Karate Day 2017

81 years ago something pretty incredible happened.

At 4pm on the 25th October 1936 in Naha, Okinawa. A very important meeting took place. A meeting that would become a cornerstone in Karate History.
The 1936 'meeting of the masters'.
The people whose pictures we now have on the wall. The people who we read books about. The people who paved the way to make Karate what it is today.
Hanashiro Chomo Sensei, Kyan Chotoku Sensei, Motobu Choki Sensei, Chibana Choshin Sensei, Shiroma Shinpan Sensei, Oroku Chotei Sensei, Nakasone Genwa Sensei and Kyoda Juhatsu Sensei.
In this meeting they decided that the fighting art that was being referred to in many different ways would come to be known as Karate- Empty Hands.
They felt like karate was a dying art because nobody was interested in it in Okinawa anymore. They wanted to make sure that the thing that they loved so much was not forgotten and that they were not the last people practising it. They wanted Okinawa to be known as the place where this beautiful art was brought to life.
Today is an incredible day because 81 years on, i think they achieved their goal.
Last year when the Guinness World Record was set with almost 4000 karateka doing kata at the same time, in the same place, in the middle of Okinawa. They would be proud.

2016 Karate Day Guinness World Record- 3793 people

Karate day fell on a Wednesday this year and with the newly opened Karate Kaikan a special demonstration was held there today with the current Karate Masters Performing at the 'special dojo'.

Being so small and cute ;) i crawled up the front and sat next to an important looking man in a suit, it meant i could get some pretty incredible pictures and videos of the people i really look up to and respect. I so want to be just like them someday.

The atmosphere there today was incredible. Once the speeches and demonstrations had started, everybody was so quiet and respectful.
There was a vibe of safety in the air- I mean, i don't think i could be in a safer place if i had tried - a feeling of confidence, peace and security.
Sunday will be the day where Karate takes over Kokusai Dori (Typhoon permitting) and so i'll do another post then, but i think today was a perfect way to commemorate Karate day.

It got me thinking about how different things were back then but they still strived for the same things that we are nowadays- getting more people to practice karate and love it like we do; and we love it because of what it brings out of us.
It makes us confident, part of a team,  a student, an athlete, a teacher, a mentor and so, so many more things. most importantly though. It gives us something money can't buy. Happiness and when taught in the right way, creates really great people.
Quoting Funakoshi Sensei: 'the ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of character of it's participants'.

I'll be dead in 81 years time, but i hope that i can play a small part in preserving Karate and passing it onto the future generations, just like the Sensei before us did and just like these sensei are doing now.

100 Kata for Karate day- Year 4!

The day before I came to live in Okinawa we completed the first 100 Kata Challenge.

100 Kata Challenge 2014- Year 1

100 Kata Challenge 2015- Year 2

100 Kata Challenge 2016- Year 3

100 Kata Challenge 2017- Year 4

The 100 Kata Challenge and Karate day also marks a special time for me, because it was the 25th October 2014 that we got on the plane to come to Okinawa. I didn't know whether i would be on Okinawa for one Karate day and now I've been here for 3! There's no atmosphere quite like it.

Completing the 100 kata has phases, just like my journey here:

-The first few kata are so new, fun and exciting. You do them with enthusiasm and energy.  woohoo, go go go.

-Once you reach about 20, you start to slow down and pace yourself, you see the journey ahead and realise you have to settle in or you wont make it to the end.

-When you hit about halfway you begin to wonder why you're doing this. 'only halfway?!' then you tell yourself with a glass half full kinda head- half is done, drink some water- keep going.

-You reach 70 and your muscles are aching and sore, you're sweating a lot and beginning to wonder if it will ever end. I'm never doing this again.

-At 80, it's like zen, you're on autopilot almost. It's therapeutic. There's only you and the kata. Nothing else matters, you're there in the moment. It feels great.

-90! You actually almost did it! Now everyone's energy comes back. Yahoooo, here's where you become a team and are doing this together. 91, 92, 93.....

-100. We did it. Tired, Sweaty, Achy, Dirty....

But, that was great.

When can we do it again?

Nakasone Sensei's Suidi

(And one of the coolest Karate history tours ever)

Less than 24 hours before it began was when i decided.

A spontaneous last minute decision (with a little gentle persuasion from James).

Which probably became one of the best decisions I've made so far this year. Besides learning an incredible amount in both practical karate technique and karate history- I made some new (really cool) karate friends.

Nakasone sensei reminded me of myself somewhat. Maybe thats why i liked him so much. He is curious, always wanting to know why. He is enthusiastic and gets completely lost in karate. He speaks honestly about what he thinks of techniques and it's practicality. He researches and learns the history so that we can all learn from it. He is always smiling and he most definately has sparkly eyes.

