Stockholm Sweden, July 2020.
Arriving in the middle of 2020 and according to the calendar of activities for this year, a group of Seishinkan should be in the second week of training in Okinawa, within the framework of the tour scheduled last year and which contemplated various activities in Karate Kaikan 沖縄空手会館 and a series of trainings with Uechi Tsuyoshi and Tokumura Kensho sensei.
As expected, the event was not left out of the global health crisis that has affected all countries, forcing changes to be made and events suspended.
Below and as usual since last year, we review the most relevant activities carried out during the first period of 2020.
TOKUSHINRYU KOBUDO EUROPE – Winter Camp & 2020 Tokushinryu Cup
February 28th – March 1st, Copenhagen Denmark, 2020
With the usual attendance of kobudokas from Germany, Sweden and Denmark, the 6th version of the Tokushinryu Kobudō Europe Winter Camp and 5th Tokushinryu Cup took place at the facilities of the Valby Shibu in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Friday was the official event’s kick off with a session of just over two hours led by experienced instructor Jim R. Sindt sensei, personal student and representative of Hanshi Patrick McCarthy 9th dan.
Sindt sensei holds 6 dan in Koryu Uchinady and 4th dan in Yamane-Ryū Kobudō and he was the special guest that the organization had with the aim of enriching and contributing to technical growth through other perspectives related to the training and development of traditional weapons.
The session was oriented to the use of the Sai, through an exercise developed by McCarthy sensei and which has the particularity of being in continuous evolution as it is the focus of contribution of the Koryu Uchinadi groups in the world, therefore, you can frequently see multiple variants (Click here for videos)
TOKUSHINRYU CUP 2020
Making its debut the WUKF point scale system in all rounds, the 5th version of the Tokushinryu Cup was carried out, whose logistics was led in this occasion by Martin Frederiksen sensei, who has been following and contributing closely the incorporation of the kobudo as a division in the last national tournaments of the WUKF. This effort also adds to the one developed by Lars Andersen sensei who is emerging as one of the Kobudo leaders in the region by being the new kobudo coach of the national team (WUKF Danish Team)
To provide an international standard, the tournament was held under international WUKF rules and external judges supplemented the refereeing work.
Three rounds using points and not flag system, determine the podium for this 2020 Tokushinryu Cup as follow:
1st place: Diego Rodriguez, Seishinkan Sweden (Tokushin no Nunti Sai – Final round Kata)
2nd place: Andreas Mitschkewitz, Joshinkan Germany (Chatanyara no Sai. – Final round Kata)
3rd place: Nilas Hjalte Rundt, Tokushinryu Denmark (Tokumine no Kon – Final round Kata)
ISSHINRYU KARATE & KOBUDO WORLDWIDE – 2020 Virtual Tournament
April 18th – May 10th, Puerto Rico 2020.
During May, the initiative promoted by Eduardo L. Gonzalez sensei, Isshinryu Puerto Rico, was carried out, which aimed to mobilize Isshinryu groups around the world within the framework of the event called “Isshinryu Worldwide 2020, Virtual Tournament”. The event took place from the situation generated by the still current health emergency that affects the world and that has forced to drastically modify the functioning of societies, directly affecting the practice of physical activities and sports. Undoubtedly, all the Isshinryu dojos and practitioners in the world have also been affected, so this initiative was in search of supporting them.
The event consisted of organizing a virtual tournament in which the competitors participated by performing a karate kata and / or Kobudo which they had to record and upload to the event platform to be evaluated by a panel of 7 judges. The score would be delivered after the deadline, determining the podiums in the different categories that would later give way to the Karate Kata & Kobudo Grand Champion division.
In order to find an adequate balance in the evaluation of the kata, the panel of judges formed it this time:
- Russell Gunnyrusp Best Sensei
- Javier Martinez Sensei
- Eduardo L Gonzalez Sensei
- Alexis G. Morales Sensei
- Pablo Molina Sensei
- Osvaldo Rodriguez Sensei
- Andy Sloane Sensei
The deadline to upload the videos on the event platform was May 3 and the results would be published a couple of days later. Some of the most relevant criteria to consider were an “adequate sequence of movements, appropriate use of positions and posture and the ability to stay in focus. Strength and precision in the execution of basic techniques, demonstrate courtesy with attitude, good spirit, good effort and contact correct visual and observation of the basic elements kata: strength levels, contraction and expansion of the body and changes in the speed of techniques”.
Eduardo L. Gonzalez sensei was very optimistic and gave a positive balance of the activity:
Being these the 1st Isshinryu Virtual Tournament, more than 50 competitors from different parts of the world attended, many of them exhibiting great technical quality. The task from the beginning was challenging when having to find a team of judges that allows balancing the evaluation. We have R. P. Best (9th dan), Javier Martinez (9th dan), Alexis Morales (8th dan) Osvaldo Rodriguez (7th dan), Pablo Molina (7th dan) and Andy Sloane (6th dan).
