Spring 2010 Author: Thomas L. Freeman
Announcements...3 Ryukyu East Asian Martial Arts Coalition...4-6 June 26, 2010 Las Vegas NV. Exploring New Levels Seminar...7-8 May 1, 2010 Springfield, IL. Featured Dojo Grand opening of Oki Sei Kan Okinawan Truthful Academy...9-10 March 6, 2010 Gardner, KS. Article: The Aims of Ryukyu Kempo Kata...11-14 By Mr. Matt Seymour, Sensei
Spring 2010 Author: Thomas L. Freeman Announcements It s official, on June 26, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada, founders Mr. Steve Stark- Hanshi and Mr. Bill Gossett-Hanshi, announced the birth of a new coalition. Ryukyu East Asian Martial Arts Coalition This is an exciting time for Classical karate in America. With the knowledge these gentlemen have acquired over 30 years of training with a Martial Arts Genius, Taika Oyata and their willingness to pass on and share this knowledge, the future of The Life Protection Arts of Okinawa looks to be opening up. Kicking off the birth of the coalition was the 1st Annual Ryukyu East Asian Martial Arts Coalition seminar and testing. Looking forward to next year already with new levels to come. Hello and welcome to our 5th issue of Unante Kenkyukai Kaiho. Since our last issue, a lot has been happening for me personally and in my studies of Okinawan Karate. Change means growth and to grow you must break away from the standardized versions of your studies and look deeply into your kata s. This is one reason it is said that karate is for life. There are so many levels to be found. Featured Dojo On March 6, 2010 I had the privilege to attend the grand opening of Mr. George Hansell s Oki Sei Kan - Okinawan Truthful Academy in Gardner, Kansas. Along with the grand opening, Mr. Hansell hosted Seibushi Stark and Koubushi Gossett for a seminar. As always, the level of knowledge was amazing. On May 1, 2010, I was lucky enough to be able once again to host Seibushi Steve Stark and Koubushi Bill Gossett for their annual seminar in Springfield, Illinois at the historical Route 66 Hotel.
Mission Statement: It is with great pride that Unante Kenkyukai Kaiho has been asked to announce the official formation of the Ryukyu East Asian Martial Arts Coalition. On June 26, 2010 at the Las Vegas, Nevada Palace Station Hotel, founders Seibushi Steve Stark - Hanshi and Koubushi Bill Gossett-Hanshi hosted their 1st Annual Seminar and testing. Responding to the need for substantive martial arts training in the world. Offering multi dimensional and in depth instruction in the ancient Ryukyuan martial arts. Striving to achieve courage, commitment and strengthening of the soul for every individual who recognizes and walks the Ryukyuan martial arts path in life.
Exploring New Levels Seminar May 1, 2010 Springfield, IL On May 1, 2010 I had the pleasure of hosting once again Seibushi Stark and Koubushi Gossett for their yearly gathering in Springfield, IL. This event was held at the historic Route 66 Hotel. The accommodations and staff were top notch and were there to help with anything we needed. For me it is always a honor to be able to bring to central Illinois, not one, but two martial artist s with the knowledge and experience that these two gentlemen have. The knowledge that they have acquired from Taika Oyata, a martial arts genius, is beyond words. Over the years I have seen karate-ka who could perform awe inspiring weapons kata, the key word here is perform. What makes these two gentlemen special is not only can they perform/work a kata, they can actually make the movements work. In the past Unante Kenkyukai has hosted two seminars a year in the Springfield, IL area. I am sorry to say, in the future, I will only be hosting them once a year. So mark your calendars for May of 2011 for the next time you will be able to train with instructors with this level of knowledge in Okinawa s Life Protection Arts.
Announcing The grand opening of the Oki Sei Kan dojo in Gardner, Kansas. Translation of Oki Sei Kan is Okinawan Truthful Academy. On March 6, 2010 I had the privilege of attending the grand opening of George Hansell sensei s dojo. The day was highlighted with a seminar conducted by Seibushi Stark and Koubushi Gossett. Sensei and owner George Hansell, who has 17 years of martial arts experience and 10 years of experience with this ancient form of self defense. Mr. Hansell trains with Hanshi Steve Stark who began his training in Ryukyu Kempo in 1970 as a personal student of Taika Oyata. The Oki Sei Kan offers a complete range of martial arts training in the classic Okinawa style of self defense, including Kempo self defense and karate, Tuite Jitsu, Kyusho Jitsu, Ryukyu Kobudo and more.
