KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES JUNE –JULY 2000 – VOL.00-02/ $2.00 U.S.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SEMINAR / ANNOUNCEMENT--- 1

REALM OF THE YUDANSHA

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR Mr.Terry Sanders , Hanshi

PASSING OF JOHN PACHIVAS---------2

SENSEI DISEASE----------------------------2

KNS WEBSITE, ARCHIVES--------------2

PROMOTIONS------------------------------- 2

MARTIAL ART BOOKS-------------------2

WHO WAS RON MCNAIR?------------3

(Answer from a friend)

=================================

THE EDITOR-----------------------------------4

  • DOJO NEWS--------------------------------------4
  • WELCOME NEW MEMBERS------------------4
  • COMMENTS
  • QUOTATIONS & PROVERBS

================================

BOOK REVIEW- SPECIAL FEATURE-----5

By Robyn Rebecca Bates

=========================================

KYU’S KORNER ---------------------------------

GREETINGS FROM DEMING

Mr. Joseph " Mike" Haire

KARATE AND STRESS MANAGEMENT

Ms Alejandra Beltran

BRAIN TEASE

KUIK KUIZ

WORD FIND

THEN AND NOW---------------------------------------6

Mr. Scott Wiseman

SHOREI-RYU MON INTERPETATION------------7

Mr. John S. Soltis

 REMEMBERING A FRIEND-------------------------7

Mr. Chris Hoshiyama

MY KARATE LIFE-------------------------------------8

Mr. Fernando P. Camara

 SHOSHIN; SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT

PERCEPTION AND PRESEPTIVE------------------9

Mr. Evan D. Frankel

 GREETINGS FROM OHIO--------------------------10

Mr. Jim Brumbaugh

 STUDENTS WITH NEGATIVE ATTITUDES---11

Mr. David Richardson

 HELLO! FROM THE WEBMASTER--------------12

Mr. John Powiliates

 DIFERENCAS ENTRE KARATE

Mr. Carlos Silva

 GREETINGS FROM FLORIDA

Mr. M. David Thomas & Mrs. Leslie Thomas

 KARATE VS. ACADEMICS

Mr. Louis Morataya

KATA

Mr. Steve Salaiz

 HI HO IT’S OFF TO DEMING WE GO

Mr. Juan Carlos ( Charlie ) Tapia

 

 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

SHOREI-RYU SEMINAR IN L.A. AREA

 WHAT: High-ranking members of the Kondo No Shokai will put on a seminar in Lynwood, CA (LAX is the nearest airport)

 WHEN: The seminar will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 29, 2000.

 WHERE: The Lynwood Youth Center

 11409 Birch Street Lynwood, CA 90262

(310) 603 - 0220 ex. 319

 

The nearest motel: Travel Lodge, 11401 Long Beach Blvd., CA 90262

Phone :1-310-763-4029

Reservations: 1-800- 578-7878

Fax: 310-763-0548

Motel Rates=Costs weekends, 65.00 a night- check in Friday, check out Sunday $130.00.

 

WHO: People interested in Shorei-ryu karate.

COSTS: Dan holders $20.00, kyu holders $10.00 for first family member, $5.00 for each additional family member. Spectators pay $3.00.

 EXPECTATIONS: Bring a positive attitude. Come ready to work out, learn, share and make some new friends.

SYLLABUS:

 Shorei-ryu conditioning exercises

 Suparinpe kata

 Sudosho - taught by Chris Hoshiyama, godan Shorei-ryu karate

 Animal forms, select ippon kumite kata, taiso naru waza and the Chinese

Connection

 Shorei-ryu history, and research

 Kata clinic

 

The next Century Martial Arts dealership flyer is scheduled to announce

the existence of our seminar. The announcement should read, "Shorei-ryu Karate students, especially those who count the late Grandmaster Robert A. Trias in their karate history are invited to attend a one-day seminar on Saturday July 29, 2000 in Lynwood, CA. Contact Mr. Terry B. Sanders @ (505) 546-3461 0r E-mail: t144@zianet.com

 

 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

FROM THE DIRECTOR'S CHAIR-------Mr. Terry Sanders, Hanshi

John Pachivas visited honbu as a ni-dan in the style of Gojuryu in 1962. As a go-kyu holder, Johnny was the first non-Shorei-ryu stylist I met. He was large, friendly and very quick in his techniques. I recall one kumite technique he taught. He stood in right neko ashi dachi and attacked with a series of: one left palm downward koko shuto uchi followed by one right palm downward koko shuto uchi which was in turn followed by a left palm upward koko shuto uchi. Assuredly, this technique was experienced as a blur with controlled thumps around my head and torso. Master Pachivas visited O-Sensei often during the decade of the Sixties. He was always friendly, kind, willing to learn, teach and listen. Johnny, thank you for your guidance in Phoenix those many years ago. Many karateka carry your influence!

 

NEW MEMBERS- It is always a pleasure to report growth in our membership. We now have new members in Brasil, Ohio, Florida, and Wisconsin.

KONDO NO SHOKAI WEBSITE, ARCHIVES - For those who use the Internet, the following information will be relevant. Recently John Powilaites, a Shorei-ryu shodan from Wisconsin became the webmaster of the Kondo No Shokai website http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Mound/4121. He has linked an archives section which will display past issues of KNS NOTES, and member-written articles relating to martial arts. He has also initiated a chat list for those interested in discussing matters pertaining to Okinawan karate in general or Shorei-ryu specifically. Participation is voluntary at kondonoshokai@egroups.com

PROMOTIONS- For those of you in need of promotion and lacking a sensei, please contact me. Through the use of student-made videotapes, theses, and projects it is possible to obtain promotion through the Kondo No Shokai. As each student's background, training and experience is different, we must confer before starting this process.

MARTIAL ARTS BOOKS- much has been written on the proper training of a samurai. Briefly, the samurai were to divide their training time between bu [the warrior arts], and bun [the pursuit of scholarship]. To put this in modern terms, we warriors must devote time to training in our martial art/s and to learning. For me, bun means reading in several areas but putting a lot of emphasis on books about the martial arts. It pleases me to see the Robyn Bates is continuing her book review column in this issue. Other members are also encouraged to submit reviews of martial arts books.

SEMINAR- Our first seminar [7/29/00 Lynwood,CA], described in the beginning of this issue, will provide an opportunity for many of us to get together, train intensively and get to know each other. Please note the injunction to: "Bring a positive attitude. Come ready to work out, learn, share and make some new friends." This is an historic occasion that should not be missed.

The Sensei Disease-

This article was originally published in the United States Karate Association Inc. FORUM

Perhaps some of you can recall a high school physical education teacher who was similar to mine. Mine was quite old (perhaps 43 years!), had a pot belly, smoked, showed little independent thought, had upper grade students lead the exercises and usually relied on the command, "Everybody go run a lap!" when the class got unruly.

 

It saddens me to note that a similar condition occurs among teachers of bushido. For lack of a better term, let’s call it the Sensei Disease (SD). The symptoms of this disease include, but are not limited to: fear of criticism, too much food, too little exercise, excessive forgetfulness of kata, deteriorating physical condition, a tendency to live in the past, more talk (kuchi waza) than action, and an avoidance of kumite and kata practice.

Typically, the SD sufferer has no higher ranking neighbor or nearby sensei to provide the needed criticism and is surrounded by a praetorian guard of high ranking students who would never consider criticizing sensei.

Treating SD is similar to managing diabetes or alcoholism. The first step is to admit that one has the disease. The second step is to construct a plan to treat the symptoms. Some treatment suggestions follow: 1. seek competent criticism - perhaps from a black belt holder not from your system, 2. get into

 

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 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

FROM THE DIRECTOR'S CHAIR- CONTINUED

 

top physical condition (eat, exercise,sleep properly, avoid drugs *), train hard with the beginners, 3. accept the occasional point that will be scored upon you by a lower rank holder, 5. keep on learning - attend seminars (emphasis added), visit other schools and study related arts.

High rank, successful students and the normal aging process do not free budoka from the need to train continuously. We embody the ryu, set the standards and have our own do (path) to follow!

*The author and publisher assume no liability for training mishaps and urge out-of-shape black belts to obtain clearance from their medical doctors before embarking on any program of needed physical fitness.

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RON McNAIR- A MESSAGE FROM A FRIEND: A letter from Mike Izatt, in answer to Master Sanders' request for information regarding Mr.Ronald McNair.

