Karate-ka from Ireland Visit Okinawa Martin O’Malley 4th Dan and Michael O’Neill 3rd Dan from Ireland visited Okinawa from the 20th to the 28th of October for their second visit of 2019.  As always they received a warm welcome from the teachers who had prepared a schedule of training of between two and three times per day at various Dojo. During this visit they were hosted by Taira Sensei, Arakaki Sensei, Tome Sensei, Miyagi Sensei and Shinzato Sensei.  The training at these Dojo which saw them practice Basics, Kata and Partner Exercises for both Karate and Kobujutsu was very intense but very beneficial for both men who felt that this level of training was very important for their further development.  Both men were very grateful to each of the teachers for their continued support and guidance. Friday 25th of October saw the Karate no Hi demonstrations at the Karate-do Kaikan which they had the opportunity to attend.  Taira Sensei was among the teachers who demonstrated at this event where he gave an outstanding performance of Chinto.  Just before the demonstrations began they took a tour of the museum at the Karate-do Kaikan where there were many very interesting displays of Karate and Kobujutsu artefacts.  That afternoon they visited Matsuyama Park to check out the 100 Kata Challenge organised by Challenge Okinawa. On Sunday 27th October they joined a group of 2,100 Karate practitioners to demonstrate Fukyugata Ichi and Fukyugata Ni on Kokusai Street and after as part of the Matsubayashi-ryu […]

  On September 20th and 21st, 2019, Westminster Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-Do Club of Swansea/ Belleville, IL. the Dojo of Ed French, 6th Dan and Marsha Lauko, 5th Dan, sponsored a WMKA Seminar. We were honored to have Toshimitsu Arakaki Sensei, Hanshi, 10th Dan and Vice President of the WMKA lead the seminar.    The seminar opened with comments from Fred Christian, 8th Dan, Kyoshi and Ed French, 6th Dan who stated the two objectives of the seminar were to learn from Arakaki Sensei and have a good time.   Over 85 WMKA members attended the seminar including 20 Dojo owners from England, Ireland, Australia and throughout the United States. During the seminar Arakaki Sensei reviewed Fukyugata I and II,  Pinan III and bunkai, the seven Yakusoku Kumite with some minor modifications, two Bo Kata and Bo bunkai. Participants were very complimentary of the attention and help they received to ensure they were using proper technique not only from Arakaki Sensei but also from Senior Ranked Dojo owners such as Scott Mastin 7th Dan (Ohio),  John Carlyle 6th Dan (Australia), Gerard Cappiello 6th Dan, (NY), Fred Schlesinger 5th Dan (NM), Steve Woolston 5th Dan (England) and Martin O’Malley 4th Dan (Ireland).  We owe a special thanks to Takeharu Nishida, 1st Dan for his assisting Arakaki Sensei as an interpreter. Four individuals were evaluated and elevated in rank,  Lisa Miller to 1st dan (Sensei Chaskelson), Mary MacIntire and Janice Schuchart to 2nd Dan ( Sensei Lauko and French) and Vanessa Cook (Sensei Norvell) […]

The Memorial Monument Unveiling ＆ Celebration for Founder Shoshin Nagamine Karate-Do International Seminar & Exchange Martial Arts 2020 長嶺将真先生 顕彰碑 除幕式及び祝賀会 空手道国際セミナー及び　交流武芸祭　２０２０  Date:  October 30 ～November 2 , 2020( 4 Days) Dates: October 30 (Fri): International Karate-do Seminar ~ Dan Promotion Test October 31 (Sat): International Karate-do Seminar ~ Exchange Martial Arts ~Dojo Owners Exchange Meeting & Party November 1 (Sun): Memorial Monument Unveiling & Celebration Party November 2 (Mon): Sightseeing Bus Tour (Option) Venues: Shinyasiki Park Tomari Naha (Final) Okinawa Karate Kaikan (Tentative) Okinawa Prefectural Martial Arts Hall Rensei Dojo 2F (Tentative) **(Detailed schedule and application procedure will be posted later)

Seminar With Toshimitsu Arakaki Sensei, Hanshi, 10th Dan. November 20th to 27th 2019. Hosted by the Matsubayashi Ryu Karate Association Of Australia. The first part of the seminar will be held in the Wingham, Laurieton and Taree dojo`s of John Carlyle and then Arakaki Sensei will travel to the Canberra dojo of Reece Cummings. This will be Arakaki Sensei`s 4th seminar in Australia and all students of the MKAA are looking forward to once more receiving instruction and correction in Matsubayashi-Ryu karate techniques by one of the most senior instructors of the WMKA.  ~John Carlyle, Renshi, 6th Dan  ( jcarlyle5@bigpond.com )    