Ryukyu Kempo Shinkikan Article: "The Aims of Ryukyu Kempo Kata" The martial arts are not merely methods of combat or "sport". It is not the battle of others which is the ultimate aim. It is the inner battle within each of us that is fascinating and challenging. The unification, perfection, and protection of mind, body, and spirit is the ultimate aim. Martial arts are not just fighting, not just childish competition, but art. They should be taken seriously, as they are concerned with the betterment of human lives and the protection of them a serious pursuit indeed. To study martial arts is to learn about human tendencies, human nature, the protection of life, and the self. According to Oyata Seiyu Sensei, in his book "RyuTe no Michi" (the Way of Ryukyu hands), the meaning of "Bu" is deeper than some assume. The right side of the character represents "hoko" (spear). The smaller section of the kanji, found on the left, means "to stop". Therefore, the literal meaning of martial arts is "to stop fighting" rather than "combat". Unfortunately, this concept has been misinterpreted. The meaning of the words are rather opposite in the modern world, in both the west and the east. (section 3-19, RyuTe no Michi) My first martial arts teacher, Jeff Runnels Sensei, had an Academy Creed at his Ryugikan Dojo. It reflects the spirit of Ryukyu Kempo superbly I come to you in peace, offering friendship and respect. I have trained my mind, body, and spirit in the ancient warrior ways of the masters who have gone before me. I bind myself by their code of non-violence. If, however, you choose to raise your hand against me, know that I will use all my resources to protect myself and those that I love. I hope our way can be one of harmony. (Runnels' Martial Arts Academy) The martial arts reveal the character of those who study deeply. The austere training and moral teachings of the Dojo Kun (school guidelines) shape the character of those who study over time. Indeed, maturity must be promoted in the dojo so as to promote self-awareness. Children should be striving to grow into good and mature human beings. Adults should strive to enhance their good qualities, while suppressing the iniquitous side of their nature. This self-awareness also involves that of the body. Through long-term training, one becomes more conscious of their body and how to control its movement. Solid structure comes through kata (form) training and allows for physical self-control. It is easier to effectively control another human being' s movement if one has control over their own structure.
Ryukyu Kempo Shinkikan I was recently teaching a student who has good Tuite-jutsu (Okinawan grappling) technique. He can apply his technique on most people and they respond with the predictable response that is expected of that particular type of technique. In addition, he can create a significant pain response in most subjects. However, upon applying his technique on me personally, it was not wholly effective. This is not because he does not understand how the technique works. He had difficulty for 2 reasons: 1) I have had much Tuite-jutsu applied on me and have become flexible and resilient, and 2) once the technique began to be applied, his own structure began to weaken. I believe this is due to a lack of proper kata training. He has had experience applying Tuite on individuals, but has not had the proper kata to guide his own body control and structure. Some people neglect kata training because it does not seem as applicable as two-person practices. This is certainly true to some extent, but kata training is critical for the Karate practitioner to excel at his art. The kata training builds one' s foundation and structure. It nurtures one' s basics and the continued practice of kata enhances and maintains one' s basics. Many Karate schools do spend a significant portion of their training progression on kata. But some are training the right thing for the wrong reasons. They concern themselves with tournament success. This misguided study dilutes the value of kata. Many such schools are not guilty of not practicing enough kata, but they are guilty of not applying the kata. While a bit of competition can be productive and exercise can certainly be beneficial, these aims were never the purpose of kata' s inception. In regards to tournament participation: I believe this to be inherently flawed. Many people who practice Karate and are active in the tournament circuit drastically change the forms for appearance sake. They change the body mechanics in favor of flash over function. This is not justified. The old kata should be preserved. This is one of our duties as practitioners of the ancient way of Okinawan Karate. In addition, I would venture to say that many tournament judges do not understand kata any more than the participants. They base their opinions on the appearance and atheistic beauty of the performance. Lots of high kicks, jumps, and colorful uniforms are not at all uncommon at modern tournaments. The judges do not really know how well the student knows the form and most judges do not understand the form themselves. So what makes "good" kata? Is it the outward beauty? Or is it the beauty contained and hidden within? In order to have good kata, one should understand more deeply the principles and applications of the pattern, rather than just look like a professional dancer. In order to have good kata, one must consider effectiveness. This presents another aim of Ryukyu Kempo Kata: "Bunkai".