Nakasone Sensei's Karate is Suidi (Shuri -Te)- Leading right back to Bushi Matsumura Sokon. Originally, he studied Shorin Ryu (which is still Shuri Te) but decided to research and travel further back to the roots in his quest to discover karate.
Most of what he does involves a relaxed and natural approach to defence- simple body movements that can happen quickly and naturally to give you the advantage.
He used joint locks (which can be used to both restrain or break) and the element of confusion and surprise.

I asked him, why do you break bats and boards when your karate involves being soft, fluid and natural? He said because you can't hit people and your training partners as hard as you can. It is important to practice at least once, what it is like and how it feels to hit something as hard as you possibly can. It really got me thinking, it is something i'd like to try.

After a couple of very intense training days, we had a karate history tour day where every place but one was new. This was really really cool to me because we also had James to translate the incredible wealth of knowledge that Nakasone Sensei has about it.
He did the tour perfectly- get to a place, tell the story, let people take pictures and move onto the next one. With this approach we made it to 8 or 9 different Karate sites around Naha, Shuri and Itoman in the day.

As the week went on, the visiting karateka started leaving the island. I had another opportunity to train with Nakasone sensei, of course, i took it. It was great to be able to continue on and refresh the things we had gone through in the seminar. I also had the chance to spend some time with him in the bar, where i got to listen to his stories and karate journey.

If i get the opportunity to train with Nakasone Sensei again, I will 100% take it.
I guess, the biggest lesson I've learnt from this whole experience is how much good can come from saying yes and taking the opportunities presented to you.

My Senpai's and Me.

In the last few months we've decided that once a month we will hang out and do something new together outside of the dojo.
First was bowling, then batting practice and today was park golf.
I've never done it before so thought it would be a lot of fun. It's also good for us all to swap languages and practice communicating together.
Today had a eventful start when we were driving to the park golf near the dojo we saw a bike drive into the back of a car. Naturally we stopped to help, No one was seriously hurt but we ended up seeing how all the emergency services work in Okinawa. The Police, Fire and Ambulance came and as a precaution the bike guy went to the hospital. We had to wait for about 45 minutes before we could get out of the situation because of all the new added police cars etc.
So we finally made it up to the castle site where we were going to play golf. It was incredibly windy and dare i say it- even a bit chilly! (considering the recent Okinawan summer!)

So we get the 'golf clubs' - i've not seen a golf club like it before- this isn't 'crazy golf', and it's not 'real golf' so i guess some hybrid in the middle! Toshimune, Connor and I are a team and the two senpai's and Satoko are another team.

Obviously, I end up losing, like dead last- as i have with most of the sports we've gone to try together so far, but i had a lot of fun. I think we all did, it even got pretty competitive at times!

Then we go back to Toshimune's house where we made Takoyaki without the Tako.

It was really good. We also had Yakitori, Salad and Steak.

Good food with good friends and good fun. Something different to the usual routine and being able to relax with no expectations is just what i needed (until the pull ups and push ups and weight practice started!).
I always come away from spending time with them feeling so happy and loved just for being myself.

They like and accept me just the way that i am. It seems like it's rare to find friends like that nowadays.

I think it's just as important in the dojo to have good senpai as it is to have a good sensei.
I've got some pretty cool ones that are so much more than just dojo senpai. I'm learning a lot from them, more than just karate.

I'm a part of something really special with some really incredible people #mykaratefamily.

5 Places to Visit in Shuri

1- Shuri Castle:
Obvious i know. Everyone Knows about Shuri Castle and goes to see it, but if you haven't been here before then it is a must see both for karate people and everyone else that visits the island.
There is a lot more to it than just the castle itself, the entire park is worth exploring; even though the castle is not the original, because it was burned down in the war- this is the restored, rebuilt replica version.
For me personally, the park is more exciting than the castle.

2- Zuisen Awamori Distillery:
This one is a little off the beaten track.

However, should you decide to take the long route up to the castle along a few beautiful little back roads you will come across this little gem.

It's a tiny little place but very interesting. Awamori is unique and indigenous to Okinawa and they do a tour where you get to learn all about how it is made, you can even do a taste test!


3- Sueyoshi Park:
I love this place.

Before i ended up with so many other commitments i spent a lot of time exploring this incredible place. There's karate pillars and pine trees to remember Funakoshi Gichin Sensei and his Son, a river, a forest and a shrine.

You could easily spend the day here enjoying the outdoors and quiet of nature.

