Nakazato Joen Sensei - RIP

[Prince Loeffler]

Designated an Intangible Cultural Asset, Okinawa Karate master and mayor of Chinen Village passed away at 4:16 am on September 7, 2010 from liver cancer at Naha City Hospital. He was 88 years old and a native of Nanshiro, Chinen. A viewing will be held at his home on Tuesday from 3:00 to 4:00 pm at his home at Nanshiro Chinen, 589. He is survived by wife Chiyoko.

He was a student of Shuri-te Karate under the late master Kyan Chotoku and later founded the Shorinji-ryu system of Karatedo in 1954. In 1960 he became vice-president and head of the All Japan Karatedo Federation, Okinawa Division, in 1965 he was appointed vice-chairman of the Okinawa Karatedo League, and in 1983 he served as the president of the Okinawa Karatedo Federation. In 2000 he was designated an Intangible Cultural Asset, and in 2007 a Cultural Merit holder. He authored one book on Karatedo, "Karatedo no Jidaiteki Soan". He was the former mayor of Chinen, elected in 1982 and served two eight-year terms.


http://okinawakarateblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/nakazato-joen-sensei-passes.html

[X_plosion]

So sad to hear that. May Mr. Nakazato Rest In Peace.

[gokyo]

While on a trip to Okinawa in 1998, my wife and I were fortunate enough to be introduced to Nakazato Sensei at his home In Chinen. Remarkably, with our limited Japanese and Sensei's very limited English he gratiously welcomed us and showed us through his dojo and also his garden. In the history of our branch of Shorinjiryu, while Nakazato Sensei trained under Master Kyan, Kaiso Masayoshi Kori Hisataka (founder of Shorinjiryu Kenkokan Karatedo) was a training associate of his. Once we managed to explain our relationship, Sensei presented us a text depicting the history of Shorinjiryu in Okinawa. We have never been able to have it translated properly due to the old style script (some form of kanji) it is written in, but we have managed a cursory account of the writing.
It was a moment I shall always treasure, it is not often that any martial arts practitioner gets a chance to meet with someone of this high standing even with proper letters of introduction and planning, yet he warmly welcomed us both and was pleased that we studied a related form of the Karatedo he spent his life devoted to. My heartfelt thanks to his student that insisted we go meet his teacher and so kindly took us to Sensei's home for the visit. It is a noteworthy entry in my personal training journal, having met a living legend of Karatedo. My sincerest condolences to the family and students of this truly great man, and of course the Okinawa Karate Renmei. The karate world has lost a great treasure, and he will be missed deeply. May he rest in peace and reverence.
Sensei Daryl Jones 5th dan
Shorinjiryu Kentokukan, Canada

[Fred27]

A photo of Nakazato Joen Sensei (http://www.karatebyjesse.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/img_4316.jpg)