Ryukyu Coalition Preserving the Life Protection Arts of Okinawan

Issue #9 Editor: Thomas L. Freeman

Kata

Tuite Kobujutsu

Tools for the Classical Ryukyu Kempo Martial Artist.

Atemi Kyusho

Bogu Contents

Mission Statement...... 3

Announcements...... 4

Ryukyu Coalitions TiTan Games / Seminar SummerCamp...... 5 - 10

August 10-11 Parkville, MO

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Interview with Seiken Takamine Hanshi...... 11 - 14

Editor...... Thomas Freeman

Contributing Photographer...... Robert Edgmond Ryukyu East Asian Martial Arts Coalition Ryukyu Coalition

Founders: Koubushi/ Hanshi Bill Gossett - Seibushi/ Hanshi Steve Stark

Mission Statement: Responding to the need for substantive martial arts training in the world. Offering multi dimensional and in-depth instruction in the ancient Ryukyuan martial arts. Striving to achieve courage, commitment and strengthening of the soul for every individual who recognizes and walks the Ryukyuan martial arts path in life.

Mr. Steve Stark, Hanshi Mr. Bill Gossett, Hanshi Announcements

So far, this has been an amazing year for the Ryukyu Coalition. Seibushi Stark and Koubushi Gossett have continued to spread the Old Ways of the Okinawan Life Protection Arts that they learned from Taika Oyata, to anyone wishing to be open, and expand their knowledge of Okinawa’s Martial Arts. This is the 9th issue of the Ryukyu Coalition newsletter and I feel it’s the best yet. We will be starting this issue off with the Annual Titan Games where we had some great competition for the -ka, to the Judo player, to wrestling. It was spirited to say the least. The next day was the seminar with special guest Seiken Takamine Hanshi from Long Island, New York. Congratulations to this years testers!!! Mrs. Laura Faith Hannah, Sho Dan Mr. Robert Bliss, Sho Dan It is with great pleasure that I get to introduce into the Ryukyu Coalition family, the Ryukyu Coalitions affiliation with Seiken Takamine and his Uchi Te Ryu Association!! Coming Attractions: our next issue, #10, will feature the Ryukyu Coalition Hawaii & Okinawa Tour 2013.

Seminar in Long Island New York with Seiken Takamine, Hanshi at the Uchi Te Ryu Associations Hombu TBA

Long Beach, CA Oct. 19, 2013 With Mr. Matt Seymour Sensei On Saturday August 10, 2013 in Parkville, From California, Mr. Matt Seymour treated Missouri the Titan Games returned. This is a us to a that I had never seen before, unique tournament in that it features three Ugushuku No . Mr. Seymour worked different Martial Arts in one arena. Competitors this kata with unbelievable precision, speed compete in Karate , Judo, and Wrestling. and flow, it was truly a treat to watch. The whole area has mats from one end of the Mr. Jamaal Anderson wowed us with h i s gym to the other. At one end you had the demonstration of Shiho Happo Note. karate-ka performing the kata’s, and weapons Watching Mr. Anderson and his version of forms. Next to them were the Judo players this kata makes me understand how much throwing one another and working their pins. more work I need to do, it’s such a beautiful Then on down farther, you had the wrestlers kata. competing. On conclusion of the demonstrations, On the Karate end we started off with some competition started. Mr. Scott Hannah, Mr. well performed demonstrations of Ryukyu Mike Anderson, and I were given charge of Kempo’s kata, weapons and empty hands. I the Karate ring. started the demo off with a performance of Sanjaku Bo Kata. We started off with the empty hand kata, which was very spirited and enjoyable to Next up, was Mr. Scott Hannah, working his watch. version of Sansetsukan Kata ( this is the three sectional staff ). I had the privilege of As we were waiting to start the weapons learning this kata last year and know just division I was able to watch some of the how hard the weapon is to work. Seeing Mr. Judo competition. I had never seen a live Judo Hannah working this weapon with the fix-ups competition so this was a treat to me. he has received was amazing. What caught my attention was the way i n Mr. Mike Anderson worked his Sanjaku Bo which a young Judo-ka, eight or nine years old Dai kata which to me is always so strong and walked out onto the mat. You could just see the inspiring. look in her eyes, confident, focused and ready to go. It was amazing to see. Well she The banquet was held at the famous Kato’s Sushi Restaurant. This is the finest Japanese restaurants I have ever been to.

