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www.budokanworld.com is the home of Budokan -The House of Martial Ways - a classical Japanese Budo organisation since 1960. BUDOKAN 1960 - 2025 STRONG IN HAND. KIND IN HEART. The classical budo, or "martial ways" are not combat systems like their forerunner, bujutsu, or "martial arts"; nor are they sports like modern judo, kendo, or karate. They are first and foremost spiritual disciplines, whose ultimate goal, achieved through the most rigorous mental and physical training, is self-realization in the tradition of Zen Buddhism . Donn F. Draeger Classical Budo DAVID PETER PASSMORE 16.04.46 - 23.10.24 Budokan Flag Ceremony on 21st June We wish to invite you to Budokan's Ceremony to celebrate, the honour of Hanshi David Passmore at 14:00pm. As many of you are aware, Hanshi has posthumously been honoured with the Hanshi title by the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai (DNBK) and enshrined in their Martial Arts Hall of Fame. On April 30th a Flag Ceremony will be held in his honour in Kyoto Japan. We will be receiving the flag and presenting it to Hanshi’s family on the 21st June at Lymington Sports Centre. To mark this event we will be holding a Seminar featuring two guest Sensei affiliated with Budokan, as well as our own Lymington Sensei Mike Clapham. The event will comprise of Karate, Iaido and Kobudo, as well as the presentation of the the flag. There will be food and drinks at the Chequers Inn after the seminar, for a catch up with old faces. Mat fees are £15, Food at the Chequers is £10 for a Beef Chilli or Vegetarian Curry. Please choose one of the options and let us know. Please make payments to: Budokan UK - 30-54-66 - 17906760 Reference - Flag It would be fantastic to get a good turnout for this event, to celebrate the great honour the DBNK have bestowed upon Hanshi Passmore. It is also a perfect chance to try something new with two Sensei you may have not met before. Please bring Jo and Bokken/Iaito if you have them. Sensei David Ansell – Iaido Dave Ansell started Iaido and Kendo with Vic Cook of the British Kendo Association in 1976, 2 years before Sensei Passmore started iaido. Dave has been fortunate to have trained in Japan for many years and he tries to make annual visits to his teacher, Hanshi Ichimura of the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai. He has had the pleasure in demonstrating in the Butokuden, the foremost martial art hall in Japan, in the presence of members of the Japanese Royal family. Dave has had the honour of represented the United Kingdom at international events across America and Europe, including the 1st European Iaido Championships held in Sittard, Netherlands 1993. Currently, Dave holds the grade of Nandan in iaido with the title of Kyoshi and Yondan kendo with the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai. He was also a great friend to Hanshi Passmore. Sensei Joe Braconi – Kobudo Joe Braconi started studying Tenshinkan Karate in 2000 under the guidance of Hanshi Hans Haupt, Chief Liaison Officer for the Western World, in South Africa. In 2006, he participated to a 7 days international seminar in Hasuda-Shi (Japan) at the HQ of Tenshinkan Karate Federation, conducted by Kancho Mamoru Miwa. In 2006, he commenced studying kobujutsu with Ryukyu Kobujutsu Hozon Shinkokai (Eisuke Akamine branch) led by Sensei Marius Madgwick in Boksburg. In 2009, Hanshi Hans Haupt personally trained him on Ryukyu Kobubujutsu Hozon Shinkokai (Inoue Motokatsu branch) and continued training under his guidance and under the Tenshinkan Ryukyu Kobujutsu standards, new and more attractive syllabus. In 2009 he was appointed Tenshinkan Benoni Honbu Dojo Deputy Chief Instructor and taught Karate and kobujutsu until he left South Africa in 2014. He attended international seminars held by Kancho Mamoru Miwa in Denmark and South Africa in 2013 and 2016 respectively. He published a book Karate for over 40, its benefits, he took part to numerous regional, national and international championships placing himself in the top 3 places in kumite and kata. He is a keen adept of Goshin-Jutsu and developed self-defence training for non-martial artists and introduced disarmament of firearms in their training. He provided many free self-defence seminars. He graduated Tenshinkan Karate 5th dan in 2017 in Dundee UK and given the title of Shihan Dai, He joined Budokan 2021 and, while he is still teaching Kobudo and Karate, he is writing a book about the application of the various Sabaki concepts in Tenshinkan karate. In January 2023 he was invited to join the Budokan Shihankai, assuming the title of Shihan. On 25 June 2023 he was accredited with his Rokudan Karate by the Budokan Shihankai for certification later in the year. Please could you reply to this email to confirm your interest in attending. Further details will be published in the build up to June. for more information email: info@budokanworld.com Saturday 29th March 2024 Lymington Dojo Kyoshi Darren Waghorn and Sensei Mike Clapham shared the dojo . Both taught two one hour classes. Kyoshi Darren was teaching laido and Sensei Mike was teaching Aikido. Sensei Mike taught four nage waza techniques (projections) Kote Gaishi, Shihonage, Irimi nage and Kaiten Nage. We used the same six attacks for each Nage Waza. Aihamni, Gyakuhamni, Chudan Zuki, Tate Zuki Jodan, Shomen Uchi and Yokumen Uchi. Our focus was not on speed but correct technique such as good maai, ensuring the Uke is off balance, correct breathing and maintaining Zanchin. After the first hour Kyoshi and Sensei swapped students. Sensei second class welcomed back some former students. During this class was back to basics. We started with Ikkyo and then moved on to Kote Gaishi, for both techniques the attacks were Aihamni and Gyakuhamni. We began with Gono keiko (static practice) making sure the Tori was stepping off the line and then attacking the Uke's center whilst encouraging the Uke to blend with the Tori all of the techniques were practiced Omote and Ura. The main emphasis for both groups in the iaido training was the four building blocks of iai, namely nukitsuke, furikaburi & kirioroshi, chiburi and noto. Practicing these individually can only improve your iai so far. To take it up to the next level these need to be brought together in kata. For the first group this was done by practicing standing versions of the 1st four katas of Seitai iaido. Martial artist must be aware of the surrounding in combat but also in training. An interesting sight for the people watching as a wall was used during Uke Nagashi (the third kata of Seitai) to help the students learn the first part of the kata. The second group, consisting of more senior grades, utilised the first two katas, Yukitzure and Tsuredachi from the Okuden Tachi-waza from Muso Shinden Ryu to practice the building blocks. 2025 is upon us Despite 2024 being a difficult year for the club, we are moving forward in the spirit drilled into us by Saisho Passmore. We have several weekend, one day events planned. These are open to all current and former Budokan members who wish to attend. So dig out your Gi, dust off your weapons and join us on the mat. There will be the usual social gatherings at a local venue after each of the dates. Please keep an eye on the website for any updates, emails will be sent confirming dates and weapon requirements for each session. Saturday 29th March – Training Seminar June 21st – Flag Ceremony & Training with Guest Teachers, a Celebration of Saisho. Saturday 20th September – Training Seminar Saturday 6th December – Training, Gradings and Annual Budokan Christmas Do! There are weekly classes at Lymington Dojo with Sensei Mike Clapham Wednesday and Friday from 7.30pm to 8.30pm If you are interested please email with the address below. for more information email: info@budokanworld.com SENSEIS TIPS We have found that the Sensei's Tips section we launched a good while back now - where does the time go? using local dojo created quite a bit of interest. - So we thought we would post some existing content on various pages highlighted across the site in various locations for all to enjoy. And who better to start this section off, but our good friend of over 35 years now - Kyoshi David Ansell 7 Dan or Chichidan. He accompanied a Budokan team to kyoto in 2008 where we all took part in a World Butokusai staying in a beautiful hotel overlooking this magnificent city. Saisho and Kyoshi Ansell shared a room for 2 weeks and they are still friends to this day. As you will find elsewhere on this site David Ansell helped to host a traditional Open Japanese event with Budokan in Buxton 2011, which was a great success. Toby doing some solo Kata training in Lymington Dojo Toby and Keith doing some Kumitachi training JAPANESE BUDO RESEARCH We publish news stories, schoLarly articles and academic papers from Aikido to Zen in all things Traditional Japanese Budo, that we hope will be of interest