JKA AF. Takayuki Mikami, Chief Instructor and Chairman of JKA AF. CONGRATULATIONS to Mikami-sensei for being awarded the 9 th Dan JKA

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1 Newsletter December, JKA AF Takayuki Mikami, Chief Instructor and Chairman of JKA AF CONGRATULATIONS to Mikami-sensei for being awarded the 9 th Dan JKA (photo from Thailand, August 25, 2011)

2 12 th Funakoshi Gishin World Cup: Pattaya, Thailand,August 18-21,2011 The United States were represented by a team with members from both JKA AF and SKI-D. The combined US team had four coaches (Shu Takahashi, Eiji Toryu, José Ferrand, and Rami Badawi), and the US was also represented by three judges (Bob Jacobs, Jerry Kattawar, and Kyriakos Papadopoulos). Our delegation was accompanied by Mikami-sensei, who also had an important arbitration role for the entire tournament. Having beaten Venezuela in the first round 4-0, a replacement was made with Jovany replacing Marius (of SKI-D). So, when the team was to face a strong Indonesian team for the second round, all five members were JKA AF and the result was 5-0. JKA AF team members were: Ray Semana, Madeleine Mondragon, Jovany Marulanda, Lane Nevils, Khim Torres, Dimitri Papadopoulos, Devin Fadaol, Gustavo Rearte, and André Fiallos. The third team to face was Brazil, which had a formidable team. Unfortunately, Devin, having won both his matches with Venezuela and Indonesia, was injured in his second match and had to be replaced for the round with Brazil. This weakened the team, and the result was 2-2. Because Brazil had one more wazari in total points, they ended up winning. Both US team-kata groups were from SKI-D and in the first day (eliminations) the men s kata team reached top eight and proceeded to the finals. In the women s team kumite, Ray was one of the three women, and Madeleine was an alternate. The men s kumite team was composed of five competitors plus two alternates. Four of the five were Lane, Dimitri, Devin and Gustavo. Jovany was an alternate. All competitors showed strong spirit, and the men s kumite team reached top eight, coming very close to medaling. Mikami-sensei made the following key observations: This competition was a learning stage for the USA team. Many points came up on how to improve the chance to win. - One of the main points was the importance of a team trial at the right time. Timing is very important in team selection. - Knowing the rules of the tournament. It seems that there was confusion as to what the rules were.

3 - More preparation by attending more tournaments with different people to gain face different challenges. The competitors and coaches were also asked what messages they took home and what advice they can give for the future of our organization s participation in world tournaments. For Ray, being able to compete with top level athletes from around the world was amazing, motivating and such an inspiration to train harder to keep excelling. Ramy s important lessons at the Shotocup were: 1) Meticulous attention to detail is the key to tipping the balance in favor of a successful outcome. Even a moment of inattention can result in defeat. 2) A team's success depends not on its composition but on the ability of the individuals that compose it to act in synergy. This can only come about if individual team members know each other well enough to be able to identify which role each of them should take to contribute to a concerted effort towards their common purpose. Khim said the most important thing I have learned in the last Funakoshi Cup is that I need to refine my techniques more in order to compete with world class karatekas. Gustavo s key observation from the Shoto Cup is that it would be helpful to continue building unity within the US Team. I noticed that many of the successful countries were composed of closely-knit groups. Since the Shoto Cup is literally an "us against the world" tournament, I think that it is imperative to create opportunities to train together, share ideas, and gain as much tournament experience as possible. Resounding Ramy s first point, Lane noted that small details are the difference between victory and defeat, Along similar lines Devin advises to train and prepare as much as possible. Just an extra inch or two in distance, a split second of timing, a little more speed, focus or flexibility, can make all the difference in winning a match at the international level against elite competition. Devin also added & don t eat anything in Bangkok a few days before the competition if you are not sure what it is. Dimitri found the tournament exciting, both because the location was exotic and because the level of competition was very high. The team members, officials, and coaches worked together and supported one another along the way. He hopes that the next generation of karate competitors strives to be victorious at such an elite karate competition. José suggestion is that we should take our best competitors and have the best representation for the USA in the next Shoto Cup.

