Stockholm Sweden, November 2019.
The 2019 comes to an end and with the Isshinryu World Cup in London during July as the most relevant event worldwide (review the article here), it’s time to review the activities carried out during the second term of the year, which were aimed at strengthening the technical development of Isshinryu Karate and Tokushinryu Kobudo in the region, mobilizing multiple logistics teams that managed to carry out the training instances in Denmark, Romania and Sweden mainly.
Seishinkan Budo School invites you once more to review each one in detail below.
WORLD UNITED ISSHINRYU KARATE EUROPE – Training Week, Romania 2019
Suceava Romania, December 17 – 22, 2019
At the invitation of Alex Covasa sensei, Isshinryu Nidan, a series of trainings was carried out for a week where the technical advisory work in Isshinryu Karate & Kobudo commissioned by WUIKA in the region continues.
The absence of seminars and massive classes that involve a great logistic deployment and investment of time, allowed to give rise to specific training oriented to improve key aspects in the practice of katas, such as postural correction, breathing management and transition of the center of gravity through different positions and more dynamic kumite exercises (Yakusoku Kumite 約束 組手). Nigiri game (gripping jars), Kitae (body conditioning), Isshinryu Kihon and a large part of the katas were the central axis from which these essential concepts were developed.
Lucian Nastasi, Isshinryu Shodan, who currently lives in the United States and carries out an individual training process, took part in some sessions that lasted for more than two hours and that served him to review and update general technical details in his katas.
Seishinkan Budo School once again expresses the deepest gratitude for hospitality and the great enthusiasm for learning, something that is becoming more and more characteristic in Isshinryu groups in Romania and that turns out to be without doubt, one of the most important assets not only of them, but of any martial arts practitioner who wishes to grow and advance in the Do.
Domo Arigato Dozaimasu
どうもありがとうございます
Diego Rodriguez Sensei
Seishinkan Budo School
TOKUSHINRYU KOBUDO & ISSHINRYU KARATE WORKSHOP, Stockholm Sweden 2019
Stockholm Sweden, October 30 & November 02, 2019
At the invitation of the Åkersberga Karate Club, led by Juha Lagerberg sensei, an Isshinryu Karate and Tokushinryu Kobudo workshop was held in the location of Åkersberga, Stockholm Sweden during the past October and November.
The interest in these traditional arts of Okinawa, was born after the contact established during the Okinawan Karate Nordic Seminar, (In the Footsteps of Grand Master Chotoku Kyan) held in Stockholm in 2018 and Helsinki in 2019, where the author was leading the Isshinryu Karate section, awakening since then a high level of interest among the participants.
Since then the growing interest of club members, channeled through their managers, have promoted and developed very positive relationships that have resulted in projects like this, which also included an introduction to Okinawan Kobudo.
沖 縄 徳 身 流 古 武 道 OKINAWA TOKUSHINRYU KOBUDO 
The first session held during October was oriented to the practice of Okinawan Kobudo. Brief introduction to the principles developed through Tokushinryu Kobudo, founded by Tokumura Kensho Sensei, was the base that allowed to practice basic techniques of Bo and Gusan (Jo or Sanchaku Bo)
The session were oriented to the development of the basic principles of the style such as the power generation and the appropriate impact through the alignment of the body segments in the different offensive and defensive techniques.
Basic sections of the Tokushin no Gusan kata were used as a base template to apply these principles, in a training session that lasted for a little over an hour and a half and whose evaluation was very positive by the students who also managed to establish relations between the Kobudo and the principles frequently used in the practice of Karate.
沖 縄 一 心 流 空 手 OKINAWA ISSHINRYU KARATE
Held at the beginning of November, the growing interest in Isshinryu 一 心 流 in Sweden and Finland has had its development from the two versions of the event called “OKINAWAN KARATE NORDIC SEMINAR, in the footsteps of Grand Master Chotoku Kyan”.
The most important elements of the Isshinryu founded by Shimabuku Tatsuo sensei (島 袋 龍 夫 1908-1975), such as the use of Chinkuchi チンクチ, blockage techniques with the muscular part of the arms and the traditional attack of hands (Tsuki) in vertical position, have proved to be an element that captures the attention and gives a totally different perspective to the traditional way that is customary to see in the other traditional Okinawan Karate Styles.
Encouraged to experience these elements and be able to connect them with the techniques and karate stances, the two sessions were full of enthusiasm, training and questions oriented to the historical / philosophical part of one of the most contemporary Okinawan Ryūha 沖縄流派 and derived from the teachings of Kyan Chotoku sensei 喜屋武 朝徳 (1870 – 1945), which provides in its bases a strong connection with the Shuri-te 首 里 手.