On the weekend of August 2nd and 3rd 2019, Cocoa Beach Karate (CBK) hosted their 8th annual Soke Takayoshi Nagamine Memorial Event to remember and honor Soke and the Matsubayashi karate-do legacy. Soke visited Cocoa Beach last in 2011 and CBK was  set for another visit in 2012 before his untimely and sad passing. Since CBK was already all set up for a seminar, they decided to hold the event as a memorial to Soke, and have been doing same every year since then. This year’s event ran over two days, with the biggest group of deshii on Saturday when just over 50 karateka attended from all over Florida as well as New York, Virginia and Canada. Many thanks to WMKA  senseis Steve Trombley, 7th Dan, Kyoshi and Angelo Mazza, 7th Dan, Kyoshi as well as to all other Matsubayashi karateka for coming to support the event and to Trombley sensei for conducting segments of the weekend. On both days the workout commenced with the traditional Nagamine Matsubayashi junbi undo (warm ups), followed by kihon undo and then group kata and some oyo bunkai applications previously taught by Soke. The last part of the event was dedicated to the classical traditional Matsubayashi 18 kata, with special demos by rank, and by dojo. The final session included demos by different dojos of various kobudo katas. We all strive to honor the Nagamine legacy of Matsubayashi karate do and in closing, we read this quote from Soke: “My father and master used […]

東海地区本部主催 「松林流空手道セミナーin 浜松   2019年4月20～21日の2日間で沖縄より當銘岩雄範士9段と眞喜志哲雄錬士6段を招いて松林流空手セミナーin 浜松を開催しました。今回の空手道セミナーには東海地区から小波蔵本部長教士8段をはじめ37名、　関西から檀上祐一教士7段をはじめ10名、　関東から浅野高幸5段をはじめ3名の総勢５０名の参加がありました。 1日目は基本動作から普及形Ⅰ～ピンアン5段を中心に行い、2日目はナイハンチ初段～五十四歩までポイントとなる動作を細かくご指導いただきました。 「第1回浜松空手道セミナー」は、開祖長嶺将真先生がお亡くなりになられた翌年の1998年、故長嶺高兆宗家からスタートし、今回が通算13回目となります。第1～10回セミナーまでは高兆宗家の直伝空手道セミナーとしてご指導を授かりました。高兆宗家が2012年4月にお亡くなりになってからは、第11回セミナーは平良会長、第12回セミナーは新垣副会長、第13回は當銘先生からご指導を受けました。今後も松林流空手道の神髄を継承・普及及び追及を目指し、沖縄総本部から講師を招聘し「松林流空手道セミナーin浜松」を継続して行きます。 Hamamatsu Seminar by Iwao Tome Hanshi 9th dan was finished successfully on April 20 & 21 in Shizuoka Prefecture Japan. We had about 50 participantns, Masaaki Kohagura kyoshi 8th dan & 37 from Tokai District, Yuichi Danjyo kyoshi 7th dan & 10 from Osaka, Takayuki Takano 5th dan & 3 from Kanto District in mainland of Japan. The first day, we started and reviewed from fundamental movement and Fukyugata Ⅰ to Pinan V.  The second day, we practiced from Naihanchi Shodan to Gojushiho. Tome sensei pinpointed, guided & corrected important specific physical movement during the seminar. The 1st Hamamatsu Karate-do Seminar was started by Soke Takayoshi Nagamine in 1998 just after Founder Shoshin Nagamine passed away in 1997.  Soke was an Instructor from the 1st to 10th Seminar.  The 11th Instructor was President Yoshitaka Taira Hanshi 10th dan in 2014 after Soke passed away in 2012. The 12th was Vice president Toshimitsu Arakaki Hanshi 10th dan. The 13th was the Iwao Tome in 2019. We will continue Hamamatsu Seminar and invite Instructor from Okinawa to inherit and spread Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-do. Written by Masaaki Kohagura kyoshi 8th dan from Tokai District Headquarters.

