School Karate on Okinawa

 Translated from Japanese into English with Bing Translate.

https://hubokinawa.jp/archives/10565?fbclid=IwAR0Q-wlR-Se4_0hq5x9hbjod_VKty7vKB2tCfh7fhynV4L76E-Gr0Bo4gIU

1937 Karate Enbu at Daiji Junior High School in Okinawa Prefecture

 

　In the past, karate was not learned by everyone. Karate and hand (tee) that existed as a self-defense martial art to protect the royal family of the Ryukyu Kingdom were martial arts that were transmitted only to a limited number of people.

 

 

As an opportunity for the introduction of physical education classes to the general public

 

In Okinawa, karate was introduced as a physical education class for school education in the Meiji era, and it is said that it is an opportunity to spread to the general public. The first school was established in Okinawa in 1880, and gymnastics classes began in 1885. Karate began in 1905 under the guidance of Yasutsune Itosu at a junior high school in Okinawa Prefecture. Itosu Yasutsune brought together five forms of "Heian" in order to teach and disseminate the forms transmitted from the old school to young students. This is a systematized physical education technique except for the dangerous technique of the key point attack.

 

From the Meiji period, famous karate artists such as Itosu Yasutsune, Higashi-Onna Kanshu, Miyagi Nagajun, Hanashiro Nagamo, Funakoshi Yoshichin, Joma Mamotsu, Kyoda Shigeaki, Tokuda Yasufumi, etc. provided karate guidance at the school, and in the Taisho period, many karate artists worked as martial arts teachers at Okinawa Prefectural Daiichi Junior High School, Okinawa Prefectural Normal School, Okinawa Prefectural Normal School, Okinawa Prefectural Industrial School, Naha City Commercial School, and Okinawa Prefectural Agriculture and Forestry School. After that, it is said that events such as sports festivals and arts festivals were frequently presented outside of classes, and it became the basis for the spread of karate in Okinawa.

 

After the war, Yutaka Kinjo (1919-2015), who was instrumental in spreading karate on the mainland, entered Okinawa Prefectural Daiichi Junior High School in 1931 and studied under Yasufumi Tokuda, an advisor to the Karate Department at the time. At that time, there was no karate clothing, and it was performed in gym clothes. Karate clothes were made using judo clothes as a model, and as for road clothes, it was transmitted from the mainland to Okinawa contrary to karate.

From the Okinawa Daiichi Junior High School Graduation Commemorative Photo Album (1948), Dr. Yasufumi Tokuda and Yutaka Kinjo (2nd from right standing)

 

　It was due to such a series of flows that there were many educators and teachers in karate artists who had played a leading role in the Okinawa karate world after the war.

 

 

There are many teachers who can teach karate at school sites.

　Next year, 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of Funakoshi Yoshichin's introduction of karate to the mainland. On the mainland, Yoshichin Funakoshi taught mainly at universities and became popular. Therefore, karate spread from the school site called junior high school in Okinawa and university in the mainland.

 

 

With regard to martial arts education in schools, it seems to be fresh in my memory that the Ministry of Education introduced karate in addition to kendo and judo as a compulsory physical education correction section at 10,400 junior high schools nationwide since 2012 with the aim of becoming more familiar with japan's unique traditions and culture through martial arts. Currently, there are more than 180 schools as of its introduction in 2012. By 2020, there will be more than 400 schools, and by the end of FISCAL 2023, we have more than doubled the target of implementation at 900 schools.

 

 

However, this does not reach as many as 10 percent of the whole even if it sees nationwide. In comparison, 135 junior high schools in Okinawa Prefecture were implemented in 2019, and there are more than 90% of junior high schools in the prefecture. The reason may be that there are many teachers in Okinawa who can teach karate at school sites.