 

Greetings, Terry: I haven't heard from you for many years. Hope all is well. I have several stories about Ron, but the one alluded to by Ridgely was the chance meeting at the 1984 Nationals which were held in Houston.

I won black belt kata on Saturday afternoon, and I noticed Ron and his wife and children watching the competition. I couldn't place his face even though I had met him many years before when he was a student of Chuck Matthews in Ashland, NC while he was a college student at North Carolina A & T. I could tell that he was a karate-ka by the way he stood and moved.

Well, Ron was asked to speak at the banquet that evening, and he was introduced as a physicist and astronaut. Ric Beach and I were sitting together at the Trias International Society table, and we were enjoying Ron's speech, as he was quite entertaining. I was studying pre med. at Phoenix College after wrapping up my competitive karate career, and was on my way to Stanford, so I went to introduce myself and solicit some career advice.

We MIT grads can be academic snobs, and Ron was giving me a bit of that when Mr. Trias realized what was going on. O Sensei came over, and asked Ron, "did you like the black belt kata this afternoon." McNair said he did. Then Mr. Trias said, "well, you're talking to the guy who won it!" Ron just smiled and laughed, and we got along pretty well after that.

I told Ron that I was returning to school, and that I was debating about medicine or science. He said, "if you want to make money, be a physician, but if you want to have fun, be a physicist. So, I suppose I was on my way to MIT at that moment. When I returned to Phoenix, I executed my application, and was accepted.

Ron came out of retirement the next day, and we fought through the brackets and met in the semi finals. Mr. Pachivas was running the ring. We fought hard for regulation and an overtime, and Ron got the better of me with a strong round kick. The officials called his kick, but my reverse punch hit hard, so Ron favored his ribs in the final with Gary Urso of Louisiana. Gary won the middleweight division by taking Ron 3 to 1, as I recall.

We traded a letter or two over the next few months. One spring day before I graduated and was to head off to MIT, I wondered over to the Dean of Students' office to collect a Letter of Recommendation, and the secretaries had a small battery-operated television propped up on a tall file cabinet. Everyone was listening intently. I then learned that the

shuttle had malfunctioned, and that Ron was probably dead. I remember mumbling that I knew Ron and his family, and I suppose everyone thought I couldn't possibly...

My second year at MIT, the Institute dedicated a building to Ron, and I walked over to give a photo of our match in 1984 to his wife, but I thought better of it since that experience was between Ron and myself.

Here's a chronology of Ron's career, which was published by Inside Karate:

1967: Graduates Carver High School, Lake City, SC

1967-1971: Presidential Scholar

1970: Fellowship to Massachusetts Institute of Technology

1971: BS magna cum laude, North Carolina A&T

1971-1974: Ford Foundation Fellow

1972: Promoted to Shodan

1974-1975: National Fellowship Fund Fellow

1975: NATO Fellow

1975: Omega Psi Phi Scholar of the Year

1975: AAU Karate Gold Medalist

1976: Ph.D., MIT

1978: Selected for astronaut training by NASA

1978: Promoted to Yodan

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 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

1979: Distinguished National Scientist Award, National Society of Black Engineers

1984: Spaceflight on shuttle mission 41-B, 191 hours in space

1985: Promoted to Godan

1985: Selected for mission 51-L

1986: 51-L launched in bad weather; Challenger explodes 73 seconds into flight

1986 Receives NASA's Distinguished Service Medal (posthumous)

 

Actually, Ron's work with high-powered lasers while he was at Hughes in Southern California has had more influence on my career than his karate did. Several of his academic papers were of use to me when I wrote my own Ph.D. thesis years later. I'd like to see your lineage once you get it constructed. Keep in touch. M. Izatt

SHOREI HAND CONDITIONING

Part of Shorei-ryu karate comes from the Chinese kungfu taught at the Shaolin Temple which opened in 496 A.D. There they taught the five original animal forms which are the Dragon, Tiger, Leopard, Snake and Crane. These body and hand forms are found within our kata and are used to symbolize different methods of fighting. However, for the hand forms to become effective as weapons one's hands must be trained. The training parallels that done by modern weight lifters - one begins with few repetitions of little resistance and gradually increases the repetitions and force. There is a process done by a blacksmith that entails pounding on a piece of hot iron to make the molecules denser. A similar change also occurs when we train - our bones and tendons become denser as we use them.

 

Here at honbu we emphasize hand conditioning and have adopted some inexpensive training devices for that purpose. Among them are:

1. A Wrist Roller - often used in gymnasiums, this item is made up of a 1.25" wooden dowel, a length of rope and several small attachable weights. Use it by attaching a weight and rolling it up to the dowel and then slowly unrolling it.

2. A 5 gallon plastic bucket full of millet [a type of seed/cattle feed] inside a larger plastic bin which catches spills and can be closed to keep out rodents. Use this by thrusting your open hands deeply into the grain and then closing and opening them. Over time add materials of greater resistance such as dry beans and sand.

3. Bean bags - put a cup or two of dry pinto beans in a sweat sock, tie a knot in the end, cut off the excess and sew the knot. Train by throwing and catching the bag - but use your fingers as though they were talons.

4. Called chishi in Japanese, these are stone weights on dowels. We fill cans and plastic jugs with concrete and insert dowel handles before it sets. Train with them by working basic hand techniques slowly while holding the chishi. A one-handed sledge hammer may be substituted for a chishi.

5. A padded floor is used for striking and specialized pushups. Many of you do finger and fist pushups. Please consider performing half of a pushup and holding that position for several seconds. As for striking, kneel on the mat, raise your arms above your head and strike the mat with the animal hand form of choice.

Perhaps you will consider developing your hands, devising other hand training methods and sharing them in future issues of our newsletter.

 

 

 

 

 

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 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

DOJO NEWS

PLEASE NOTE: It is our policy not to divulge the mailing addresses of members of the Kondo No Shokai. Should you wish to contact a member, please do so through either Mr. Sanders or myself (John S.Soltis)

The placing of articles in the Newsletter will be determined by the article size and time received, order of rank will no longer apply.

THIS PAST FEB.19TH THE SHOREI-RYU LYNWOOD DOJO (HEAD INSTRUCTOR -JOHN SOLTIS RENSHI) HOSTED A SMALL TOURNAMENT. THE TOURNAMENT WAS PROMOTED AND SPONSORED BY THE CALIF. FEDERATION OF BLACK BELTS, WITH PHILIP PERALES SHIHAN IN CHARGE OF THE PROCEEDINGS. THOSE DOJOS PARTICIPATING WERE THE LA CO. SHERIFF’S YAL CLASSES FROM LENNOX, FIRESTONE, AND BUNCHE. ALSO ATTENDING WERE THE LONG BEACH POLICE PAL DOJO(HEAD INSTRUCTOR- GREG ALLISON RENSHI), THE YORBA LINDA SHORIN-RYU SAMURAI ACADEMY(MIKE WARREN SENSEI), AND STUDENTS FROM SENSEI CHARLIE TAPIA’S SO.GATE DOJO. APPOXIMATELY 75 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED AT THE EVENT, WITH 100 0R MORE SPECTATORS. A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL. MONIES GENERATED WILL BE USED TO HELP FUND THIS YEARS CFBB’S ANNUAL KARATE CAMP WHICH WILL BE HELD AUGUST 9TH THUR THE 13TH AT RIVERSIDE, CALIF.

PROMOTIONS

16 STUDENTS WERE PROMOTED BY SENSEI SOLTIS FROM THE SHOREI-RYU LYNWOOD DOJO IN FEBURARY OF THIS YEAR. TWO OF THE STUDENTS PROMOTED ARE MEMBERS OF THE KNS. THEY ARE MR. BRUCE ELDER TO NI-KYU AND MS. BEVERLY GUZMAN (THE YOUNGEST MEMBER OF THE KNS) TO YON-KYU. THE ASSOCIATION APPLAUDS THESE TWO MEMBERS FOR THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

NEW MEMBERS

 

SINCE OUR LAST NEWSLETTER WE HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF NEW MEMBERS JOIN THE KNS, WHOM WE WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND WElCOME;

 

JAMES D. BRUMBAUGH – YODAN- MENTOR, OH LESILIE THOMAS- SHODAN- LECANTO, FL

EVAN D. FRANKEL – YODAN – MIAMI, FL LYNN M. FORBES-YONKYU- CHADON, OH

JOHN POWILAITES- NIDAN- RACINE, WI FERNANDO PORTELA CAMARA- SHICHIDAN-BRASIL

DAVE THOMAS- SHODAN- LECANTO, FL CRISTIANE MARIA DO VALLE- SANDAN-BRASIL

MICHEAL JOSEPH HAIRE-NIKYU- DEMING, NM ROBERTO BARBOSA DA CRUZ- GODAN-BRASIL

BRUCE A. BAIRD- SHODAN- CHADON,OH KEVIN J. BAIRD-JUNIOR SANKYU- CHADON,OH

ERIC P. BAIRD- JUNIOR SANKYU- CHADO, OH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's one thing more painful than learning from experience, and that is not learning from experience. Anon

 

 

 

 

 

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 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

BOOK REVIEW~A Special Feature~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robyn Rebecca Bates

Nikyu, Isshinryu; Kondo No Shokai

THE FIGHTING SPIRIT OF JAPAN

by E. J. Harrison

Paperback - 250 pages, The Overlook Press, Woodstock, NY, 12498

ISBN: 0-87951-154-0, 1988; available from Amazon Books (www.amazon.com) and others

 

"I have no castle; I make fudoshin (immovable mind) my castle."

