Our Covid-19 Measures to Keep You Safe

Posted on June 3, 2020 | by Virginia Dojo

How We Protect You from Covid-19 during Classes:

1. We will look at the Governor’s guidelines for gym openings and follow them strictly.

Right now that entails non-contact social distancing Outdoor Classes that begin Mid-June.

2. We will continue with Zoom classes from the dojo for overseas folks and those that are tied up at work, or those that don’t want to get out of the house yet.

3. After cleaning the air duct system in February I installed a UVC light in the dojo air duct system to control mold and bacteria. Scientific documents also claim that this also kills MRS and SARS viruses. Covid-19 is a SARS virus, but there haven’t been any tests conducted on it yet. I also ordered two additional UV-C lights for use in the dojo after class.

4. We will look at other virus killings/neutralizing measures we can implement in the dojo.

– I will add a second UVC light in the air duct system just in case.

– I will use MERV-11 air filters in the dojo to filter out pollen and dust reducing the work of the UVC lights.

5. We will practice outdoors and in the dojo with masks on, maybe with gloves once contact resumes?

6. Non-contact kumite and bunkai can still be done to get up a good workout and keep your timing.

7. Hand sanitizer or handwashing will be mandatory.

(Note: I need to put Teflon tape on the utility sink couplings so we can use that, too.)

8. There is abundant disinfectant/virucide to clean the floor before and after each class. The virucide is most effective when left to dry on the mats. I will get a sprayer so we can spray before and after class.

9. What are the Class times when the dojo reopens?

We will see how we proceed.

Roberto

Kiyoshi, 8th Dan, Virginia Dojo

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Roberto is an 8th Dan, Kyoshi, awarded by Grand Master Seikichi Iha, 10th Dan, Beikoku Shidokan Shorin Ryu. Roberto began his martial arts journey in 1969 and started training with Sensei Iha in 1979. He continues to train with Sensei Iha and is now one of Iha’s senior students. He is also a certified in Martial Arts Fitness Instruction and in Self Defense Instruction.

As a retired Foreign Service Officer Roberto now concentrates on teaching proven-effective adult-focused self defense karate at the Virginia Dojo in Alexandria VA. Many people call the Virginia Okinawan Karate Dojo the Martial Arts Grad School because Roberto teaches proven effective often brutal, pressure points, joint locks and grappling applications that Sensei Iha taught him during 40+ years of instruction in addition to the obvious percussion techniques of punching, kicking and blocking. See examples of traditional Kata, Kumite, & Bunkai here.

Roberto is a member of the Mid West Beikoku Shidokan Karate Black Belt Promotion Board and the National Black Belt Promotion Board. Among his numerous awards are:

“Best Martial Arts Teacher in Washington, DC” in 2017; “Best Martial Arts in Washington, DC” 2018; “Best Martial Arts in Alexandria” 2019; and “Best of Lessons.com” in 2018 and 2019

Virginia Dojo, 6416 Grovedale Dr., #302-B, Alexandria, VA 22310

Okinawan Shidokan Karate 10th Dans: Who is Who

Posted on April 22, 2020 | by Virginia Dojo

Who is who in Shidokan? Remember Shidokan is MIyahira’s Dojo. Nakazato led Shorinkan, Higa led Kyudokan, Uema led Shubukan(?), Ishikawa had his own dojo. Shinzato led Shinshukan in Brazil and Argentina (mostly senior students who left Miyazato). See note at bottom of page

The Shidokan Dojo Leader Board (picture below taken 3/6/2017 at Miyahira’s Dojo) lists students by rank and seniority. Read first panel from Right to Left:
Kan Seniority (remember Kan means place)
10th Dan
Miyahira Katsuya
Iha Seikichia
Miyagi Takeshi
Hirouki Shinkai (Sensei never met him, and knows nothing about him. We suspect Maybe he has a dojo in Japan)
Shimambukuro Kasaei