 

　Karate initiatives at Konan Gakuen (junior high school and high school), which are also known for baseball Koshien, are particularly famous, and there is a karate dojo in the school where the karate club is in the middle and high schools, and it is said that students will wear karate like a black belt (first dan) when graduating. Ryo Kitana, a karate and men's gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, is a graduate of Konan High School. By the way, former boxing world champion Gushiken High School is also from Konan High School. Even now, karate instructors are dispatched as lecturers from dojos in each prefecture of the All Japan Karate Federation during physical education karate classes.

 

My junior high school days

 

　Finally, I would like to introduce my memories of my first year of junior high school (1981). The boy will do the form of karate by the school year event of the athletic meet. The first junior high school in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, where I attended, was a mammoth school with 15 classes in the first grade. About 240 people performed a group karate program, but the jacket of the physical education clothes was taken off, and Hachimaki was wrapped around the head barefoot. This figure is almost the same as the karate class (enbu) of Okinawa Prefectural Dai-ni Junior High School left in the early Showa era.

1981 Sports Day 1 Junior High School in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture Front row right author (Aihara)

 

　The author had learned Okinawa orthodox karate of Toyama Hirokenden from the third grade of elementary school, and had just taken the black belt (first step supplement) in the summer before the athletic meet. Two of my friends who went to the karate class like myself were generals, so I rolled a long Hachimaki on my head and took the lead. The shape moved one movement according to the sound of the drum, and the spirit was put in each movement. The first-year men's group karate "Fire Dragon" originated from junior high school physical education classes in Okinawa.

 

 

In Okinawa, there are many opportunities to touch karate on a daily basis at school events, festivals, weddings, etc., including classes, which is different from the mainland. The Tokyo Olympics lasted to make karate known all over the world. Karate classes based on martial arts education in junior high schools will be a familiar opportunity to actually experience karate. I want you to find out the fun of karate from there and continue it for the life.

Become the Ghost

 

Every year at Halloween we have some special training, based on very serious black belt studies.  It is how to disappear before an attacker. Not by magic, but based on the principle most attackers believe they know where you are, and because they know where you are, they aren’t really looking at you. So you move to where they are not looking and disappear before their eyes.

 

In ancient Japanese legends there are stories that Goblins taught these techniques to ancient warriors. They are called ‘Tengu Ashi’ which translates into ‘Goblin Steps’ or translated into more modern English “Ghost Techniques”.

 

While today Okinawa is part of Japan, not so in the distant past, yet part of karate is based on the same principles.

 

As I mentioned this is a very serious Black Belt study, but we are going to look at the first steps tonight.

 

Ghost Techniques or How Not To Be There.

 

For this practice each attack the attacker steps forward with their right foot and throws a right punch at your center line.

 

1.     The first Ghost Technique involves stepping back from an attack.

 

Right foot steps back with a crescent step, avoiding the strike.

 

2.     The second Ghost Technique involves side stepping from an attack.

 

Step to the left side with your left foot, Slide your right foot over and parry with your right hand sweeping right, your left hand held at your solar plexus.

 

Or

 

Step to the right side with your right foot. Slide your left foot over and parry with your left hand sweeping left, your right hand held at your solar plexus.

 

3.     The third Ghost Technique involves stepping away with a surprise technique and walking away.

 

Step with the left foot ot 45 degrees left (away from the strike), spin counter-clockwise with your right foot, then walk away on the diagonal line.

Of course if there is time, you can practice doing this to the right, using mirror image of the first technique.

 

4.     The final Ghost Technique involved stepping forward outside the attack, then stepping forward with the other foot and spinning so you are behind the attacker.

a.     Then you can Moon Walk away from them, and avoid conflict.

b.     Or if tightly done, end up behind them to counter their attack from the superior position.

 

Step forward with the left foot (as close to their strike as possible), then crescent step forward with your right foot (placing it behind their position), spin clockwise with your  left foot to end up behind their back.

