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OKINAWAN
KOBUDO SEMINAR
Ryukyu
Kobudo Tesshinkan
August
13 - 15, 2004
Parksville,
B.C. Canada
With
special guest:
Sensei
Hidemi Tamayose, Kyoshi, 8th Dan
President
of the Ryukyu Kobudo Tesshinkan
Along with a group
of my senior students I recently spent another three day
training camp 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.
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.
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.
Tamayose Sensei, in
order to perpetuate Ryukyu Kobudo in the manner he had
been taught by his teacher Eisuke Akamine Sensei, formed
the "Ryukyu Kobudo Tesshinkan" on May 22, 1999.
In
the beginning
Sensei Tamayose, as
always, made the ten bo basics the foundation of our
daily training, morning, afternoon, and evening. Lasting
from and hour to an hour and a half each session this was
a great way to warm up prior to moving on to kata.
Following the bo basics the various katas including, the bo kata,
Shushi no Kon Sho, the tekko kata, Maezato no Tekko, the
nunchaku kata, Maezato no Nunchaku, and the sai kata,
Chikin Shitahaku no Sai.
In the
end a great deal of knowledge was imparted to all of the
students during the three day event. I know that everyone
involved in this camp will take back to their respective
dojo's, wonderful memories, new friendships, as well as a
renewed desire to work hard on all aspects of their
kobudo.
Focused
on the task at hand
Sempai Katharine
Kaye stays focused during the kata, Shushi no Kon
Sho. Within
the Ryukyu Kobudo Tesshinkan there are ten basic bo
movements that need to be demonstrated correctly on both
the right and left side. All ten basics must be performed
is a specific series, which not only promotes good
skills, but also allows the student to learn one form
correctly before going on to the next one after which Shushi no Kon
Sho is the first bo kata a student is taught. Unlike some
North American version of this kata the use of hip
rotation in Okinawan katas is considered extremely
important and as such is strongly emphasised during each
movement of the kata.
Taking
their turn
Out
in front of the class with Sensei Tamayose watching very
closely, Sempai Katharine Kaye, and Sempai Marilyn Norman
go through the kata Shushi no Kon Sho
together, while another group of students await their
turn on the floor.
Sensei
Nicholson
Sensei
Martin Nicholson, one of the highest ranked student in
Ryukyu Kobudo Tesshinkan, makes regular trips to Okinawa
to train with Sensei Tamayose in his private dojo which
is attached to his home. During the many weeks of
personal one on one training that he has received in
Okinawa over the past ten years Sensei Nicholson has
established himself as one of the foremost practitioners
of old Okinawan Kobudo.
A
watchful eye
Throughout the
weekend Sensei Martin Nicholson kept a close eye on all
of the students, and especially on all the corrections,
no matter how small, that were made by Sensei Tamayose.
Those students seated beside him also paid very close
attention knowing that their turn in front of the Master
and the other students was just minutes away.
Attention
to detail
No
detail was to small to escape Sensei Tamayose's attention.
Here Sempai Tim Trytten gets an up close, one on one
lesson, on the finer points of the kata, Maezato
no Tekko. Sensei Martin Nicholson who hosted the seminar
in his newly completed dojo can be seen watching in the
background. Well done Sensei, the dojo is great, you are
to be congratulated on a wonderful facility.
Four
on the floor
Working in groups
of four Sensei Tamayose put all of the students through
their paces at various point throughout the day. Seen
here waiting their turn are, Sempai Marilyn Norman,
Sensei Colleen Nicholson, Uwe Bartley, and Sempai
Katharine Kaye.
Up
next
Hands
on is the best way to learn, here sensei Tamayose makes
sure with two hands that Uwe Bartley knows just where he
wants his upper hand to be at this point in the kata. As
with any kata, the correct placement of the hands and
feet, along with proper body posture, are all critical to
proper performance.
Satisfied
with what he sees
A
little further through the same kata, Maezato
no Tekko, Sensei Tamayose once again checks
on Uwe's technique, stance, and posture. This time
satisfied with what he saw he moved on to the next
student in line who also performed equally well.
