Editor's Notes
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Ray Hughes
Editor
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"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.
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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
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Disclaimer: Titles
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
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 | 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.
Click HEREto read the rest of the article
To contact Robert Hunt
steelmoon@hushmail.com
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March
 | 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
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March
Martial Art Humor
We all need a little humor in our life. If you have a joke, send it in.
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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. |

Where there is only a choice between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence. ~ Mohandas Gandhi
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WIKF Wado Ryu Karate Seminars with Sensei Wicks
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
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Sensei Wicks
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Click HERE for the 2015 Schedule January to July
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Other Seminars and Events
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2015March 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 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
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
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