-- quoted by E. J. Harrison in The Fighting Spirit of Japan

 

In 1897, Mr. Ernest Harrison sailed to Yokohama to join the staff of the Japan Daily Herald as a sub-editor. Bringing along an interest in the wrestling arts from his native England, Harrison was soon introduced to jujutsu at the hands of the Yokohama police. His interest piqued, he sought out and pursued instruction at a local dojo of Tenjin Shinyo Ryu jujutsu, where eventually he gained a rank of shodan. In the years that followed, he pursued instruction in judo, Dr. Jigoro Kano's (1860-1938) refinement of jujutsu, at the Kodokan. He also gained familiarity with those martial arts which were, at that time, largely unknown in the West, particularly aikido and karate.

 

Unlike some Western accounts of Eastern "mysteries" which tend to be panegyrics, Harrison gives a generally critical overview of the martial arts and physical culture as pursued in Japan in the years shortly after the Japan-U.S. Hakodate/Shimoda amity treaty was concluded in 1854 and the first British consul, at Hakodate, was established in 1859. As such, Harrison's book is not only a fascinating look at the development of the modern martial arts from the old techniques of bujutsu, but also a discerning overview of Japanese culture in the early part of the 20th century, when Japan was quickly assimilating the new ways and merchandise of the West.

 

My father was born in Japan in 1903 and grew up speaking Japanese with his native nanny almost before he learned English from his parents. In the '30's he moved to Shanghai to become the night-editor of the North China Daily News and then, when war became inevitable, as a British citizen he was recruited by Military Intelligence and moved to London - the first time he had lived in the West for any appreciable time. Nonetheless, my father's many tales of the Japan (and China) with which he was familiar have the same feel as Harrison's narrative - a look into an age now inaccessible and almost legendary. It is fallacious to judge historical events and international sensibilities in the context of our own current cultural values. However, as martial artists, we should spend the time to understand the modern development of our respective arts, since, if nothing else, history teaches us the relevance of our goals and, possibly, the future worth of our pursuits. The Fighting Sprit of Japan is a very readable and objective look at the Japanese martial culture and should be a valuable

addition to any martial artist's library.

 

 

 

Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free,

stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate.

Chuang-Tzu

 

 

 

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 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

"Then & Now"

SCOTT WISEMAN

Rokudan – Shorei-ryu

Long Beach, CA

 

Recently I had the opportunity to attend a tournament that we sponsored. I met another Black Belt there who was a Black Belt when I came into the Martial Arts. We began conversing about some of the differences in the Martial Arts world back then and now. Below are some of the things we came up with. How many can you come up with and how many do you remember? This was kind of fun.

 

1969 2000

 

We didn't have head, hand, foot Now we look like something from the

gear knights of the round table (probably safer though)

Grabs with follow through was a point "Hey that’s cheating"

 

Sweeps and judo throws were Now they’re a lawsuit

fun

 

Black Belts were 18 and older You can get it off the Internet age restrictions: 6 and up

 

We paid respect to Senseis Now we have the gray hair or no hair

with gray hair

 

Kyu ranks had to rei to all Black Belts they tell us to move

 

Mouthpieces were optional they’re required

 

We carried a dime for the phone we carry the phone

 

We paid 5.00 per event we pay 35.00 per event

 

We had to go home to find out Now we turn off the phone and pager so we don't have to stop

what was going on while we were at the store on the way home.

at the tournament

 

Kata was recognizable as an actual Now after 25 kiai and multiple somersaults you realize the kata form taught in the dojo hasn’t started yet.

 

We went to the printers to make flyers Now we sit down at the computer and make our own, and send invites on the Internet

We had to call everyone to now we e-mail them

remind them about the tournaments

The beeping sound was the timer Now we all look at our hips to see

to end the kumite match if its our pager or phone

 

We were proud of a bruise or Now bruises are liabilities a 6" trophy a insult and the

a 6" trophy and considered it learning experience is $100.00

a learning experience

 

 

 

 

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 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

The Shorei-Ryu Karate Mon Interpretation

John S. Soltis

Rokudan, Shorei-ryu

Los Angeles, CA

 

Our mon (J. seal, crest) represents several elements in the history of Shorei-ryu Karate. A detailed description follows.

 

WORDS- In English, Shorei-ryu means encouragement school (or style). In Okinawa, Shorei is also used to describe the chuan-fa practiced in the Shaolin Temple in southern China, the source of many techniques that comprise the karate of Okinawa.

SHAPES- The mitsudome (J. three tumbling "commas" or tadpoles), a symbol found throughout Asia, is used in Okinawa to symbolize its royal family, birth, life and death and karate. Placed atop the mitsudome is a pine tree. An evergreen, it symbolizes the Shaolin Temple, nature, youth and the legacy of Choki Motobu, one of Okinawa's greatest fighters. The equilateral triangle represents the legacy of the Trias family and the goal of equal amounts of power, speed and form in our ryu. The octagonal shape of the mon recognizes the eight-fold path taught by the Indian Buddhist monk Taishi Daruma. Daruma brought tea culture, Zen and chuan-fa (a precursor to karate) to China. One of his precepts encourages us to remember that, when we fall (fail) in life, we must get up and try again. The black outlined octagon represents Tong Gee Hsiang and Hoy Yuan Ping, early teachers of O-Sensei Robert A. Trias. The golden yellow octagon represents the future masters of our ryu.

 

COLORS -Green, in nature, green represents life. Active karateka retain youthfulness throughout their lives. Golden yellow - the color of the Sun, a source of energy, prosperity. Black - fullness of life, knowledge and finally, wisdom. White - purity, emptiness, and lastly death, reminding those of us who wear the seal of our mortality and responsibility to insure that Shorei-ryu Karate will persist over time.

This emblem was commissioned and approved by Terry Sanders, Style Head of Shorei-ryu Karate and Director of the Kondo No Shokai.

 

The Mon was designed and created by John S. Soltis, Renshi, using elements, particulars, and things which represent those Masters who have contributed in the originality, development and spread of Shorei-Ryu Karate.

 

Approval was also given by Philip Perales, Hanshi, the founder and director of the California Federation of Black Belts, whose members are all Shorei-ryu stylists. Members of these organizations retain exclusive rights to the use of this seal.

 

The Mon can be viewed at the Shorei website : www.angelfire.com/ca2/ShoreiRyu/index/html

A Friend Remembered

 

Chris Hoshiyama PhD. Renshi

Godan Shorei-Ryu and Shuri-Ryu

Phoenix, Arizona

 

Recently the Karate World has suffered yet another loss, the passing of Hanshi John Pachivas, Judan. Pachivas Sensei was born May 3rd 1927. His love for the arts began in childhood with the study of Pankration, an ancient martial art and part of his Greek heritage. His training in the early 1950's began in the style Goju-ryu, under Ken Ogawa, a Japanese master. He taught Goju-ryu exclusively until in 1962 he was invited to the United States Karate Associationâ Hombu dojo by Mr. Robert Trias. This began Mr. Pachivas transition to Shorei-ryu Karate-do. He continued under The direction of Trias Sensei,becoming a member of the famous Trias International Society and one of the Chief Instructors of the Shuri-ryu system. John Pachivas taught traditional Karate-do for almost fifty years a most impressive task. He is remembered as the Father of Karate in Florida and most importantly as a great human, who has touched so many deeply. He has played a major role in the development of my karate spirit. After Hanshi Trias passed away he was a source of encouragement and a constant motivator to me.

