KARATE

Philosophy,History,Articles,&Events

 
a Monthly International Newsletter
March 2015





Ohtsuka head                 

Ohtsuka    

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The only difference between the possible and impossible is one's will"

-Hironori Ohtsuka

 

Itosu
 
    
Higaonna
Funakoshi

Miyagi

Mabuni
In This Issue
Editor's Notes
The Others-by Robert Hunt
Is the End Near? by Ray Hughes
Humor
Zen Stories
Moral Wisdom
Wado Seminar
Wado Agenda
WIKF Seminars with Sensei Wicks
Master Takagi Seminar
Competitions and Events
Join Our Mailing List
    
    Editor's   Notes
AW photo
Ray Hughes
Editor
"Is Leadership a lost art?"

I am a student of "watching."

I watch how our government is working, how the national organizations I belong to function, how the state and local groups I am involved in operate, and I watch the community as a whole to see what is working and what is not.

And I ask myself what is the common denominator for those things that are working properly and those that are not.

The answer seems to be "Leadership."

Then the questions that need to be answered:

Are we martial artists doing our part?

Are we involved in leadership as we should be?

And if we are, are we good at it?

The following quote says it all:

"If you fail to honor your people, They will fail to honor you; It is said of a good leader that
When the work is done, the aim fulfilled, The people will say, "We did this ourselves."
 -
Lao Tzu,
604-531 B.C.
 


Something to    think about.    
    
  

 

Welcome to the world of karate history, philosophy, other martial art information 

 

Dear Karate Enthusiast;

 

The purpose of this newsletter is to pass on historical information, philosophical views and activities of interest to karate martial artists around the world. Please send your article, event or activity with a photo of the instructor and/or event organizer by the 20th of the preceding month to get your information in this newsletter. Please send your text in a Word document. Please send posters and pictures in small jpeg files, thank you. 

 

Instructors, please forward to other karate enthusiasts,  

thank you.

 

Sincerely,

Volunteer Staff

Contact Us

 

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Disclaimer: Titles                   bow

  

One of the most difficult areas that this newsletter has to deal with is the use of instructor titles. We are very sensitive to this issue and do not want to offend or insult anyone. To simplify this daunting problem we will use the following guidelines with the use of instructor titles:

 

a. The correct title of the instructor(s) must be in the article or seminar information submitted by the author or event organizer.

b. All captions that we place under photos will be:
  1. Japanese instructors: Last name followed by the title Sensei.

  2. Non-Japanese instructors: The title Sensei followed by the last name of the instructor.

c. Any title and name that is placed in this newsletter by newsletter staff will use the title of Sensei.

 

 

We consider the title "Sensei" a very prestigious title

 

 

March

 

Robert Hunt
Robert Hunt

 

The Others

 

 

The Karate Tapestry - Part 10

By

Robert Hunt

 

 

We understand karate through the prism of a style. That's how it was handed down from men who tried to preserve and organize it, each to his own vision. We are greatful to them.

 

            But karate styles are a 20th century phenomenon and, for the most part, the second half of the 20th century. From Okinawa, we know of Itosu, Higaonna, Miyagi, Mabuni, Uechi, Funakoshi, Shimabukuro because of the styles they created or fostered and because, for whatever reason, those styles endured, flourished and took root in the east and west.

 

            But there were others who populated the early world of Okinawan karate during its modern infancy whose names we should know and remember, if we are to grasp the entire spectrum of our martial art rather than just the corner of karate on which we first stumbled.

 

Funakoshi popularized karate in Japan. Mabuni amalgamated it. Miyagi researched and synthesized. But what they were working with was hugely affected by the other karate students/teachers/masters around them, who didn't form organizations, or send out emissary instructors, or happen to teach entrepreneurial American soldiers.

 

Aragaki Seisho, dubbed Maaya (The Cat), bequeathed us the katas Unsu, Niseishi (Nijushiho), Seisan and Seiunchin, plus Aragaki no Sai, and Aragaki no Kon. 

Aragaki Seisho

 

 

Click  HEREto read the rest of the article                

 

To contact Robert Hunt  

steelmoon@hushmail.com 

 

 

March

Ray Hughes

 

"Is The End Near?" 
By Ray Hughes

      

 




The Slow Extinction of the United States Traditional Japanese Sensei
 
 

The Japanese karate organization I belonged to for the first 25 years of my training career recently ended. After 50 years of existence and a once large organization, the doors closed. It had been in severe decline for decades.

 

There are currently other great karate organizations collapsing in this same manner; soon to be gone or morphing into something completely different.

 

The question is why are these Japanese empires collapsing in the United States?

 

I can only give you my perspective as an American student who has trained, experienced, and observed this phenomenon for nearly four decades. It is with this observation and understanding that maybe future mistakes can hopefully be avoided.

 

This impending disaster was never envisioned by either the Japanese or the newly exposed American karate population. In hindsight it seem so obvious; young Japanese men coming to America with little life experience, a misunderstood cultural teaching method, possibly negative post World War II feelings, and an American student base ready to apotheosize this new experience.