to both teacher and student alike. All articles and papers will first appear here on the Homepage. After that they will be posted on the Budo Research page under the name of the discipline or context. When a single discipline reaches 12 or more articles or papers it will be given its own page. All papers are the responsibility of each individual author and do not necessarily reflect the views of budokanworld.com. Just click on any of the links below to read more. ZEN IS NOT BUDDHISM SHORT EVOLUTION OF JAPANESE MARTIAL ARTS ON THE PRINCIPLES OF AIKIDO INTERESTING FACTS ON HISTORY OF MARTIAL ARTS TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS V MARTIAL SPORTS ANALYSIS OF KICKING TECHNIQUES IN KARATE PHILOSOPHY AND TOKUGAWA BUSHIDO SAISHO SENSEI'S TIPS ON SOME BASICS Basic Karate Blocking techniques and Deflections. A quick run through of some Aikido Basics Basic Karate Striking techniques Basic Aikido wristwork and handling the Bokken 12 BEST GENERAL BENEFITS OF MEDITATION Meditation has been shown to offer many benefits. Although it’s well known as a technique to reduce stress and anxiety, research shows that it may also help enhance your mood, promote healthy sleep patterns, and boost cognitive skills. Meditation is the habitual process of training your mind to focus and redirect your thoughts. The popularity of meditation is increasing as more people discover its many health benefits. You can use it to increase awareness of yourself and your surroundings. Many people think of it as a way to reduce stress and develop concentration. People also use the practice to develop other beneficial habits and feelings, such as a positive mood and outlook, self-discipline, healthy sleep patterns, and even increased pain tolerance. This article reviews 12 health benefits of meditation - ....read more... A JAPANESE GLOSSARY FOR KARATE STUDENTS First they published A Short History of Karate. Now Michael Cowie and Robert Dyson are soon to publish another little gem this year. Budokan has been given a glimpse of their work and you can too by clicking on the image below. And its not that little either! Enjoy. A LINEAGE ALL BUT FORGOTTEN The Yushinkan SHINSEI DOJO There are few martial artists in history who have been able to influence an entire generation of politicians, military personnel, police, educators, and civilians alike. Who’s student’s (if only for a day) talked about their experiences with him in detail nearly seventy years after his death. The first San-Dou-no-Hanshi in history. The “God of Kendo” ( Nakayama Hakudo.

TREVOR HUGHES FULL BIOGRAPHY TO FOLLOW I was very saddened to hear of the tragic passing of Trevor. I have trained with him on several occasions over the years, although I did not know him as well as more senior members of the club, he left a big impression on me. I wish to send my deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. My thoughts are with them during this difficult time. Keith Molyneux and condolences from Fiona. Jan and l were very saddened to hear the news of Trevor and would like to convey our sincere condolences to his family. Mike and Jan Clapham Trevor was a hugely popular Dan Grade in Budokan and especially in Kent and Sussex. Here's why by his best friend Peter Robinson. It it is tremendous loss for me and Trevor’s family and friends that he is no longer with us. It has hit me very hard as Trevor was, and always will be, my best friend. We shared so many adventures together and it was a pleasure and an absolute privilege to have him as a friend over the years. As well as enjoying hours of training with him, I was lucky enough to enjoy his close friendship off the mat. It wasn’t obvious to most, but Trevor had a great sense of adventure and it makes me smile when I think of the things we did together. Like the time I bought an old mustard-coloured Sherpa Van with a pop-up roof, and we excitedly made plans to drive down through Africa to Cape Town! Sadly, Stan the Van wasn’t up to the trip (it only cost me £500!) and we only made it as far as south Morocco. Lots of adventures on the way though, but even Trevor’s skill with anything mechanical couldn’t sort out Stanley’s problems. We limped home, laughing and giggling all the way with Trevor sporting a hair cut which I did myself using clippers plugged into a generator we took as part of our gear. Or the time we decided to climb Snowdon, off-season, in our jeans - not having a clue about mountain climbing. We’d nearly lost our tent in the wind the night before and we were both tired from lack of sleep but, after waking ourselves up with a refreshing wash in a mountain stream, up we went, not bothering with any of the accepted routes. Disaster! We got lost near the top, spotted a path some 200 feet below us and had to inch ourselves, on our backsides, slowly down an steep rock face, clinging on to every odd tuft of grass to keep in control. We were both scared and upset but we had a laugh about it afterwards in 'Pete’s Eats' in Llanberis, which subsequently had, and may still have, a photo of Trevor washing his hair in a mountain lake. For your information, we did make it to the top that day. I could go on and on about our special times together, and when Trevor made the decision to go to Thailand, I rang him every day on my way to work. Now, when I get to Clapham Junction where I change trains, those nine minutes between 8.32 and 8.43 are completely empty and sad. Nine minutes never seemed long enough when I had to finish the call - now it’s the longest nine minutes of my working day. We shared many years of a close friendship. Trevor was always there for me - and, I’m sure, for others, too. He was great company, always ready to listen, never judgemental and a truly special person He leaves behind so many people who thought the world of him, but please let me assure you all: His journey didn’t stop at Thailand, he’s still going strong somewhere - quietly and confidently - and I know that, someday, we’ll meet up again and continue our adventures together. God Bless you Trevor and thank you for your friendship. Peter Robinson To all at Bodakan From Sam Hughes I would like to say what a lovely tribute to Dad aka Trevor it means a lot that you all have done that for him and I know that it will mean a lot to him to. He held you all in his heart and thought the world of you all and he (and myself) have some fantastic memory's from his Bodakan days that he still always talked about even going back to the old "strides" days you all played an important part of dads life and we all really appreciate this tribute. Many Thanks Sam

JULIE TULLIS Julie Tullis (née Palau) (15 March 1939 – 6/7 August 1986) was a British climber and filmmaker who died while descending from K2 's summit during a storm, along with four other climbers from several expeditions, during the "Black Summer" of 1986. Julie was born to Erica and Francis Palau. Her early life was disrupted by the outbreak of World War II . In 1956, she began climbing near Tunbridge Wells , where she met Terry Tullis. In 1959, they were married and spent the following years running various small businesses. They also continued climbing, in addition to which Julie studied traditional Japanese martial arts, under David Passmore in the Budokan school, Tunbridge Wells. She occasionally practised karate forms in traditional hakama when climbing. Tullis met Austrian climber Kurt Diemberger in 1976, and by 1980 they were working together on lecture tours. In 1981, Diemberger hired Tullis as a technician for an expedition to Nanga Parbat , and their high-altitude filming career began. It would include, in the following years, expeditions to the North ridge of K2 and the unclimbed North-East ridge of Mount Everest . In 1984, Tullis and Diemberger climbed Broad Peak , and after more film work they went on an expedition to climb K2, in 1986, becoming part of the 1986 K2 disaster . Although Tullis and Diemberger finally made the summit on 4 August 1986, making Tullis the first British woman to do so, they were exhausted from spending several days above 8,000 metres; 26,000' (known as the death zone ). On the descent, Tullis slipped and fell; although Diemberger's belay successfully saved them both, it is likely that Tullis suffered internal or head injuries that began to affect her vision and co-ordination.[citation needed ] Arriving at Camp IV they were trapped in their tents by a storm that lasted for several days. All the trapped climbers deteriorated physically and mentally, lacking food, sleep, oxygen and, once the gas for the stoves ran out, the ability to melt snow and produce water. This, in turn, made them vulnerable to pulmonary or cerebral oedema , which in Tullis' condition would have been rapidly fatal. Tullis died on the night of 6/7 August (the accounts of Diemberger and another climber present, Willi Bauer, differ on the date) and was buried on the mountainside. * wikipedia More on her Japanese Budo life to come.

