SUIGETSU RYU KARATE JUTSU

NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER 2015

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WELCOME 2015 has drawn to a close. We have continued to enjoy our training over the last part of the year and have been encouraged by the presence of a number of new and not-so-new faces in our dojo. We have been fortunate to have two dedicated and focused new students join us this year. Both train regularly and work well with our senior members. It has been good to see great care and effort being taken by them both in practicing basic techniques, as well as when participating in the more difficult training challenges. It has been wonderful to have regular participation by students from other dojo over the last part of the year. This has worked very well given the open-minded approach of our dojo and of these students. Many sincere thanks to our senior students. They have continued to develop their skills and abilities this year, and also helped to develop our junior students. The quality of our dojo is reflective of this core group of students no doubt! A special mention must go to Simon for achieving his Japan Karate Federation Goju Kai nidan this year. It is a matter of personal choice whether or not people test with the Federation, but it is extremely rewarding for the dojo to be a part of Simon’s success. It is with great pride that we have Simon as one of the leading members of our dojo. A special mention should also go to Amanda for achieving sandan with Goju Ryu Karatedo Seiwakai, in Japan, this year. The week of training

that precedes these tests is among some of the hardest and technically challenging available, so being able to successfully test after a week of 6 hours training each day is quite telling. Congratulations also for receiving the title of Sensei. We are all looking forward to 2016. The year will inevitably bring its rewards and obstacles, but we will share them together again as a dojo. In the early part of the year, there will be a seminar with Seiichi Fujiwara Shihan – President of Goju Ryu Karatedo Seiwakai; the Japan Karate Federation Goju Kai Australian National Championships and Masters Kata Seminar, in April; and, down the track, the strong possibility of further black belt testing in our dojo. Next year, we will increase our emphasis on hishigi jutsu, having more regular practice with the tanbo and hassun hishigi, particularly for junior students. In addition, we will be introducing our junior students to Japanese Goju Ryu Karate kumite. For now, all the best for this holiday season!

“AMONG FLOWERS, THE CHERRY BLOSSOM; AMONG ‘MEN’, THE SAMURAI.” - JAPANESE PROVERB

Our hard working senior students with some of their dan rank certificates from 2015.

SUIGETSU RYU KARATE JUTSU

KEIKO-GI AND OBI: COMMON QUESTIONS

DECEMBER 2015

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LENGTH The length of jacket sleeves and pant legs is a matter of preference. The waist of Japanese-cut pants rests above the belly button. In addition, Okinawan-cut uniforms tend to have shorter leg and sleeve lengths and are great for summer. Most of our students wear full-length Japanese-cut pants, although there is some variation on sleeve length. There are many myths about sleeve and leg length and folding, but to the best of our knowledge, only some of them are true!

COLOUR Keiko-gi colour is a matter of following what your school or Federation requires or accepts. The Japan Karate Federation Goju Kai requirement for uniform colour is that it is all white, with black embroidery accepted for school and personal names. Our dojo follows this approach.

EMBROIDERY Embroidery on either the keiko-gi or obi (belt) is a matter of choice. Belt embroidery colour is often determined by a school or Federation norm, and almost always only done on black belts. Common belt embroidery colours are gold and silver, which apart from looking classy, makes reading the person’s name easier. Uniform embroidery is usually black. This also makes reading the person’s name (on the lower section of the jacket or upper section of the pants) easy to read. It is common to have the school or Federation name and/or logo on the left breast side of the jacket. Not all people have embroidery, which makes training in multiple schools, in the same gear, much more simple!

Black belt embroidery, in silver, and jacket embroidery, in black, on Shuriedo products.

“IT MUST BE SAID THAT THE ENLIGHTENING OF ONE’S MIND DEPENDS ON THE DEPTHS OF ONE’S EFFORTS.” - TAKUAN SOHO ZEN MONK

BRAND There are a few times that the keiko-gi (training uniform) brand seems to matter. Initially, people do not want to spend too much money on their first purchase. As such, brand type is often determined by price. After several attempts, and usually after people have established that they will train for some years to come, price becomes less of an issue, and quality and comfort take priority. Shureido uniforms offer premium comfort and quality, with an ability to customise features like embroidery and length. But the choice is yours.

SUIGETSU RYU KARATE JUTSU

WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE WHY

DECEMBER 2015

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SHOGO – TITLE SYSTEM The Dai Nippon Butoku Kai was established in Kyoto, in 1895, to preserve Japanese martial culture. This included restoring budo; establishing a system for licensing, awards and recognitions; and continuing research, education and development of martial leaders. The shogo (shou-gou) system is designed to be similar to samurai titles conferred in feudal Japan by the Imperial family. It is made up of three titles – Renshi, Kiyoshi and Hanshi. The award of these titles is intended to be based on knowledge, teaching, character and, usually, contribution to budo. This is somewhat different to the Shihan and Sensei titles that can either be applied for, or that can be inherited with rank. Shogo titles are not automatically conferred with rank, or longevity in training. However, there is a general association of Renshi with 6th dan, Kiyoshi with 7th dan and Hanshi with 8th dan individuals respectively. Naturally, there is some debate about how best to translate these titles into English. Suffice to say, there are a few accepted ways, and we do not suggest that the descriptions here are definitive.

Shuji Tasaki Shihan, second from left in back row, held the title of Hanshi.

Renshi is made up of kanji meaning train/polish/refine and person (with context, the kanji, can be interpreted as person/teacher). So we might consider someone with a Renshi title to be a polished teacher. Kiyoshi is made up of kanji that, with context, means advanced/high/senior. So we might consider someone with a Kiyoshi title to be an advanced teacher. Hanshi is made up of kanji that, with context, means exemplary/model. Hanshi is often referred to as a teacher of teachers. So we might consider someone with this title as a master teacher. It is worth noting that it is generally uncommon to refer to someone with a shogo title by that title. However, the titles are used in formal situations. More often, these people would continue to be referred to by Sensei or Shihan titles. Shuji Tasaki Shihan used to say that he would refer to anyone senior to him in his dojo as Sempai (literally: senior), or to his teacher as Sensei (implied: teacher). This is a good approach for general purposes!

“THE MIND MUST BE CALM, BUT ALERT. LOOK FOR THAT WHICH IS NOT EASILY SEEN. REMAIN CALM WHEN FACING YOUR OPPONENT. USE A POSTURE THAT WILL SUPPORT MOBILITY.” - ZENG CISHU 2ND GENERATION MASTER: WHITE CRANE KUNG FU

DECEMBER 2015

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TESTING RESULTS On 30 November 2015, testing against the Suigetsu Ryu Karate Jutsu syllabus was held. Two of our enthusiastic and hard working new members were candidates for the test. We are pleased with the high quality of success against both the theory and practical application testing requirements by:

• Lacey Atkins – Chukyu (green belt) • Sarah Nelson – Chukyu (green belt)

WHERE TO FIND US

“THE WAY: WHO WILL PASS IT ON STRAIGHT AND WELL?” - GICHIN FUNAKOSHI FOUNDER: SHOTOKAN KARATE

Doujou Street Location Presbyterian Church (rear hall) 28 Macgregor Street, Wilston, Brisbane

CONTACT US Email: suigetsuryukaratejutsu@hotmail.com Internet: www.suigesturyu.com © Suigetsyu Ryu Karate Jutsu 2015 All rights reserved.