Dear WMKA members from around the world,  A Happy New Year! Shin-nen akemashite omedetou gozaimasu! I congratulate you all in welcoming a bright new year wherever you are living now. We are celebrating a wonderful new year with our families, friends and communities here in Okinawa.

On November 8th, 2017 Yoshitaka Taira Hanshi, President of the WMKA, was awarded the prestigious Cultural Commendation from the Prefecture of Okinawa. This commendation was awarded for his cultural contribution in the field of karate and kobujutsu.

The next USA Matsubayashi Seminar will be held in San Jose, California from July 20, 2018 through July 22, 2018. The seminar will include kihon drills, specific kata review and corrections, kata applications, Sotai Renshu drills and instruction in bo Kata. Arakaki Sensei will be sharing his insights on kata and various new aspects of traditional karate.

In November 2017, the Matsubayashi-ryu Karate Association of Australia hosted Sensei Toshimitsu Arakaki, Hanshi 10th Dan of the World Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-do Association for his third training tour to Australia.

Practicing Matsubayashi Ryu martial artists from across the continent came together this weekend in Cocoa Beach to honor Soke Takayoshi Nagamine.  Soke previously came to visit Cocoa Beach in July of 2011. He was to do so again in 2012, but  passed away in April of that year.

News Post August 10, 2917:  On July 31st to August 6th Toshimitsu Arakaki, Hanshi, 10th,visited Canada. Hosted by Steve Trombly, Kyoshi, 7th Dan,  training sessions were conducted twice daily. Arakaki Sensei corrected kata and  instructed various new aspects of traditional karate.

The WMKA/EMKA Matsubayashi Ryu Taikai 2017 was held in Grossefehn/Germany on Saturday the 20th and Sunday the 21st of May.  This yearly event was created by Martin O‘Malley Sensei from Ireland in 2015. In this occasion we received Matsubayashi Ryu Karateka from Spain, Norway, England, Ireland, The Netherlands and Germany.

Every year Karate No Hi (Karate Day), hold something exciting and fun. The main road in Naha “Kokusai Dori” is blocked off for demonstations by karate masters of the various Okinawan karate styles as well as students from many dojos in Okinawa performing either on stage or in the street.

The USA WMKA seminar featuring Yoshitaka Taira, Hanshi 10th Dan, President of the WMKA occurred over a three day span from October 16-18 at the Shinbukan Dojo of Rio Rancho New Mexico). The event was hosted by Fred Schlesinger, 5th Dan and attended by over fifty Matsubayashi Ryu practitioners from the United States and Canada ranging from Kyu levels through 8th Dan.