DERRICK WRIDGWAY DERRICK WRIDGWAY 5th Dan Shihan Budokan One of Doshu's earliest Disciples and strongest Budokan supporters of well over 50 years, started his Karate career in 1964 at one of Budokan South Africa's first dojo in the small town of Pinetown, Natal.
Under the guidance of Doshu and with dedicated training he in a short time proved he was to become a major player in Budokan SA and as Doshu once commented, "He was one of the finest technicians I ever trained". In the contest arena he proved himself by representing his Province of Natal on many occasions and winning the Shukokai Senior Kata Championship three years in a row. He eventually became a Senior Sensei within Budokan SA travelling and teaching full time in many of the dojo across the country. In a break from Karate he proved his determination to excel in whatever he undertook and completed the very challenging International "Two Oceans Road Marathon" which runs between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans around Cape Town and then he went on to complete in "two" of the World Famous Mega "Comrades Marathon", said to be one of the toughest road races in the world, both proud achievements.., Today he is working alongside his friend of a lifetime, Kyoshi David Passmore in the development of our BUDOKAN WORLD.

PRETORIA AIKIKAI, SOUTH AFRICA Training is done in an energetic, friendly, safe and non-competitive atmosphere. Beginners and advanced students train as a close, integrated community and family unit in the same class. The pace varies according to the experience and seniority of each member. Beginners and visitors are always welcome. DISCIPLINE AIKIDO – Traditional INSTRUCTION Paul de Beer (6th Dan) Cell: +27 (0)83 636 1764 E-mail: aikido.pretoria@gmail.com Website: www.AikidoPretoria.co.za VENUE The dojo is situated in a basement on the western side of the Rembrandt hall in the LC De Villiers Sport Centre of the University of Pretoria, South Street extension (East), Hatfield, PRETORIA. GPS Coordinates: S25° 45.198 E28º 14.965 PRACTICE TIMES Mondays: 18:00 to 19:30 Wednesdays: 18:00 to 19:30 Fridays: 18:00 to 19:30 The dojo is closed on public, as well as certain University/School holidays. THE DOJO: The Pretoria Aikikai was established in 1979. It continues to play a central role in the training of instructors and the spreading of Aikido throughout South Africa. Tuks Aikido is situated in Hatfield and serves as the central dojo in Pretoria. It is run by Mr Paul de Beer (6th Dan, Aikikai, Dojo-cho) with the aid of assistant instructors. It has close ties with Aikido groups in Japan, Italy, Guam, Great Britain, Hong Kong, New Zeeland, Australia, Canada, China, Russia and Reunion. Seminars and exchanges take place at regular intervals. "Kindness is the language the blind can see and the deaf can hear" - Mark Twain AIKIDO-A TOOL FOR SENSIBLE LIVING REDISCOVERING AIKIDO

1960 - 2021 JOE BRACONE 5th Dan Tenshinkan Karate, 3rd Dan Tenshinkan RyuKyu Kobujutsu joebracone@yahoo.com 07949713629 UK TENSHINKAN HISTORY AND LINEAGE BLACKRIDGE PRIMARY SCHOOL Main Street Bathgate West Lothian EH483RJ Wednesdays 1800-1900 hrs All groups COMBAT ZONE Bo'ness Recreation Centre Gauze Road, Bo'ness West Lothian EH51 9QB Every last Saturday, 1000-1200 hrs Advanced classes, check to confirm. BEGINNERS AND VISITORS WELCOME SEISHIN DOJO JOE BRACONE BIOGRAPHY Started studying Tenshinkan Karate in 2000 under the guidance of Hanshi Hans Haupt, Chief Liaison Officer for the Western World, in South Africa. In 2006, he participated to a 7 days international seminar in Hasuda-Shi (Japan) at the HQ of Tenshinkan Karate Federation, conducted by Kancho Mamoru Miwa. In 2006, he commenced studying kobujutsu with Ryukyu Kobujutsu Hozon Shinkokai (Eisuke Akamine branch) led by Sensei Marius Madgwick in Boksburg. In 2009, Hanshi Hans Haupt personally trained him on Ryukyu Kobubujutsu Hozon Shinkokai (Inoue Motokatsu branch) and continued training under his guidance and under the Tenshinkan Ryukyu Kobujutsu standards, new and more attractive syllabus. In 2009 he was appointed Tenshinkan Benoni Honbu Dojo Deputy Chief Instructor and taught Karate and kobujutsu until he left South Africa in 2014. He attended international seminars held by Kancho Mamoru Miwa in Denmark and South Africa in 2013 and 2016 respectively. He published a book Karate for over 40, its benefits, he took part to numerous regional, national and international championships placing himself in the top 3 places in kumite and kata. He is a keen adept of Goshin-Jutsu and developed self-defence training for non-martial artists and introduced disarmament of firearms in their training. He provided many free self-defence seminars. He graduated Tenshinkan Karate 5th dan in 2017 in Dundee UK and given the title of Shihan Dai, He joined Budokan 2021 and, while he is still teaching Kobudo and Karate, he is writing a book about the application of the various Sabaki concepts in Tenshinkan karate. In January 2023 he was invited to join the Budokan Shihankai, assuming the title of Shihan. On 25 June 2023 he was accredited with his Rokudan Karate by the Budokan Shihankai for certification later in the year. FURTHER TRAINING NOTES I have practiced martial arts as a very young man but never got into it until I have gotten bored with just pushing weights and other gym activities. I finally joined Tenshinkan Karate when I was 40 and never looked back. I was fortunate enough to learn karate and later kobujutsu from Hanshi Hans Haupt 9th Dan Karate and 4th Dan Ryukyu Kobujutsu Hozon Shinko Kai obtained with grand master Inoue Motokatsu and founder of Tenshinkan Ryukyu Kobujutsu). I left as South Africa Tenshinkan Honbu Dojo deputy Chief Instructor. I have gained national and provincial South African style colours for Kumite and Kata for many years and graded in Japan with Kancho Mamoru Miwa, Tenshinkan Karatedo Founder and avid Budo master. The disciplines I Teach: Tenshinkan Karate is an offshoot of Shotokan karate as was taught by Gichin Funakoshi. Master Gichin Funakoshi used to address Kancho Mamoru Miwa, then a young boy, “Tenshin” (the sincere one) hence the name of Tenshinkan. Tenshinkan Karate although retains very strong roots with Shotokan katas and stances it is a karate style focused on defense and attack with the inclusion of goshin-jutsu, self-defence, techniques such as grappling, joint locks and take downs. The style is very dynamic and effective, it is based and developed on different sabaki (evasion or avoidance) and multiple combination of footwork with blocking and striking techniques. Each grade or belt (Kyu) training and test is based on a syllabus that incorporates predefined karate and Goshin-jJtsu kata and techniques imparted through the application of specific training methods. Tenshinkan Ryukyu Kobujutsu was founded by Hanshi Hans Haupt to honour his Sensei. Both trained and graded with Ryukyu Kobujutsu Hozon Shinko Kai Master Inoue Motokatsu, who in turn had trained with the RKHSK founder Taira Shinken. For each belt (kyu), the student learns the kata and basics techniques of attack and defence of each weapon that make up the martial art syllabus such as: Bo (six foot staff), Nunchaku (similar to a flail), Tekko (similar to knuckle dusters), Tonfa (similar to police baton), Kama (similar to a sickle), Sai (similar to a 16th century parring dagger) and Katana (famous Samurai’s sword). This a picture of the entrance to my home Dojo.