You already know that Katsuya Miyahira founded Shidokan Shorin Ryu Karate (Kobayashi).
– Shoei Miyazato was Miyahira’s senior student. However, two different times while in Okinawa he was quoted as saying he was a 10th Dan in a newspaper. Miyahira had him retract the statement the first time. The second time he and Miyahira split as Miyahira suggested that Miyazato should form his own organization. (The Miyazato Dojo currently has between 9 – 10,000 students!) Miyazato rejoined the Shidokan organization after a few years well after Miyahira promoted Seikichi Iha to 10th Dan in 2001.
– Seikichi Iha became the first 10th Dan promoted by the Shorin Ryu Karate Associaton headed by Katsuya Miyahira. This is the organization that Chibana developed and presided over until his death.
– Takeshi Miyagi was promoted to 10th Dan in 2003(?) and now presides over the Shorin Ryu Karate Association. He and his students don’t wear Shidokan patches. He has a small organization. He does have a 9th Dan in Mount Airy and two 8th Dans in Baltimore.
– Hirouki Shinkai was promoted to 10th Dan in 2004. We don’t know much about him.
– Kasei Shimambukuro was promoted in ? He always participates in Iha events and often comes to NTS. He was a well-known Okinawan politician.

Miyahira promoted Nakamura to 9th Dan, along with a slew of other students. Nakamura has a small dojo in Okinawa. Dick Kevork from France has a large school and organization and practices under Nakamura. Nakamura promoted Kevork to 9th Dan (He was about 45 years old) and Kevork then signed a certificate promoting Nakamura to 10th Dan! He heads up the Shorin Ryu Dento & Kobudo Organization or something. I will look it up and correct this.

Takeshi Miyagi recently promoted to 10th Dan Morinobu, a student of Miyahira, and Kiyoshi Tchaya his own student.

Argentina: Masatoshi Miyazato was promoted to 10th Dan after his father died. I believe the Shorin Ryu Karate Association then headed by Miyagi promoted him. Iha sponsored his promotion. Does it matter who promoted him? No one else has an Okinawan Karate Dojo and School system as large at Miyazato’s. They recently celebrated their Dojo’s 60th Anniversary! Mercedes Miyazato, Shoei Miyazato’s daughter, and Masatoshi’s sister was recently promoted to 9th Dan. I believe she is the highest-ranked woman in Okinawan Karate.

Guam: Shiroma was promoted to 10th Dan while Ishikawa presided over the Shorin Ryu Karate Association. Iha sponsored his promotion.

My Conjecture: When Iha was promoted to 10th Dan in 2001 the Shorin Ryu Karate Association also promoted 4 Chibana students to 10th Dan. I believe they were: Ishikawa, Shinzato (Brazil), Shimambukuro Katsuyuki, and maybe Uema. People wondered how Miyahira could promote so many people to 10th Dan at once. Yet the Shorin Ryu Karate Association, not just Miyahira, could recognize Chibana students and Iha at the same time.

Many 8th and 9th Dans left Miyazato’s Dojo for political reasons. Some speculate that Shoei Miyazato wanted to leave the Dojo to his son Masatoshi and the higher ranks could get in the way of his succession. You can find these guys on Facebook. I have been in contact with them periodically through Facebook.
– Miyazato’s son-in-law Miguel Corraglio left to form Shidokai. He died of cancer a few years ago. There are still some followers in Argentina and Texas. I think his son now leads the small Shidokai Association.
– Gerardo Cantore left as an 8th Dan to become a Buddhist monk, then studied Ishin Ryu. He is now located in the Patagonia of Argentina heading up the Shin Shin Kan Association as a 10th Dan, promoted by an Okinawan Goju Ryu 10th Dan.
– Santiago Sacaba left as a 9th Dan and now heads up an Association. He was promoted to 10th Dan by another Okinawan 10th Dan. He still often visits the Miyahira dojo with his students and is well known by Miyahira’s senior students. He now lives in Italy.
– Hector Gonzalez left the Miyazato Dojo and started studying with Shinzato’s (Brazil) Shin Shun Kan. He is now rated a 9th Dan and lives in Cordoba, Argentina, the same town as the Miyazato Hombu Dojo. Morinobu often visits Gonzalez. I’ve counted at least 3 times. Yet per Masatoshi Miyazato, he has never contacted the Miyazato Dojo while he was in Argentina.