Posture
first
Sensei
Tamayose is always careful to stress that everything
begins with good posture. Here he make sure that Sempai
Marilyn Norman has her shoulders in the proper position
before moving on with her lesson. Once again hands on
helps the student to not only feel what is required, but
this method also helps to instil body memory for those
times when the students are practicing alone.
Leading
by example
Setting
the pace for everyone to follow Sensei Tamayose was
always ready to lead by example when ever he felt it
would help the students on the floor, or those waiting
their turn, to better understand the point he was trying
to make.
Always
a beginner
While I hold Dan
ranks in both Shotokan Karate and Goju Ryu Karate, in the
years that I have been a member of the Ryukyu
Kobudo Tesshinkan I have never graded for any rank
within the organization. As a
result, since being granted membership in the Tesshinkan,
when ever I attend one of Sensei Tamayose's training
camps I always make sure I am wearing a white belt, not a
black one, and the same holds true for all of my students.
As with all things in life if you want to learn anything,
the first step is to keep and open mind, and the second
step, is to always be sure that you check your ego at the
door.
More
than four
Bringing up several
groups on this occasion Sensei Tamayose took everyone
through Maezato no Tekko one more time before
the lunch break, just to be sure that everyone was on the
same page. Knowing what was coming in the afternoon
session, however, most students ate very little, and
instead used the time to go over what they had already
been taught.
Sempai
Jim Luck
A
long time student of Sensei Nicholson's, Jim is a serious
student of kobudo, as well as Goju Ryu karate. At the end
of the three day camp Sempai Jim successfully graded for
the rank of Ni Dan in the Ryukyu
Kobudo Tesshinkan. Well done Jim - and congratulations
from all of the Victoria students.
Maezato
no Nunchaku
During a solo
performance of her nunchaku kata Sempai Colleen Nicholson
could always be seen in an excellent stance. Here Colleen
is getting set to start moving forward into one of the
final moves of the kata.
Kobudo
bunkai
Just
prior moving on to the sai kata, Chiken
Shitahaku no Sai, Sensei Tamayose and Sensei Nicholson
did a demonstration showing some of the bunkai
applications that would apply to Maezato no Nunchaku.
Everyone
got a turn
Tamayose Sensei,
through out the weekend, made sure that each and every
student had the opportunity to demonstrate what they had
learnt in front of their fellow students. Sempai
Katharine Kaye always made a point of working on good
form when ever she was selected.
- Just so
- In the afternoon of
the second day Sensei Tamayose once again spent time with
each group of four, this time it was to make sure that
all of the important aspects of the sai kata, Chikin
Shitahaku no Sai, were adhered to. Nothing escaped his
expert eye and all of his instructions were very detailed
and specific.
-
- Sai
kata
- With his years of
dedicated training behind him Tamayose Sensei made every
part of the sai kata he demonstrated look both powerful
and smooth. To my left Sensei Colleen Nicholson shows
good form during on of the many, many times we followed
Sensei Tamayose through Chikin
Shitahaku no Sai. Mo ichi do was a common phrase indeed.
-
- An
autographed bo
- After
the training was over Sensei Tamayose very kindly took
the time to sign everyone's bo with the their name, the
date, and name of his organization. I know that all of
the students in attendance appreciated the gesture.
-
- At
the end of it all a grading
- At the end of the
camp several students took the opportunity to grade in
front of Sensei Tamayose, and Sensei Nicholson. The ranks
being sought ranged from brown belt to Ni Dan and each
student knew in advance that very few mistakes would be
permitted. A minimum score of 70.0 was required in order
to pass.
-
- A
good score
- All
of the students who graded at this years Parksville
summer camp passed successfully which had not been the
case earlier in the week at the grading that had taken
place after the Vancouver seminar. Here Colleen Nicholson
receives the results and her point score from sensei
Tamayose. Congratulations to all of those who graded.
-
- We
can't wait until next year
- Thank
you Sensei Tamayose for your time, and your knowledge.
Both are greatly appreciated. Once again, as in past
years, every student left the camp with a real
appreciation for the skill and knowledge of this very
talented, very humble, and very generous man.
-
-
- Part
the clouds - see the way.
-
- "The
objective of kobudo is to contribute to the evolution
- of
the human spirit through physical and mental training."
- Sensei
Peter Lindsay
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