 

This  can be done paired, to work on the movement and to work towards increasing speed, After the spin movement, both people slap hands together. It almost becomes a duel to see who can do it faster, Using the slap to strike their body instead of their hands where both are using the same speed,

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Season of the Ghost

 

First you see him (or her) then you don't as the Ghost disappears before your
eyes. The days grow shorter, daylight too disappears before our eyes.

This is the season of the Ghost technique.

I find our true worth rests with our friends. My closest friend is Ernie
Rothrock a martial artists who resides outside of Pittsburgh, Penna. We all
walk many paths, his represent an incredible number of studies. I've been
fortunate that he is my instructor as well as my friend. As students go I'm
certainly one of the least he's trained. But as a friend he has shown me
depths I would have never found without his guidance.

One of the most fascinating concepts which I've been exposed to from our
friendship is that of the Ghost technique. The ability to disappear in plain
sight of your enemies. This can become true magic.

Now it didn't happen because he took me aside and drilled me in the secrets.
In fact, I did it the old fashioned way (a la 'Five Fingers of Death').
Several decades ago he trusted me with a copy of an advanced manual for his
senior students. The 'Fire Dragon Martial Arts Advanced Training Manuel',
and therein was a page describing Ghost Techniques.

I was training in a variety of Chinese Forms from many differing systems in
order to obtain an overview of the Chinese Martial Arts. This was in addition
to my Yang Tai Chi Chaun studies with him. We did discuss some of the
concepts of that manual, but as with many texts, it went on my self and sat
for quite a few years.

I came to understand the basic concept of the Ghost Technique. In my words,
you are using the focused awareness of your attacker to his or her
disadvantage. The attacker attacks you where they know you are. Unless
highly trained themselves, that focused knowledge can work against them if
you shift away from where they 'know' you are so you aren't there.

No, its not magic, in fact I'm sure most of you have studies which parallel
that training. In Japanese terminology it's the use of Tai Sabaki (body
shifting) to evade the attacker.

Well one evening after I had moved to New Hampshire I was moved to review
Ernie's manual. I started working through the techniques descriptions in my
head, and decided that I should give this a try the next class. I decided on
what I would try ( and it wasn't exactly as his manual described), and the
next class I had a student attack me with a punch. He attacked, I moved and
shifted and before he stopped moving I was standing 15 feet behind him. The
rest of the group was falling down laughing from the expression on his face
asking 'where did he go?', for as far as he was concerned I had disappeared,
right in front of him.

Focused awareness is an interesting thing. Trevor Legett in his fascinating
study "Zen and the Ways", describes the concept of Isshin (focused awareness)
and Zanshin (wider awareness). [Forgive my very short description.] The
perfect martial artists (IMVHO) would have both at the same time. Isshin
focusing on the immediate task, and Zanshin to focus on the wider picture,
too.

The funny thing, most attackers aren't that well trained, and their focus on
you as the object of the attack, can be used with Ghost Techniques against
them.

Once I understood Ernie's concept, I began to find examples everywhere. When
I had a course in wrestling in college, I had learned to pull a whizzer, and
spin out and away from someone riding me. A ghost technique.

Tris Sutrisno, in one of our early training sessions, used a technique
against a punch (or a grab) of just moving slightly back, to be a hair away
from the foucs of the opponents attack (a somewhat similar concept is
contained within Ernie Rothrocks form "Lung Lek Kuen - Supple Dragon"). They
attack where you are, but as you are no longer there, they shift slightly
forward into the space you created, and that creates an opening to be
utilized. Heck I forgot, the same concept is found within the opening
section of the Yang 2 person set demonstrated by Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming in his
2nd volume of Advanced Tai Chi. There, against an attack, you simply step
back creating a void that pulls the attacker into the opening, creating the
opening for your counter attack.

An attacker rushes you. Your response is to step aside and counter with an
Isshinryu squat kick into their abdomen. They rush where you are, you
sidestep out of their awareness, the ghost technique, and you respond by
kicking into their entry into that void.

Of course, these are but several basic choices available to the Ghost.