 

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 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

MY KARATE LIFE

Fernando P. Camara

Shichidan ,Shorei – Ryu

Sao Paulo, Brasil

My name is Fernando P. Camara. I began karate in 1964 at the age of 13 years old. My first teacher was Ishihara, and he introduced me to Shorei-ryu karate. This was the name of the style that he learned with Iraha Choko, a top discile of Kyoda Juhatsu, who was the heir of Higashionna Kanryo. Still later, Kyoda changed the name of the style to To'on-ryu as a homage to his master. Shorei-ryu was the name given by Higashionna to his style and it is not the same as Goju-ryu, the style created by Miyagi Chojun. Ishiraha was an electrical engineer in a Japanese manufacturing plant called "Sadokin" that existed in my city. My father was a book-keeper and sometimes he did some work for Sadokin. There he knew Ishihara and talked to him about my karate interests. Ishihara was very busy but he always found time to train with me in his house. In 1967 he returned to Japan and I have not heared anymore about him. I think that I was his only student here. He taught me Sanchin, Sanseru, Jion, and Betchurin (as he called the kata Suparimpei). These kata were not the same as Goju-ryu, but more rude and shorter.

My next teacher was Chen Chi Ho, a Chinese from Hong Kong who taught me a karate that I called kung fu because it really seemed to be kung fu to me. We (two collegues and I) trained in his house. He never said the name of his style and many years after I saw that it was very similar to Uechi-ryu or Pangainoon karate. In fact, I learned a Sanchin, Seisan, and Sanseru versions I learned were very similar to Uechi-ryu, but the other kata were not the same and years later I realized that these kata were the "White Crane" kata Haufa and Nipaipo. In 1970, I began my medical studies and left Chen. I moved to another state and began my studies in Goju-ryu, however, all that I learned with these two men was definitive to my karate knowledge and abilities. I never forgot their principles or kata.

 

During the 60's I had an experience with Taekwondo with Byung Kuk Lee (who was also a Shotokan teacher) but my "body memory" and reflexes being conditioned in karate and I did not adapt to this Korean style, so I left it. I have also studied Tai Chi, Bagua, and Hsing Yi, and I applied my understanding of these arts to my karate foundation

 

In the 70's and 80's I trained a hard version of Goju-ryu, and trained also Kyokushin (with Tsunioshi Tanaka) during one year. I studied with grandmaster Akamine Shikan's seniors Moritoshi Nakaema, Nelson dos Santos, and Iwao Yokote, and the grandmaster himself (he was retired during this time) corrected my kata (1973). I was also a student of Ryuzo Watanabe, a Gojukai master representative of Gogen Yamaguchi during these years and I left his Kyokai in 1989 and returned to Okinawa Goju-ryu with Morihiro Yamauchi, representative of Shobukan in Brazil. In the 80's I trained also with Moritoshi Nakaema and I continue to train with him nowadays (presently, I am director of his organization, the Zen Minami Hankyu Budo Kyokai). Nakaema's Shito-ryu has a hard Shorei-ryu orientation.

In the 70's my interest in White Crane was aroused and I began an intensive research in this system. I knew some masters who taught me forms and I obtained a lot of historical material and data that help me to reconstitute something about the history of the master Gokenki and his system. In the 70's I learned the short and long version of Hakucho, Yantsu and Nipaipo, and in 1991 the grandmaster Kenji Kusano introduced me to other White Crane kata: Rohai, Hakutsuru, Paipuren, and Nepai. I made also

contacts in Okinawa, particularly with the Yabiku Takaya organization.

 

In 1983 I founded a little association to preserve and promote the old Okinawan karate and White Crane Fist traditions. This association was called Shoreijikan to maintain the Shorei-ryu tradition. "Shoreiji" meaning "temple (ji) of the inner light (Shorei)" that reflects the spirit as Higashionna Kanryo, who was also a renowned Confucionist, conducted himself in his life and in his karate. Shoreijikan Association is an independent organization. I have researched the Trias kata syllabus and introduced

his Wansu, Anaku, Dannen-sho, and Shudo-sho.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Page 9

 

 

 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

Shoshin: Some thoughts about Perception and Perspective

 

Evan D. Frankel

Yondan, Shorei- ryu Hon Shin Do Karate Do

Miami, FL

 

" Our view of reality is like a map with which to negotiate the terrain of life. If the map is false and inaccurate, we generally will be lost. If the map is true and accurate, we will generally know where we are, and if we have decided where we want to go, we will generally know how to get there.... You can solve any problem if you are simply willing to take the time." -- M.Scott Peck, M.D.

What is real to us generally is governed by our perception of truth in our own lives. We must seek to reevaluate our view of reality often by solving the complex problems with which each one of us is confronted daily. We must strive to discipline ourselves to confront difficult problems rather than avoiding them. The personal measure of the solutions to our problems is a direct reflection on our own characters. Mediocre solutions are the foundation for mediocre individuals.

Only by confronting our problems will they be solved. Only by solving our problems will we gain truth. Only by gaining truth will we find reality. Only by finding reality will we have reference points from which to recognize and confront new problems that effect our reality.

 

"The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly." -- Richard Bach

Our existence on this planet, in the most basic of terms, is based upon our perspective. The broader your perspective in evaluating your life, the more well rounded you become as an individual. Those of us who dwell upon persecution, prejudice, greed, ridicule, and despair exhibit the limitation of a small mind and awkward perspective. Keep your mind open to new ideas, traditions, and philosophies, even if they seem foreign to you. Be wary of those who succeed on the misfortune of others without providing useful benefit.

 

" Perhaps the characteristic that makes us most human is our capacity to do the unnatural, to transcend and hence transform our own nature." -- M. Scott Peck, M.D.

Adaptation and a will to survive are what allow us to exceed even our own expectations in life. Our ability to make ourselves adapt to severe conditions or to survive even in the face of extreme odds sets us apart from any other species on the planet.

We are only restricted by the limitations we set for ourselves. Never be satisfied with what is mediocre. Whenever you think that you are the best in the world, think again.

Our success in life is subjective, not objective. Those of us who strive to learn, evaluate, and adapt to the very best of our abilities are the true successes. Although the accumulation of tangible property may be our goal, it is not the measure of our success. The ability to appreciate the effort and lessons learned in the pursuit of those tangible items is the true value of our possessions. Someone who attains the property they earnestly seek while maintaining honor and truth in the pursuit of that property is truly rich.

"A mind that has been stretched to a new idea never returns to its original dimension." – Oliver Wendell Holmes.

We interpret our style kanji to mean "encouragement style." In order to encourage others, particularly for instructors, it is crucial that we hold close to our hearts a principle that acts as a barometer of our own actions. The principle is referred to as Shoshin, or "beginner’s mind."

In order to provide valuable encouragement we must never lose the ability to be encouraged. To appreciate the perspective of others is to accept that every interaction presents a potential learning experience.

The study of the martial arts, and karate in particular, is much more about the way we learn to see and evaluate ourselves, than a method of fighting. It is unique in that it is at once a practical skill, an athletic endeavor, and a means of artistic expression. Those who dedicate their valuable time to learning a traditional style like Shorei ryu, or any well-taught legitimate art or style can benefit on many levels and well into old age.

So, go out, read, write, draw, paint, sing, sweat, dance, discover, and then, bring it all back for others. A wise teacher once told me (okay, about four hundred times, but who is counting) " When you’re green, you’re growing, and when you’re ripe, you’re rotting." Thanks for taking your time to read this. And thanks to Sanders Sensei for inviting me into the fold.

 

 

 

 

 

Page 10

 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

GREETINGS From OHIO!

Jim Brumbaugh

Yondan, Shorei-ryu

Mentor, Ohio

 

Greetings to all Kondo No Shokai members. As one of the newest members of the Kondo No Shokai, I thought I should introduce myself. My wife, Carolyn, and I have owned and operated Odayaka Martial Arts Studio in Chardon, Ohio for 5 years this July where we teach Shorei-ryu karate. Chardon is located about 25 miles southeast of Cleveland. We have about 40 students mixed between juniors and adults ranging in experience from beginners to those who have been with us almost the entire 5 years. The adult class is about half men and half women and the average age is probably around 35. Odayaka Martial Arts is a teaching dojo that welcomes and encourages the whole family to train in the art of karate. Students are encouraged to improve both as karateka and as human beings as they work to attain useful self-defense skills. In all aspects of training we try to instill a sense of respect for others, for the world we live in and a sense of honesty and integrity. Tournaments are not a major focus but occasionally, the studio attends a tournament and usually the students do quite well. Our classes meet on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and include training in kihon waza (basic techniques), kata, kumite, applications from kata which we call bogyu waza, and kumite waza. In April, we held black belt testing and I am proud to say we passed three students to shodan level. They are Bruce Baird, Tim Parker and Laura Swink.

