- OKINAWAN
KOBUDO SEMINAR
- Ryukyu
Kobudo Tesshinkan
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- OKINAWAN
KOBUDO SEMINAR
- August
24 - 26, 2001
- Parksville,
B.C., Canada
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- with
special guest:
- Sensei
Hidemi Tamayose, Kyoshi, 8th Dan
- President
of the Ryukyu Kobudo Tesshinkan
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- Along with a large
group of students of various ranks I was extremely
fortunate this weekend to have had the opportunity to
train in the "original weapons system of Okinawa"
with one of the finest Okinawan weapons masters teaching
in the world today, Sensei Hidemi Tamayose, Kyoshi, 8th
Dan, President of the Ryukyu Kobudo Tesshinkan.
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- To give you a brief
history of Okinawan kobudo, Taira Shinken (1897-1970)
established the "Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinko Kai",
(Ancient Weapons Promotion and Preservation Society) in
1955, and upon his death in 1970, Sensei Akamine Eisuke (1925-1999)
his senior student, inherited the leadership of the
organization as the second President.
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- In 1982
Tamayose Sensei began studying directly under Akamine
Sensei at the Hozon Shinko Kai Hombu Dojo. As one of the
senior students Tamayose Sensei was ranked Nana Dan, 7th
Dan, by Akamine Sensei and Hatchi, 8th Dan, by the
Okinawa Ken Karate Do Rengo Kai, and he served as the
Chairman of the Board of Directors until the death of
Akamine Sensei in 1999.
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- In order to
perpetuate Ryu Kyu Kobudo in the manner he had been
personally taught by Akamine Sensei, Tamayose Sensei
formed the "Ryukyu Kobudo Tesshinkan" on May 22,
1999.
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- Bo
basics
- The three day camp
began with Tamayose Sensei introducing us to ten of the
basic bo techniques that a student is required to know in
order to perform any Okinawan bo kata properly. After two
hours of constant training every student had a new
appreciation for the term - "mo ichi do" -
"one more time".
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- A
watchful eye
- Throughout the
weekend Tamayose Sensei made a point of visiting each
student in turn correcting technique, posture, stance,
etc., etc. - here on the left he offers words of
encouragement to Alex Hanuse, while in the background
Sensei Kieran Baldwin holds good form - on the right
Ionne McCaully listens carefully as Tamayose Sensei makes
a minor adjustment to the height of her bo. Through out
the weeked nothing escaped his expert eye and all of his
instructions were very detailed and specific, every
student left the camp with a real appreciation for the
skill and knowledge of this very talented, and very
generous man.
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- Shushi
No Kun Sho
- Sempai Diane
Holland and Sensei Kieran Baldwin are seen here at the
end of the afternoon session working on the bo kata
Shushi No Kun Sho. Unlike some North American versions of
this kata there are no "made up" or "flashy"
movements in the original version of this kata, just good
basic technique, and as expected all of the strikes and
blocks are both functional and effective.
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- Once
again basics, basics, basics
- First we did the
ten bo basics on the right side then on the left,
constant repetition was the order of the day with special
emphasis focused on hand and elbow placement in both the
reverse grip position as shown in the left photograph and
the standard grip as demonstrated by Sensei Holland.
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- Sweating
the small stuff
- Sensei Martin
Nicholson, whose dojo sponsored this seminar, made a
point of spending time with all of the visiting Sensei's
to be sure that the smallest detail was not overlooked.
Here in the top photo he offers me some suggestions while
Sensei Dan Holland patiently waits his turn. It came all
to soon as the bottom photo shows, it looks like we got
similar pointers.
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- Proper
position is everything
- Tamayose Sensei
helped me a great deal through out the entire weekend and
I am very grateful for his personal attention, here in
the top photo he takes the time to make sure I am
positioned correctly. In the background Sempai Wes Hunter
and Sempai James Luck wait their turn - in the bottom
photo it is Sensei Holland's turn - it once again looks
like he and I got similar pointers.
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- Trying
to get it right
- After each session
students would find space to practice what they had
learnt - and I was no exception.
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- Meazato
No Tekko
- In the afternoon of
the second day Tamayose Sensei leads the senior belts
through the tekko kata "Meazato No Tekko" and
once again "mo ichi do" became the order of the
day.
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- Following
the leader
- With his years of
dedicated training behind him Tamayose Sensei made every
part of the kata look both powerful and smooth.
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- Little
things make the difference
- During the bo kata,
Shushi No Kun Sho, Tamayose Sensei checked each student
in turn, here Sensei Dan Holland gets a once over.
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- At
the end of a very successful camp
- Sensei Lindsay,
Sensei Tamayose, and Sensei Nicholson
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- Until
next year
- Thank
you Tamayose Sensei for your time and your knowledge.
- Both
are greatly appreciated.
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