BUDOKAN BUDO RESEARCH Here we will publish schoLarly articles and academic papers from Aikido to Zen in all things Traditional Japanese Budo, that we hope will be of interest to both teacher and student alike. All articles and papers will first appear on the Homepage from 2 - 4 weeks. After that they will be posted on this page under the name of the discipline or context. When a single discipline reaches 12 or more articles or papers it will be given its own page. Just click on any of the links below to read more. (NB The views of the authors depicted in these articles and papers listed are for information purposes only) Kindly support the work we are doing by using the DONATE button below. AIKIDO JUJITSU BIOGRAPHY OF MORIHEI UESHIBA REDISCOVERING AIKIDO AIKIDO - A TOOL FOR LIVING AIKIDO AS SPIRITUAL PRACTICE IN US AIKIDO AND THE I A F KARATEDO A SHORT HISTORY OF KARATE INTENTIONALITY IN SHOTOKAN KARATE BUDO KATA - THE TRUE ESSENCE OF BUDO THE JAPANISATION OF KARATE LEG TECHNIQUES IN KARATE KARATE TALK IN A CANADIAN DOJO EASTERN MYSTICISM IN BUDO BUSHIDO A PHD SUBMISSION ON BUSHIDO KENDO THE CONCEPT OF KI IN KENDO IAIDO THE SWORDSMITHS OF JAPAN THE ALMOST FORGOTTEN LINEAGE NAKAYAMA HAKUDO KYUDO HISTORY OF KYUDO AND IAIDO IN EARLY JAPAN JUDO JIGORO KANO UTOPIA THE WAY OF KATA IN KODOKAN JUDO ZEN A BRIEF HISTORY OF ZEN ZEN, HEALTH & WELLBEING A JAPANESE GLOSSARY FOR KARATE STUDENTS First they published A Short History of Karate. Now Michael Cowie and Robert Dyson are soon to publish another little gem this year. Budokan has been given a glimpse of their work and you can too by clicking on the image below. And its not that little either! Enjoy. MISCELLANEOUS THE JAPANESE PURSUIT OF PERFORMATIVE MASTERY INTERESTING FACTS ON HISTORY OF MARTIAL ARTS SUMO - ANCIENT RITUAL TO THUNDER GOD TEA CULTURE OF JAPAN & CHINA MUSA CHUGYO - THE WARRIOR PILGRAMAGE BUFFER

DAVID PETER PASSMORE 16.04.46 - 23.10.24 It is with great sadness and regret that we report the passing of Saisho no Sensei, David Peter Passmore, who died on 23 October 2024 following a long battle with cancer. David began his martial arts career in 1962 when he joined Budokan South Africa. He successfully represented the province (county) of Natal at various tournaments and at the South African Games. In 1970 he founded Budokan UK in London and in 1974 began traditional Aikido training under Chiba Sensei. In 1975 he was placed under the guidance of Kanetsuka Sensei and acted as ‘uchideshi’ to him. David also trained under Ueshiba Kisshomaru, Sekiya Masatake, Tamura Nobuyoshi, Saito Morihiro, Yamada Yoshimitsu, Yamaguchi Seigo, Sekiya Masatake, and many other eminent Japanese and European teachers, across Europe in Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Toulon and Nice.In 1978 he began training in Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido under Ishido Shizafumi and Hiroi Sensei of Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei, under the tutelage of Vic Cook within the British Kendo Association. David was a student of Zazen and practised Shikantaza every day in the tradition of the Soto Sect of Zen Buddhism. To our knowledge he remains the only senior Western Teacher to introduce Zazen as the 4th discipline of Budokan, which became a formal part of its Teaching and Philosophy.At the time of his passing David held the title of Kyoshi with the Dai Nippon Butokukai (DNBK) in Kyoto, one of Japan’s oldest traditional martial arts organisations, and holds the ranks of 7 Dan Karate, 6 Dan Aikido and 6 Dan Iaido with them. Upon receiving the news of David’s passing Hanshi Hamada confirmed that, “based on his longstanding dedication and contribution to the development of Japanese traditional Budo in the Uk, the DNBK posthumously honour him as Hanshi Title and that the DNBK would conduct a Flag Ceremony in his honour at the forthcoming WBS in Kyoto Japan where he will be enshrined in the DNBK ID Martial Arts Hall of Fame. David is the founder of Budokan World which now has many international affiliates.David was a consummate teacher even whilst suffering greatly from cancer he used every experience to provide lessons to Shihonkai members so that they should learn from his teaching that death is not to be feared and that he expects to pass from this world into another where he looks forward to meeting us there. David is survived by his wife Katy and three Children, Caroline, Duncan and Tilly, Eight Grand Children, Eve, Hattie and Niah, Lowri, Aimee, Oliver and Joshua. We remember Torin who passed away January 2022 Shihonkai Budokan

SHIKANTAZA An aide memoire Shikantaza (just simply sitting) is objectless meditation, in which the practitioner uses the power developed in concentration to remain in a state of conscious awareness. There are a variety of different views on what sikantaza actially means. Some say shikantaza is described best as, "quiet sitting in open awareness, reflecting directly on the reality of life". Shikantaza is often termed a goalless meditation in quiet awareness, not working on any koan, or counting the breath. It is an alert condition, performed erect, with no trace of sluggishness or drowsiness. Som scholars have said that shi means tranquility, kan refers to awareness, ta means hitting exactly the right spot and za means to sit. For me it all comes down to "j ust simply sitting still in tranquil awareness ". Zen - meaning meditation - changes your spirit by reflection. What follows is a short travelogue of nudges, reminders and observations to help you on the road to the Shikantaza experience. On the left hand side you will see some figures in bold . These figures should be used as a rough guide to the aproximate times that should have lapsed during your preparation and each section of your parctice. The first figure is for less experienced maditators. The second figure is for experienced meditators. Everybody is different and you will find out what suits you from your own experience. After you have sat down and become aware that you are upright and comfortable - from that moment prepare yourself - it varies with each individual. Close your eyes lightly - and keep them closed for the entire "zesshin". Breathe from the lower abdomen - so it becomes "abdominal respiration". It also called diaphragmatic respiration. Do not use your upper chest for breathing and keep your shoulders level and relaxed. Place your tongue lightly on the roof of your mouth and try to keep it there. You can't easily breathe in via the mouth if the tongue is in this position for long. You must breathe in and out through the nose. Slowly breathe in through your nose to say 5 seconds. Slowly breathe out through your nose for say 7 seconds Where the CO2 exhaled from your lungs is greater than the oxygen you breathed in. Keep just this going for a while and establish a rhythm of diaphragmatic breathing which reaches an equilibrium of around 5 or 6 seconds and 5 or 6 seconds out. Interestingly, this has historical precedent in religious practices where 6 seconds is exactly the time it takes to accomplish certain Buddhist mantra's and it is also found the same exhalation is used whilst citing the