Strong ties, the growing interest to further develop the principles of Kobudo and further investigate the roots of karate through Isshinryu are undoubtedly the pillars that guarantee a relationship of mutual cooperation in the activities planned for the year 2020.
Seishinkan Budo School appreciates the trust placed by Åkersberga Karate Club, and the instructors team led by Juha Lagerberg sensei in the development of the activities mentioned above and we express our greatest enthusiasm in continuing this joint work in the future.
WORLD UNITED ISSHINRYU KARATE EUROPE – INSTRUCTOR CAMP, Denmark 2019
Copenhagen Denmark, October 11 – 13, 2019
At 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Isshinryu instructors from different parts of Europe gathered at the WUIKA Europe Hombu dojo to officially give the kick off to the 2019 Instructors Camp in Copenhagen, Denmark. The event took place just a few days after the return from Okinawa of Lars Andersen sensei with a group of students who were training with Uechi Tsuyoshi sensei at the Isshin Ryu hombu dojo.
Isshinryu instructors from Romania, Germany, Sweden and Denmark met once again to align criteria, rectify technical protocols and especially share a weekend of training at the WUIKA honbu dojo in Europe.
Taking advantage of the official activity character that brought together many of the official WUIKA instructors in the region, the promotion to Go Dan (5th dan, Renshi go) of Andreas Mischkewitz sensei (Joshinkan Germany) who is a dedicated karate practitioner for the last 34 years and who also holds a godan in Okinawan Goju Ryu and a Sandan in Tokushinryu Kobudo.
The trainings were divided into general sessions, strongly oriented to the practice of the basic positions in isshinryu and the transitions to execute the basic techniques, and later in two specific sessions where stations were established in which the practitioners could receive specific technical advice within the Isshinryu Karate and Kobudo Katas.
After a total of 12 hours of training distributed in 3 days, all participants were able to get fundamental elements to continue the development of the various training programs with their students in the various dojos of the organization. With the emphasis on finding the right tools and strategies to deliver the technical program to the new generations, a systematic and consistent growth of the Isshinryu can be guaranteed to the new generations of practitioners; undoubtedly a task in which the WUIKA Shihankai (technical council) in Europe is working with a high level of commitment.
With the establishment of this instructor camp as an annual activity as a goal, the activity ended on Sunday and the instructors left for their countries of origin to implement the program and the corrections developed during the weekend.
TOKUSHINRYU EUROPE SUMMER CAMP & TOKUMURA CUP – Nakskov 2019
Nakskov Denmark, September 13 – 15, 2019
The 4th edition of the Tokumura Cup It was held on Saturday, September 14, within the framework of the 5th Tokushinryu Summer Camp organized by Tokushinryu Kobudo Nakskov Shibu and attended by kobudokas from Germany, Romania, Sweden and the host country, Denmark, who gathered in the center sports of the commune.
Aligned with the main objective of the tournament which is to appreciate the greatest number of practitioners performing as many katas as possible and thus evaluate the technical standard in the region, the tournament was divided into Kihon Cup (for Kyu ranks) and the Tokumura Cup for brown and black belts.
Mohagama, Hamahiga no Tonfa y Tokushin no Nunti Bo were the katas chosen by Diego Rodriguez, Seishinkan Budo School, Sweden, who again took first place, but not before playing a tight final with Danish Alexander Dyreborg (Tokushinryu Valby Shibu – Denmark) who presented a very clean and every time better Tokushin no Gusan.
The podium of the fourth version of the Tokumura Cup was as follows:
- 1st Place, Diego Rodriguez Sensei – Seishinkan Budo School – Sweden
- 2nd Place, Alexander Dyreborg – Tokushinryu Kobudo Valby – Denmark
- 3th Place, Carsten Muller – Tokushinryu Kobudo Valby – Denmark
With this result, Diego Rodriguez also becomes the second European practitioner to win the Tokushinryu Cup (celebrated in the framework of the Winter Camp) and the Tokumura Cup the same year.
TRAINING SESSIONS:
Carried out during Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday morning, they were focused on the development of Tonfa exercises (Roman Pavalatii sensei, Tokushinryu Romania), Sai and Bo, the latter being the main focus of Lars Andersen Sensei to develop the part of Kumite through progression in defense reaction exercises.
The last session held on Sunday and as usual, served for participants to practice the katas of the curriculum of choice at stations.