Take the turning potential in kata, such as Chinto, Kusanku or Seipai to name
a few, and use that turning to evade, control or set up the opponent. That
is the beginning of advanced ghost techniques.
I can give some other hints.

You might consider how the application of the evasions of Aikido techniques
represent the Ghost. Correct entry into the Heaven and Earth Flow against an
attack is among the highest levels of Ghost Technique.

If you have M. Nakayama's Best Karate Series Volume 3, Kumite I, check out
page 114 for penetrating tai sabaki.

Of course the highest level I personally experienced, was when Tris Sutrisno
disappeared before my eyes when I was trying to strike him. His response was
to stand on my shoulders, before I finished moving forward, jump off with a
flip side technique to my face and land with a grin. Personally that was one
of the true scary moments I've faced in my life, for I had no idea how he got
up there, and None of his Black Belts in attendance watching the whole thing,
understood how he did it either. Full disappearance before everybody. [I'm
sure I'll live to regret mentioning this again, most likely giving Ernie some
idea of trying something else new on me. Would that I could disappear myself
when needed.]

In many senses this might be among the highest level of our arts. It makes
more sense not to be there when attacked, than to be the toughest monkey on
the block.

I don't think I've ever asked Ernie where the term Ghost Technique came from.
I've often wondered whether it was related to the Ninjutsu techniques of
Tengu Ashi (Demon Steps) where at least the concepts of the names sound
similar to me.

I don't think I'll be any more open about these techniques at this time.
Certainly I wouldn't give out Ernie's own as that is his right. And my own
studies, well I'm getting older, slower and creaking. I've got to keep
something up my sleeve, at least for now.

What I will do is close with a similar concept from "The Sword & the Mind,
translated with an introduction and notes by Hirotaki Sati. This comes from
the Heiho Kaiden Sho (Family Transmitted ook on Swordsmanship) from the
1500's and the 1600's of Japan. There in there is a section of scrolls titled
"The Goblin's Selection: Eight in All". Pae 43.

"Tehiki (also know as Eiibo): Entrapment

When parrying appears to be leading nowhere, feign sudden withdrawal by
lowering your fists. The moment the opponent takes the bait and strikes at
your fists, quickly reverse the positions of your feet, forward and backward,
jerk your fists to the right to dodge the coming blow, and strike to his
fists."

Yet another vision of the Goblin or Ghost.

To close from Tom Stoppard's "Rosencrantz and Guilderstern are Dead"

"Rosen…..Guilder….. Well, now you see me and now you ………….."

Prior blog posts on this subject:

 https://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2008/10/ghost-techniques-for-season.html

 

https://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2009/11/conversation-with-ghost.html

 

https://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2012/10/some-thoughts-on-ghost-techniques.html

 

https://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2015/10/just-step-back-simplest-of-ghost.html

 

 

Tales for the Halloween Season

 

A Karate Camp Horror Story 

I have seen this happen and heard of this happening. Let me relate the first version of a Karate (Martial Arts) summer camp. It is not related to a specific style, rather the differences between modern karate training mixing with older days.

 

Itoman Morinobu describes of older Toudi training. Filled with much richer training practices of years past. When training might have taken place in forests or outside of a formal dojo. When environmental conditions were taken into account for technique selection. Likewise low level lighting was taken into account, from those days before modern lighting. It doesn’ suggest tolally dojo training and lighting of today’s schools.

 

One summer this school held an annual summer training at a campground. One of their drills was a ‘Ninja’ war game in the dark. Sneaking about, attacking the others in the ‘other’ group.

 

Well one dark night they played their game. One of the students was doing their best to be stealthy. Then they observed someone crouching down by a tree.

 

They did not appear aware of him. So he snuck up and got in range. Still they did not turn. They were unaware.

  

So he used his best front kick, and kicked toward the opponent. Then they began screaming bloody murder.

 

The opponent hiding in the dark, was a boulder. And they broke their leg.