Christian Rosary. ..................................................Now become AWARE. On a wide range of levels. Your stillness is critical so - DO NOT MOVE UNLESS YOU HAVE TO. From below the belt you are absolutely rooted to the spot you are sitting on. No movement there. Your heartbeat - feel it - really feel it. Your body is still and your muscles have nothing to do - so they soften. And soften they do as you take in more oxygen into your blood through the established rhythm of your breathing. As the muscles soften your joints begin to open. There is the rhythm of your lower abdominal nuscles. In the stomach area the Japanese call the Hara. And there you will find what is called the Tanden. The single spot in the lower abdomen - about an inch or so directly below your navel. It is your centre of gravity. As you breathe in - they expand out - not too much. As you breathe out - they contract - just a little more. Maintain the rhythm. Slowly and imperceptibly, your muscles have softened to the point where you have become aware of it and you have to micro manage your posture from time to time in 4 tiny movements. 1 Most peoples heads move a little forward, so every now and then you need to move your head back to the midline of your shoulders and tuck your chin in just a little at the same time. 2 Raise your ribcage - this is the area where most people begin to stoop from. 3 This will lead you to gently make your lumbar vertebrae a little more concave. 4 Allow both shoulders to drop evenly. You will need to continue to make micro adjustments to your posture, (as above) as it naturally changes and you become used to feeling it necessary to do so. Its not a thought process - its just a feeling. And it usually ends up being a lot more comfortable. So keep doing it please. Maintain your breathing ryhthm. And become aware of your senses. Move your attention to your eyes and slowly roll them a little. From there flare your nose a few times as you breathe in. Push your tongue gently up to the roof of your mouth. Become aware of your hearing. Move your fingers a little for touch. And now you sense of being.....here.....now.... Turn your awareness onto your brain. That houses the mind. The best difference between the two I have read is "The brain is indeed the physical structure. Neurons, axons, dendrites, neurotransmitters, synapses, discrete structures… All that and more. The “mind” (consciousness) is the “emergent property” of the activity of that brain". Quora Past , present and future thoughts - pop in and out all the time - as has already been happening to you. Let them come and go. Learn how to get back to your awarenes of what you are doing in the present. Let the past go and do not look to the future - always stay in the present - it is not easy but comes with practice. And the flow of thoughts will begin to slow down as they should have by now. By raising or slowing our brainwaves, we can altar how we think, feel and act. Meditation is the process of slowing our alerting beta brainwaves to the slower states of alpha and theta. Beta is the waking, thinking state. It is our normal state of mind in which we are the highly alert. Alpha is a slower state more indicative of relaxing and reflecting. Meditation is often practiced in the alpha state. Theta is an even slower state perfect for daydreaming and intuitive thinking. Deep meditation and prayer are practiced in the theta state. Delta is the slowest of the four states where sleep occurs. At the slowest delta level, sleep is deep and dreamless. Neuroimaging studies suggest that the normal resting state of the brain is a silent current of thoughts, images and memories that is not induced by sensory input or intentional reasoning, but emerges spontaneously "from within." This is what the Zen Buddhists from the Soto sect refer to as “silent illumination”. And that is what actually happens - as feelings come before thoughts. But here in this stillness of the body, the rhythm of the breath opens the way to a deep, visceral awareness. It is much like Metsuke - a much heightened form of conscious awareness than Zanshin when training in Budo, along with the physical manifestation of Kime when doing any Kata. The head, heart and soul of it all. Our thoughts, our desires and our experiences. It is the awareness of awarenesses. And it is here that you have to work hard at sliencing your inner monologue from trying to analyse or comment on what you see and experience. It is the point when your subjective experiences becomes objective observation. It is where subjective and objective meet. Which ever so slowly over time begins to evolve into a clearer perception of the world inside your head and the real world out there. Images appear and disappear in a kaleidoscope of colour. Some are quite quick and slow to disappear. Some just slowly emerge into recognisable images. Many are landscapes and vistas that are new to you. Some are people and faces you have never seen before. You can't hold on to them for longer than a few seconds - most try to and fail. Swirling cloud-like images float around and past you. Giving you an impression of movement. Slowly you reach a deep state of absolute stilness and silence. It is often referred to as the "void". It is as if you are at the edge of space. You are in awe for what you think is an eternity. .../.../.../.../.../.../.../.../.../.../.../../../../../../../../../../../../../../../.................. Einstein said "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious; It is the source of all true art and science". How you emerge from this experience depends on the environment you are in. Always try to do so slowly if you can. Keeping your eyes closed for a few minutes more. Tuck your chin in to your chest - round your shoulders and your spine and gently stretch forward, as far as you comfortably can and hold for a minute. Sit up slowly and rotate your shoulders both ways by moving your arms. Move your head up and down slowly. And then to the left and the right. Sit still and upright for a moment with youe eyes open. Feel the moment. Lao Tzu said "Meditation is vital energy". And I do generally feel vitalised and full of energy in the immediate hours thereafter. But for me the chief consequence of doing 45 minutes or an hour of Shikantaza first thing in the morning, is the beautiful feeling of having tapped into my inuitive self aong with a sense of clarity that remains present with me for the rest of my day. Well, almost. It is not easy to practice Shikantaza every day - but the benefits are supreme. Each and every day thereafter. David Passmore Kyoshi At the beginning of 2021 DRAW A VEIL OVER THE FUTURE. LET GO OF THE PAST. EMBRACE THE PRESENT. 5-10