Seishinkan Budo School wishes to express a great gratitude and celebrates once again the impeccable management and effort on the part of the organisers Lasse & Dorthe Jensen of the Nakskov Shibu to carry out the event that allows to gather annually the practitioners of Tokushinryu Kobudo from different parts of Europe.
OKINAWA ISSHINRYU KARATE SEMINAR – Kata & Kumite
Suceava Romania, July 17 – 20, 2019
Just over a week from the IWKA World Championship in London, UK (Click here for details), the Isshinryu group led by George Craciunescu sensei was visited by Diego Rodriguez sensei with the aim of carrying out three training sessions aimed at preparing the athletes who would be part of the WUIKA Romania team that would participate in the Isshinryu Ryu karate world tournament.
Special emphasis on reviewing the details of kata athletes and providing advice on the regulations that will be used for the Kumite division were the two major topics to be developed in the 3 training days held at the facilities of the Isshinryu Karate club run by George and also attended by Alex Covasa sensei with one of his instructors.
There was also a special training session whose objective was to review the complete kata program in Isshinryu (Karate & Kobudo) with a view to increasingly adjusting the standard of the instructors under the technical wing of WUIKA Europe, directed by Lars Andersen sensei whose I work together with the technical council
Seishinkan Budo School expresses its deep gratitude for the always outstanding hospitality and enthusiasm of Isshinryu’s dedicated students in Romania who always show a great willingness to learn. Congratulations to George Craciunescu for his constant work, which is reflected in each of his students and instructors who support the teaching work within his club.
2020 EVENTS & PROJECTS
Some of the most relevant projects and events that are already on the agenda for this year 2020 are:
- SEISHINKAN BUDO SCHOOL, 2020 Grand Opening. Stockholm Sweden.
With which it is hoped to officially start the activities of the Seishinkan hombu dojo in the city of Stockholm Sweden, it is considered an open class of Isshinryu Karate and Tokushinryu Kobudo that hopes to receive the entire community interested in Karate and Kobudo of Okinawa.
- “OKINAWAN KARATE NORDIC SEMINAR, in the footsteps of Grand Master Chotoku Kyan” – First term 2020, Stockholm Sweden.
In its third version and held for the second time in the capital of Sweden, the event that has been adding enthusiasts in its two previous versions, promises to continue developing and publicizing the main styles that derived from the teachings of Kyan Chotoku sensei and This will continue the mission of expanding Okinawa Karate and Kobudo.
The logistics team of the event is already working to bring together enthusiasts around Isshinryu, Shorinji Ryu and Shorin Ryu Seibukan.
- SEISHINKAN BUDO SCHOOL, Okinawa tour 2020.
In June 2020, the visit to Tokumura Kensho sensei & Uechi Tsuyoshi sensei is scheduled for a tour that promises to be full of training and the development of activities that seek to strengthen ties with the cradle of karate and the entities in charge of the development of this martial art abroad.
Members from Europe and South America will meet in the intense Okinawan summer and for a little over two weeks they will carry out the activities that are still in the planning stage.
- TOKUSHINRYU KOBUDO EUROPE Winter & Summer Camp, Denmark.
Which have already become a tradition and part of the kobudokas training agenda that follow the teachings of Kensho Tokumura sensei in Europe. The logistics team of the Valby Shibu in Copenhagen, is already in coordination for the event that will take place at the end of February and that hopes to receive as usual the participants from Germany, Sweden, Romania and Denmark to also participate in the Tokumura Cup 2020.
- WUIKA & TOKUSHINRYU KOBUDO EUROPE South America Tour, Chile 2021.
In the planning stage is the second version of the project promoted by Diego Rodriguez and strongly supported by the WUIKA organization in Europe and South America, which invites any member of Isshinryu and / or Tokushinryu to participate in the exchange and travel to the hombu dojo of WUIKA and Seishinkan in South America with Diego Rodriguez sensei and take part in the regular karate and Kobudo classes and seminars developed by the instructors team during that season in the dojos of Chile.
More details will be released soon and interested parties are welcome to express their interest in being part of this experience that already has wonderful results in the first version carried out in 2018-2019.
What is the project about, images, details and the story of the experience of the participants from Romania and Chile, can be found in the following link.
TOKUSHINRYU & WUIKA EUROPE South America – Chile Tour 2018-2019
Seishinkan Budo School Europe wishes all the Karate and Kobudo community the best wishes for this year 2020, wishing the development and success of all those projects that unite us in the practice of Okinawa Karate and Kobudo.
SEISHINKAN BUDO SCHOOL EUROPE 