4 YOSHITAKA FUNAKOSHI: Pioneer of Shotokan Karate By Doug Walsh -LKA Master Yoshitaka Funakoshi on the grounds of the Shotokan Dojo While all Shotokan practitioners know (or should know) who Master Gichin Funakoshi was, not as many know about Yoshitaka Funakoshi, who was Master Funakoshi s third son. Yoshitaka (also known as Gigo ; he will from here be respectfully referred to as Gigo Sensei ) was born in 1906 on the island of Okinawa. At the age of seven, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and at the age of twelve began the study of Karate as a way to improve his health. As a youngster, he was able to attend sessions with his father s instructors, Masters Yasutsune Azato and Yasutsune Itosu. At the age of 17, Yoshitaka moved to Tokyo with his father and later became an x-ray technician of the Section of Physical and Medical Consultation of the Ministry of Education, along with Tokyo University. After the passing of Master Funakoshi s main assistant, Takeshi Shimoda in 1934, Gigo Sensei took his position in teaching at various universities. He was eventually awarded the title of Renshi (meaning polished person or polished instructor ) by the Dai Nippon Butokukai (The Greater Japan Martial Virtue Society) in Kyoto, Japan and held the rank of 4 th Dan. Master Gichin Funakoshi was reverently and respectfully known as Ro Sensei (meaning old teacher ), while his son was referred to warmly and respectfully as Waka Sensei (meaning young teacher ). Father and son lived in the same house while in Tokyo; Master Funakoshi and Gigo Sensei with his wife and family. Master Funakoshi s wife would later join them. Their house was next door to the Shotokan Dojo. Like his father, Gigo Sensei was of rather small stature at about 5 3 inches tall and about lbs. Despite their small frames, both men were noted to be incredibly strong. The relationship between Gigo Sensei and his father was evidently a very warm one. Gigo Sensei once said very jokingly, You don t want to train with my father - he is too old! Gigo Sensei truly adored his father greatly. At the same time, Master Funakoshi was sometimes asked why Gigo Sensei taught certain things such as stances (which he taught lower) somewhat different than he did. Master Funakoshi was known to say, if he teaches you that way, that is how you should do it. He had total faith in Gigo Sensei s character, ability and teaching skills and no doubt would have wished for him to carry on his legacy. While Master Gichin Funakoshi emphasized Karate as a philosophy and as self-defense, Gigo Sensei began to especially become influenced by Japanese Budo (as opposed to Okinawan Budo). He had studied Kendo under Master Hakudo Nakayama; who had loaned Master Gichin Funakoshi his dojo when Master Funakoshi first arrived from Okinawa in From this training, he also began to emphasize several ideas and principles that had heretofore not been taught in Shotokan Karate prior to about Some of the ideas that he developed and pioneered were range of attack and defense, lower stances, the introduction of fudo-dachi (immovable stance), which he often used in place of zenkutsu-dachi (front stance) feeling it to be more flexible for attack and defense, and also several kicking techniques. He is said to have invented yoko-geri (side kick), mawashigeri (roundhouse kick) and ura mawashi-geri (reverse roundhouse kick) and ushiro-geri (back kick). In addition, he also emphasized the use of the hips in Karate; particularly using the hips in hanmi (half face) position for blocking. Kumite (sparring) was another area of Shotokan that he helped to greatly develop.