1960 - 2023 BUDOKAN KARATE GENEALOGY As part of our plans to provide an historical narrative to each of our disciplines, Sensei Passmore sent over a Karate Genealogy spreadsheet to Renshi Bush, along with a request to see if he could do the research and build a story around the people responsible for creating the original Karate Kata, founded their different Ryu or styles and handed them down over time, so that we could enjoy practising and performing them today. KARATE DO THE WAY OF THE OPEN HAND HISTORY OKINAWA THE BIRTHPLACE OF KARATE Okinawa, Ken Prefecture, Japan in the Pacific Ocean comprises roughly two-thirds of the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. It is the smallest and least populated of the five main islands of Japan. Before Okinawa became a prefecture during the early part of the Meiji period (1868 -1912) it was a semi-independent kingdom under the influence of both China and Japan . In 1429, the three kingdoms on Okinawa unified to form the Kingdom of Ryukyu. In 1477 Shō Shi became king and banned the practice of Tō-te and Ryukyu kobudō (weaponry) however these continued to be taught in secret. The ban was continued even after Okinawa was invaded by the Satsuma Domain of Japan in 1609. The bans contributed to the development of kobudō which uses common household and farming implements as weaponry. The Okinawans combined Chinese martial arts with the existing local variants to form Tōde Tuudii, (China hand), sometimes called Okinawa-te By the 18th century, different types of Te had developed in three different villages Shuri, Naha and Tomari. The styles were named Shuri-te, Naha-te, and Tomari-te. Te often varied from one town to another, so to distinguish the various types of te, the area of origin was added, for example, Naha-te, Shuri-te, or Tomari-te. Shuri-te, Naha-te and Tomari-te belong to a family of martial arts that were collectively defined as Tode-jutsu or To-de. In 1879 The Ryukyu kingdom was annexed by Japan and was renamed the Okinawa Prefecture by the Meiji government. Naha is the capital city of Okinawa, Shuri is a district of Naha and Tomari is a neighbourhood where the Tomari terminal of the port of Naha is located. After 1926 Okinawa-te or Karate-jutsu was systematically taught in Japan . As you read this genealogy you will see that many of the styles of karate practised today inherited the characteristics of both the Naha-te and Shuri-te. The reason for this is because the founding fathers of karate were either born in Naha or Shuri or were taught and practised these styles of martial arts. This paper focuses on the styles and teachers that influenced the way we practise karate in Budokan. There are other styles such as Shorin-Ryu (Choshin Chibana) and Wado-Ryu (Otsuka Hironori) which have connected genealogies. Although I include Gichin Funokoshi (Shotokan) it is because he trained under Yasutsune Anko Itosu whom I regard as the father of Karate although Funakoshi is sometimes referred to as the father of karate. SATUNUSHI “TODE” SAKUGAWA Born in 1773 in Akata, Shuri, Ryukyu Kingdom. Died 1815 age 81/82 In 1750, Sakugawa trained under monk, Takahara for six years. At Takahara’s suggestion Sakugawa trained under Kusanku, a Chinese master in Ch'uan Fa. Sakugawa also spent six years training with Kusanku. He taught what he learned in Ryūkyū Kingdom in 1762. He was considered to be such an expert that people gave him, as a nickname: "Tōde" (Chinese Hand). His most famous student was Matsumura Sōkon, went on to develop the Shuri-te which later develop into Shōrin-ryū style of karate. The five Pinan forms were (allegedly) created by drawing from two older forms, kusanku and chiang nan. Itosu is also credited with taking the large Naihanchi form and breaking it into the three well-known modern forms Tekki Shodan, Tekki Nidan and Tekki Sandan. In 1908, Itosu wrote the influential "Ten Precepts (Tode Jukun) of Karate, reaching beyond Okinawa to Japan. Itosu's style of karate, Shorin-ryu, came to be known as Itosu-ryu in recognition of his skill, mastery, and role as teacher to many. While Itosu did not invent karate himself, he modified the kata he learned from Matsumura, and taught many karate masters. Itosu's students included Choyu Motobu (1857–1927), Choki Motobu (1870–1944), Kentsu Yabu (1866–1937), Chomo Hanashiro (1869–1945), Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957), Moden Yabiku (1880–1941), Kanken Toyama (1888–1966), Shinpan Shiroma (Gusukuma) (1890–1954), Anbun Tokuda (1886–1945), Kenwa Mabuni (1887–1952), and Chōshin Chibana (1885–1969). Itosu is credited with the creation of Pinan Shodan, Sandan, Yondan and Godan, Tekki Shodan Nidan and Sandan, Jion, Jitte, Jiin, Cinte, Rohai, Bassi Sho and Dai, Kanku Sho and Dai and Gojushi Ho HIGOANNA KANRO Born 10 March 1853 Nishimura, Naha, Ryukyu Kingdom Died October 1915 Naha, Okinawa Higoanna was introduced to the martial arts by Arakaki Seiisho, a Chinese monk. Arakaki is known for teaching the kata Unshu, Seisan, Shihohai, Sōchin, Niseishi, and Sanchin. When in the 1880s Ryūkyū was annexed by Japan, Higoanna Kanryo returned to Okinawa where he taught the martial arts in and around Naha. He began by teaching the sons of Yoshimura Udun Chomei. His style of karate was called "Naha-te". He taught Naha-te to the public in 1905 in the Naha Commercial School. Kanryo was noted for his powerful Sanchin. Several of Kanryo's students went on to become influential masters of what came to be called karate, amongst them Chōjun Miyagi, Kenwa Mabuni, Kyoda Shigehatsu, Koki Shiroma, Higa Seiko, Tsuyoshi Chtose and Shiroma Shinpan (Gusukuma). In 1930, Funakoshi established the Dai-Nihon Karate-do Kenkyukai to promote communication and information exchange among people who study karate-dō. In 1936, Dai-Nippon Karate-do Kenkyukai changed its name to Dai-Nippon Karate-do Shoto-kai, which is known today as Shotokai, and is the official keeper of Funakoshi's karate heritage. 1949 Funakoshi's students created the Japan Karate Association (JKA), with Funakoshi as the honorary head of the organization. however, in practise this organization was led by Masatoshi Nakayama. The JKA formalized Funakoshi's teachings. CHOJIRO TANI Founder of Shukokai Born 1921, Kobe Japan Died 11 January 1998 Chojiro Tani started his formal karate training under Miyagi Chōjun, whilst a student at Doshisha University in Kyoto. When Miyagi Chōjun returned to Okinawa the founder of Shitō-ryū, Kenwa Mabuni took over the teaching. When he graduated from university, Tani began learning Shuri-te and then Shitō-ryū from Mabuni as well. After many years of training under Mabuni and becoming one of his most senior students, Tani received the certificate of succession from him and became the head of Shitō-ryū, enabling him to use the name Tani-ha Shitoryu. In 1946 Chōjirō Tani began teaching Shūkōkai at a dojo in Kobe, Japan. Shūkōkai was designed around the study of body mechanics and is very fast due to its relatively high stance aiding mobility and is known for the double hip twist, which maximises the force of its strikes. Being a direct descendent of Shito-Ryu, Shukokai inherits the characteristics of both the Naha-te and Shuri-te from Okinawa. Kenwa Mabuni merged the techniques and principles of the styles he learned from his teachers Kanryo Higaonna, and Anko Itosu to form his Shukokai style of Karate. Shukokai combines the circular breathing techniques from Naha-te and the quick linear movements of the Shuri-te styles. Katas like Sanchin, Tensho, and Seienchin are handed down from the Naha-te traditions, while katas like Annanko, Matsukaze, and