preceded to and pin her opponent at will, After everyone had finished eating it was and when her opponent threw her, she got time to see if the testers had passed there right back up and was in his face. When you reviews earlier in the day. Mrs. Laura Faith see this kind of spirit, it is c a l l e d Hannah of Missouri received her Sho Dan. “Fudoshin” which means indomitable spirit! Mr. Robert Bliss of California also received When I see this in a young person, forged his Sho Dan. Each received hand written through Martial Arts training, it is awe certificates from Seibushi Stark and Koubushi inspiring to me! Gossett. The certificate’s were beautifully In weapons division we got to see students brushed by Mr. Gossett himself. work many different weapons. Sai, nunchukus, bo, and a unique kata with a Japanese fan. The next day was the seminar with special guest Seiken Takamine Hanshi from Long Island, New York. He taught Nunte Bo, gave us some background on the Nunte Bo and a very informative talk on why we work the weapons. As this was going on, Mr. Stark, Hanshi and Mr. Gossett, Hanshi were teaching everything from Shi Ho Happo No Te, to the Nunchuku, Bo, Fan and Nunte Bo - Nunte Sai kata’s and applications. After a day of total overload on knowledge, I hope to get home and remember what I have just been taught. It was a wonderful day, meeting new friends and seeing old friends, it could not get any better than this. If you ever get a chance to work with any of these true Martial Artist’s you will not be disappointed. The banquet was held at the famous Kato’s Sushi Restaurant. This is the finest Japanese restaurants I have ever been to.

“New” Ryukyu Coalition Affiliation with Hanshi Seiken Takamine and the Uchi Te Ryu

An Interview with Seiken Takamine, Hanshi

Founder of International Uchi Te Ryu Association. Kokusai Uchi Te Ryu Renmei ­

By: Thomas Freeman Interviewed after the Annual Ryukyu Coalition TiTan Games/ Summer Camp Mr. Steve Stark, Mr. Bill Gossett, Mr. Seiken Takamine, Brothers training together 30 plus years under Taika Oyata

TF: Sensei I want to thank you for allowing me ST: Taika’s family was wealthy so after the this interview. war, cause of his bloodline he was able to get a job. My family were just farmers, peasants. In ST: You are welcome. Okinawa you were born a fisherman, you died a fisherman! TF: I would like to start off where you were born and when? TF: When did you first meet Taika Oyata? ST: I was born on Nov. 30, 1945 in Yomiton ST: Late’s from Mr. Albert Geraldi and Mr. Okinawa. The bomb hit Hiroshima Aug. 6, 1945 Gerry Senese, Gerry hosted a seminar for Taika. and the Okinawan people were all captured and At the time I was going through a divorce. I had put into a camp. The Japanese peace treaty was no money, nothing, but I was still studying. Taika signed on Sept. 2, 1945. I was lucky to have been was struggling too, at this time he was eating tuna born at this time because most of the babies born can spaghetti. So I go through the seminar and before Aug. 6, 1945 did not live because of the translate a bit for Taika, and after he knocks me harsh conditions. to the floor a few times, I’m in la la land, we finished. After this, Taika suggests we go to a TF: So your childhood was pretty bad off then? Japanese restaurant. Here I am going through a ST: Yes, we all were. Taika too, but Taika’s divorce and I have no money. So Taika is family was wealthy. So he didn’t have to worry struggling too, but he had just made a few about food, etc hundred dollars on the seminar. He pulls out a hundred dollar bill and gives it to me and says TF:. You mentioned that you didn’t have any we’ll go out to dinner. I say to Taika, I don’t electricity until the 50’s. know how I am going to pay this back. He says that's ok, come with me. That's the day I made ST: (Big laugh) Yeah, there was nothing my mind up, this is the man I want to train with there. They leveled the whole island. The only and I trained with him ever since. Of course I thing left were a few trees. paid him back. Day in day out! Sometimes we would stand there and double block, single block for 2 - 3 hours at a time.