 

Their training did not cover observing what they saw. A big mistake.

 

What was meant to be a fun drill, turned into an expensive stay in the hospital, rehab and all the rest.

 

As I have said I have other examples.

 

Instructors should be more careful, I would suggest.

 

 

The instructor should be wary

 

A friend of mine, just completed teaching a beginners private lesson. This was back in the early days of the Kung Fu tv show.

 

There were some potential students at the school door, so he began to walk across the school to greet them. Not thinking about the other beginner who had finished his lesson.

 

The beginner having watched too many Kung Fu episodes, thought that he was to unexpectedly attack the instructor to learn a further lesson He kicked the instructor in the leg from behind.

 

He broke the instructors leg, and it was a year before the cast was removed.

 

Lesson. Never take your eyes off a beginner.

 

 

 

The Dexter

 

Long, long ago there was a beginner names Dexter.

 

One class he was having a difficult time with one drill.

 

It was stepping and throwing a reverse uppercut.

 

Finally the instructor told him to leave the group and move before the mirror and work on the uppercut as if he was striking into his own jaw.

 

Then the class continued.

 

Later the instructor looked back at Dexter, and his jaw dropped.

 

For Dexter was striking into his own jaw with each uppercut thrown.

 

Never, take your eyes off  a beginner.

 

*the names have been changed to protect the guilty.

Time passes but the passion does not wither.

  

 

Last night while I was waiting for sleep to fall, a memory of a clinic Ernie Rothrock gave to my students long ago, when he was paying a visit with me, came to mind.

 

I am sure I filmed it but one technique form a clinic is almost impossible to locate and now I only have me memory to guide me.

 

It was a most interesting application, from his Northern Mantis studies. Where moving outside an attack. One hand flowed down across the attacking arm and the other arm became a rising forearm strike in to the attacking limb. Where the one hand drew that limb down the other delivering a rising forearm strike into that limb, hyper-extending the elbow and causing much pain for the attacker.

 

Just a one off technique among so many other techniques covered that day. Still, I remember it clearly as I saw it I saw so many possibilities.

 

I am sure Mike and Young remember it as well as I do.  However, one seen set aside for the most part.

 

So retired, disabled and old, I have not left my studies of my Isshinryu aside, they keep rattling around. And last night I put 2 and 2 together and found another thing I had never been shown or thought of previously.

 

When we learn the shape of a kata, it often controls what we believe those techniques can be used for a very long time. The act of considering how the move could be applied against different attacks coming from different directions is hard to break down the conditions of how one was originally shows.

 

And to make it clear I was originally taught Seiunchin kata by Dennis Lockwood at the Salisbury dojo.  Almost immediately I was on the yellow belt demonstration team, and was extensively drilled on Seiunchin as performed to the music of the Hustle. Over and over, till I still hear that tune when I perform the kata. I know there were some slight differences between that version from what Dennis originally taught me. But after that intense drilling I have done my best to hold to that version ever since.

 

When I began training with CharlesMurray he made it clear that I should do kata Seiean through Chinto as I had been taught in Salisbury, and he would not teach me his versions, rather my kata from that point in time would be as he did the rest of the kata.

 

So what I just realized that the rising forearm strike ½ way through Seiunchin kata could be utilized just the way Ernie showed the Mantis forearm strike.

 

From Seiunchin when the right forearm strikes upward into the left open hand, if done from the outside of the attack, the right hand could end up over the attacking limb to pressure deflect that limb down and at the same time the rising forearm strike could be into the attacking limb.

 

When I was being shown the form I appeared that technique was being done into an attacker in front of you, and that is most reasonable. Over the years I worked up an entire range of possibilities for just that assumption. And of course they work.

 

But the control of how one was shown is very hard to break. Because it seems so reasonable. Accompany that with there are so many kata and so many studies, that it is unlikely one considers everything possible.

