Martial Arts Training in Japan. David Jones

text called “Eight Poems of the Fists”:

       1. The mind is one with heaven and earth.

       2. The circulatory rhythm of the body is similar to the cycle of the sun and the moon.

       3. The way of inhaling and exhaling is hardness and softness.

       4. Act in accordance with time and change.

       5. Techniques will occur in the absence of conscious thought.

       6. The feet must advance and retreat, separate and meet.

       7. The eyes do not miss even the slightest change

       8. The ears listen well in all directions.

      The following are some of the Goju-ryu karate dojo to be found in Okinawa. Contact with any one of these clubs will put you in contact with many others of the same style

      Mr. Iha Koshin Jundokan Hombu Dojo

      2-6-13 Asato, Naha-shi, Okinawa-ken 902-0067, Japan

      Tel: [phone]

      Mr. Yamashiro Katsuya

      Higaonna Dojo

      42-22-3 Chome Makishi, Naha-shi, Okinawa-ken 900-0013, Japan

      Mr. Ikemiyagi Masaaki

      Meibukan Goju-ryu Okinawa Dojo

      3-29-17 Minami Tobaru, Okinawa-shi, Okinawa-ken 904-0035, Japan

      Mr. Hokama Yasuaki

      Meibukan Goju-ryu Ueda Dojo

      535-1 Ueda, Tomishiro-son, Okinawa-ken 901-0243, Japan

      Mr. Hokama Tetsuhiro

      Okinawa Goju-ryu Kenshikai Karate / Kobudo So Hombu

      277-33 Yonashiro, Nishihara-cho, Okinawa-ken 903-0111, Japan

      Mr. Uechi Tsutomu

      Goju-ryu Kokusai Karatedo Renmei

      90 Nishizato, Hirara-shi, Okinawa-ken 906-0012, Japan

      Mr. Miyazato Eiko

      Gokenkan Dojo

      442 Asato, Naha-shi, Okinawa-ken 902-0067, Japan

      e-mail: [email protected]

      Chito-ryu

      This ryu (like all others, no doubt) demonstrates the fission and fusion of different styles that characterize the history of the majority of Japanese martial arts, ancient and modern. An Okinawan karatedo master, Dr. Chitose Tsuyoshi (1898-1984), created Chito-ryu by combining the elements he liked from Okinawan Shorei-ryu and Shorin-ryu karatedo. His goal was to rationally consider the medical implications of traditional karatedo practice and to find a system which would have maximum martial and health effects and minimal detrimental elements, such as long-term injury from the practice of certain joint techniques, chronic lower back pain from incorrect stance and movement instruction, and tendonitis in the elbow from snapping the elbow while punching. Chito-ryu, like all traditionally based forms of karatedo, focuses on the three main pillars of karate practice: kihon waza (basic techniques), kata (form), and kumite (sparring). Chitose Shihan called his style Chito-ryu karatedo to honor the Chinese roots of Okinawan karate: chi is a character meaning one thousand years old; to is the character for T’ang China.

      The following is a list of Chito-ryu Karate Federation dojo and their locations:

      Chikuenjuku (Fukuoka)

      Daidokan (Tochigi)

      Edogawa, Koto, Adachi (Tokyo)

      Fukuyama (Hiroshima)

      Genryukan (Miyazaki)

      Kenshinkan (Osaka)

      Kenshinkan (Shizuoka)

      Metaabaru (Saga)

      Nisshokan (Okayama)

      Omiya (Saitama)

      For more detailed information, write to:

      International Chito-ryu Karatedo Association

      c/o Miyazaki Naomi

      Shinjokan

      4332 Nozu Ryuhoku, Kumamoto-shi

      Kumamoto-ken 869-4805, Japan

      Tel: [phone]

      Shotokan

      In 1949 the JKA (Japan Karate Association) was formed with Master Funakoshi Gichin as head instructor. The style he taught was referred to as Shotokan karatedo. In 1957 the Japanese government recognized the JKA as the only legal nonprofit karatedo organization in Japan. Answerable to the Japanese Ministry of Education (Mombusho) Shotokan is probably the most widely proliferated karatedo style, with several thousand qualified instructors worldwide.

      When Master Funakoshi passed away a split occurred in the ranks of his followers, a very common occurrence in karatedo history, as I have noted. The modern JKA is strictly the public face of the Shotokan style of Master Nakayama Masatoshi (now deceased). Karatedo sensei Nishiyama, Oshima, Ueki, and Kanezawa also joined Nakayama. The original Funakoshi school was called Shotokai, and those who chose to maintain it included Funakoshi Gigo and Aoki Hiroyuki. One of my budo teachers has commented, “Today, Shotokai is the original following of Funakoshi, and Shotokan follows the neo-budo path.”

      The reason for the split between the Shotokan and the Shotokai lies most obviously in the reactions to a point of etiquette concerning who should organize the funeral ceremony for Master Funakoshi, who had passed away on April 26, 1957. Clearly there were hidden agendas behind this extraordinary and rancorous situation, issues that led to the political struggle concerning the funeral. But do you have to take a position? Of course not! The visiting karatedo student should always stay out of local politics. Your job is to work in the dojo until you have no more energy for politics and related forms of mischief.

      Questions concerning training in Shotokan karatedo in Japan may be answered by contacting the Japan Karate Association or Shotokan International:

      Japan Karate Association Headquarters

      6-2 Ebisu Nishi 1-chome, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150, Japan

      Tel: [phone]

      Fax: [phone]

      Shotokan Karatedo International General Headquarters

      2-1-20 Minami Kugahara, Ota-ku, Tokyo 146, Japan

      Tel: [phone]

      Fax: [phone]

      Website: http://plaza27.mbn.or.jp/~kkaname/skif/skif_e.htm

      Japan Karatedo Federation Gojukai

      As noted earlier, an offshoot of the Okinawan Goju-ryu system of karatedo was developed in Japan proper in 1952 by Master Yamaguchi Gogen, a student of Okinawan master Miyagi Chojun. Master Yamaguchi, known as “The Cat,” was one of the easiest karatedo masters for Westerners to recognize because of his trademark long hair, a rarity among Japanese Karatedo sensei. In addition Yamaguchi Sensei infused his karatedo style with his own spirituality, even creating a system he called Karate-Shinto, a mixture of ideas and practices taken from Shintoism, yoga, Zen, and karatedo. He was also fond of shamanistic practices, a favorite being to meditate beneath a waterfall. He felt that the drumming of the water on his head created a state of being which was conducive to spiritual awakening. The more ancient, shamanistic goal of the practice was to derive power from the energy-spirit (kami) of the waterfall.

      Dojo of the Goju-ryu in Japan include the following:

      Mr. Yamaguchi Hirofumi Goshi

      International Karatedo Gojukai Association (IKGA)

      34-10 Oyama-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-0023, Japan

      Tel: [phone]

      Fax: [phone]

      Goju Ryu Karate-Do Gojukan

      1-16-23 Zempukuji,