TF: What was the training like? Did everyone line But eventually the light bulb came on. But you got up and throw so many and punches? to ask questions and you got to answer your own questions. Then the light bulb comes on! Until then ST: Day in, day out! Sometimes we would stand you never see it. Taika would say “ you blind as a there and double block, single block for 2 - 3 hours bat” and he was right. at a time. We did that for Taika, he was looking for perseverance. You know it comes from the heart. TF: Do you have any favorite weapon or kata? We did it for hours, very, very good solid training. Everything like other things, time goes by. Back in ST: I like them all, but in the beginning when Taika time we did everything. Ya know working the board, came out with the Nunte Bo, I really enjoyed it. It makiwara. As we got older though Taika had to stop, was very unique and I worked at it! First I learned in his younger days he did all that stuff. But when he the basic, then learned the action, and so on and kept got older he got arthritis in his fingers, it got pretty moving forward. Over the years I have really enjoyed bad. In the end, watch his seminars. When he would it. But by the same token I enjoy all the weapons. have someone attack he could not make a fist due to What happens in the beginning, your clumsy, but the arthritis. over the years and you stick with it and kept doing it and doing it, you get better and better and you learn TF: This reminds me of what you were talking to love it. I don’t care Manji Sai whatever, you learn about earlier, about training smarter. You mentioned to love it, it has to be a passion! how some of the Masters in Okinawa get crippled up. ST: , those’s Masters who practice it all their lives. They put so much pressure on the stomachs and intestines that it can cause problems. You got to know your limitations. TF: Moderation. ST: Yes, moderation, that’s correct. TF: Do you remember some of the first things you were taught by Taika? TF: What is you most memorable experience with ST: First it was touch, patty cake. He taught us the Taika Oyata? difference between ah, you walk in a cloud or can you jump on top of a roof? Too many kung fu ST: When Taika was younger he would drink and movies, nobody can jump that high! He was always smoke a lot. Gerry and Albert took Taika out to a talking of different ways of doing things. He was also restaurant and Taika eats and drinks. The place closes a big influence on kata and the basic foundations. He down, Albert and Gerry say it’s time to go but Taika would start at basic and go forward. Back and forth, won’t go!So they call me at home and I had to go like a time zone. The people who copy him or tried down and bring him home. Oh my God that was one too, never made it. They quit because of frustration, to remember. Like Taika said, you want to take some cause he would always go through time and space, information out of a man, make him drunk. Boy he back and forth. The people who stuck with it, just got drunk and everything came out. But it was kept plugging away, just kept doing it. Even though everything back in time, Okinawa, what he went we didn’t know what we were doing. through in his younger days. What I went through, Nice thing about this art I have learned over the years is any age can learn the skill of the equalizer. we talked and talked till 4 - 5 in the morning. Just day you come back, start all over, but that’s still the talking of the past and how fortunate we had become. younger generation. That’s not all the answers though, there are a lot of softer techniques, a lot of TF: Any suggestions for a new karate-ka? different methods of doing things . Older I got, the more skillful I became. Course I learned a lot, ST: Yeah.... I tell you the truth, it is very difficult, through anatomy, all the pressure points, all different very deep, but you have to be passionate you have things. It’s very small things, everything I do now to love the art. Don’t under estimate anybody or I’m waiting for the opponent. Years ago I used to yourself. Seek what they have, learn about it. attack and bang each other, no more now. Anybody can be a good martial artist but your timing Learn to do everything from the Art, softer but is the hardest part. It’s the greatest art of any Martial very powerful. Also the hardest part is ...... Everyone Art but not the best. Any style can create a great knows anatomy, joint locks, but the hardest part is Martial Artist. It’s how you train, what kind of this, the distance, we’ll call it the gap, cubit. training you have. Everybody think they are the best, Everything is cubit, not further, not shorter, in that their closed minded, big mistake, don’t close your distance is the most powerful position. Your angles and degrees, that’s why Taika was so good he was like an engineer and used what he had learned to his art. Everything was precise, everything perfect, spots, everything. He knows gap, distance, he know’s positions and the cubit, everything perfect all the time. But you can’t see with the naked eye, ok, and he moves just a little bit. Looks like I can hit him, but I can’t reach him, but he can hit me. If you learn this, it’s perfect. I don’t care how fast they are, it doesn’t matter, with a little bit of move you got them every time. With the gap, distance, degree, and cubit makes it where he thinks he can hit you. He can’t reach you but I can hit him. mind. Even today at the tournament I watched little You see it’s all there, that’s what you got to learn. kids in Judo. I learned a lot from those guys about And Taika knew it so well. Every time I thought I ground fighting. They were little bitty kids, ha they had him, I didn’t. You see the older he got, he was were great and I picked up a lot of new techniques. always waiting for me. My question was how did We can learn from anybody, 5 years old it doesn’t he get the movement and over the years I have matter, Martial Arts is a life. You be surprised just learned. Today my student, he attacks and I move keep your eyes and ears open. this much, he can touch me, but I hit him first. You TF: Any suggestions for an older karate-ka? see these things are very important. It’s not how fast you are or how powerful you are, everything, ST: Yes. There is no age limit in this art especially position and angle, right there. what we do. See back in the old days, kicking, punching is only for the young guys. Nice thing ST: Everything is cubit, like from the elbow to the about this art I have learned over the years is any age fingertips that’s a cubit. can learn the skill of the equalizer. What I mean by TF: Ok,I see, it’s from acupuncture for measuring? that is, ok.. I did a lot of Bogu fighting too. Kicking, punching, run all around on the floor, sweating like ST: Yeah.... Like from left shoulder to right a pig. You hurt, black and blue, you go home ... Next shoulder, this is a cubit. Closer big guy win, further I remember Taika always saying, I give you “Gold Dust” and it change to “Gold Nugget”.