Even though, this park is just off the main road and in the centre of Naha, once you get right into the park, you could be forgiven for thinking you are in the middle of the mountains in Nago.

It's what i imagine old Okinawa would have been like before everything was built and industrialised.
I guess, it still is a small part of mostly untouched natural Okinawa.
I love it for that.


4- The Ramen Shack:
we found this place because when i get hungry, i get hangry. I'm not even Joking. Ask Steve Sensei. A hungry Becka is not a fun one. After a busy morning of exploring Shuri, i was getting hungry, which means angry too. Steve sensei made us stop at the nearest place he could find to eat and what an excellent little place this is.

It reminds me of something out of Kung fu panda. A tiny little wooden shack, that is painted black with seating for maybe 10 people maximum.

The kitchen is just big enough for the chef and his pots and pans, but there isn't much wiggle room. Nevertheless, this place produces probably one of the best Ramen and Giyoza that i've eaten in Japan-yet. It's very reasonably priced too.

5- Makabi Cemetery:
If you aren't interested in Karate, then you won't be interested in this one.
In fact, if you aren't interested in Karate history, then you won't be interested in this one.
it is a cemetery. Where dead people are laid to rest.
However, to karate enthusiasts this place is pretty incredible.


Here, there are the Haka (Grave Sites) of Itosu Anko Sensei, Matsumura Sokon Sensei and Hanashiro Chomo Sensei.

To me, it feels as though Karate and it's history books just became very real.
All those time when your sensei would be explaining karate lineage and history to you by pointing to the pictures on the wall and giving you dates. Well, this brings all that to life.
It turns these legends that you only read about in books into actual people, like you and me. Except cooler.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt...

We're going on a bear hunt...

Well, we weren't really but that's all that kept going through my head on the drive to Nago.

I've wanted to go hiking for a while now, and we finally made a plan to go.
I got really excited because it would be another thing off my 'list of things to do'.

So, bright and early on a Wednesday morning we all get into 'the James taxi' and off we go.
It's around a 2 - 2 and a half hour drive to where we we're heading- Kunigami Village.
To get to the hike trail start we followed other instructions from-

http://www.mapitokinawa.com/2013/12/mount-yonaha.html

This was a first time for all of us, which helped because then we were all just as unsure as each other what we were going to find.

It's a real Habu!
Photo courtesy of Nic, there's no way i was getting close enough to it. 

Well, we definately weren't dissapointed! It was amazing.

Probably one of the best days I've had in Okinawa so far.

It was perfect weather, sunny with a few showers (but we we're in the forest so it didn't really affect us and it gave us some respite from the hot Okinawan summer).

We were probably the first ones on the trail because we started the hike around 9.40 and came across so so many animals- which probably went into hiding after we found them!

We saw crocodile newts,  a wild tortoise, green Ryukyu snakes (non venomous) and a real Habu (venomous snake) in it's natural habitat- that was super scary but incredibly cool and maybe a little dangerous.

I put together a video from all the shots the boys took on the gopro. A really cool video, of a really cool adventure.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wgtm7sbnamwjj8j/Mount%20Yonaha%206th%20Sept%2017.mov?dl=0

I can't wait to go exploring again, on our next bear (or should it be snake?!) hunt.

Makiwara!

With just 3 materials and 8 steps!
Once we had made Chi-ishi we had to continue the adventure and make a makiwara too.
James likes to hit things, and I've wanted to make my very own makiwara since not long after i started karate and i would watch Steve sensei hitting his one. Maybe i'll like to hit things too.
By no means are these perfect makiwara. Nevertheless, for a first attempt using the materials and space that we had, we have ended up with something practical, replaceable and pretty cool if you ask me.
With our new 'let's do it' mindset we're getting some really cool stuff done and learning lots along the way.

To make the makiwara you simply need:
Cement
Wood ( a strong hardwood that wont break easily and treated if it will be outside)
Rope/ old belts/ material to wrap it
Big rocks and blocks (Optional)

Step 1- 
Dig a hole.
We chose a small space at James' house that is under his balcony- so it is covered from the rain (somewhat) and it has the house foundations we will be using as back support for the posts.
Ideally we were thinking about digging a hole probably just under a meter deep. We figured the deeper, the stronger- right?!
But we came across more concrete foundations once we reached maybe just over half a meter deep and so decided we would make do with it.

Step 2- 
Cut your wood to desired length.
Because we were burying the posts shallower than planned we had to cut a piece off. We used the spare pieces to go behind the posts for support.

Step 3- 
Set up the posts as you want them to be.
We had one big piece of hardwood for James' big heavy duty one and a smaller piece of more flexible wood for a snappier more forgiving makiwara for me.
Since we have made them and played with them a little, they are pretty different and i think we can both benefit from using both of them.

