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Thread: Shotokan groups

  1. #76
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    It was particularly heart breaking to see what happened to Enoeda sensei's highest ranking students and the KUBG
    Ron,
    Without wishing to sound like a troll, can you fill me in on some of the blanks here? I've only heard that the KUGB effectively left the JKA after the passing of Enoeda Sensei, and everything else has been political slandering, no hard details.

    I honestly don't think any of it has been for the benefit of karate
    Agreed.

    Enoeda Sensei would be saddened to see what's happened.
    Andrew Smallacombe

    Aikido Kenshinkai

    JKA Tokorozawa

    Now trotting over a bridge near you!

  2. #77
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    Hello,

    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew S
    Ron, Without wishing to sound like a troll, can you fill me in on some of the blanks here? I've only heard that the KUGB effectively left the JKA after the passing of Enoeda Sensei, and everything else has been political slandering, no hard details.
    The best online source of online information on the problem was an article titled "Karate Politics Gone Wrong the KUGB Split" by Rob Redmond ( http://www.24fightingchickens.com/mu/kugb/index.html ). There was also an earlier thread here on E-Budo ( http://www.e-budo.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20704 ) which referenced the same article. Unfortunately, the author has since taken down his wonderful website in order to spend more time with his family. However, the facts are quite clear.

    The short version, Enoeda sensei suddenly passed away leaving a vacuum at the top. Among the senior instructors of the KUGB at the time were:

    Andy Sherry, 7th dan
    Terry O'Neill, 6th dan
    Bob Poynton, 6th dan
    Bob Rhodes, 6th dan
    Billy Higgins, 6th dan
    Frank Brennan, 6th dan
    Charlie Naylor, 6th dan
    Gary Harford, 6th dan
    Derek Langham, 6th dan
    Cyril Cummins, 6th dan
    Ohta, Yoshinobu, 6th dan

    The KUGB was a democratic organization and naturally elected Andy Sherry as it's head. However, Ohta Yoshinobu, who was at the very least junior to Andy Sherry or possibly as many as ten others in the KUGB, had already started his attempt to seize power by contacting Tokyo directly. The JKA in Tokyo declared in a letter dated May 20th, 2003 that "Mr. Ohta is most appropriate socially and technically" (emphasis mine) and that they were appointing Ohta as their representative. A later argument by the Ohta faction claimed that Andy Sherry's and the other seniors' ranks were never registered by Tokyo.

    My take on the situation is that it really doesn't matter if Andy Sherry and the other seniors ranks were registered in Tokyo or not. They were given by Enoeda sensei, the JKA's senior representative for GB, and if for whatever reason some minor clerical error or delay occured then Tokyo should have simply registered their ranks as such. Mistakes happen. What an insult to Enoeda sensei (not to mention his family) to claim that his signature on his senior student's dan certificates and position as the JKA's senior representative for GB was not enough.

    Now think of the implications for the rest of the world. Karate students paid their yearly dues to the JKA representative organizations in their countries out of their deep respect for the JKA and its technical excellence. We paid not only our testing fees but also extra fees to "register" our ranks when we passed exams. We were led to believe that our ranks would be registered in Tokyo and felt that contributed to our rank's legitimacy. It is now clear that one can never be sure they have a JKA rank unless they tested for it and passed at the Hombu as far as the JKA is concerned.

    It also seems clear that unless a person is Japanese, then they will never be "socially" appropriate as a representative of the JKA. Or in other words, rank (or for that matter the skill it supposedly represents) doesn't matter, race does. It is sad, but true. The JKA said it themselves. It seems that Randall Hassell of the American JKA ( http://americanjka.com/ ) was correct when he wrote about racial discrimination against non Japanese in the JKA back in the 1980s.

    I spent 15 years of my life training in what I thought was a JKA affiliated dojo and every day after practice we chanted the dojo kun. Seek perfection of character. Be faithful. Endeavor. Respect others. Refrain from violent behavior. Obviously those were at best just empty ideals or at worst a means to keep the foreigners in line. Would Funakoshi be proud? Is that what "karatedo" is about? I don't think so.

    I should probably make it clear that the problems between the JKA and the KUGB had no personal bearing on me as I have only trained in the US and Japan. I also stopped training with the JKA years ago. Although it has crossed my mind from time to time to go back, I really don't think I ever could bring myself to do so. Although technically excellent, with the kind behavior shown above taking place, I personally don't think I could ever reconcile in my own mind the differences between what the JKA espouses and does. I'm also certainly not going to pay to be a second class citizen.

    All of the above has personally been quite emotionally difficult for me as I had always held my instructors in high esteem. I looked up to them and I feel that I was let down by their actions. It is all quite sad really.

    I hope this helps.

    Sincerely,

    Ron Beaubien
    Last edited by Ron Beaubien; 6th October 2005 at 17:11.

