The annual memorial Matsubayashi karate weekend to remember and honor Soke Takayoshi Nagamine was held August 12th (Soke’s birthday) and 13th at the WMKA Cocoa Beach Karate Dojo. Karate practitioners came form all over to honor Soke T. Nagaminre and train together for the weekend. There was also a dan testing for Cocoa Beach Karate yudansha Lisa Miller who earned her 2nd dan. The WMKA Board of judges were: Angel Mazza, Kyoshi 7th Dan, Curtis Anderson Renshi 6th Dan, Des Chaskelson Renshi 6th Dan and Marsha Lauka 5th Dan. Soke held several seminars in Florida, the last one at Cocoa Beach Karate Dojo on 2011. The memorial in his honor has been held every year since then.
Read moreAuthor Archive: Fred Schlesinger
WMKA/EMKA September, 2022 Seminar Featuring Toshimitsu Arakaki Hanshi, 10th Dan
We are pleased to announce a WMKA/EMKA seminar With Arakaki Sensei, 10th Dan, Hanshi on September 9th and 10th, 2022 in Belleville, Illinois, USA. The seminar will begin on the evening of Friday, September 9th and will continue as a full day event on September 10th. On Saturday evening, September 10th, there will be a Banquet and on Sunday morning, September 11 a breakfast meal. Registration for the seminar is open to WMKA and EMKA members. Options for days of attendance and for the banquet food choices as well as attendance for breakfast can be found on the registration forms below.Several hotel options and suggestions are also listed on the registrations, but there are many hotels to choose from in the area. Please register soon as attendance numbers are limited.(Note: Prior notification of this seminar was sent to all dojo owners in May and the registration form became available on June 5, 2022.)Please click on the link below to open the registration form:https://matsubayashi-ryu.com/220605-sept22-seminar-registration-final/ *For more information, please contact Ed French, 6th Dan of the Nagamine Matsubayashi-Ryu Lineage Dojo and host of the seminar by email at edfrench@pobox.com, or by phone at (618) 830-8192. Thank you and we look forward to seeing many WMKA/EMKA members at the seminar!
Read moreThe 2nd Okinawa Karate World Tournament 2022
News from Okinawa May 18, 2022 Dear WMKA members around the World, The Covid-19 pandemic is still hurting many people around the world. I hope you are not affected by it too much and doing OK in your daily life where you live. I will post “Okinawa Karate World Tournament 2022” as news from Okinawa. Okinawa is holding the Karate Events from August 1st to 9th. The two main contents of the event are “Karate Tournament (Kata/form)” and “Karate Seminar”. The contents of the Karate event may be changed, or it may be cancelled or postponed based on the COVID-19 situation. The Okinawa Governor is the president of the Karate Events Executive Committee. President Yoshitaka Taira is one of six-Vice presidents from all Okinawa karate and Kobudo organizations. WMKA Okinawa Headquarters will send 12 personnel including president Taira and vice president Arakaki to the Expert Committees as Seminar instructors, Judges or staff. Accountant Ms. Mayumi Horikawa Renshi 6th Dan won the Okinawan Preliminary Rounds and will attend the Main Tournament as one of three participants from the Okinawa Adult Female Senior in August. The Karate Tournament (Kata/form) consists of Preliminary Rounds and Main Tournament. You can choose any Category you like based on your Karate-kei (Ryuha) and your age. Karate-kei (Ryuha) is classified into five groups: ① Shuri-te kei /Tomari-te kei ② Naha-te kei ③ Uechi-ryu kei ④ Kobudo (Bo) ⑤ Kobudo(Sai). Age is classified into four groups for male and female: ➀Juniors Male (15 to 17) ② Adults Male Ⅰ (18 to 39) ③ Adults […]
Read moreNew 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 […]
Read moreNews From Okinawa: New Payment Method for Dojo Owners
November 26,2021 Good news for WMKA Dojo Owners! You can now submit payments directly to the WMKA/ President Taira Bank account through PayPal.The PayPal link is listed on the secure ‘Dojo Owner’s” page under payment options.You can use the Paypal method to submit fees for dojo licenses, yudansha certificates or any other WMKA fees that need to be submitted to Okinawa. If you don’t have a Paypal account you can easily start one for no fee. Follow direction to enroll in PayPal. Once you have logged into PayPal you can click on the link or scan the QR barcode on the Dojo Owners page. The cost of sending money directly through PayPal is considerably less than a “Bank wire transfer fee”(See the “Dojo Owners Page” for other options to submit fees). https://paypal.me/WMKA1/ Use “Send” Option, then on payment screen, please include a note/message with following information included:a) From whom (Dojo Owner’s name)b) What the payment is for (ex. Dan certificates, license renewal, etc.) We hope this will make payment much more simple for our members. (Click Read More to see entire post if image not seen)
Read moreFounder Shoshin Nagamine and My 60 Years in Karate – By Frank Baehr
Dear WMKA Members,
At the end of January we had a Zoom meeting celebrating my 60th Anniversary in Karate. I thank all of you who participated in this event, and also those who could not participate in person, but sent congratulatory written or video messages.
Read morePayment Guidance of Fundraising for Monument in Honor of Nagamine Shoshin
Donation:
Minimum payment unit is JPY5,000. Donors who contribute more than JPY50,000 will be engraved on the monument as a sizable donor. Please burden transaction fee as additional amount of the donation.
June 20, 2021: The Fundraising Prospectus for Monument Erection in Honor of Founder Shoshin Nagamine
Dear WMKA Members,
The Covid-19 pandemic is still hurting many people around the world. I hope you are not affected too much by it and doing well in your daily life where you live.
Read moreCancellation of the Memorial Monument Unveiling for Founder Shoshin Nagamine in 2021
Dear WMKA members,
We are cancelling the “Monument Unveiling” for Founder Shoshin Nagamine in November this year due to the current situation relating to the Corona virus vaccination status and because of immigration control restrictions in Japan that are difficult to predict for the near future.
Read moreThe New schedule for the Memorial Events for Founder Shoshin Nagamine in 2021
News Announcement from Okinawa February 16, 2021 This Event Has Been Cancelled: The New schedule for the Memorial Events for Founder Shoshin Nagamine in 2021 Dear WMKA members around the world, The COVID-19 pandemic is still spreading and on the rampage around the world. We hope all of you are not affected too much and are keeping your daily lives safe. It seems no one including pandemic specialists from around the world can predict when this COVID-19 PANDEMIC will become quiet and we will return to our normal daily lives again. All we can do may be to pray that the Covid-19 pandemic will be over as quickly as possible. “There is no night that doesn’t dawn”, and we believe that today’s step by step actions will lead to a bright future. I want to announce “The New schedule for the Memorial Events for Founder Shoshin Nagamine in 2021”. Please refer to the attached leaflet below this letter for detailed information. We hope that positive thinking and rational behavior of people around the world will soon overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. Corona virus vaccination has begun in some countries and we hope it will soon cover all nations. Also, we wish that the Tokyo Olympic and the Paralympic Games will be open this summer in Japan to show the strength of human beings over the Covid-19 pandemic. We will closely follow the Covid-19 pandemic situation around the world and will inform you of any changes including any additional postponement or suspension […]
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