The competition was divided by sex, age and ranks, which gave a total of 35 first places in the respective divisions and with two Great Champions in Kata of Karate and Kobudo. With the participation of students from Puerto Rico, the United States, Argentina, Chile, the Dominican Republic and Sweden, the winning school with the highest participation was determined by the highest number of podiums reached by each group.
- KATA KARATE GRAND CHAMPION: Antonia Arevalo, Seishinkan Budo School, Chile
- KATA KOBUDO GRAND CHAMPION: Diego Rodriguez, Seishinkan Budo School, Sweden.
- SCHOOL WITH THE LARGEST PARTICIPATION: Seishinkan Budo School – Chile. Determined by best average performance after a triple tie between Chile, Argentina and Puerto Rico.
The quality and professionalism of the karateka was of the highest possible level for which our Association congratulates and recognizes them.
Thank you for making this event a great success and we look forward to seeing you next year.
Eduardo L Gonzalez
Pablo Molina
Founding members of APOIKK.
PODIUM PERFORMANCES:
- Karate Kata Grand Champion performance – Antonia Arevalo, Seishinkan Budo School, Chile. Isshinryu Karate – Sunsu Kata (Click Here)
- Kobudo Kata Grand Champion performance – Diego Rodriguez, Seishinkan Budo School, Sweden. Isshinryu Kobudo – Shishi no Kon Kata (Click Here)
- Karate Kata 1st Place (3rd to 5th dan) – Diego Rodriguez, Isshinryu Karate Sunsu Kata (Click Here)
- Kobudo Kata 1st Place (3rd to 5th dan) – Diego Rodriguez, Isshinryu Kobudo Urashi Bo (Click Here)
Considering the large number of Isshinryu groups around the world, the realities and challenges of each one in normal times, this initiative proved to be a powerful platform that allowed participants to be motivated to show the results of the regular training processes in each region, being able to appreciate the technical differences but above all the large number of practitioners involved with the systematic practice of Isshinryu. Undoubtedly, the challenge remains for leaders to be able to concentrate criteria, promote exchange activities that allow each group to permeate different perspectives with which the practice of martial art in the world is approached. The long-awaited summit will continue to be able to organize a worldwide event in which the number of Isshinryu groups that can exchange training, contribute to the growth and strengthening of Okinawa Karate grows.
From Chile the initiative was highly valued, and from the beginning a team willing to participate was coordinated, thus supporting an activity that was characterized by the use of communication platforms and social networks to see the realities of different practitioners around the world. Along with this, he gave extra motivation to many of the participants to prepare the best possible performance given the individual conditions due to the health situation.
Seishinkan Budo School thanks the organising team and judges for the time invested in this activity, looking forward to the second version that will allow us to continue cultivating exchange relationships worldwide.
Link of interest: courtesy of Eduardo L. Gonzalez sensei, here you can find the link to the event where more details and all the audio-visual records are still available – CLICK HERE –
2nd TERM ACTIVITIES: Foreseeable Future
With the progressive but also uncertain reopening of the borders of many countries in the European Union added to the particular situation of each region (Okinawa for example, with more than 54 days without registering contact cases and the South American continent going through the winter season with a rather diverse picture of realities) it creates a rather bumpy panorama in which it is difficult to predict at this time how the activities scheduled for the second semester will develop.
- “OKINAWAN KARATE NORDIC SEMINAR, in the footsteps of Grand Master Chotoku Kyan” – Stockholm Sweden.
The organizing team is closely monitoring the situation, waiting to make a final decision as soon as possible to determine the suspension of the 2020 version of the event, which has been acquiring traditional edges for the past 2 years.
“The 1st Okinawan Karate Nordic Seminar, Sweden 2018” – Click Here
“The 2nd Okinawan Karate Nordic Seminar – Helsinki 2019” – Click Here
- SEISHINKAN BUDO SCHOOL, Okinawa tour 2020.
Deferred until further notice with possibilities of being carried out in early 2020.
“OKINAWA 2018: Training Sessions & Rank Promotions” – Click Here
- TOKUSHINRYU KOBUDO EUROPE, Summer Camp & Tokumura Cup 2020, Nakskov, Denmark.
Suspended by the organizing team, which until now leaves the past “2020 Winter Camp & Tokushinryu Cup” as the only camp in the organization that will bring together the European kobudokas this year.
- WUIKA & TOKUSHINRYU KOBUDO EUROPE South America Tour, Concepcion, Chile 2021.
The project promoted by Diego Rodríguez and strongly supported by the WUIKA organization in Europe and South America that invites any member of Isshinryu and / or Tokushinryu to participate in the exchange and travel to the headquarters of WUIKA and Seishinkan in South America with Diego Rodríguez sensei is in the evaluation stage, considering the situations facing both continents regarding the health crisis and the final decision is expected to be made as soon as possible.
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.
“WUIKA & TOKUSHINRYU EUROPE South America – Chile Tour 2018-2019” Click Here
Seishinkan Budo School Europe is hoping that the entire community is healthy and strong in the face of the current health situation. Perseverance in Budo, strength and patience in the Karate & Kobudo training
SEISHINKAN BUDO SCHOOL EUROPE 