Yoshukai Karate Dothan Tournament

Last week end was the 35th edition of the Dothan Open Karate Tournament .

Attendance was great, good competitors in Fighting, Kata, Kobudo, some old faces, some new ones.

The 2 highlights of this event however were the presence of both Soke Katsuoh Yamamoto and Kaicho Hiroaki Toyama. 

Soke Yamamoto brought with him his new book : 

and signed it for those students who purchased it. 

He had come from Japan with his daughter and grand daughter who also competed in the tournament.

But the most emotional part of the tournament was the return among us of Kaicho Toyama. Last February, Kaicho Toyama fell very ill, victim of a sudden infection. For several weeks, we were not sure he would survive. 

After Multiple surgeries, Kaicho Toyama beat the disease, and he was among us for the first time this week end, signing on Soke's book for those of us who asked him to do so ! 

Mr Toyama's will to survive and overcome the disease, and the way his family helped him should be examples to us all. At times, we might feel miserable for having missed a plane or having been treated unfairly by life. The next times this happens, let us remember Kaicho Toyama. 

Iki o sakan no subeshi

(Keep High Spirit)

Handcrafted Kobudo Weapons

Just a word to inform you of a new source for quality kobudo Weapons. 

Mr Sean O'Toole - who is teaching Kaicho Toyama's class while he is recovering from his illness - is now offering remarkably well done BO and NUNCHAKU.

Mr O'Toole's weapons are available in different kinds of woods : Oak, Mahogany, Cypress, Hickory.

These weapons are extremely well done. They are very beautiful and have a very nice feeling.  his BO have different sections : Round, Octagonal, Hexagonal, Octagonal to Square... 

The NUNCHAKU are corded with parachute cord and he can also make them to your specifications.

In a near future, he is going to make TONFA and BOKEN.

Mr O'Toole can be reached at otoole@edmisten.com

Japanese Plural

This is a small point. There is no plural in Japanese.

Most nouns in Japanese have no plural form, (we have the same in English with Sheep, Shrimp, Deer... although not always true in the South) so you use the same word whether you're using a singular noun or a plural noun. There are rare exceptions when a Japanese noun does have a plural form, but it is not marked by adding an"s" at the end of the word. (Usually the plural form simply repeats the word using the "voiced" sound for the first consonant. Ex: hito - person - becomes hitobito - people - and kami - god - would be kamigami - gods. 

So you would say one waza, two waza. You would not say two wazas. You don't add the English letter "s" to Japanese words to make them plural.

 Two Sensei - Toyama and Culbreth

 

Thus, I would say that I have two sensei, not two senseis. I would study five kata, not five katas. I would visit two dojo, not two dojos. I would also refer to the two Rohai kata rather than the two Rohai katas.

Respect and Manners

We had a great Karate Seminar this last Saturday May 15 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Yoshukai Dojo in Dothan. Our instructors were Sensei Toyama - 8^th degree, and Culbreth, 7^th degree, the 2 directors of our WYKKO Organization. This seminar, open to all Yoshukai Karate Black Belts was free.

We spent 1:30 with Sensei Culbreth on Sho no Kun Dai, took a short break for snacks, then spent another 1:30 with Sensei Toyama on Tensho Dai. After that, people who had tested during the last winter camp received their belts. Among them, Mr Turner and Mr Page received their 6^th degree. Congratulations to them and the others who tested and passed.

Less than 15 people attended the seminar. This is surprising. Of course, some of us had other commitments, familial obligations, or simply are living too far and cannot afford to drive 4 to 5 hours back and forth on a Saturday for a 4 hours training session.

Still, some people drove more than 4 hours to be present – one of them even got a ticket while he was speeding back toward Dothan after he realized he had missed the exit on I 10 by 50 miles... Sensei Toyama himself drove 3 hours all the way from Pensacola.

No student or instructor from the numerous Yoshukai dojo located less that 2 hours from Dothan showed up. This was surprising, and unfortunate. It demonstrates a lack of interest in trying to improve one's Karate as well as a lack of appreciation for the efforts our directors put into training us. I have been part of several Martial Arts organization, and I can say without doubt that WYKKO is the best. In their constant effort to promote Yoshukai our directors have built a World Class organization, and wanting to improve it, they pay great attention to the wishes of students and instructors. They are also treating all instructors very well. The least we can do is to return their consideration by showing our respect and appreciation.

When a 7th and 8th degree Black Belt offer a free seminar, all instructors in a radius of 100 miles should be there. Choosing not to do so simply demonstrates a lack of respect and manners.

With such an attitude, how can an instructor ask a student to be dedicated in his practice ?

Elliston Sensei Visit to Troy

Elliston Sensei will be tomorrow in Troy, Alabama to give a Presentation about Zen.
Time : 7:30 p.m.
Location : Student Center Theater on the Troy University Campus.

Michael Elliston Sensei is the Abbot of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center and my Zen Instructor.
I have been blessed to train in various disipline under great Masters. Elliston Sensei is one of them. Others are Rolland Hernaez Sensei in Nihon Ju Jitsu and Tai Jitsu, Mike Culbreth and Hiroaki Toyama Sensei in Yoshukai Karate and Masayaki Shimabukuro Sensei in Iai Jutsu.

Whatever I try to convey to you - and you hopefully appreciate, I hold it and owe it from one of these men, who owe it from their own masters... One day I'll have to tell more about them !

I will attend this function as I should do as his student and disciple

For those of you who live ion the Wiregrass, please try to come to Troy, the opportunity to meet someone who has been practicing Zen for longer than I have done Martial Arts does not occur very often - or as we say in my native Vimeu, "it is not found under a lame horse's hoof"

Once again, I am only able to do what I do because of men like him teach me. It would be nice and profitable to everyone if some of you could also attend and show your interest and appreciation.

Here is the map of the Campus