5 From his training in Kendo, he came up with the concept of Gohon Kumite (5 step sparring) and Sanbon Kumite (3 step sparring). While Master World War II. If one is interested in seeing Yoshitaka Funakoshi perform kata, he can be seen on youtube performing Heian Godan. Simply do a search for Yoshitaka Funakoshi or Gigo Funakoshi and he will be found. Yoshitaka Funakoshi (r) practicing the bunkai/appli cation of Tekki kata with Master Shigeru Egami (l) Practicing Heian Yondan and Bassai-Dai (notice the stance) Gichin Funakoshi did not greatly emphasize kumite, his son felt it was very important. So much so that he also taught Jiyu-Ippon Kumite (semi-free sparring) and occasionally Jiyu-Kumite (free sparring) in his classes, which Master Funakoshi rarely (if ever) taught in his classes. While Gigo Sensei certainly was an advocate of kumite, he was equally interested in and proficient in kata. He is said to have created Ten No Kata (Omote and Ura) and the Taikyoku kata, along with Master Genshin Hironishi. While these are not practiced widely and it has been stated that these are not technically kata, they were seen as excellent forms to teach the beginner student before learning Heian Shodan. In the case of Ten No Kata, it introduces the beginner to very basic attack and defense. There is also a strong possibility that Gigo Sensei introduced other kata into Shotokan; some of which he created himself and others that he took from Okinawan systems. One kata that Gigo Sensei was said to have specialized in was Sochin. According to Master Masatoshi Nakayama, this was Gigo Sensei s specialty and he introduced it at the Shotokan dojo, which was completed in the Mejiro District of Tokyo in 1936 and destroyed in what was the greatest air raid in history on March 10, It has also been said that at some point Master Gichin Funakoshi sent Gigo Sensei back to Okinawa to learn a particular kata from an Okinawan Master (it is unknown who this could have been). The story is that the Okinawan Master taught Gigo Sensei the real kata and had only taught a superficial version of it to others, as Karate was still largely taught rather secretively. It is not known whether this kata may be Sochin or another one that perhaps has not survived post Gigo Sensei was said to have been very enthusiastic in his training and had very strong spirit. According to Master Mitsusuke Harada, when Gigo Sensei bowed and entered the dojo, the entire atmosphere changed becoming charged with energy. His training was said to have been very reality based, welcoming free and forceful attacks from bokken (wooden sword) and bo (staff). He encouraged strong attacks in kumite and felt that kumite not practiced in earnest was a waste of time. Makiwara and bag training training were also something that he was known for. Such was his incredible kime (focus), that he was known for breaking the makiwara in two. A rare picture of Yoshitaka Funakoshi Master Gigo Funakoshi on the heavy bag Master Gichin Funakoshi and Gigo Sensei have been photographed using Okinawan Kobudo (Okinawan weapons); primarily the bo (long stick) and the sai (forklike weapon). It is not known exactly where or from whom Master Funakoshi learned Kobudo, though it was most likely from one of his teachers on Okinawa. Some have suggested that he and his son learned Kobudo from Master Shinken Taira, an

6 expert in Kobudo, who was from Okinawa and also trained under Master Funakoshi in Tokyo. danger. That was the way, they said katas should be performed. The people watching must feel and notice something, feel the vibration of inner force and determination. If the spectators do not feel anything, then the kata is not correctly performed, it is a gymnastic or dancing kata. Gigo Sensei was also very open-minded about other forms of martial arts. He once said, We must not be like the frog in the well which does not know the world; we have to study other martial arts. Master Gichin Funakoshi with a bo and defending against a bo with a sai Yoshitaka Funakoshi died at the age of thirty-nine in November 1945 not from the effects of tuberculosis he had contracted as a child in Okinawa at the age of seven (as commonly thought), nor from leukemia (as sometimes reported), but instead of gangrene of the lungs. This was no doubt brought about from his tuberculosis and the terrible conditions after World War II in Japan. His funeral took place on November 24, Master Yoshitaka Funakoshi performing a bo kata There are not many living Karate-ka who have seen Gigo Sensei. One of the last to have done so was the late Master Taiji Kase ( ). Kase Sensei was very influenced by Gigo Sensei and had several recollections about him. He was thirty-eight when I first trained with him (in 1944). He was in top physical form at the time although seriously ill. He would stop training, go to the corner of the dojo, and suffer in silence. He would come back, apologize and train even harder. As he had been told that when he was twelve years old that he would not live past twenty, he had decided to try to cross over to the spiritual side of Karate by training without limit and he wasn t dead. I believe that is the reason for his extraordinary mental force and technique. His face, full of life appeared to be that of a man in good health. Kase Sensei went on: He developed the inner strength of the body. This idea was always that if you deliver a technique your body should always be in a position to continue. Supposing you attack with a kick, this cannot be done unless your stance and hips are totally under control. Some styles concentrate only on the delivery of one technique, and find it difficult to move into another one once this has been delivered. Master Yoshitaka thought very deeply about this and developed a style which allowed him to move instantly from one technique to another. As for kata, Kase Sensei said, when Yoshitaka Funakoshi did kata, those who saw him felt a special sensation, the tremendous impression of impending Master Yoshitaka Funakoshi ( l ) Master Gichin Funakoshi (r) One cannot help but wonder what would have happened in the Shotokan world had he lived another 60 years or so. Certainly, he did a lot for Shotokan Karate while he was alive and one also cannot help but think that he would have developed it even further and would have hopefully been able to keep together the many different factions and organizations which would develop in Shotokan (and Karate in general) over many years, or at least improve the relationships between them. It is easy to believe that he believed as his father did that, there are no styles in Karate and that Karate-Do is one. References: Karate-Do: My Way of Life - Gichin Funakoshi Kodansha 1975 The Way of Karate: Beyond Technique - Shigeru Egami Kodansha 1976 Conversations with The Master: Masatoshi Nakayama - Randall G. Hassell Focus 1982 Karate Master: The Life and Times of Mitsusuke Harada - Dr. Clive Layton Bushido 1997 Taiji Kase, Shotokan Ryu Budo International (March 2001) Anon. Karate Newspaper (Japanese) December 1971

