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SeventhSentinel
4th April 2006, 04:59
Hi I'm searching for a Sensei for my fiancee in traditional Okinawan Karate. Any help is appreciated.

tnx

Prince Loeffler
4th April 2006, 05:21
I suggest to give this dojo a try:

http://seinenkai.com/

or Charles Goodin Sensei's Dojo:

http://hikari.us/index1.html

Last but not least:Hawaii Karate Kodanshakai

http://hawaiikodanshakai.com/kodanshakai.html


Hope this helps !

Todd Lambert
4th April 2006, 06:36
Perhaps some clarification is in order.

The Seinenkai is not a dojo, but rather an old karate support association in Hawaii. It has been re-established by Mr. Goodin.

The goals of the new Hawaii Karate Seinenkai are as follows:

* To encourage the practice of Karate by young people.
* To foster peace and health through Karate training and education.
* To encourage research and journalism about Karate.
* To preserve the legacy of and salute Hawaii's Karate pioneers.
* To establish the Hawaii Karate Museum.
* To maintain the connection of Karate to the community.
* To maintain the place of Karate as an important aspect of Okinawan culture.

The link to Hikari dojo can be accessed through the Seinenkai homepage, and is Mr. Goodin's own dojo (on Oahu). The Hawaii Karate Kodanshakai again, is not a dojo, and can be accessed via the Seinenkai homepage. It is basically a group of very senior local Hawaiian karate instructors whose group which meets to train together, exchange information, and promote karate in Hawaii. Mr. Goodin is a member of this group.

Mr. Goodin is the owner/operator of the Seinenkai website and it's sub-pages (Hikari dojo and Kodanshikai). He seems to be very knowlegeable about karate history and practitioners in Hawaii. Contacting him may be a good starting point.

Prince Loeffler
4th April 2006, 06:46
Perhaps some clarification is in order.

The Seinenkai is not a dojo, but rather an old karate support association in Hawaii. It has been re-established by Mr. Goodin.


The link to Hikari dojo can be accessed through the Seinenkai homepage, and is Mr. Goodin's own dojo (on Oahu). The Hawaii Karate Kodanshakai again, is not a dojo, and can be accessed via the Seinenkai homepage. It is basically a group of very senior local Hawaiian karate instructors whose group which meets to train together, exchange information, and promote karate in Hawaii. Mr. Goodin is a member of this group.

Mr. Goodin is the owner/operator of the Seinenkai website and it's sub-pages (Hikari dojo and Kodanshikai). He seems to be very knowlegeable about karate history and practitioners in Hawaii. Contacting him may be a good starting point.

Thanks for the correction Todd, Sorry about that !

SeventhSentinel
4th April 2006, 07:56
thanks guys. I appreciate the responses but I'm looking for a dojo on the "Island of Hawaii" also known as the "Big Isle". All the previous suggestions are on the island of Oahu although I will try to give them a call to see if they at least know of someone here in the smallish town of Hilo. I did find this contact here: http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/campuscenter/riso/contacts.php which is for Goju Ryu. I don't know much about it but my fiancee is 100% okinawan and very adamant about taking an art native to her background. Personally I am half japanese so it's a bit easier for me to find arts in my background, heh I am a student of Shotokan, Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu and Aikido. I think she just wants to show me that Okinawans rule or somethin. :rolleyes:

p.s. if you guys know anything about Goju Ryu please feel free to enlighten me

much thanks,

Prince Loeffler
4th April 2006, 08:00
Hi George

Maybe this link my help:

http://www.gojuryu.net/news.php

Todd Lambert
4th April 2006, 08:21
thanks guys. I appreciate the responses but I'm looking for a dojo on the "Island of Hawaii" also known as the "Big Isle". All the previous suggestions are on the island of Oahu although I will try to give them a call to see if they at least know of someone here in the smallish town of Hilo.
Charles Goodin is an avid researcher & historian of karate in the State of Hawaii. Although his dojo is not located on the Big Island, he seems to know or know of most everyone connected with traditional/classical Okinawan karate in the state. He may well be a good starting point for further research.

Cheers, and good luck.

Joseph Svinth
5th April 2006, 01:41
Mr. Nonaka's aikido group is probably as solid a traditional martial art as you'll find in Hilo. There is a good BJJ group, too.

In the 1930s and 1940s, boxing and sumo were popular among Big Island Uchinanchu lads with martial proclivities. Some examples: http://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsart_svinth1_1200.htm .

Kenyu "Jackson" Maeshiro was another Big Island boxer of Okinawan descent. Mayeshiro's brother, Shinichi "Stanley" Mayeshiro was a professional wrestler. Pseudonyms included Sessue Oyama (after actor Sessue Hayakawa) and Oyama Kato. He wrestled barefoot and pretended to speak only Japanese, but because most of his wrestling was done in the Midwest (especially Ohio), his playing a heel did not embarrass his family. He died of a heart attack following a wrestling match in Vancouver, British Columbia, January 9, 1961, aged 42. People who played Mayeshiro’s valet "Sugi" included Woody Wakatsuki, whose sister Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston co-authored Farewell to Manzanar (1973).

There is Japanese Goju Ryu and Okinawan Goju Ryu. The kata are virtually identical, but the interpretations and training emphasis are different. For Okinawan Goju, see if you can get in touch with students of the late Tomu Arakawa. They will be in the Honolulu area, but if there is anyone local, I'm sure they'll know who it is.

Todd Lambert
5th April 2006, 08:34
For Okinawan Goju, see if you can get in touch with students of the late Tomu Arakawa. They will be in the Honolulu area, but if there is anyone local, I'm sure they'll know who it is.
I trained briefly with this group (Hawaii Senbukan Dojo) when I had an extended holiday (half a year) in Hawaii. They are absolutely top notch. Arakawa's top student is leading the group now (and is a member of the aforementioned Kodanshikai - his contact info can be found there). His name is Alan Lee, and they were training out of the Hongwanji Jikoen on the intersection of the Likelike Highway and North School Street back around 2001-2.

SeventhSentinel
6th April 2006, 21:43
thanks guys for the input. Joe i actually belong to Nonaka Sensei's Ki aikido club here and your right he's just great. I especially like that he is extremely profecient with a bokken and is able to relate that in teaching me the aikido arts, since i'm most used to sword work. i.e. bring your hands up and grab his like you would your sword then swing downwards like kirioroshi. awesome guy

tnx

Neil Yamamoto
6th April 2006, 23:02
Julian Shiroma is a karate sensei in Kona, I think it's Shorin Ryu, memory fails me at the moment. At any rate, he's on the Big Island. His contact info - Julian.Shiroma@ikl.org I'm sure he can direct you to someone if anyone can.

Mention Bernie Lau and then me if you need to drop names. It's been years since I've seen him, 1987 I think, but he was in touch with Bernie recently.

Bernie was a student of Nonaka sensei too, good place to be.

Hilo, a small dumpy backwater town, a den of vile inequity. I miss drinking way too much at Harringtons and then eating late at Ken's Pancake house to try and sober up.

SeventhSentinel
7th April 2006, 00:03
LMAO i hear ya Neil. both places are still there.

tnx

Mamu_Nestor
14th April 2006, 20:07
Chuzo Kotaka is all over Hawaii. They do Shito-Ryu. His son George is one of the biggest names in Karate in the US. Elisa Au Bobby Chinen and others that you might have heard of. There organization is the IKF (International Karate Federation)