I started martial arts training in about 1963 when I signed up for a judo class. In that first dojo the training floor was split into two sections, half matted for judo, half wooden floor for karate. From over on the judo side I watched the karateka training. They all looked invincible which I certainly was not. Part of the problem in those days was there were no weight classes in judo and I wasn’t very big. As a result I always seemed to be paired up with someone twice my size. I hated when those guys fell on top of me! So it wasn’t long before I shifted my training to karate. When I went away to college, I took up han moo kwon tae kwon do, which was very similar to the karate I had been studying. Then I moved and ended up studying sang moo kwon tae kwon. After that school closed, I joined a Shorei-ryu school. That school changed owners shortly thereafter and my style was changed to Shorei-goju. With all the changes, it took me until 1979 to receive the rank of shodan. Since about 1983 I’ve been teaching on my own. Teaching has taught me more than I ever learned as a student. In fact, the more I teach karate, the more I find there is to learn. Students keep coming up with questions that I’ve never heard or thought of before. They test your knowledge daily which does keep you from getting stale.

At Odayaka Martial Arts the training is split between kata, kihon, bunkai and kumite with some work on breakfalls, throws and miscellaneous self-defense techniques. While we do have a number of standard bunkai sets from our kata they don’t begin to explain or cover every move within each kata. While we realize the need for standards we also recognize that there can be more than one valid interpretation for a movement. In that vein, we also work on non-standard material and encourage students to experiment and explore the range of possible self-defense responses. Some of the best lessons come through failures. For those of you who are not familiar with our kata list, we run gekisai, sanchin, saifa, wansu, anaku, sepai, kararunha, rohai, seiunchin, bassai, naihanchi, niseshi, suparinpe and kusanku. Here at Odayaka Martial Arts, we also use taikyoku shodan in the juniors classes as their first kata.

So how did I end up with Kondo No Shokai? I joined the USKA in 1979 and remained a member until it ceased operations in 1999. Thankfully, I have had contact with Sanders Sensei occasionally in the past and through him I became aware of the Kondo No Shokai early in 2000. I joined in March 2000. I have encouraged my students to join as well and hope that many of them will be members before the year is over.

Judging by the size of our school you might guess that running the dojo is not how I make my living. My day job is Director of Quality for a multi-plant forging corporation in Cleveland. I work with the three plants in strategic quality activities including the use of statistical problem-solving methods. Fortunately, my position allows me to fit in teaching karate 3 or 4 days a week and still get enough work done for "the boss" to continue to give me a regular paycheck. My wife, Carolyn, who earned her shodan two years ago, teaches sociology and social science part time at the local junior college. Fortunately, she is always ready to cover classes when I can’t make it. Without her I’d never have been able to keep the dojo open.

I look forward to being a member of Kondo No Shokai and hope I can contribute something positive to the organization. I think we all need to maintain connections with others with similar training methods and ideals. I’m grateful that Sanders Sensei has accepted us into the KNS. We appreciate the opportunity to join with so many other dedicated martial artists to continue studying and training in the art of karate. Please feel free to contact me through our website at http://home.talkcity.com/LibertySt/jimdrew547/index.html or directly by e-mail at if547@stratos.net.

Page 11

 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

Students With Negative Attitudes

 

Dave Richardson

Shichi Dan, Shuri-Ryu Goshnjutsu Kempo

Silver City, NM

 

Dear Fellow Martial Artists,

I hope you all are feeling healthy, positive and good about your selves. Now days this is a good way to fight the pressures and fast pace of modern living. As I reflect on my past experiences while teaching karate there are some students who come to mind who posed quite a challenge. They were people who had somewhat of a low opinion of themselves and had built a defensive attitude to compensate for inadequate self esteem. This created a negative atmosphere in the dojo. People like this have to be dealt with quickly before their attitude spreads and I've seen it do just that. I usually serve as their training partner for the first few classes. I find that not addressing the person's personal problems at

first is effective. I simply make every thing they do seem simple and easy. Never use words such as "hard," " difficult" or put a time limit on anything that they are learning. Let them know that what they do incorrectly can be done in another way or maybe in a more effective way. Do not say negative things such as" that's wrong", or "can't you do it right?". Always keep your voice firm and soft yet positive sounding. Use encouraging words like yea, cool, and all right and say them often. This builds their confidence and with confidence comes self worth. Now they are building a relationship that benefits the student, the dojo members and the instructor. Let them know that everyone else had to start at an infant stage and then build up to a level of proficiency.

I've had some students who were too confident and wanted to show everyone in the dojo just how formidable they were. I would be certain that I was their partner! I never let them have a chance to do anything to others until they had the basics taught to them. This process of socialization often requires about 6 to 8 months of training. Then I would let them spar with a black belt first. The black belt was not

allowed to do anything other then fight defensively. Most of the time over confident students are not as skilled as they think they are when they spar. They just try to hit hard while using very little technique. Now the lesson occurs when a person half their size (but of higher rank and good ability) spars with them and shows them that power isn't as effective as good technique. It seems to have a good effect on them. Sometimes this approach works, and sometimes it does not. I believe the key is to move with patience and perseverance with the aggressive, uninhibited students. Protect your other students from these aggressive people because they can act like a bad apple in the crate. Negative attitudes spread like wildfires. I once had a student who ruined every new student that signed up within the first week by showing them the wrong way to act in class. I finally had to remove him from the class and let all of the people he ruined fade away before signing up any new students. I just could not find a way to turn them around. They are just people and most people can be taught. Of course I am completely white haired at the age of 50 and I've earned every one of those white hairs too!

Well, I hope I haven't totally confused you. Before you go to class, remember that you have something very special to offer. Teaching is a very special and challenging art. If you need to get into a

disturbed student's head, evaluate them in the manner you teach your students to size up a potential enemy. Look for their weaknesses, strengths and methods of learning (physical - hands on, or mental - books, etc. Be patient and unconditionally understanding. You'll be rewarded for it.

Till next time, don't forget to keep a tight fist when ya punch - Shihan Dave Richardson

 

 

"WHILE LIVING WITHIN THE SHADOW OF CONSTANT ADVERSITY AND DEATH THE WARRIOR’S WAY HAS BECOME MY LAW AND SALVATION, THE COGENT PHILOSOPHY OF THIS CODE IS TO LIVE EACH DAY AS IF IT WERE MY LAST.

THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR REPRESENTS THE HIGHEST IDEALS OF THE WAY OF BUSHIDO, IN THE END I HOPE TO ACHIEVE SPIRITUAL COMPLETENESS AND STAND FIRMLY UPON THE SUMMIT OF THE HOME OF THE WINDS, SOULS AND GOD".

 

GRANDMASTER ROBERT A. TRIAS - 10TH DAN

 

 

 

Page 12

 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

Hello from the Webmaster

John Powilaites

Nidan - Shorei-ryu

Racine, Wisconsin

 

Greetings from the new webmaster-computer-geek! Since you may see my name mentioned more frequently in discussions concerning computers, I figured I'd better introduce myself here, in the newsletter, for those who haven't already visited my website(s).

 

First my background: I began studying Karate during my sophomore year in college at the University of Wisconsin - Parkside. I signed up for the class because 1) The mysticism surrounding the martial arts had intrigued me since high school, 2) I wanted to continue to improve my physical fitness after the "Jogging For Fun and Fitness" class ended the previous semester, and 3) The price was right - FREE! (Since I was already enrolled as a full-time student.)

Having stayed at the university for an extra semester to finish my double major in Computer Science and Business/MIS, I was able to achieve my black belt ranking right before graduation! Luckily, I found a job in the surrounding area so I've been able to stay close and continue to audit (no credit) the Karate classes at the university since graduation.

 

Next my dojo's background: Our upper-level Karate classes consist of roughly 10 active Yudansha and another 15-20 active kyus. Our lower level, first-semester Karate class averages 60 students. As you may guess, there is a high turnover rate due to the college students taking the class "because it's cool" and then most drop out when they find it to be too much hard work. We have two senseis: Reid Pfarr who teaches the beginning Karate I class, and his father Earl Pfarr, who teaches the advanced Karate II and III classes.

