New Year’s Greeting From Okinawa

News from Okinawa  January 1, 2022

Dear WMKA members around the world,

A Happy New Year 2022 ! Aratama nu Tushi Muke-ti Gusu-yo-  Waka Waka tu Tushi Tuimiso-chi Sai !

 I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations to all of you for the glorious and hopeful New Year.

 It was a “Dream come true ! ” for all WMKA members around the world that we could erect the Memorial Monument for Founder Shoshin Nagamine last year. The monument is located in Tomari district of Naha City where he was born on July 15,1907. On top of that, his Monument stands side by side with the Monument for Matsumora Kosaku who is known as “Restorer of Tumai-di” within Tomari Shinyashiki park in Naha City. 

  Though “Okinawa, “Birth Place of Karate” is small island, we had an indigenous self-defense and peaceful martial art called “Te” which means “Hand” . It gradually evolved & spread to the whole world, regardless of age, gender, nationality, race, thoughts or religion.  Karate was officially authorized as one of the Olympic sports at Tokyo 2020 and recognized as world Karate. Mr. Kiyuna Ryo, an athlete from Okinawa won the Karate Kata competition and brought back the first Karate Gold Medal to Okinawa. 

The Covid-19 virus is still hurting many people around the world since last year.  Many WMKA members  also are affected, not only in your daily life and jobs but also your Karate life. I assume many of you have closed your dojos and don’t know when you can reopen them.  Nobody, including the world’s infectious diseases specialists can predict the extermination of the Covid-19 pandemic around the world. I highly appreciate your willingness to practice alone at home & by online training with teachers, via the multiple dojos owners that are connected by Zoom using online karate to pursue Matsubayashi-ryu even under current Covid-19 condition. 

We will exempt WMKA membership annual fee for 2022 as same as last year. We want you to be patient and continue your karate life. We want to celebrate the Memorial Monument Erection with you now and in the future. You don’t need to do any paperwork for your Dojo license for 2022. We will extend your dojo license and will send your extended new dojo license as soon as we can prepare yours. For the dojo owners who have already sent their renewal applications to Okinawa, we will exempt them for 2022 and add it to their new dojo license.

“There is no night that doesn’t dawn”, and we believe that today’s step by step will lead to a bright future. 

We are planning to invite WMKA members widely to the “Celebration for the Erection of Monument of Honor” to celebrate the founder Shoshin Nagamine Sensei after COVID-19 disaster has ended or is under control. 

We are strongly look forward to reuniting with many WMKA members in Okinawa.

Best Regards,
Yoshitaka Taira
President of WMKA

(Please scroll down page for the unveiling news photos and descriptions)

WMKA会員の皆様へ

世界松林流空手道連盟

会長 平良慶孝

新  年  の  挨  拶

新玉(あらたま)ぬ年むけぇてぃ ぐすーよー 若々ぁとぅ年ん取みそぉーちーさい

(訳) 新しい年を迎え、皆様が若々しく年を重ねられますように

謹んで新春のお慶びを申し上げます。

空手発祥の地沖縄は小さな島国でありながら「手」(てぃ)という護身術を空手道へと昇華させました。その空手道は沖縄にとどまらず、日本本土へと渡り、やがて国境、人種、宗教、思想をも飛び越えて世界の空手へと普及、発展しました。

昨年開催された平和の祭典であるオリンピック競技に空手が採用されたことも普及の広さを表しています。その東京オリンピックもコロナ禍の為、無観客での開催となり、その他多くのイベントが中止、延期、縮小を余儀なくされたのは非常に残念であります。

長嶺将真顕彰碑建立はこれ以上の延期は役所との兼合いからも難しく、コロナ禍ではありましたが建設工程を進めており、昨年の11月3日に除幕式を執り行うことが出来ました。皆様の格別のご高配を賜り、立派な顕彰碑が建立できたことを心から感謝申し上げます。この状況が収まり、皆様と沖縄の地で再会した際には是非実物の顕彰碑をご覧頂き、長嶺将真先生の偉業と松林流の結束の強さを感じて欲しいと思います。

会員の皆様にはコロナ禍でも決して下を向くことなく前を向いて歩んで頂きたい。このような状況がいつまでも続く事はありません。今日をしっかり締め括れば、明日には新たな展開があります。「まだ足りぬ 鍛えこなしてあの世まで」 将真先生の言葉を胸に、沖縄の地で共に汗を流せる日に向けて各々が出来る稽古を日々続けていきましょう。

令和4年1月1日 元旦

We limited the participants only the board & high ranking blackbelt holders in Okinawa General Headquarters.

今回の除幕式の参加者は新型コロナウイルス感染の影響で沖縄総本部の全理事と高段者に限定して行いました。

Posted in Matsubayashi-ryu.