 

These young Japanese instructors had little life and teaching experience let alone knowledge of working within a foreign culture. In addition, there were no mentors here to assist in their maturity growth or to give guidance into organizational methods that would be successful in this American culture. Their only guidance came from Japan.

 

The immaturity in life and teaching skills, masked by the stoic and charismatic Japanese façade, combined with a student base that was young, naïve, unfamiliar, impressionable, and enamored with this mysterious and mystic art was the perfect storm. This unique set of circumstances greatly impacted these instructors. Many of them started to feel a sense of superiority. What young human being, praised by the masses and held on high, would not lose his way? One just has to look around today at the young rock star or famous athlete to see what can happen when treated in such fashion in our American culture.

 

 

 

To read the rest of this article click HERE
 

 

Ray Hughes

Scottsdale Martial Arts Center

SMACUS.com 

rhughes@smacus.com 

  

 
March 
Martial Art Humor

 
We all need a little humor in our life.  If you have a joke, send it in.
  
March

                            Zen Stories 

 


Prosperity    


A rich man asked a Zen master to write something down that could encourage the prosperity of his family for years to come. It would be something that the family could cherish for generations. On a large piece of paper, the master wrote, "Father dies, son dies, grandson dies."

The rich man became angry when he saw the master's work. "I asked you to write something down that could bring happiness and prosperity to my family. Why do you give me something depressing like this?"

"If your son should die before you," the master answered, "this would bring unbearable grief to your family. If your grandson should die before your son, this also would bring great sorrow. If your family, generation after generation, disappears in the order I have described, it will be the natural course of life. This is true happiness and prosperity."
  

 


 

 
 

We all need a little Zen in our Lives. If you have a story, please send it in.

 

thinking man
March                  
Moral Wisdom
 
Where there is only a choice between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence.
~ Mohandas Gandhi

          Wado Seminars
             and Events
 

 
 
Wado Agenda
by Rob van Leeuwen

Info on other International Wado Events 

http://wadokarateagenda.wordpress.com/ 

WIKF Wado Ryu Karate Seminars with Sensei Wicks WIKF  

 

 

 

All courses are open to Wado practitioners (unless stated) and will include traditional Wado Techniques including- OHYO, KIHON GUMITE, TANTO & TACHI DORI, (KNIFE &SWORD DEFENCE) IDORI (KNEELING DEFENCE) AND KATA

Jon Wicks
Sensei Wicks

 

 

 

 

Click HERE for the 2015 Schedule January to July 

 
     

 Other Seminars and Events



                                     
                                   2015

March

       3/1       New York International Open             1-347-400-5632
                   New York                                       Luis Ruiz

       3/8       Arizona Karate Championships & USA Karate Nat'l Qualifier
                   Phoenix, AZ              Ray Hughes 602-315-5011

       3/9       Seminar: Kyoshi Neil Stolsmark
                   Scottsdale, Arizona     peacefulwarriorphx.com

       3/14     40th Annual International Invitational Karate Championships
                   City of Lynwood, CA                          M. Gaspar                                                                                                                  kenjutsukan1@aol.com

       3/14-15  29th N/W Classic Yoshida Cup Invitational
                    Gresham, Oregon Jay Farrell   jfarrell@wwdb.org
      
       3/22     USA Wado Ryu Karate Championships
                   Los Flores, CA        Nishimura   www.patma.us

April

     4/2-5    US Open/Jr. International Cup
                 Las Vegas, Nevada         usankf.org

      4-2/5   Ozawa Cup
                 Las Vegas, Nevada  ozawa-tournament .com

      4/10-12   Karatenomichi World Federation
                    International Open Shotokan Karate Seminar 
                    Contact: Tom Hyder tomhyder@azshotokan.com

      4/18   Alabama Open              Keith & Sarah MacConkey
                Birmingham, Alabama  kmacconkey@usamartialarts.com

      4/24   Champs Cup 2015        Samantha Hostettler
               Atlanta, Georgia          champscup.com

      4/25   Hayashi-Ha Cup            Angela
                Lynnwood, Washington   minakamikarate.com/hayashihacup

      4/26  20th Annual Hiraldo's Kai Shobukan Karate Do Championship
               Corona Queens, New York          718-685-3991

      4/26  USANKF of N. CA.                  Gene Tibone
               Stockton, CA                         209-406-2776

May
 


        5/9  42 Annual Riverside Karate Championships Kevin Warner
               Riverside, CA                  951-217-4986

         5/16     SC Open                   info@carolinakarate.net
                    Greenville, SC            864.277.2008

       5/30   Tenn State Championship and
                     USA National Qualifier
                      Jo Valdez   fightingspiritkarate@comcast.net

June

      6/30-7/4 AAU Nationals           aaukarate.org
                    Raleigh Convention Center, Raleigh, N.C. 
 
July 
      7/15-19  USA Karate Nationals
                   Ft. Lauderdale, Fl.      usankf.org  


August

       8/15            Wado Kai Karate-Do World Cup
                            Nagoya, Japan

December
   
      12/26-1/5 2016    The 13th Pan American Maccabi Games
                                Santiago, Chile
                                Dr. Sternberg      skusajka@aol.com
                                Caren Lesser       lesserc@bellsouth.net