IMO that is the true nature of the Infinite Hand, requiring a lifetime of study and effort to cover even a fraction of what is possible.. But each time you see another path more of the Infinite Hand is revealed.

 

So retirement, disability and old age are no reason not to keep looking.

 

I wonder what will occur to me next?

  

 

 

 

 

Sho Dan Year One

 

 

You anticipate what getting your Sho Dan will be like.

You’ve gone through the door and have experienced year one.

You are the guide to those who are walking the walk themselves.

 

All of us might consider exploring Sho Dan year one as a topic.

 

For me it seems just a few days ago I underwent my own examination at Mr. Lewis dojo. I remember sleeping that night at Charlie Murray’s home in Delaware with my new black belt under my pillow.

 

Then it becomes kaleidoscopic.

 

Charlie beginning my study of ShiShi No Kon No Dai.

 

My first tournament as a black belt, a Coal Kick In in Penna and facing Sam Shockley, ranked 10^th in the PKA as my first fight.

 

Charlie taking me out for coffee and explaining to me that he had decided to return to the Air Force and giving up his church.

 

His last day in the Scranton area, packing up his house. Me standing outside in thunderstorms trying to get the rest of Shi Shi No Kon, lighting and pouring rain as I stood on the lawn working on the kata. When the rain stopped, Charlie would come outside show me some more before the rain began again and he’d go back inside to pack more.

 

The loss when we said goodbye and not realizing that was the last formal Isshinryu instruction I would receive for my lifetime.  [I should add here the sharing I received from Harrill Sensei is really in a different lifetime to my way of thinking, but then I wasn’t his student and fortunate that he was there when I was ready for his instruction.]

 

Being alone with a handful of kids, no place to teach as the church asked me to leave as I wasn’t a member when Charlie left, taking the kids to McDade Park for the summer trying to figure out what to do.

 

Competing at a tournament in Harrisburg and taking 3^rd place in Kobudo for Tokomeni. Meeting other Isshinryu seniors who’s only comment was to scorn my instructor way of doing Isshinryu and being too new and alone, to know how to respond except remain polite.  Later learning they hadn’t trained in Okinwawa and much later understanding the deeper issues involved, how Isshinryu really didn’t like other Isshinryu, or at least as I found it in Penna. And New Jersey in those days.

 

 

Convincing the Boys Club of Scranton to let me begin a free karate program, and then trying to run it the way Charlie had taught me the past year, at an advanced brown belt class to help drive almost all the kids from the first group away.

 

My wife’s intelligent explanations how to teach youth and starting over with a new group.

 

Attending tournaments and competing with some of the best open tournament karate and kobudo competitors in the United States, and discovering that having arrived I was fully at the bottom.  Having nobody to assist my Isshinryu studies, really no books, no movies and before later video tapes, I chose to use Shi Shi No Kon and Chantan Yara as my competition kata, so I wouldn’t forget them.

 

Having the privilege to attend a local Tang Soo Do tournament and by standing up for truth, justice and the American Way earned great displeasure from the local TSD seniors and even their Korean Masters. What a fortunate day that was.  Heck my wife re-entered training just to knock some of them around, which she did and of course got disqualified to her pleasure.

 

Finding that Black Belt published the letter I had written 8 months earlier to the publisher of Rainbow Publications  regarding the excessive coverage of Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan in their magazines. Finding out that there was great enmity towards my existence and not giving a damn about them anyway, though its publication and the following issues denunciation of my existence did make many friends across Penna. On the open tournament circuit.

 

And of course finding out that nobody except me cared about what I did in karate.  The other places I was welcome to train could care less about what I studied, just that I was a welcome body to sweat with them. The rest of the world could care less about karate too.

 

Early mornings and late evenings on the sidewalk in front of my house running kata.

 

Driving to Salisbury, Md. to train with the club, having Sensei say Hi and then getting in the car and driving 8 hours back home.