Step 4-
Mix up the cement.
It took more than what we were anticipating. We used five 20kg bags in total for the two makiwara. Three bags for the bigger one and two for the smaller one.

Step 5-
We decided to cement the two makiwara separately so that if we have to repair/ move or change anything then we don't necessarily have to move both of them.

Step 6- 
Let the cement dry and personalise as you see fit ;)

Step 7-
Replace the dirt and ground around the cement, making sure to fill in all the small gaps and jump it down as you go along.
Once it's all somewhat evened out you're almost finished.

Step 8-
Finally you need to add the 'maki' to your makiwara.
James had some old belts that we could use instead of rope. Works just as well and is even a bit more forgiving on the hands :)

There may be a few things we will change next time, but for the time being; we can hit them and use them for their purpose. Hence i think we did a good job.

We made Chi-ishi

I have a list of things to do before i die.
I believe everyone should have a bucket list.
It gives you goals to aim for, helps you discover more about yourself and it's super cool when you actually achieve them.
Some of these are things are exclusive to Okinawa, some are things that can be done anywhere. Some are instantly achievable, some take a lot of dedication and life changes.
My bucket list was one of the reasons i took the jump and moved to Okinawa.
but now i'm digressing...
With how fast 2017 is flying by I decided i needed to stop wasting time and start doing these 'one day' things, you know, those things that you would love to do/ will do 'one day'.

On my list was to make my very own training equipment that you will find in almost every single traditional Okinawan karate dojo.
Chi-ishi and a Makiwara.

We started with the Chi-ishi, used to train core strength and control to improve karate.
Sounds good to me, but how do we do it, and what do we need?

It seems it's pretty simple and only requires a few ingredients- 
1- Ready Mixed Cement 
2- Hammer Handles (without the hammer) 
3- Nails 
4- Buckets/ whatever shape container you want your chi-ishi to be (can be reused if careful) 
5- Paint (optional) 

Step 1- 
Get a James to help.
The strong arms and knowledge of power tools is valuable in making sure you end up with some nice equipment at the end (and a good place to play with them).

Step 2- 
Mix up the cement. Easy enough, I could even do this part all by myself, without any help.
Think of it like making a boxed cake mix. Pour the powder in the bowl and add the water. Voila- you have your cement.

Step 3-
Take your hammer handles and put the nails through the end- drill a hold first so as not to split the wood. Put them in the shape of a cross so that they are even. The nails are there so that the cement has something to stick to and it won't just fall apart later.

Step 4- 
Choose your bucket. Pour in the cement.

Step 5- 
Place the hammer handles in the centre of the bucket- if they're not centered, your chi-ishi will be off balance.

If it was me by myself, i would have probably sat and waited for them to dry, but i had a James who's smart and set up a little drying station to hold the handles where they should be while the cement set.
At this point you should make sure the handles are straight and that you tap the buckets a bit to make sure there are no air bubbles.

Step 6- 
wait a couple of days, or just one in the Okinawan summer.

Step 7- 
Remove them from the bucket (this might involve kicking it a few times).

Step 8 (optional)- 
If you like, you can just go ahead and use them as they are, but because there is quite a high possibility i will drop them (i'm a first timer) and also because i'm in love with blue. We decided to paint them, with the idea that the paint will stop them shattering if they are dropped. We also chose hammer handles with holes in the end so we can add a wrist strap.

Here we have our finished chi-ishi.
It was much easier than i was expecting, then again the traditional training tools apparently are usually things you have hanging around or are easy to make.
We didn't aim for a specific weight, nor did we make sure they matched exactly. Some might want to be more precise but for a first attempt, I'm happy.

Five of my favourite Karate related places in Okinawa

On my first trip to Okinawa in October 2012 my sensei took us on a long (when i say long, i mean almost an entire day) walk around Naha and Tomari to Karate related places. 

I had no idea how much this would influence my future. 

I remember hearing the story about the families in the Fukushuen Chinese gardens, sharing their fighting arts with the locals. Seeing Miyagi Chojun and Kanryo Higashionna's memorial in Matsuyama Park and finding Kosaku Matsumora's Memorial in the playground in Tomari. 

It was all so big and exciting and literally brought these stories and Karate to life for me. 
I was standing right where they had been, years ago. 

Little did my sensei or I realise that five years later it would have turned into such a quest, for the both of us.  

So having now found around 30 of the karate places in Okinawa, here i have chosen my favourite 5: 

1- Matsumora Kosaku's Secret Hiding Place

Kicking it off at number 1 is the secret hideout of Matsumora Kosaku. We discovered that this one existed in 2012 and have been searching for it ever since. 