  3. #78
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    Default They're just guys

    Quote Originally Posted by Ron Beaubien

    It also seems clear that unless a person is Japanese, then they will never be "socially" appropriate as a representative of the JKA. Or in other words, rank (or for that matter the skill it supposedly represents) doesn't matter, race does. It is sad, but true. The JKA said it themselves. It seems that Randall Hassell of the American JKA ( http://americanjka.com/ ) was correct when he wrote about racial discrimination against non Japanese in the JKA back in the 1980s.

    I spent 15 years of my life training in what I thought was a JKA affiliated dojo and every day after practice we chanted the dojo kun. Seek perfection of character. Be faithful. Endeavor. Respect others. Refrain from violent behavior. Obviously those were at best just empty ideals or at worst a means to keep the foreigners in line. Would Funakoshi be proud? Is that what "karatedo" is about? I don't think so.

    .... Although technically excellent, with the kind behavior shown above taking place, I personally don't think I could ever reconcile in my own mind the differences between what the JKA espouses and does. I'm also certainly not going to pay to be a second class citizen.

    All of the above has personally been quite emotionally difficult for me as I had always held my instructors in high esteem. I looked up to them and I feel that I was let down by their actions. It is all quite sad really.

    Ron Beaubien
    While discrimination is bad on principal and it seems clear that the KUGB's senior students were badly treated, still one must ask..so what?

    So what if you do not have a JKA affiliation? The KUGB is now run by the English for the English as it should be and has unified with other English groups to form a governing body for English karate, icing out the JKA. Karate after all, is not like the auto industry, where Toyota may control the factories and jobs. Karate is 100% portable.

    Plus, why should the Japanese be expected to behave any better than anyone else? They are just exporting their own culture. American Wal-Mart goes to Canada and tries to avoid unionizing. All corporations had to be sued to treat women fairly. The JKA is composed only of humans so let them give you what they can, don't expect the moon. All humans fall short of ideals as your spouse will remind you everyday.

    In terms of karate as an art, I actually believe the JKA can hamper the growth/improvement of karate by edging out all variations in order to impose standardization.

    M

  4. #79
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    Ron,

    Thanks for your frank and balanced reply.

    Indeed, as I once noted, the JKA sometimes needs to (at least, figuratively) drop the "J", otherwise it will cut itself off as an organization dedicated to creating Japanese world champions rather than developing excellent karateka.

    Andrew
    Andrew Smallacombe

    Aikido Kenshinkai

    JKA Tokorozawa

    Now trotting over a bridge near you!

  5. #80
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    Regarding Master Kawanabe and Master Lenchus. As said earlier Kawanabe Sensei was captain of the Wasada University Karate Club the year after Oshima Sensei. The Club was an extra ordinary club, Head teacher Ginshun Funakoshi Sensei, Egami Sensei, Okuyama Sensei, Harada Sensei, Oshima Sensei, Kawanabe Sensei just scratched the surface of that legendary time. 1954 after Graduating Kawanabe Sensei and Sensei Tado Okuyama (one of his Dojo Brothers in the Wasada Karate Club) one of the most extraordinary martial artist of that time practiced together and studied from Master Hoken Inoue (the Founder of Shin”ei Taido and Nephew of Morihei Ueshiba the founder of Akido) A few years later Egami sensei would also learn from Inoue Sensei and incorporated some of the philosophical elements of Shinei Taido in to Shotokan Karatedo.

    After the death of Ginchen Funakoshi in 1957 Kawanbe Sensei opened a Dojo in Atsugi Japan where he taught Shotokai Karate. Lenchus Sensei joined the dojo in 1957 when station in at the Atsugi base of the Marines. Lenchus Sensei had studied Hawaiian Kempo as a child as when he found Kawanabe Sensei dojo he became one of the first American Students of Kawanabe. He studied from Kawanabe Sensei between 1957 and 1961 when he returned to the US. During the time he was in Japan he was well know for fighting his way thoughout japan and competing on the almost all Japanese Police league. Although Kawanabe Sensei very much disapproved of the fighting, Lenchus was a Gajin in Japan and often though of a barbarian. But respect for his ability. When he returned home from Japan in 1961 he was one of the few Japanese Ranked black belts in America and he opened up a dojo in Brooklyn and which is now in its 50th year.

    Grand Master Lenchus still maintains his relationship with his teacher Kenjerio Kawanabe often bringing his students to Japan to meet and to study from him.

    I am a student of Lenchus Sensei (1968 to Present) and teach at the 34th St Dojo where he is the head teacher, and have had the pleasure of joining him to visit Kawanabe Sensei in Atsugi Japan where he still teaches.

  6. #81
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    Hello,

    Thank you for the input concerning K. Kawanabe.

    Just let me point out three little typing errors that occurred in your text. “Ginshun Funakoshi“ should be better written „Funakoshi Gichin“, „Tado Okuyama” should be “Okuyama Tadao” (with an additional ‘a’), and “Kenjerio Kawanabe” should be “Kawanabe Kenjirō”.

    Regards,

    Henning Wittwer

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