Over the course of the weekend from Friday 31st May to Sunday 2nd June, around 50 members of the European Matsubayashi-ryu Karate-do Association (EMKA) gathered in Eastbourne, England for their annual ‘Taikai’ event. Each year this event is hosted by a different country within the membership of the EMKA/WMKA and this year the honour fell to the dojo and students of Steve Woolston, Sensei to welcome teachers and students from no less than seven different European countries – England, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway and Spain. On Friday evening the event was officially started, and the attendees were welcomed by the head of the EMKA, Ole-Bjorn Tuftedal Kyoshi (7th Dan).  Following the brief welcome speech, the majority of people were put through their paces with a class led by Sally Woolston Sensei (4th Dan) during which she covered basic kihon, along with Fukyugata Ichi and the associated formal bunkai.  Everyone was encouraged to perform for the group in small teams of three people, and it got the weekend off to a fantastic start. At the same time on Friday evening, under the watchful eyes of Tuftedal Kyoshi, Steve Woolston Sensei (5th Dan) and Martin O’Malley Sensei (4th Dan), a karate-ka from England, Joel Castasus, was being put through his paces with the invaluable assistance of Eirin Edvinsen.  Joel successfully tested for his transition to the rank of Nidan in Matsubayashi-ryu, and this follows a lengthy journey from his previous experience in Shorin-ryu, marking the culmination of much hard work. Bright […]

Ireland was the host nation of the I-Karate World Cup 2019 at DCU on the 26th and 27th of April 2019 with participants from all over the world present, each giving it their all for the world cup title.  Caitlin Malone from Westport and training at the Dojo of Martin O’Malley in Ireland (White Tiger Martial Arts) was there as part of the Irish team organized by Brian Carroll of Karate Ireland ONAKAI and she recorded some fantastic performances. Caitlin took part in three divisions and earned a podium place in all three.  In Karate Kata demonstration she earned the third place slot while in Kobujutsu Kata demonstration she earned the 2nd place position for her performance with the Sai.   She added another second place result in the Yakusoku Kumite demonstration division. In preparation for the event Caitlin worked along with the Karate Ireland national team coaches while at the Dojo Colm Rochford worked one on one with Caitlin to help her prepare, and the time and effort certainly paid off.  Martin O’Malley told us that ‘the result is due to the hard work and commitment that Caitlin and her mother Kathleen have put in over the last 11 years and the support and guidance which Colm, and indeed the whole Dojo has given to her in her preparation and participation at the World Cup’. Colm himself felt that Caitlin is ‘inspirational in the way she faces each challenge with determination to succeed and allows nothing stand in her way’.  […]

Martin O’Malley and Michael O’Neill travelled from Ireland to Okinawa from the 20th to the 27th of April 2019 to practice with the senior teachers on Okinawa. On the first full day of their visit (Sunday 21st) they travelled to the north of the Okinawa Island along with James Pankiewicz to take part in the Shioya Bay Trim Marathon which they completed in good time.  It was a great day out in a beautiful part of the island and both men highly recommend travelling north to see this area if possible.

From 13 April to 27 April, Australian WMKA member, Reece Cummings made his 12th annual trip to train with the senior instructors of Matsubayashi-ryu. This trip was a particularly noteworthy one as it involved training, on average, 3 times per day at various WMKA Dojo in Okinawa, covering both karate-do and kobujutsu. During the trip Reece was fortunate to study with sensei(s) Kaicho Yoshitaka Taira, Fuku-Kaicho Toshimitsu Arakaki, Kancho Iwao Tome, Kancho Tsugio Miyagi, and Kancho Masao Shinzato. During the first session with each instructor, the lesson was focused on ensuring kihon-waza and all kata were comprehensively understood, with specific details covered on koshi, muchimi, gamaku, and power generation, and unique points given from each knowledgeable sensei. Moving into other sessions, the teachers covered topics such as oyo-waza from kata, applied and yakusoku kumite, and kobujutsu (including bo, sai, tonfa, nunchaku, eku). Reece said “Each teacher in the WMKA in Okinawa is genuine, supportive and endeavours to make sure that every trip is a successful one when it comes to the learning of the physical side of karate-jutsu. However, it is the lessons they impart when it comes to karate-do that I believe is even more important; the education of culture, respect, and history is integral to preserving Okinawan karate and kobujutsu internationally, and these lessons are the ones I try to ensure are transmitted correctly also to my students.” This year’s trip for Reece was an extra special one, as while his dojo in Australia is celebrating its 10th anniversary, […]