7 Kata Comments of Master Nakayama from the JKA Kata films (As Transcribed by Bob Watkins and T. Wagner) Heian Shodan Heian Shodan is a basic kata. Its purpose is to acquire a fundamental theory and a basic technique indispensable to Karate. This kata is a basic defensive waza. Perform the third age-uke [9] powerfully as a decisive waza rather than a mere defensive one. In twisting around [10-13], twist your waist quickly, using your back leg as an axis. Do not lift the heel from the ground. Three consecutive thrusts [15-17] are intended not to allow an opponent time to counter-attack. Thrust as rapidly as possible, especially on the second and third thrusts. In moves [18-21], master thoroughly the method of turning direction and shuto uke in kokutsu dachi. Each action is not independent. The end of one waza is the beginning of the next. Kata must be continuous and flowing, each movement intricately related and performed with concentration and total effort. Please pay attention to the continuity of the kata. In the 4 th movement, the twist of the wrist and the course the moving arm follows are very important when you are caught in a powerful grasp you cannot break free by mere pulling, you pull toward the extension of the arm and simultaneously twist your wrist. If you still cannot break free, pull your fist back with a rapid movement of the forearm. In the 7 th movement, you block with the left hand and then the right hand. Once you have blocked, open your hand. These movements are precise. In Karate, the defense turns into the offense at once. It is essential to understand from where and how you are attacked and to what place you will counterattack. It is most important to know your target. Heian Nidan ( trick means technique or execute a technique ) In sokumen uke, [1-6] you trick with your body facing front, without twisting your knees. Usually, you trick [move 7] in 2 movements, but as you progress, you ll be able to do it in one (movement) by pulling and pushing your legs and tricking uraken yoko uchi simultaneously. There are 26 movements in all. In moves [13-16], fully bend and set your back knee, use this leg as an axis. Take care not to change the height of your waist. When you perform a trick in gyaku-hanmi stance [17-23] turn your hip fully, using your back leg as an axis, so that your upper body will turn half-side. If you master this kata and make use of the basic tricks included in it, your fighting action such as Bassai will be perfected. Sokumen uke is seen in Karate very often. In this case, you defend [1] making your forearm erect from the elbow. All movement should remain in one plane. Whether you make a fist or an open hand, the position of the elbow doesn t change. This action [7-9] is seen in many kata. Its purpose is the change direction and attempt a trick without changing the position of your upper body so, take a short step forward and make an axis line from your head to your toe change direction by turning your hips and then kick. The hanmi stance of the [16-19] movements is called gyaku-hanmi. It differs from the usual hanmi stance in that the back-foot side of the hip is moved forward and you make a trick. In the 19 th movement, you turn your hip quickly enough for your fore-foot to be pulled back naturally. But don t look away from the target. It is necessary to turn your eyes to the target precisely and immediately. Heian Sandan - In chudan-gedan, simultaneously bring one hand up and the other down. Master the elbow position and the tight side closing thoroughly through this form [1-6]. In nukite, from the moroto-uke and the oi-tsuki, coming out of the wide rotational full turn [7-10], move with the intention of pushing your hips forward. In this elbow defense [11-17], it s necessary to defend employing the hip turn, fixing your bust, hips, and both arms like a rock, instead of moving your arms separately. It s important to intend to defend yourself with the hip rather than the elbow. After left oi-tsuki, draw your right back foot, take a step to the right and rest your weight on your right foot. In [18-20], turn your body to the left with a wide rotational movement to kiba dachi. This is the changing defense of the middle and lower stances [2-6], whether in middle or lower stance defense, maintain the same elbow position, the elbows should be the width of your fist away from your side. This is an important principle, don t change your elbow position even when you bend or open your arms or when you stand in heisoku-dachi. When you are forced to take a reverse stance [9], it s of no use trying to loosen yourself from the opponent s grasp, on the contrary, it is important to hold on to the opponent. In this defense [12-13] it is of no effect to move your arms, so, defend yourself by turning your hip and take the offensive by turning your elbow in a vertical forearm strike. It is of no effect to attack from the side. Move [20] is a form of tai-sabaki and is called yoriashi. When you move to the right, push your body out with the left leg, and when you move to the left, push