Bassai-Dai are handed down from the Shuri-te traditions. The similarities between Tensho, Sanchin, and Seienchin, and the similarities between Bassai-Dai, Annanko, and Matsukaze, reveals what makes the Naha-te katas different from the Shuri-te katas. One of Tani's most senior students was Shigeru Kimura. After the death of Gogen Yamaguchi, the brothers Gosen and Goshi Yamaguchi shared the task of organizing the Goju Kai. Gosen became president and Goshi became Saiko Shihan, which means the highest technical authority. Gosen like his Father believed that sparing (jyu-kumite) was an essential part of karate training. Gosen Yamaguchi died only about a year after his father's death due to health reasons. He is remembered and greatly respected for his gentle unassuming nature, his wisdom, as well as his precise, effective yet beautiful flowing and typical 'Goju ryu' technique style, and his enormously dedicated and hardworking attitude to his duties of the IKGA and his career with Japan Airlines. After his death, the top instructors of the Japan Goju Kai Karate Federation appointed Goshi Yamaguchi as President and Saiko Shihan. RICHARD SALMON Born 28th November 1939 Durban – South Africa Richard Salmon introduced to the Martial Arts by Pearson Widdicombe at the YMCA Kodokwan Dojo in Durban where he obtained his first dan. Richard Salmon opened his first dojo in the double garage of his home in Sarnia in 1960. In 1961 Richard Salmon was introduced to Akira Taniguchi, then 5th Dan Goju-Ryu with whom he trained whilst Taniguchi was in Durban. Upon his departure, Taniguchi Sensei graded him to First Dan Goju-Ryu. In 1962 at the invitation of Taniguchi Richard Salmon travelled to Brazil with Des Botes, of Shukokai, South Africa, Also, in 1962 Taiji Kase (6th Dan Shotokan) instructor visited South Africa when Richard Salmon, amongst many other JKA karateka were trained by him the YMCA Kodokwan dojo. RAYMOND EDWARD RYAN Born 1 July 1936 Johannesburg – South Africa Died 13th November 1989 – Durban - South Africa Ray started his karate training with Shukokai where he teamed up with Richard Salmon. In 1963 Richard Salmon and Ray Ryan opened a dojo in Sarnia, Durban which was called Budokan. They acquired a piece of land in Westville, South Africa and with the help of their students built a dojo there which was the first Budokan Honbu. In 1965/66, Hanshi Chojiro Tani, came to South Africa and many of the Budokan karateka had the great fortune to be trained by him. Bibliography Okinawan martial arts - Author: Wikipedia contributors Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopaedia. Sakugawa Kanga - Author: Wikipedia contributors - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopaedia. – Traditions of Shotokan Matsumura Sōkon - Author: Wikipedia contributors - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopaedia. Ankō Itosu - Author: Wikipedia contributor - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopaedia. Gichin Funokoshi - Author: Wikipedia contributors Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopaedia – The History of Fighting. - Karate do-My Way of Life-Gichin Funakoshi =- Karate Do Nyumon- Gichin Funakoshi Kenwa Mabuni - Author: Wikipedia contributors Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopaedia- Karate Kenpo (1934), Karate-Do Nyumon (1938) – Kenwa Mabuni – Ancient Okinawan Arts 1 – Koryu Uchinadi -Standing on the Shoulders of Giants-Patrick McCarthy Chojun Miyagi - Author: Wikipedia contributors Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopaedia. – International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate do Federation – Karate do Gaisetsu – An Outline of Karate Do – Chojun Miyagi–(1934)- Ancient Okinawan Arts 2 – Koryu Uchinadi Gogen Yamaguchi – Author: Wikipedia contributors Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopaedia – International Karatedo Gojukai Association. - Higoanna Kanryo - Wikipedia contributors Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopaedia – International Karatedo Gojukai Association – Okinawan Karate Chojiro Tani - Author: Wikipedia contributors Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopaedia – Shukokai World Karate Federation Shigeru Kimura- Author: Wikipedia contributors Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopaedia - Shukokai World Karate Federation – Kimura Shukokai International Gosei Yamaguchi – Black Belt Magazine http://www.blackbeltmag.com Gosen Yamaguchi – Black Belt Magazine http://www.blackbeltmag.com Author: Wikipedia contributors Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopaedia – Goshi Yamaguchi – Black Belt Magazine http://www.blackbeltmag.com Author: Wikipedia contributors Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopaedia MATSUMURA “BUSHI” SOKON Born in 1809 in Yamagawa Village, Shuri, Okinawa. Died in 1899 aged 89/90 Matsumura studied karate under Satunushi Sakukawa who is also referred to as Matsumura Kanga. Sakukawa was an old man at the time and reluctant to teach Matsumura, who was regarded as a troublemaker. However, Sakukawa had promised Kaiyo Sōfuku, Matsumura Sōkon’s father, that he would teach the boy, and therefore he did. Matsumura spent five years studying under Sakukawa. Matsumura garnered a reputation as an expert in the martial arts. He was the first to introduce the principles of Satsuma's swordsmanship school, Jigen-ryū, into Ryukyu kobujutsu (Ryūkyūan traditional martial arts). His most famous students include Ankō Itosu, Asato and Itarashiki Chochu. Matsumura is credited with creating and passing on kata known as naihanchi (Tekki), passai, seisan, Heian Nidan, chintō, gojūshiho, kanku (from kusanku's teaching as passed on to Tode Sakugawa) and hakutsuru (Hangetsu). Matsumura’s style of karate was known as Shuri-te which later develop into Shōrin-ryū style of karate. YASUTSUNE ANKO ITOSU Born in 1831 Gibo Village, Shuri, Ryukyu Died in 1915. Shuri, Okinawa Itosu started karate study under Nagahama. Following this he studied under Matsumura Sokon Itosu is credited with introducing karate into Okinawa's schools. In 1905, Itosu was a part-time teacher of To-de at Okinawa's First Junior Prefectural High School. Whilst there, he developed the systematic method of teaching karate techniques that are still in practice today. He created and introduced the Pinan kata forms (Heian in some styles) as learning steps for students, because he felt the older forms (kata) were too difficult for schoolchildren to learn. GICHIN FUNAKOSHI Founder of Shotokan Born 10 November 1868 Shuri, Okinawa Ryukyu Kingdom Died 26 April 1957 Tokyo Japan. Aged 88 years Funakoshi was a close friend of the son of Anko Asato a karate and Jigen-ryū master. He studied karate under Anko Asato and Yasutsune Ankō Itosu. Funakoshi had trained in both the styles of Okinawan martial arts of the time, Shōrei-ryū and Shōrin-ryū. Shotokan is named after Funakoshi's pen name, Shōtō which means "waving pines". Kan means training hall or house. Shōtōkan referred to the "house of Shōtō". This name was coined by Funakoshi's students when they posted a sign above the entrance of the hall at which Funakoshi taught. KENWA MABUNI