Sensei Earl Pfarr, Godan, learned the Shorei style of Karate from the late Rev. William Foster. Rev. Foster's sensei was Phillip Koeppel in Illinois, who was taught the Shorei style directly from Grandmaster Robert A. Trias.

 

Lastly, my computer background: Having grown up on the verge of the Internet explosion, I have tried my best to keep up with the ever-changing technology that exists today. I am by no means an expert in computers, but I know enough in my dabbling that I'm no longer afraid to try new things, making mistakes and learning along the way. Having said that, I'm constantly working on a website for our dojo at Parkside. The URL is: http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Lodge/9295

I also just recently finished updating the Kondo No Shokai website at: http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Mound/4121

I've created multiple new sections, including an area for a publications archive, links to other Karate websites, and a newly created email list!

 

The Internet can be leveraged as an awesome tool to learn from and spread the knowledge of our Shorei style of Karate. One of my greatest frustrations in my years of research of our style is the lack of accurate, written history regarding Shorei. Most information can be gleamed from other styles (i.e. Shuri), but then one has to watch for slight inconsistencies and derivations. My goal is to harness the Internet's potential as a "giant library" in which future karatekas can find information regarding their history, lineage, forms, etc. At least once things are in the written form they are not subject to change as frequently as the spoken or "memorized" versions that were passed on from one generation to the next. (Anyone remember the "telephone" game as a kid? The end message usually turns out to be vastly different from the original spoken message.)

 

I hope you all will join me in riding the Internet wave into the future. Through websites we can advertise, display document archives, and share written information. With the advent of a new email group, we can easily converse instantaneously through email messages. Sign up for the KondoNoShokai email group via the new link on the Kondo No Shokai website and any email message that one person sends to the single address (kondonoshokai@egroups.com) will automatically be sent to everyone on the email list! It's fast, easy and most importantly - FREE! We can hold "conversations" regarding style, techniques, events, and exchange ideas etc. - the possibilities are endless! Don't worry if you're a computer novice, just take my approach of pushing buttons & see what happens! If you don't blow up the world, you'll learn a lot and have fun doing it! With computers, you learn by trying. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at: johpow@yahoo.com

Page 13

 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

DIFERENCAS ENTRE KARATE BRASILEIRO E O KARATE AMERICANO

Carlos R.Silva

Godan, Shorei-Ryu

Provo,UT

No Brazil ha 47 anos atrazx chegaram os primeiros Japones, vindos do pos guerra eles tinham apenas uma forma de exercitar-se quando trabalhavam nas plantacoes da cafe em Sao Paulo, as artes marciais,O primeiros grupo de Japoneses trouxeram o judo, o karate so foi iniciado no Brazil praticamente na decada dos 50, pois nates a ideia de academia de artes marciais no Brasil era apenas um sonho, os primeiros Japoneses tiveram um certo Trablho em convencer brasilerios a fazer artes marciais , o exercito aderiu ao Jiu jitsu e depois ao Judo , quando este se tornou olimpico. Helio Gracie o patriarca da Familia Gracie introduziu um novo conceito de combate homem a homem que ficou conhecido como VALE TUDO naqueles velhos tempos no brasil os eventos e festivais de lutas livre, como era chamada, trazia um grande publico aos ginasios desportivos. Entretanto o Karate ganhou forca , com os filmes de Bruce Lee em 1970, e muitas pessoas, como eu por exemplo, ficaram facinados pelas artes marciais, entratanto ninguem sabia nada sobre o KUNG FU e nao haviam professores desta artre no Brazil ate aquela data, entao, o Karate passou a ser a primeira opcao, chegou e ter cerca de 1 milhao de adebtos quando da fase de ouro dos filmes chamados pastelao de Kung Fu., o Brasil sempre teve os EUA como padrao por causa dos emios de comunicacao ate que com o advento do Kickboxing, ocorreu uma veradeira febre da academias no Brasil ensinando indisciminadamente esta arte, como na america milhartes de organizacoes quizeram fazer dinheiro ccom o Kickboxing, e muitos o confundiam com o Karate ou uma forma deturpada desta arte.O Karate antrou em declinio no Brasil pela criacao de inumeras Confederacoes deste estilo e muitas destas faccoes nao tinha nenhum respaudo internacional, eram criados apenas para atende interesses pessoais, geraando uma inflacao de faixas pretas, que degenerou o esporte, atualmente popr causa dos jogos olimpicos a CBK principal orgao deste esporte la no Brasil tenta resgatar o karate e parece que esta conseguindo, mesmo com a proliferacao de entidades paralelas, ao fazer uma comapracao entre o Karated praticado no Brasile aqui nos EUA posso afirmar que aqui se tem mais profissionalismo e oportunidade , e artes marciais sao praicadas com seriadade e respeito da populacao, no Brasil, ninguem se interessa por artes marciais e mesmo as autoridades e empresas privadas nao dao a devida atencao a este esporte , nao e parte da cultura do Brasil os pais porem seus filhos em uma escola de artes marciais,mesmo artes como o taekwondo e o Judo e a luta livre olimpica nao tem tanto espaco na midia televisiva quanto o futebol por exemplo. Outro aspecto a considerar e o lado didatico, aqui nos EUA , temos mais recursos , textos livros e acima de tudo oficinas didaticas, seminarios encontros e congressos , aqui realmente e o lugar onde tudo acontece,mesmo como internet, algo que ainda e novo para os artistas marciais brasileiros que carecem de melhores condicoes para ofertarem melhor ensino.As academias ensinam Karate no estilo tradicional e nao ha muita interacao com o corpo discente,nao existe neenhuma estrategia de ensino e enm mesmo marketing,sao muito poucas as academias que podem se dizer dentro do espacao de competicao com as academias americanas, a despeito disto existem grandes valores que estao a espera de ter uma chance de virem para ca competir e temos certeza que isto vai acontecer breve .

Greetings from Florida

 

Michael D. Thomas/ Shodan, Shorei-ryu

Leslie C. Thomas/ Shodan Shorei-ryu

Lecanto, FL

Hello all honorable Kondo No Shokai members. Allow me to introduce not only myself but also my best friend and my honorable husband Michael David Thomas, Shodan, Shorei-ryu. And myself, Leslie Carol Thomas, Shodan Shorei-ryu. We are thrilled to have become members and to know that there are others who strive to keep Shorei-ryu alive and well. David, as he likes to be called, and I began our journey in karate both when we were teenagers, but only for abrief time. David in goju-ryu in Miami Fl. and myself in Pompton Lakes N.J. studying Goju-ryu also. We came back to our karate roots a little over seven years ago, studying Shorei- ryu and Shintoyoshin Juijitsu under Master Charles Bridgewater in Crystal River Fl. Of course in the beginning neither David nor I had the intention to open our own dojo, but ones pathway is never clear at the beginning of a journey, is it!

 

Page 14

 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

Greetings from Florida –Continued

We opened our doors to all those seeking "The Way of the Empty Hand" on Dec. 6th in the year of our Lord 1999. (Talk about your new year resolutions!). I can't say that they are beating down our doors, but the few very talented and dedicated students that we have, I am proud to say that they are Shorei–ryu to the core. It has been a very fulfilling challenge having the dojo.

 

Working on a lesson plan each week, keeping up with each students individual progress .We have devised some very effective line drills that are very challenging physically for stamina and balance while utilizing Shorei stances and hand techniques rather than just push-ups per say. I myself like to work up a good sweat and do all the drills along with our students. I believe their efforts to put heart and soul into a workout are directly linked to my participation. Here's one drill. Start at longest end of school in mitsurin dachi, hands in gasho or praying position. As you step forward kick mae geri with the back advancing leg with kia and land in the opposite mitsurin dachi keeping hands in gasho through entire drill. We call it "praying mantis drill". Remember in mitsurin dachi the knee is one inch from the ground, this builds great leg strength, great balance and good kicks. So far the best advise I could give to anyone regarding your own dojo but mainly for all things in life; you must remain true to that which has empowered you, your own innate ability to improve upon yourself each day through the daily study of KARATE. It has been my pleasure to say these words in an attempt to become closer with the rest of our Shorei-ryu family, and so I will say good bye for now, and leave you with what I'm sure our students would say is my most favorite Kun. Do not focus so intently on the journeys end that you fail to see the journey itself.