 

And through it all there was just me, and the knowledge that I wasn’t good enough to be a black belt and had to work to get there someday.

 

Thinking back on it I have a hard time thinking I could have experienced more, and the only one who knew I experienced all of this was me anyway.

 

Think of it, fighting people far about my head, irritating a large local martial arts group (because they were afraid of me…o’my goodness and I always a pleasant fellow), stepping on the floor with great competitors, finding out how to teach, a little when I was totally unprepared for it and would go through many hard lessons as a result,  starting to train anywhere I could find (good and bad) to try and push myself, and of course the reality, nobody really gave a damn except me.

 

So for one part that was my Sho Dan year one.

You all have your dreams what you’ll find.

Some of you have been there.

Some of us have to guide the new Sho Dan today.

The term Sensei as used in Japan from the Karate Underground discussion group now long gone

 

I discovered this older post in my files. I believe it is worth considering.

The Term Sensei in Japan on Karate Undergound

            By Makoto

 

After reading Shawn`s post I remembered a few times where I used the fact I am a sensei here in Japan to make students listen and show some respect.(This is when I was teaching at a junior high school here in Japan)

In the past when students have crossed the line, or gotten too noisy, or been rude to a teacher or me, I scolded them by saying "so and so(or I) is a sensei, they are doing their best to teach you, they care if you learn or not, why do you not show some respect. This person is a sensei"

The fact I invoked the idea of showing respect to some one called sensei, they usually fell back into place.

Inspite of my previous post, I will have to agree with Scott and say that there are times here in Japan, when the word sensei can command respect. Also being a school teacher (now not as much as then) brings with it a high regard in Japan, and many people call you sensei and treat you with some respect(or in some cases reverence). Yet if you are a sensei, you are also expected to act in a very courteous manner.

However, there are other types of sensei that do not get so much respect. English school teachers, do not get as much respect. Aerobic teachers do not get much respect. Wedding Hotel Chapels Priests do not get as much respect. Karate teachers in general public do not get as much respect. (all being compared to teachers, lawyers, doctors, etc). Each of these jobs warrants the title of sensei, but some get more respect than others.

I hope I helped to clarify a bit how the title of sensei is viewed here in Japan.

James Morabeto and the Pittsburg visit of Shimabuku Tatsuo

 

Have a little Pittsburgh Jim Morabeto history for you if you are interested. Jim Morabeto sponsored Shimabuku Tatsuo to teach in his school in 1964. He was a brown belt himself and was promoted to shodan during that visit.

 

A quite some time ago, around 1994,  I had one of Jim Morabeto’s students join my program for a few years, till work interfered and he had to discontinue training.

 

That student was the first time I saw Isshinryu done with twisting strikes. Though he his training in Pittsburgh was after the Shimabuku time. He heard many stories of that time from Morabeto’s point of view. 

 

On my prior Pleasant Isshinryu discussion group we also had many contribute opinions on that visit.

 

What I gleaned about the visit was:

 

1.    How everyone who came to train promised Morabeto to share the costs then they did not. Apparently he bore the entire expense of the visit.

2.    The difficulties of Shimabuku having with American customs as he had Okinawan values.

3.    Higher raking Americans showing up to see Tatsuo and being turned away.

4.    Shimabuku Sensei feeling he was overlooked because everyone expected him to teach each class. Unlike the structure on Okinawa.

5.    Master Shimabuku requesting more money when the time was over.   Morabeto did not respond to that. 

6.    Everyone in the end seemed to dislike one another.

 

He also took extensive movies of that time, and never shared them with anyone. I tried to get his student to obtain copies to no avail.

 

After hearing the stories, it struck me that the visit was ill advised.

J Morabeto & Wm Duessel seated.

Grandmaster Tom Lewis

 This past weekend, the World United Isshinryu Karate Association (WUIKA) held its 2021 Gasshuku in Lutz, Florida

Among other honorees Tom Lewis was promoted to Judan,10 dan in that organization.