Bermuda’s Martial Artist Community is today mourning the death of Frederick Innis Wood Ingham, most commonly known as Osensei Skipper Ingham, who died last night (Nov 9) with his family present.
Condolences began to pour in after Mr Ingham’s wife, Kristina, published the following post on Facebook this morning:
Dear online friends,
I am deeply saddened to inform you that Frederick Innis Wood Ingham, known as Osensei Skipper, died at 10.18pm last night in hospital with his immediate family present. He was a wonderful husband and partner to me for 52 years and a loving father to Ricardo Gomez, Zenji and Shomeiko Musashi and father-in-law to Kelly. He was a devoted and proud grandfather to Seiji and Kenji and step grandfather to Charlie and Kayla.
Skipper had several interesting jobs during his teen years growing up in Bermuda, including “chef cook” at the Harmony Hall Hotel. His first stowaway attempt failed, but he did make it to New York about 1947, my birth year. After serving 2 years in the US Army, one of his jobs was in the garment district scrapping tables and he served several years as a cook on the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. His longest job was as a merchant seaman; he liked telling people that he had circled the world by sea 12 times one way and two the other way and got up to the rank of bosun.
During this time he spent a lot of time on shore in three locations that enabled him to pursue his interest in karate: Manila, Osaka and New York, where his principal sensei was Maestro Peter Urban.
Returning home to Bermuda in 1970, he established his dojo, Bermuda Karate Institute, the first on the island. He was a gifted teacher, but always remained a student, traveling many times to Okinawa in the ’90’s to train with Miyazato Eeichi and Hichiya Yoshio.
His practice continued until about five years ago, when health problems curtailed this and another art he loved, playing the flute.
Word of his passing spread like wildfire this morning, with a number of well known martial artists telling Bermuda Real that Skipper Ingham was an icon, who will truly be missed.
From our house to yours, we extend our sincerest heartfelt condolences to his family, his family of martial artists, his many students and countless friends.
RIP
