The Konishi Cup for 2009 will be combined with the JKR International and will be held in Anaheim and Riverside. The international instructors course will also take place at this time.
Seminars 12-13 June 2009 at the Anaheim Dojo
Tournament 14 June 2009 at the Notre Dame High School in Riverside.
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We left for Okinawa, Japan on the 1st January 05 from London Heathrow with a 11hr flight ahead of us. We spent one night in Tokyo before catching our connecting flight to spend 6 days in Okinawa.
This is the second time we have visited the Island, and looked forward to it. We also looked forward to some serious karate training with Sensei Morio Higaonna. Last time I met up with Sensei was in Los Angles in 1989/1990 at an International championship. Sensei Higaonna is an International World Chief Instructor for Goju-ryu, and is one of the most dynamic and popular karate masters of the world.
On our arrival to Naha City (capital town of Okinawa), we checked into the hotel, and took some time out to rest from the journey, we then telephoned Sensei Higaonna to let him know of our safe arrival, and we were advised then of the training schedule.
On our first day we went for a walk around Naha City, I noticed that the locals were looking at us, and later found out this was because we are ‘gaijin’ (foreigner). The people from Okinawa differ from those on mainland Japan, as Okinawa is closer to China, which results in the Island having more influence from China than Japan, this is most evident in their temperament and their way of thinking.
We followed our walk around Naha City with a visit to the World Headquarters dojo of Sensei Higaonna, Sensei along with his students greeted us on our arrival, and I noticed there were two other foreign visitors, one from Sweden and one from New Zealand.
The first training session of our trip was taken by Higaonna Sensei, and it started as all training sessions do, with warm ups, which included exercises based on correct breathing and stretching to loosen up all the joints. We then went onto Gojo-ryu basics, which included a number of combination techniques with the hands, followed by correct use of the hips when kicking, whilst controlling the breathing along with correct body dynamics. We finished off this session by using traditional Gojo-ryu weights and further stretching exercises.
The following day we went off to visit the Okinawa Prefectural Budokan for all martial arts and went to take part in a number of classes that included Karate-Do, Aikido, and Kobudo.
Later on that day we went to visit the dojo, and met for the first time Katsuya Yamashiro Sensei, who is one of Higaonna Sensei International Instructors. Sensei Yamashiro conducted the training session and focused on body alignment and breathing techniques, along with the use of the abdominal and pelvic areas, “for it is from here that true strength is developed” From the ‘hare’ and koshi.”
We also did a number of basic combinations in heikodachi, moving backwards and forwards in the dojo, whilst using the breathing techniques, this was then followed by using the traditional weights whilst still moving backwards and forwards in the dojo, this time in shikodachi, Sensei then went onto show a Goju-ryu kata called Senchin.
This kata focuses on breathing, along with using the abdominal and pelvic areas, this was both an experience and a challenge to do, along with remembering what we have been show during the session.
Before leaving to fly back to Tokyo, and ultimately our flight back home, we went back to visit Higaonna Sensei again, and could not resist one last training session with him.
In this session Sensei spent the first hour working on Senchin kata and the understanding of how to use the breathing techniques, along with correct use of the abdominal and the pelvic areas, Sensei then went onto how to move backwards and forwards within the dojo, and ensured the correct understanding of Senchin-dachi whilst incorporating the use of the arms, breathing, stomach and pelvis.
For the last hour of the session, Higaonna Sensei went into bunkai of this kata, Sensei’s unique ‘bunkai’ kata explanation included a demonstration of some fancy techniques, and the history of the kata. Along with the importance of training with proper form (known as ‘Kakie’).
At the end of the session Higaonna Sensei went onto say how important ‘Karate-do’ is, with regards to good health and respect for all, including your ancestors. Sensei also mentioned about sports karate, and the students who are only interested in competing in tournaments. Sensei mentioned this is not good for health and there is no future in it on a long-term basis, and how they do not have understanding about the true tradition of karate-do.
Finally Sensei praised the holding of any form of World Championship Karate tournament as this promotes friendly relations between different countries and cultures of the world, and helps towards the promotion and exchange of different techniques between the various styles of martial arts. For the younger generations this can only help to promote and develop karate for the future. Sensei finished off with saying through karate-do we develop the physical and spiritual elements of the human condition, which is to develop an indomitable sprit and to work towards improving our character.
Sensei then mentioned that the extensive preparatory exercise is known as junbi – undo’ the basic kata gekisai Dai Ichi and Dai Ni, the breathing kata Tensho and his own version of the fundamental kata sanchin (Zenshin Kotai, forward and backward moving Sanchin). Sensei goes on to say this was innovator by Grandmaster of Chojun Miyagi introduced into the art of Naha-te, Gobi-Undo.
Special thanks to Higaonna Sensei (Arigatogozaimashita) and my deep appreciation and gratitude for allowing us to visit the Honbu Dojo in Okinawa-Ken, Japan and to Sensei George Andrews who is based in England.
By: Wayne Stolten-Smith/Marita Stolten-Smith
