Taira Shinken
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Thoughts on Okinawa Kobudo Systems
The other day I was chatting with one of my students after Kobudo practice and we got on the topic of Yamane (Yamani)-ryu. This of course got me thinking about not only Yamane-ryu, but also the other Kobudo systems (Taira, Matayoshi, Ryukonkai, Ufuchiku) practiced on Okinawa. Below are some random thoughts about Yamane-ryu and Kobudo… Continue reading
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Inoue Motokatsu: Nunchaku & Suruchin Kata
I find it odd that the Inoue Motokatsu’s Ryukyu Kobujutsu group do not use the kata developed by Taira Shinken for suruchin and nunchaku. Indeed, Inoue’s nunchaku and suruchin kata do bear Taira’s name (ie. “Maezato no …”). To the best of my knowledge Inoue stated that all his kata came from Taira and there… Continue reading
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Dialogue in the Dojo
I enjoy practicing Kobudo and Karate in the morning by myself so I can polish and work through techniques. If I’m honest with myself, it’s probably not enough time, but I concentrate just on a few things, so I feel I can make a little progress or at the least not get any worse. The… Continue reading
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Remembering My Teachers
January 12th and January 13th marked the anniversaries of the passing of Minowa Katsuhiko and Kanzaki Shigekazu. Although their passings were years apart, it is a bit ironic that they passed within a day of each other. Their deaths left me in a bad place, and I was filled with sadness and so much regret.… Continue reading
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Taira Shinken’s Business Card
Here is a little known fact about Taira Shinken. At one point, Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinkokai founder Taira Shinken referred to his organization as the Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Kenkyukai – The Ryukyu Kobudo Preservation & Study Association. You can see this in the highlighted business card of his above. Interestingly, we can also see from… Continue reading
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Inoue Motokatsu’s Memories of Taira Shinken
My [first] meeting with Taira Sensei happened in the fall of 1928. At that time, Taira Sensei, who was residing in Ikaho, Gunma Prefecture, happened to visit the Meisho Juku Dojo (Okinawa Student Dormitory Dojo) in Koishikawa Suitengumae to see his karate teacher, Funakoshi Gichin. Taira Sensei was one of his oldest students and had… Continue reading
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1st Amami Karate & Kobudo Demonstration: Part 3
Akamine Eisuke On the occasion of the fifth anniversary martial arts demonstration tournament of the Amami branch dojo, I would like to express my congratulations. Since the establishment of the Karate-do Uechi-ryu and Ryukyu Kobudo in Naze City, it has been five years. During this time, Minowa sensei has led not only the Amami branch but also the Matsukawa… Continue reading
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1st Amami Karate & Kobudo Demonstration: Part 1
While going through my belongings recently, I stumbled upon an old program that I had kept from the first Karate and Kobudo demonstration organized by Minowa sensei on Amami Oshima in 1981. As I reread it, I was struck by some of the things he had said, which I found particularly insightful. I wanted to… Continue reading
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