Traditional Okinawan Karate in Edmonton
International Okinawan Shōrin-ryū Seibukan Karate-dō Association
国際沖縄少林流聖武館空手道協会
NEWS AND WEBSITE UPDATES
Training in Okinawa, March 2024
The head of Seibukan karate worldwide, Shimabukuro Hanshi, is unequivocal that it is necessary for Seibukan karateka to go to Okinawa:
Karate is from Okinawa, so you must go back to Okinawa and see what we do; every karate technique you must correct in Okinawa. Make sure you visit your sensei and feel all Okinawan people.
Please visit Okinawa, to feel traditional Okinawan karate, and eat Okinawan food and breathe Okinawan air. Many things you have to experience in Okinawa.
Heeding Hanshi's direction, in March I and two other senior members of our dojo traveled to Okinawa to train there for almost five weeks. This was the sixth trip since 2014 for Lucy and me; it was the third for Clayton since 2016. But none of us have been able to go there since before the pandemic.
It was marvelous, exhausting, illuminating. Here's a taste of what we experienced (move the cursor over an image for explanatory text; click to expand text; click on the arrows to navigate instead of using the automatic slide show).
A few months ago, Governor Denny Tamaki honoured Zenpo Sensei for his contributions to Okinawan culture. We were very happy to attend the celebration of that award at a hotel ballroom in American Village.
Tamaudun is the Naha mausoleum for the royal family of the Ryukyu kingdom. The direct antecedent to karate was often practiced on the level ground in front of tombs.
Zenpō Sensei said to me, "My father told me that before you do kata in front of an audience, you should bow, then take a step back to show respect." I think his lesson to me was to show respect to those in front of me, in any situation, by taking a step back before acting.
A few months ago, Governor Denny Tamaki honoured Zenpo Sensei for his contributions to Okinawan culture. We were very happy to attend the celebration of that award at a hotel ballroom in American Village.
Some martial arts practitioners deride karate as dance because they see themselves as tough, no-nonsense fighters.
As a karate teacher, I'm actually flattered by the comparison, because real dancers are incredibly tough and disciplined. They're strong, supple, highly-skilled athletes, dedicated to a demanding and exquisite art.
