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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,
Ray Hughes, Editor
and Volunteer Staff
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Disclaimer: Titles 
One of the most difficult areas 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 |
Traditional Budo
By
Robert Hunt
History is myth. How we view it depends on whose myth we chose to believe.
If I were king of the world, (and I am convinced it would be a better place), there are two words I would expunge from the Big Book of Popular Modern Karate Terms. One is the word "traditional", a term that always grates, the other is "Budo". I believe I read somewhere that it has been scientifically proven that the mere sound of those two words can raise a listener's blood pressure at least 20 points, but I might be mistaken on that.
There is a belief among karateka and Japanese oriented martial artists that there once existed some sort of mystic medieval Japanese warrior code by which samurai lived and died and which survives today through the Japanese version of Okinawan karate and other Japanese martial arts. It included, among other things, complete loyalty to a feudal lord, unflinching dedication in battle, uncompromising focus on perfection, anti-materialism, benevolence toward the less fortunate and ritual suicide in face of dishonor.
It was called Budo "the martial way", or Bushido, the "way of the warrior." But, like much else in our modern world, it is mostly a fantasy. Worse than fantasy, it became propaganda to motivate soldiers to murder. There were warrior codes in ancient Japan, but not the budo philosophy we so easily invoke. Samurai were ruthless survivors. They would betray their mothers (and occasionally did) if it improved their status or wealth or kept them alive in battle. The rare time they might commit suicide was in the face of capture and torture. They would benevolently cut the heads off of commoners who didn't bow low enough. Perfection of technique was for the same reason that Wyatt Earp practiced shooting bean cans - survival.
The idea of a budo spirit came about during the Tokugawa era, when samurai no longer actually fought each other and violent death became an abstract. Samurai became civil servants and had time to contemplate philosophy, and their myths.
Click HERE to read the rest of the article
To contact Robert Hunt
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September
 | | Ray Hughes |
MONETARY TRANSACTIONS IN THE TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ART SCHOOL
"Karate training comes in many forms," is a phrase I live by. My computer has been crashing all month long, thus pushing my martial art's discipline to the brink of disaster. The good news is I have not destroyed my computer, yet. The bad news is I have not completed this month's article "Budo vs. Sport." To fill the gap I pulled out an old blog I wrote many, many years ago directed to my school. Like "Budo vs. Sport," monetary transactions in the martial art school has many diversified opinions. Below is my take on monetary transactions in the traditional karate school.
This blog originally started off as the PRIVATE LESSON PAYMENT PROTOCOL. But before I could talk about that topic, I had to lay out ground work on how money is supposed to be handled in the traditional martial art school. While doing that, it became obvious I needed to change the topic.
Handling money in the traditional martial arts has its own unique protocol. It is quite different from other activities such as dance, gymnastics, and nontraditional martial art schools. A traditional martial arts school is not only a school whose unbroken lineage goes back to its original creation, but also in the way it conducts itself. In the traditional martial arts field, money is considered evil, though the necessity is understood. Money is viewed, like in many religions, something that has a tendency to corrupt or cause one to lose one's way. This creates a conflict in the martial art teacher. To read the rest of this article click HERE
Ray Hughes
Scottsdale Martial Arts Center
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by Doug Jepperson
WIKF seminar Naples, Florida August 7, 8, 9, 2015.
This past year, my friend Ray has attended two advanced training seminars and I had not attended one. Since this a karate newsletter I thought I had better get a little "skin the game."
So, I attended the advanced training taught by the WIKF World Chief Instructor Sensei Jon Wicks, in Naples Florida. Sensei Wicks taught Friday evening followed by an all-day sessionon Saturday and a final on Sunday. Sensei Wicks is an excellent teacher and has kept the WIKF curriculum alive and vibrant for today's students. The training was for brown and black belts WIKF students.
Since the training was in Florida, working up a sweat was no problem in fact I felt downright athletic in a wet gi. It as great to train once again as a student and I realized the importance of changing my point of view and keeping an open mind and actually paying attention.
After the weekend was over, I rediscovered the importance of staying in the game, not just watching from the seats in the audience, but getting out there and trying to do it. While age and a lifetime of injuries inhibit the finest displays of technique, simply getting back into the game gets the mind right.
Once I got home and started to write up a summary of the training, I thought it would be interesting to look up the etymology of the phrase "skin in the game," to see if this statement was applicable.
Click HERE to read the rest of this article
Doug Jepperson
jeppersondoug@me.com
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Sep
Martial Art Humor
We all need a little humor in our life. If you have a joke, send it in.
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Sep
 Zen Stories
More is not Enough
There was once a stone cutter who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life.
One day he passed a wealthy merchant's house. Through the open gateway, he saw many fine possessions and important visitors. "How powerful that merchant must be!" thought the stone cutter. He became very envious and wished that he could be like the merchant.
To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever imagined, but envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself. Soon a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair, accompanied by attendants and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession. "How powerful that official is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a high official!"
Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around. It was a hot summer day, so the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. "How powerful the sun is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the sun!"
Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and laborers. But a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on everything below. "How powerful that storm cloud is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a cloud!"
Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages, shouted at by everyone. But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force, and realized that it was the wind. "How powerful it is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the wind!"
Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, feared and hated by all below him. But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it - a huge, towering rock. "How powerful that rock is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a rock!"
Then he became the rock, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the hard surface, and felt himself being changed. "What could be more powerful than I, the rock?" he thought.
He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stone cutter.
We all need a little Zen in our Lives. If you have a story, please send it in. |
"Face the complexity involved in making ethical choices."
Linda Fisher Thorton
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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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To view seminar schedule from September 2015 through January 2016
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Other Seminars and Events
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2015 Japanese Karate Tournament Schedule 2015 USA Click HERE
September 9/18 Chandler Jr. Cup Karate Championships Marlon Moore/Ray Hughes
Chandler, Az USA Karate AZ rhughes@usakarateaz.org
9/18 Top of Texas Karate Championship Lee Gray
Amarillo, TX USA Karate sanction lee-gray@sbobukan.org
October 10/24 North Fork Championships Rick McGavin
Grand Junction, CO 970-527-5477
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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