Not many people know where it is, or will share the location anyway! 

We found it just a couple of months ago, so essentially had almost a five year search for this one. 

It's my favourite because of the journey to finding it, but also the beauty of the location. 

It is where Bushi Matsumora retreated to after an altercation with a Japanese satsuma warrior.
The story says that he used just a towel to disarm the enemy of his sword, having done this (and lost a finger in the process) he had to escape and dissapeared into the hills of Nago for safety.  
According to my sensei (who is a direct student of Nagamine Shoshin Sensei) he stayed there for over 10 years.
The local villagers admired what he had done and so kept his location a secret.

After it was safe and he returned to Naha the people of Nago erected the pillar at the location of his former hideaway house.
the pillar was moved to the opposite side of the road on the 24th February 1980 and once a year the local people clean the site.

Probably in the remotest location on Okinawa that i have been to, and maybe even the most beautiful too. 

We could not have done this without the help of my Japanese language sensei and a Dojo Kohai. 

It really was a very good hiding place. 

2- The 'Chanan' Cave

With a variety of names including the Chinto Cave, Channan Cave, Annan Cave and simply Old Cave, there seems to be an interesting history mystery to this one.

I’ll go with the stories I've heard so far while trying to stay impartial.

According to Okinawan legend this is the cave in Tomari where a shipwrecked man from China took refuge. They say he was named ‘Anan’ or ‘Chanan’ and he began teaching people his art of fighting. People would visit his cave to learn from him, supposedly the Chinto Kata came from him (and possibly the Pinan kata too).

I love this one because it was the first place i found by myself when i just arrived here. it took me about three attempts to find it, i was so excited when i did.

Then just recently did we go back and rediscover that there is SO much more than meets the eye with this one.

3- The Memorial for Kyan Chotoku

Kyan Chotoku (1870-1945) studied under Sokon Matsumura Sensei and was known for being small, slim and not in the best of health but also having poor eyesight which is probably why he had the nickname ‘chan migwa’ (small eyed boy).

Kyan participated in the 1936 meeting of Okinawan Masters where it was decided that the ‘art’ that had many different names, should be called ‘Karate’ meaning empty hands. This is the reason why now October 25th is ‘Karate Day’ in Okinawa and is celebrated by a whole host of events around the island.

Kyan’s memorial is based next to the Hija river (where he supposedly used to live).

I love this one because it was one of the hardest to find by ourselves, we knew it was near the Hija river and in a car park.

That was it.

We tried a couple of times and failed, now knowing we were way off area wise.

Then, Sensei and I used a bike and went up there searching together one afternoon, we walked around a lot of Kadena looking for it.

Then just as we were giving up we stumbled upon it.

Most definately a happy end to that day.

It's also along this river that i saw my first ever real life wild snake (Nishike Hebi) and discovered Yara Castle Ruins by mistake!

4-Matsumora Kosaku Roadside Memorial 

I didn't know that this one existed until just earlier this year. It seems silly as it has been under my nose the entire time that i have been here. 

Literally less than a ten minute walk from the Dojo Bar (where i spend a LOT of my time). 

I think that this one is super cool because it has a almost 3D aspect to it, with Matsumora doing the shuto uke. 

It also now makes Kosaku Matsumora the Bushi with the most Memorials and Site Markers dedicated to him in Okinawa (that we have found). 

It's very cool as he is a big influence in the Matsubayashi Ryu linage and it seems he also had a profound influence on the people of Okinawa. 

So much so that they wanted to remember him, with not just one memorial but three hence i think they also wanted us to remember him too. 

5- Shinjo Heitaro Sensei's Memorial 

Matsuda Sensei is my Sanshin Teacher. 

Shinjo Heitaro Sensei is his teacher. 

Shinjo Heitaro was taught by Kyan Chotoku. 

The first time that i saw this one was with James and Chris when we went for a walk around cape Zanpa. We took the long, scenic route. 

I then took Steve Sensei back along the same scenic route when we went to see it together. Sorry about that! 

Matsuda Sensei wrote the song that is inscribed on the back of it. 

(I'm saying it's a song, because he sang it to me last time i asked about it, but he can turn literally anything into a song, so i can't be sure)

I love this one because of the beauty of it's location, based on the edge of the Zanpa cliffs the views surrounding this one are stunning. 
Also, speaking about him gives Matsuda sensei sparkly eyes. To have someone speak about you with such admiration must have made him a great sensei. 

Plus, if i go to see this, then usually i get to see Habu sensei too and that always makes me happy.