On Sunday 11 March 2018, at the prestigious Japanese School of Milan, the 2nd National Seminar of Traditional Karate of Okinawa took place. 8 hours of training in pure okinawan style! During the morning, the practitioners were able to train in Kobudo and Karate with Hiroshi Akamine sensei (9th dan both of Kobudo and Shorin-ryu), who, with the typical humility and passion of the Okinawans, personally corrected every single practitioner. To help him in this task there were one of his most trusted students, Hamby Dell sensei, as well as the Spanish representative of the school of Akamine sensei, Rafael Pulgarin Salmeron sensei. The three masters then performed some demonstrations with the various Kobudo weapons typical of the Ryukyu Kobudo Shimbukan school.
In the afternoon, instead, the practitioners were divided into small groups (a typical detail of Okinawa Karate Kenkyukai seminars, as well as seminars organized by the Okinawa Prefecture), which, in rotation, passed from one teacher to another, until the end of the afternoon 4 hours. The practitioners were able to experience Shorin-ryu with Emanuel Giordano sensei, Matsumura Shorin-ryu with Mirko Mori sensei, Goju-ryu with Mattia Maritan sensei and Seitokan Shorin-ryu with Santiago Sacaba sensei (though only for an hour, due to some unexpected events). Besides the typical techniques of each represented style, the different ways of using the body were shown, as well as the peculiar principles of the various Okinawan schools, which, although they are among the most important elements, are often overlooked. Of course, the preparatory exercises, submission techniques, bunkai, short distance fighting principles, and all that is typical of Okinawan Traditional Karate have also been studied!
-We thank all the participants for having studied with us the Karate and the Kobudo of Okinawa, helping us to spread this magnificent discipline, regardless of the schools / styles of origin (and despite the bad weather that struck Milan).
- We thank the Masters who came from Okinawa and Spain to attend the event, namely Akamine sensei, Dell sensei and Salmeron sensei.
-We thank Gesshinkai Italy for the collaboration.
- We thank the Traditional Karate of Okinawa CSEN for the patronage, without which the event could not have been carried out in this way.
- And we thank, of course, all members of Okinawa Karate Kenkyukai.
P.S: below we report the review of the seminar, created by Alessandro, available on the blog "Le arti dell'uomo"
On Sunday, March 11th at the Japanese school in Milan, the second national meeting dedicated to traditional Okinawan karate was held, organized by Okinawa karate kenkyukai. I had not participated in the first seminar and I must say that I am really grateful to Emanuel Giordano sensei for giving me this opportunity and I am sure that even those who had already had the good fortune to participate in the first edition were not disappointed.
The day, intense but smooth, took place in an atmosphere of respect, friendship and passion. Thanks to the presence of the master Akamine Hiroshi arrived directly from the island of Okinawa, who opened the morning practice, teaching the art of kobudo with the basic study of the use of bo, the long stick, the main and fundamental weapon of this discipline that is closely related to karate.
After practicing with the bo, Akamine sensei helped by two of his direct students, he demonstrated other typical weapons present in his school, showing a kata for each of the weapons accompanying all with some application and some advice on the use of these "tools" . After this first part the teacher gave the possibility, dividing the participants into two groups, to practice karate or to further deepen the kobudo. He with a group proposed some exercises based on some body mechanisms typical of Okinawan karate, while his collaborators, Hamby Dell and Rafael Salmeron, continued to deepen the practice with the stick with the other group. After this first part of the seminar and after the group photos with the Akamine sensei, there was a pause to regenerate some energy by eating something.
Meanwhile, the rain has never stopped coming down, keeping us company with his ticking until the time to put our feet on the tatami.
The second part of the seminar focused on the study of the different styles of Okinawan karate, specifically Shorin-ryu and Goju-ryu. Unfortunately for health reasons Eduardo De Angelis sensei who had to propose the Uechi-ryu style could not stay and therefore after creating three groups in turn the practitioners had the opportunity to practice with the masters Emanuel Giordano (Shorin-ryu) Mattia Maritan (Goju-ryu) Mirko Mori (Shorin-ryu) and Santiago Sacaba (Shorin-ryu) whom I thank for supervising the whole seminar, giving precious suggestions to all the practitioners.
Turning from one teacher to another it was possible to deepen karate without distinction of styles and personally I had the opportunity to notice how the typical principles of each style complete and are perfectly in tune with the others. Among the practitioners there were many varieties of schools of origin, and it was nice to see and realize that despite different practices and different forms we were all practicing the same martial art. After eight hours of practice this beautiful experience ended up leaving something more in the "boot" of the knowledge of each person who took part. I hope to be able to repeat this experience to deepen my knowledge with the teachers and the various participants who have given life to a day that will surely be remembered.
I take this opportunity to thank Emanuel, for the passion he dedicates to this martial art, which I am getting to know better monthly thanks to a path dedicated to the study of Shorin-ryu style and that I highly recommend to anyone who has the opportunity to participate.
In addition to him I want to thank the master Akamine Hiroshi who, despite not being in the best physical condition, has done everything possible to make us learn the art that teaches with attention to detail, a lot of sympathy and something that struck me a lot, with great humility.
I thank his collaborators Hamby Dell and Rafael Salmeron, and the guy who lent himself to a double and hard work, translating from Japanese to Italian, making it possible to understand what was being said.
I thank the other masters who have transmitted their experience and expertise in a very simple way even for those like me who do not have much experience behind them. masters Sacaba, Maritan and Mori.
Finally, I thank Master Okochi Akimitsu of the Gesshinkai school and the other people who hosted the event at the Japanese school in via Arzaga in Milan. And thanks to all the participants with whom I shared hours of training and knowledge exchange.
Photo taken at the end of the morning session
The masters Mori (blue jacket), Giordano (center) and Maritan (black jacket) with two of his pupils (on both sides)