Sincerely yours, Michael D. and Leslie C. Thomas

KARATE VS ACADEMICS

Louis Morataya

Shodan, Shorei-Ryu

Compton, CA

 

Every day in just about every day dojo in the country there are dozens of Karate-Ka preparing themselves for another class. At the same time there are other groups of " students " who sit at home and try to think of what excuse they can use this time to avoid going to class. While these excuses range from anything to certain extremities being pain to the occasional, " I just don’t want to go", the one heard most often is that of academic reasons.

It is true that an education is essential in today’s world, and there is no substitute to spending many a sleepless night trying to figure out how to do that one problem or trying to memorize those important facts. But those who are in school, especially college students, know that trying to make that passing grade takes a lot of time, leaving very little time for anything else. So were does karate fit in all of this academic madness? The truth is that those who really want to represent their style and who really want to carry the style of Shorei-Ryu to the next generation will make time for their karate.

 

Just like students everywhere make time to attend the occasional fraternity party, school-sporting event, or " study session" with their " friend " of the opposite sex, those who really know how valuable their karate is will look for the opportunity to attend class. While it is extremely difficult to be able to attend every class every day, making an effort to be at class whenever the opportunity arises might tend to please some Senseis.

In my particular case the struggle of karate versus my schoolwork constantly arises. Should I go to class and study the rest of the night? Or should I skip class and study the rest of the afternoon? While the answer lies only in the individual asking these questions to him, one must remember that the doors to the dojo are always open to those who wish to learn the art of Shorei-Ryu karate. In my case, I would choose to stay home and study the rest of the afternoon because I know there will always be a class going on at one of the Shorei-Ryu dojos run by my Senseis or co- Senseis that evening which I can attend.

Education is what is going to keep the world spinning around the sun, and it is we, the karate-ka, that will keep the art Shorei-Ryu karate going. To the students reading this, hit the books and hit them hard, there is nothing better than standing in front of your family with that diploma in your hand. Make time for your karate, you don't practice it you lose it. To those who have a dojo of their own know that those sincere students that want to learn will keep attending class on a regular basis. This is where we find the true karate –ka.

Page 15

 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

KATA

Steve Salaiz

Sandan, Shorei-ryu

Deming, NM

 

Kata is a pattern of movements which have a series of practical and logical attacking and blocking techniques. If you ask a kyu holder what kata is they will simple answer, "form." Both the definition and the

answer that were given are correct, but not really complete. Kata exists in all martial arts, not just karate. Judo, jujitsu, kendo etc. all use kata for training.

 

When a beginner is being taught kata for the first time, the instructor will tell the student in simple terms where to move, kick, punch, or block. It is during this time that an instructor will watch the student

to make sure the movements are being done correctly. Time must be made during teach class to give the student an opportunity to practice kata. It is during this period that any incorrect movements can be noticed by the instructor, and fixed by the student.

 

For the most part, kata may be practiced alone. You place yourself in a "fight" with an imaginary opponent. This opponent is the same in height, weight, and strength as yourself. The apparent effect on this imaginary opponent can be used to determine if your techniques would be adequate to protect you. However, as students progress, they begin to apply their movements to training partners. The resulting applications (bunkai) on opponents of different size, at various distances and diverse angles of

attack (embusen) greatly improves the students understanding and combat effectiveness.

 

One of the aspects of kata that I have found to be very useful during the last few months is the meditation part. This "moving meditation" helps a person deal with stress. I experienced a severely stressful event almost seven months ago. The resulting trauma has impacted every area of my life. The symptoms have lessened, but at times they still make their presence felt. One of the strategies I have included is to

work kata, whether actually performing the kata or by visualizing myself working the kata. This practice has allowed me to regain my balance. Balance can be thought of in two ways, actual physical balance and

mental balance. The balance I refer to is mental balance.

HONBU SEMINAR (HI -HO IT’S OFF TO DEMING WE GO)

Chapter 2

Juan Carlos (Charlie) Tapia

Nidan, Shorei-ryu Karate

So. Gate, CA

 

After a long fifteen-hour drive and many hours of practicing a kata named "Lose-your-lunch-ugh-chuck-sho"! The art of the "empty stomach," we eventually arrived in Deming. Thursday went by and I got plenty of rest. Friday morning we drove to the dojo and finally met with Sanders Hanshi [Editor note, though titles and ranks vary, for purposes of this article, henceforth all will receive the honorific sensei beside their names.] And about an hour later Chris Hoshiyama sensei arrived from Albuquerque. Sanders sensei began the seminar with a kata namedSuparinpei. We practiced it for about an hour and then began to review iaido. This portion of the seminar started with the nomenclature of the

katana, followed by history of the Shinkage-ryu. We then practiced short iaido kata, which are similar to the Shorei-ryu ippon kumite kata series. Next Hoshiyama sensei began to instruct a kata devised by O-Sensei Trias named Shudo-so. Shudo-so is a good, short, hard-breath kata. Then all the yudansha holders went to lunch. Present were Sanders sensei, Wiseman sensei, Hoshiyama sensei, Salaiz sensei, and Tapia sensei. We ate Chinese food the only Chinese restaurant in Deming, NM. It was fun

having everyone talking about different aspects of karate.

 

We returned to the dojo for the second part of the workout. This included more karate kata and iaido kata. Then it was my turn to teach. I taught the sai kata Soken no Sai Sho and the bo kata Shirotaru no Kon. Also that afternoon Hoshiyama sensei taught a bo kata named Sakugawa no Kon Dai, and the karate kata Fukyu Ichi and a Hsing-i exercise. We did a lot of work in dojo, but had fun at the same time. We shared bunkai [explanation of movements], kata and sword movements with music by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Jimmi Hendrix to relax us.

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 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

HONBU SEMINAR (HI -HO IT’S OFF TO DEMING WE GO)- Continued

Chapter 2

 

Later in the evening the workout ended and Hoshiyama sensei returned to Albuquerque. It was then time to get some rest. However, at 7:30 PM we drove to the Luna County Fair. Visiting Deming is always exciting and fun. This was my third time. We then went back to the motel and spoke with Ahid and Mohammed, the owners of our motel.

The Saturday morning session in the dojo included more work on Suparimpei, Shudo-so, and an hour review Taezu naru waza, then more Iaido kata, which was my favorite. We finished the session with tanto [dagger] kata.

 

After lunch, Sanders sensei, Ramon Rodriquez sensei and Steve Salaiz sensei and I moved to a nearby shooting range where we shot a .22 caliber rifle and handguns in 9 mm, and .45 A.C.P. Of those weapons, I did the best with the rifle. Next we returned to the dojo, reviewed kata, practiced some kobudo and at 4:00 PM had a rather unusual snack. Well, watermelon is not unusual, but the

manner of preparation will live in my memory for quite a while. Sanders sensei lay on top of a bench and put the watermelon on his stomach. Salaiz sensei worked an iaido kata, which ended with his sword cutting through the watermelon, but not cutting Sanders sensei. It was the most impressive cut I've seen in the years of my Iaido training with Sanders sensei.

 

After the meal we did a teddy bear workout. This exercise involved using a mae geri, shuto uchi, and a seiken tsuki to propel a stuffed bear across the dojo workout area. I enjoyed this type of training because it was fun and will help me teach my students coordination, stability and control of their strength. Next we had to throw a punching target at the bear which was placed on a shelf about fifteen feet distant in hope of knocking it down.

 

Later in the evening, Yvonne Baca sensei joined the Iaido workout. We practiced more kata and some bunkai. Later we sat down and talked about what we learned and had a photograph session.

For me, the most important thing about this trip is that we learned a lot from each other. The friendship and respect shown to one another is what makes Shorei-ryu a strong family. I recommend any member of the KondoNo Shokai to pay a visit and workout in the honbu dojo in Deming, New Mexico. If you do go, be prepared to workout, to teach, to learn, and trade knowledge. I want to thank Sanders sensei, for his teachings, friendship, and the support he has given us in our Shorei schools in California. To all the yudansha holders, who took part in the seminar, thank you for being there. To Ramon Rodriguez, congratulations on your successful shodan test. Now karate begins.

That was our experience at honbu. I hope to see you in the Kondo No Shokai seminar in Lynwood, California on July 29, 2000. Have a safe and healthy journey along the path of Encouragement Way of Karate Do!