Morinobu is Secretary of the Shorin Ryu Karate Do Association and travels often. When he visited Brazil they would often describe him as a 10th Dan. I asked Sensei Iha about that and he said he was a 10th Dan in Brazil only. I suspect that way he would outrank Yonamine who left Shinzato and affiliated with Sensei Iha and received the rank of 9th Dan from Miyagi. Iha sponsored his promotion. He died a few years ago and his son Marcelo, 7th or 8th Dan now heads up Brazil Shidokan. Miyagi officially promoted Morinobu to 10th Dan recently.

These are my thoughts. Most of it is based on historical scraps of information found here and there, what Sensei Iha has told me, what I have witnessed, etc. If something is incorrect please let me know.

Thanks for reading!

Robert Roberto Curtis

Beikoku Shidokan Shorin Ryu Karate Do (Kobayashi) 8th Dan, Kyoshi

Virginia Okinawan Karate Dojo, 6416 Grovedale Dr., Alexandria, VA 22310

Shinpan (Shiroma) Gusukuma per Sensei Nakasone

Posted on April 22, 2020 | by Virginia Dojo

Hirakazu (Koichi) Nakasone, 9th Dan, Ryukyu Kingdom Sui-di Bujutsu, Sensei Iha’s student, explains that Gusukuma Sensei was a high school teacher and that teachers were given a special honorific title. Gusukuma Sensei was a very intelligent person who understood a lot of bunkai (applications). Nakasone Sensei once asked Iha Sensei why Gusukuma Sensei knew so much about bunkai and Iha answered that Gusukuma was a very small man – 1.5 meters high (approx. 4′ 11″) – so he needed technique! He also studied Goju Ryu, Kempo/Kenpo (Japanese term derived from Chinese quánfǎ), Naginata (bladed pole weapon), so given all that, his way of thinking was broader. Kata, application, the use of “Hin-di” (hand changing technique during an attack as a response to defense), being able to adapt to changing situations and attacks in an intelligent way, “Dinki Ohen” (your responsibility to self-adjust spacing) – are some of the skills, strategy needed to be ready to take on anyone using the principles of karate. He was revered by masters of the day such as Yabu Kentsu and Motubu Choki and was known to help resolve arguments between them on technique.

He was also known for being detailed in his study of kata. He was featured in an encyclopedia of karate with many prominent sensei of the post-war period. (Referring to: “Karatedo Taikan – A Broad View of Karatedo.” Chief Editor: Karate Researcher Genwa Nakasone. Authors: Genwa Nakasone, Hironori Ohtsuka, Gichin Funakoshi, Chomo Hanashiro, Shinpan Shiroma, Choshin Chibana, Chojun Miyagi, Shinken Taira. Originally published May 5, 1938.) He studied kata for technique with a modest attitude — no need to show off. Nakasone Sensei explains that people in Okinawa who show off their karate tend to be challenged (to prove themselves). People who really practice can drop someone with one strike and so there is no need to show off or strut. They also have the mindset that if you hurt someone else, it will also hurt you.

Nakasone Sensei goes on to explain the idea of striking true to the centerline (pointing to vital organs in the centerline of the body) – not striking for “points” (as in sports karate). He says that one can develop the feeling of striking to the center by hitting a makiwara blindfolded. You develop an awareness of where your target is. Practice helps with the feeling of distancing also (“maai”). Then you can build on that. Then you have the skills to take on anybody of any size. Also, use natural motion without posturing and stay relaxed. Don’t force breathing, or reveal the rhythm of your breathing — just breathe naturally without any thought to it. If you show your breath timing to your opponent, you show the point when you are weak. These are some of the things Gusukuma Sensei thought about. Because he was a school teacher, he had more time and income that allowed him to study karate more deeply.