Founder of Shito Ryu Born 14 November 1889 Shuri Okinawa Died 23 May 1952 Tokyo Japan. Mabuni started karate at the age of 13, training under Ankō Yasutsune Itosu. One of his close friends, Chōjun Miyagi who later became the founder of Gōjū-ryū introduced Mabuni to Higaonna Kanryō where he learned Naha-Te. Mabuni also trained under Seishō Aragaki, Tawada Shimboku, Sueyoshi Jino and Wu Xianhui (a Chinese master known as Go-Kenki). One of Mabuni’s most notable students was Chojiro Tani. By the 1920s he was regarded as the foremost authority on Okinawan kata and their history. It is alleged that Gichin Funakoshi learned kata from Kenwa Mabuni. Mabuni had several dojos in the Osaka area including one at Kansai University. In 1929, Mabuni moved to Osaka to become a full-time instructor of Hanko-ryū. Around this time karate became known as “open hand” as opposed to Chinese hand and Mabuni changed his style from Hanko Ryu to Shitō-ryū. This name was derived from the on'yomi readings of the first Kanji character of I(to)su (Anko) and Higa(shi)onna (Higaonna). Shitō-ryū focuses on both hard and soft techniques to this day. Mabuni's experience with both the Naha-te and Shuri -te styles made him renowned throughout Japan and Okinawa as the foremost expert on kata. CHŌJUN MIYAGI Founder of Goju Ryu Born 25 April 1888, Naha, Okinawa Died 8 October 1953 aged 65. Miyagi began studying Karate at the age of nine under Ryuko Aragaki. When aged 14 Aragaki introduced him to Kanryo Higashionna (Higaonna). His training with Higaonna was interrupted from 1910 to 1912 whilst Miyagi completed his military service. In October 1915 Miyagi travelled to Foochow where he studied some local Chinese martial arts. It was on this second trip that he observed the Rokkishu (a set of hand exercises which emphasizes the rotation of the forearms and wrists to execute offensive and defensive techniques), which he then adapted into the Tensho Kata. From the blending of these systems, and his native Naha-Te a new system emerged. In 1929 Chōjun Miyagi named the style Gōjū-ryū, meaning "hard soft style". After several months in China, Miyagi returned to Naha where he opened a dojo. In recognition of his leadership in spreading karate in Japan, Goju-Ryu, became the first style to be officially recognized by the Dai Nippon Butokukai. He revised and further developed Sanchin the hard aspect of Goju, and created Tensho the soft aspect. These kata are considered to contain the essence of the Goju-ryu. The kata, Suparinpei, is said to contain the full syllabus of Goju-ryu. Shisochin was Miyagi's favourite kata at the end of his years. With the goal of unification of various karate styles which was in fashion at that time, he also created more Shurite-like katas Gekisai Dai Ichi and Gekisai Dai Ni in 1940. Miyagi’s students included Gogen Yamaguchi, Seiko Higa, Seikichi Toguchi, Tatsuo Shimabuku, Erichi Miyazato, Meitoku Yagi, Seigo Tada and Anichi Miyagi. JITSUMI GŌGEN YAMAGUCHI “THE CAT” Born 20 January 1909 Miyakonojō, Shonai, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, near Kagoshima City Died on 20 May 1989. Gōgen was in the 5th grade when he began studying karate under Takeo Maruta in Okinawa. Maruta was a Gōjū-ryū practitioner. Maruta was himself a student of Chōjun Miyagi. At Yamaguchi’s invitation in 1929 Chōjun Miyagi visited Kansai, University Osaka, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, and Doshisha University. Yamagutchi was attending Ritsumeikan University at that time studying Law. In 1930 Yamagutchi and Jitsuei Yogi together founded the Ritsumeikan daigaku karate kenkyū-kai (Ritsumeikan University Karate Research Association), the first karate club at Ritsumeikan University. The Ritsumeikan Karate-dō Kenkyū-kai was the first university karate club in western Japan. Chōjun Miyagi gave Gōgen Yamaguchi the responsibility of spreading Gōjū-ryū in mainland Japan. In the early 1930s, Gōgen designed the Gōjū-ryū fist badge, which It is said is modelled on Chōjun Miyagi’s right fist. Gōgen Yamaguchi's contributions to Gōjū-ryū karate-dō and to karate-dō in general have been enormous. He developed and guided the International Karate-dō Gōjū-kai Association (I.K.G.A). It is popular in both Japan and other Asian and Western countries throughout the world. By 2008 there were approximately 60-70 countries teaching the Gōjū-kai karate-dō. Gōgen Yamaguchi succeeded in unifying all the karate schools in Japan into a single union which resulted in the formation of The Federation of All Japan Karate-dō Organization (F.A.J.K.O.) In 1964. The Kokusai Budō Renmei -(The International Martial Arts Federation) appointed Yamaguchi as a Shihan of that organisation's karate-dō division. Yamaguchi added the Taikyoku katas to the Goju- training methods for the beginner students to prepare them for the more advanced kata. SHIGERU KIMURA Born 2 March 1941 Kobe Japan Died 7 July 1995 New Jersey USA Shigeru Kimura began his karate training with Sensei Chojiro Tani at the age of 16. At the age of 21 he won the All Japan Championships. In 1965 left Japan in to teach Shūkōkai in Africa. He developed Shukokai emphasizing its power and strength and was regarded as an expert in the style. He later travelled to Europe and where he continued to teach. In 1970 at the age of 29 he moved to the United States, where he taught at Yonezuka's Cranford dojo for two years. He created the first Shukokai World Tournament in 1981. Chojiro Tani and Shigeru Kimura both made their greatest contributions to the style by continually refining each technique essentially re-defining the basics. Kimura made the study of body mechanics his primary focus. He taught that each technique was to deliver the greatest impact with the least amount of effort. He believed that each technique must be combat-effective. Kimura believed that a technique, no matter how powerful, was useless if it could not be delivered under combat situations. Kimura taught that as with the way of the samurai the outcome of a confrontation should be decided in a single technique. The result of his efforts is the combat-effective style of Shukokai. Shigeru Kimura died of a heart attack at the age of 54. GOSEN KISHIO YAMAGUCHI Born Manchuria 1940 Died 20th May 1989 The US Goju Kai has existed since 1963 as a significant group of the International Karate Do Goju Kai. Gosen Yamaguchi was the second son of Gogen Yamaguchi and he was the first instructor to publicize the entire Goju Ryu system in the United States. During his time as chief instructor, Gosen established the first Goju Kai Karate School in San Francisco at State College in the summer of 1963. After a while, Gosen Yamaguchi returned home to Japan to assist his father with teaching at the Hombu Dojo (central school). In 1966 he travelled to San Francisco with his wife, just married. From 1968 - 1971 Gosen worked for the airline Japan Air Line (JAL) in Frankfurt. In addition to his work, he continued to teach Goju Ryu Karate. After these three years, Gosen returned to Japan and was soon appointed Vice President of Japan Air Line. It is thanks to him that the Goju Kai was supported by JAL sponsorship in the 1970s.