8 your body with the right leg. The important point is absolutely do not change the form below the waist. Heian is the basic kata of Karate. If you devote yourself to mastering Karate, it is important not to hurry. Please, take your time. Heian Yondan - First of all, we must master kokutsu-dachi thoroughly. The first and second movements are slow, but be sure to move both arms simultaneously and maintain the position. After mae-geri, in move [12], you strike at your opponent by turning while rushing about two paces forward in one step. Use the springy ankle of the pivot foot, and stand with crossed-legs. In [14-21], turn keeping your hops at the same height as kosa-dachi. If you kick after kakiwaki-uke, keep your arms tight to the body, or else you will be open to your opponent s counter-attack. If you lift your elbows, your face and chest will be open to counterattack. In [25], maintain the stance and transfer the weight forward without altering the height of your hips, then pull down your arms from their obliquely forward position, while raising up your knee simultaneously. This kata is the basis of Kanku-Dai. The end of one series of actions is the beginning of the next. Kata must have a fluid motion. Pay special attention to the flow. In gedan juji uke [3] you must push forward the hips for the move to be effective, do not pull back the hips. You must act without hesitation. In [11], make a trick with the rotary motion of the hips after kicking, rush forward and strike at your opponent by bringing your forearm down from a vertical position. In kosa-dachi [13], balance yourself by placing weight on the right foot and crossing your left foot behind the right one. Before the kick [15], you need not change the position of the elbow when you thrust, thrust out from the position of the fist. In [25], while shifting your weight forward, raise your outstretched arms to head level, then raise your right knee while pulling down your hands simultaneously. It is necessary to understand how and from where the enemy attacks and to what part of the opponent s body you direct a counter-attack. It is important to know the target. Heian Godan In movements [3] and [6] you must move your hands and feet in accordance with the rotational motion of the hips. When moving from gedan juji uke [8] to jodan juji uke [9] pull your arms up before your breast while crossing the wrists then catch the opponent s fist by pushing it up. In movement [13], it s important to push your elbows and knees up simultaneously. After landing in [19] movement stand crossing your feet with the weight on the right foot, similar to Heian Yondan. In [21] movement, turn the hips left and look behind, then strike your right hand toward your left knee, quickly transfer your weight on to the right foot and make a fist, pull your right hand up as the left hand comes down, as if stretching a piece of rubber. The basis of this from is frequently used in Empi. After jodan juji uke, strike down the opponent s fist, which is thrusting toward the pit of your stomach [10], then, redirect the right fist to the side with osae-uke. After kake-uke [14] kick mikazuki-geri [15] and immediately get through with your elbow to the opponent s body. In mikazuki-geri, it is important to lift your knee high without changing the height of your hips. Always focus your eyes directly on the present target while maintaining a lookout for your next target. Tekki Shodan - Tekki is the driving force of Karate, giving power to the waza. It is also the kata to discipline your waist and to acquire the skill to stand properly. However many movements, you must continue standing in kiba-dachi, even when you attack on the opponent s side. You must keep the position beneath the hips to the front. Although Tekki has a rather simple action, turn your head spiritedly and energetically. When you attack to the side, you must turn your head first. In [10] movement and [14] movement, you turn your head only. In [9] and [23] movements, you need not twist your arm, because you catch the opponent s fist with haiwan jodan nagashi-uke, the back of your hand still turns outward. Tekki has only transverse movement. When moving from side to side, there is a tendency to move forward. Please pay close attention not to move forward. In this foot movement [1-2], step moving your knee in a high arch. Your arm must be parallel with your breast in this tate-zuki [6] to make this form, lower your sholder and stick it out forward a little bit. Making perfect form of the sholder enables you to thrust with stretch an dpower and you will make progress in uke. The kick of moves [11] and [13], name-gaeshi-geri, is a special kick. You must kick your foot over inside using a springy knee without changing your basic position. You will need to practice this exercise constantly. Heian and Tekki are fundamental kata of Karate. It is said that Tekki is a kata of training giving power to the tricks of kumite. You must strictly discipline your waist and acquire the skill to stand properly.

9 Results from JKA AF National Goodwill Tournament Miami, Florida, November 12-13, 2011

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12 A big THANKS from all to José Ferrand and to the members of the Miami Shotokan Karate Club for having hosted with great success the 2011 National Tournament, with special THANKS to Christina Foo and Caryn Cravens. ====================================================================== JKA AF