Gusukuma Shinpan died suddenly at 64 years old (possibly related to a head injury he had sustained during WWII).

copied from the Ihadojo Google Classroom.

Thanks for Reading!

Robert Roberto Curtis

8th Dan, Beikoku Shidokan Shorin Ryu

Virginia Okinawan Karate Dojo, 6416 Grovedale Dr., Alexandria, VA 22310

Essential Teachings of Shidokan Karate

Posted on April 1, 2020 | by Virginia Dojo

Essential Teachings of Shidokan Karatedo

The following are some essential teachings of our Shidokan heritage from Choshin Chibana, Shinpan Gusukuma, Katsuya Miyahira, and Seikichi Iha.

Choshin Chibana:

Don’t show (off) your abilities or intention. Be modest in behavior (kenkyo) and natural in
movement (shizentai).

Meaning: True karateka do not announce themselves, but remain in a modest state of continual and natural readiness that is neither exhausting through tension nor apparent to others. Through proper body control (sabaki: balance, breathing, muscle tension, facial expression), their karate is only seen or felt at the critical moment. This has the double meaning of neither showing off in a proud manner nor making unnecessary movements in actual applications.

Sensei said the idea of “not showing what you know” is like a person holding 2-gallon jars — one empty, one full and heavy, with the difference between their weights not revealed by how they are held. Similarly, karate should ideally be unobservable until the moment it is necessary to use. “The capable hawk hides its talons.”

Shinpan Gusukuma:

No ‘over-motion’ (wabadi), only natural (shizen) motion.

Meaning: Excessive movement (wabadi, “over motion”) will not work in application. It will be too late and is easily overcome. Natural movement is always “just enough,” like catching or
throwing a ball. Realize, too, that shizentai (natural body position, as at the start of kata) is a
stance of patience. It is the perfect outward expression of an inward disposition for a martial
artist, for a human being. Injuries, misunderstandings, personal obligations and long periods of stagnation are critical to our development. Each struggle refines our character into that of a
martial artist to produce martial virtue (butoku). Accept difficulties as normal stepping-stones in your training. Be patient in your practice. “Having patience where patience is intolerable, this is true patience.”

Katsuya Miyahira:

Natural movement has no straining tension. “Flowing water competes with nothing.”
(Ryusui saki wo kisuwazu.)

Meaning: Movement is relaxed and focused only at the end. This lets power flow out of the body like water from a hose or water in a stream. It doesn’t fight against itself or others. Excessive tension in the muscles and tendons traps power in the body. Moreover, just as water doesn’t fight against the rocks in the river, so too the receiving of an attack is done with flowing and enveloping energy, not clashing. This is at the heart of nagashi waza, flowing techniques.

Seikichi Iha:

Proper partner work leads to natural movement which, while small and unseen, yields
great opportunities for your martial purposes. This creates the quality of elegance in
movement.

Meaning: All effective techniques seem hidden because they are so natural as to appear
nonchalant or accidental. There is no thought attached to them (mushin). But this refined
elegance only comes from proper partner work which is based upon cooperation and care for
each other, and not through a competitive spirit where there can only be one winner and one
loser. A competitive mind undermines growth because it is based upon ego satisfaction, which
clouds self-perception. Growth only comes from seeing one’s self in an honest way, which our
partners can show to us if we listen with our minds and bodies (which Sensei here calls “body
conversation”). Mushin (an unattached mind) is the proper mental state of executing movement at the critical moment and humility is the proper mental state for learning movement. Sensei Iha often reminds us to “make friends with karate”. Our heart techniques (kokoro waza) most fully develop from martial friendship (buyu).

“Essential Teachings” provided by Seikichi Iha

with assistance from Akiyoshi Shiroma.
Japanese calligraphy by Nobuo Shimabukuro.

English translation of Japanese text by Seikichi Iha with assistance from Yujiro Uza.

Meaning of the concepts compiled from interviews with Seikichi Iha by Matthew Hubinger, Mark McCloud and Marian Reiter. May 2016.