Arigato, J. Charlie Tapia, Nidan K.N.S. Shorei-ryu

SALUDOS DE DEMING

RAMON RODRIGUEZ

SHODAN, SHOREI-RYU

DEMING, NM

 

SALUDOS A TODOS LOS HERMANOS PERTENECIENTES AL K.N.S. MI NOMBRE ES RAMONRODRIGUEZ. SOY CINTA NEGRA PRIMER DAN. SOY ESTUDIANTE DE EL SENOR TERRY SANDERS, UN GRAN MAESTRO EN LAS ARTES MARCIALES. YO INGRESE A SU ESCUELA CUANDO LLEVABA A MIS DOS HIJOS, QUE TAMBIEN PRACTICAN EL ARTE MARCIAL. LA PRIMERA VEZ QUE HIZE MI PRIMER KATA, ME GUSTARON LOS MOVIMIENTOS, Y CONTINUE A APRENDER OTRA KATA WONZU Y SUS MOVIMIENTOS FUERON MAS DIFERENTES Y ME GUSTO MAS, APARTE DE LA EDUCACION FISICA CON LO QUE SE NESSESITA PARA HACER LOS MOVIMIENTOS. Y DE HECHO, AL SUBIR DE CINTAS LA EDUCACION FISICA FUERON AMENANDO, CON PRACTICA Y DISCIPLINA. PERO CUANDO UNO EN VERDAD SE A CUENTADE LO QUE A APRENDIDO, ES CUANDO COMPITE CON OTRAS DIFERENTES ESCUELAS, ESTILES Y MANERAS. UNO DE MIS MEJARES TRINFOS EN LA VIDA A SIDO EL HABER LLEGADO A SER CINTO NEGRA, PERO COMO DIJO SENSEI CHARLIE TAPIA, ES EL PRINCIPIO DE UN NUEVO APRENDAR, ES COMO VOLVER A SER CINTA BLANCA, Y ELTIENE MUCHA RAZON. ME CABE MENCIONAR QUE TENEMOS UNA BONITA FAMILIA EN K.N.S. SALUDOS A TODOS DONDE QUIERA QUE ESTEN, Y ESPERAMOS SU VISITA CUANDOGUSTEN. SE DESPIDE DE USTEDES SU AMIGO RAMON RODRIGUEZ.

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 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

GREETINGS FROM DEMING

 

Ramon Rodriguez

Shodan, Shorei-Ryu

Deming, NM

 

Greetings to all the brothers and sisters of K.N.S. My name is Ramon Rodriguez. I am a first degree black belt. I am a student of Mr. Terry Sanders, a great teacher in the martial arts. I entered his school when I enrolled my two children, who also practice martial arts. The first time I did my first kata I liked the movements. I went on to learn another kata wansu whose movements were stranger and I liked it more, apart from the physical training necessary to perform the movements. Quickly, rising through the belts, my physical conditioning improved, with practice and discipline. But one doesn't really understand how much he has learned until he competes against those of other schools, styles, and techniques. One of the greatest triumphs in my life is having received the black belt, but as sensei Charlie Tapia said, it is the beginning of a new study, like going back to a white belt, and he's right. I will close by mentioning that we

have a beautiful family at K.N.S.

 

Greetings to all wherever you may be, and we look forward to your visits whenever you decide to come. Good bye, your friend --------------------------------------------------------------Ramon Rodriguez.

 

 

Kyu's Korner ------------------------------------------------------------

KARATE AND STRESS MANAGEMENT

Alejandra Beltran

Sankyu, Shorei-ryu

Deming, NM

 

I would like to start off by saying, "Hello" to everyone who reads our newsletter and to say that I am only 14 years old. In a previous issue of Kondo No Shokai Notes there was a misprint in the year that I first came to Deming. It was 1997 not 1977. Thank you.

 

I would like to discuss my karate and stress management. In working in the martial arts I have been able to relieve the stress that builds up in my everyday life as a karateka, first born and honor roll student I have also learned to use stress in improving my confidence. What I mean is that sometimes stress builds up so much that I just want to hit something, but usually those are the times when there is nothing acceptable for me to hit. Consequently, I hold back on this desire until I can strike the dojo punching bag or use this force to make the punches and kicks in my kata more powerful. Sometimes it is more convenient to shadow box. This might look funny to a neighbor, but it really helps me to relieve stress.

 

I find that using my stress helps give me confidence. I see having some stress in my life is good because without it, people would just be boring. In working kata in front of my peers I still get nervous and this stress makes me strive to improve it. My peers watch every move of my kata and afterward tell me what I need to do to improve it. Practicing kata in this manner allows me to learn to manage stress. When it comes time to work the kata in a tournament, the stress brought on by the presence of judges is not pleasant, but it is manageable. Somehow, in having my peers coach me, my confidence improves and stage fright at tournaments has never been a problem.

 

Fight one more round. When your feet are so tired that you have to shuffle back to the center of the ring, fight one more round. When your arms are so tired that you can hardly lift your hands to come on guard, fight one more round. When your nose is bleeding and your eyes are black and you are so tired that you wish your opponent would crack you one on the jaw and put you to sleep, fight one more round --Remembering that the man who always fights one more round is

never whipped.

James J. Corbett

 

 

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 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

Kyu's Korner--continued

 

Greetings From Deming

 

Joseph "Mike" Haire

Sankyu, Shorei-ryu Karate

Deming, NM

 

I began my study of karate in January of 1991. At first, like most people I took karate for self defense. I studied in Deming for two and one half years before moving to another town to work. During that period

I learned that there is much more to karate than just fighting and self-defense. Next I joined a tae kwon do school and within a month was promoted to brown belt because of my experience in Shorei-ryu. Two

months later I moved again and joined a judo dojo and trained there for another year and a half. I have made lots of friends in these styles and have matured a lot. My last move has brought me full circle back to Deming. Now with a better job I plan to continue my training indefinitely.

 

Since returning to Deming I have gotten my little brother into the dojo and he has just recently earned his green belt. My daughter has also earned a green belt and will start 5th grade in August. Her improved self-confidence and self-esteem has impressed me. Our instructor is Mr. Terry Sanders and I like his commitment to himself, to his students and to martial arts in general. I feel that although I have learned a lot of martial arts in the last nine years, I have but scratched the surface.

The study of the martial arts is a way of life. Whether at school, at home or at work, I see it helps guide people.

 

Sincerely, Joseph Haire

 

KNS-Kuick Kuiz ------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

  1. WHAT ARE THE FIVE MAJOR WEAPONS OF OKINAWAN KARATE?

A. B. C. D. E.

 

2. WHAT IS THE TERM USED FOR A PAIR (2) OF KAMA (PLURAL)?

 

3. WHAT IS THE SHORT STAFF (48'' - 51") CALLED?

 

4. WHAT IS A SHORT (4"- 6" TRADITIONAL) HAND HELD WOODEN WEAPON CALLED?

5. TRUE OR FALSE – WHEN PERFORMING A WEAPON KATA THE LEAD FOOT IS PERMITTED TO STAMP WHEN MOVING AND WHEN COMING IN CONTACT WITH THE FLOOR.

 

6. TRUE OR FALSE – A TRADITIONAL BO MAY HAVE DESIGNS, (DRAGONS, TIGERS, NINJA TURTLES) AND SHOULD HAVE A COAT OF HIGH QUALITY SPAR VARNISH APPLIED TO IT.

(Answers on page 20)

 

 

 

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 KONDO NO SHOKAI / NOTES

KNS - WORD FIND -----------------------------------------------------------------

HOW MANY WORDS CAN YOU FIND IN THE WORD KARATE, CONTAINING TWO (2) LETTERS OR MORE? HINT: THERE ARE TWENTY LISTED BELOW. HOW MANY MORE CAN YOU FIND? (Answers at bottom of page).

 

ANAKU GOPEISHO KANKUSHO ROHAI TENSO

BASSADAI HANGETSU KOKAN SAIFA TSUESHO

BUTO HOOKIYU KURURUNPHA SANSEIRU WUNSU

CHIMPU IPPON KUSHU SANSHIN

CHINTE JIIN NAIHANCHI SEIUNCHIN

EMPISHO JION NANDANSHO SEIPAI

GAKESEI JITTE OHAN SEISHU

GANKAKU JUMA OMOTO SUPARINPEI

GOJUSHIHO JUNIIPPO PINAN TAIKYOKU

Answers to Word Find Answers to Kuik Kuiz

ARE EAT RAT TARE 1. BO, SAI, TONFA, NUNCHAKU, KAMA

 

ARK EAR RATE TEA 2. GAMA

 

ART EATER TAKE T EAK 3. A JO

 

AT KARAT TAKER TEAR 4. YAWARA

 

ATE RAKE TAR TEAR(DROP) 5. YES 6. NO

 

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