hanshi Partain had trained with many of the great masters. He was currently training with the man who would continue to be his teacher, Grand Master Fuse Kise of Okinawa. I had the privilege of meeting and training with Master Kise many times over the years. However, Hanshi would always be ‘my’ teacher. He continues to amaze me with his abilities and with his patience in teaching me. I began my first class at Sherwood First Baptist Church in 1987. I taught there for nine years before moving to Jonesboro in 1995 with Blue Cross. At that time we began our current class at Central Baptist Church. It has truly been a blessing to have the opportunity to teach in our church and to impact hundreds of lives over the years. I pray that our class has brought honor to our Lord.

Please allow me to digress just a little. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord when I was fourteen. Unfortunately I had no follow up education or training. I received the Holy Spirit in a mighty way when I was sixteen. I was a weak Christian while in college and in the Army. I thank our Lord that he directed my wife into my path. She has been my rock since that time. We serve together at Central Baptist. She is an encouragement to me. We are both involved in missions. Cindy has been to Mexico, Russia, Mongolia and Haiti, while I have traveled to Afghanistan and Iraq, on mission trips. We stand committed to serving our Lord.