Ryukyu Kempo Shinkikan The study of kata is what allows the Ryukyu Kempo practitioner to understand the art. It is the study of bunkai that is so valuable within the kata (in addition to building basics). Bunkai can be translated from Japanese to mean "break apart". In the martial arts, it refers to the analysis and interpretation of kata motions. Without authentic bunkai, one is practicing little more than a dance when doing kata. Kata are not exclusive to Budo (martial ways). They are utilized in the education and preservation in much of Japanese art. From Sado (tea ceremony) to Ikebana (or Kado), kata are prevalent in the Japanese arts. Kata are basically prearranged patterns which form the basis of a given art. In Karate, they are solo forms which contain the encyclopedia of the art. Without the Kata, you cannot have Karate. But the mere practice of solo motions is not the art either. One must have depth in their study of kata. This is "bunkai". Through the study of bunkai, the Karate ka can learn to apply the kata effectively to counter a wide myriad of attacks and threats. The repeated practice of kata instills the fundamentals of movement that come out in life-protection situations. They also provide the practitioner with tactical solutions to many "problems". These applications are not discernable to the untrained eye; indeed it takes much reflection and study by the experienced practitioner to decipher the kata motions. Traditionally, bunkai was (and in many cases still is) reserved for trusted, dedicated, adult students. These hidden applications within the kata are what make the kata study so deep and revered. Sometimes the uninitiated may observe a kata application, but they make no correlation to the kata from which they are derived. One of the guiding principles of Nakamura Shigeru Sensei' s dojo was: In the past a single Kata was studied for three years. A long time ago a particular master analyzed a single Kata for over ten years. Do not think you have mastered a Kata and become proud of your success. Pride will lead to hurt your achievement in virtue and technique; thus pride can be like a poison to the world. (Okinawa Kempo Karate Dojo, 1964) It is common knowledge in the Karate world that the masters of old studied kata (many times only a few kata) for many years. Once initiated into the study of Ryukyu Kempo kata, one may begin to understand why they and their teachers valued kata so much. They provide the basics and provide an opportunity for those basics to become advanced applications. There are many schools of Karate today that practice their kata as a separate part of the curriculum. They practice sparring (Kumite) and then kata, and perhaps some self-defense
Ryukyu Kempo Shinkikan techniques. They draw no correlation between the areas of practice. Kata should not be a "separate" practice for exercise, tournaments, or rank testing. It must be a focus of one' s study and correlate to everything else one does. "Shugyo" (austere training) comes through the kata. This allows for more than basic or even advanced physical life-protection application. The kata train more than the body. The body is merely a vessel; one that must be valued and protected. But, much like kata, what is contained within is more important. The mind and spirit of the practitioner are nurtured through kata training. You cannot dream yourself into a character. You must hammer and forge yourself into one. (Henry D. Thoreau) The value of kata is undeniably present. It must not be ignored or set aside. It must come to the forefront of your training for it to be studied as it should. The kata provide the practitioner with his or her basics, which is extremely important. But they also provide so much more. Ryukyu Kempo Shinkikan Matthew Seymour, Matthew Seymour Sensei began training in Ryukyu Kempo in 1993. He has trained in Ryukyu Kempo and other martial arts throughout the United States, Japan, and Taiwan. Seymour Sensei lived and trained in Fukuoka, Japan and has traveled extensively to further his knowledge of Bujutsu (martial arts). He continues to train under top instructors, including senior students of Taika Seiyu Oyata. Seymour Sensei is a former Adjunct Professor at William Jewell College (Kansas City, Missouri), responsible for teaching the college Self-Defense courses. He has experience teaching seminars, and has taught both beginners and black belt practitioners.
UNANTE WEAPONS & GEAR Unante s Jo s, Sanjaku Bo s, and Tanbo s are all made of select hickory hardwood of the finest quality. The hardwood are heavy and strong and have a fine hand buffed finish that allows the hands to slide smoothly and quickly. Description Order # Price 48" Jo (Hardwood) 36" Sanjaku Bo (Hardwood) 24" Tanbo (Pair) (Hardwood) 6" Chizi Kun Bo (Pair) (Hardwood) 20-40 $30.00 20-45 $28.00 20-50 $25.00 20-55 $15.00 All prices include shipping and handling. Overseas orders please contact us for additional shipping charges. Prices are subject to change. To place your order e-mail us at : freeman@unante.com