he can’t reach. Everything has distance. It’s not the I realized then how much gold dust, and how much gold hands, everyone see’s the hands. No, no, no it’s the nugget I had. Before that, I always thought I had gold feet., 90% work is the feet. dust, learning, learning and little by little it had changed If you move your body at the right angle to me, into a gold nugget. That to me is very unique. with no feet, you have nothing. That’s the part people don’t get yet. See if you move the feet just this much, you got it! But (as Seiken punches in the air) this is easy, you can see with the naked eye, pointing to his feet, but this you can not see. Pointing to his chest area. Everything is based on cubit, this mass pointed in the right angle and right position. is the same way. If you do certain joint locks and if you use cubit with the right positioning of your body, opponents can’t move. TF: What has been the most important thing you have learned from the study of the Life Protection Arts of Okinawa? ST: Everything I have told you..... All this I have told you I have learned from the weapon. Don’t forget Taika learned the weapon first. Remember? How could he know all this stuff. Everything is from the weapon. The weapon transformed all the angles, the positions, the grappling, everything. Everything from the weapon. Lets put it this way, you’re working a weapon.. it’s alive. What happens if you let it go. It’s nothing, it’s going to fall on the floor, it’s useless you see. How do you keep the weapon alive? TF: Keep it moving! ST:Yeah, hands and feet with the motion. Taika learned the weapon first. He never told us how important the weapon was. All my life I study a lot of weapons. One TF: This is the end of this interview. Hope it has day I’m looking in my dojo and I notice I sure have a been as interesting to you as it has to me. If you ever lot of weapons and I see one thing... most of them are have the chance to train with this gentleman do not pass wood. Maybe a couple are made of metal, Manji Sai, it up. Again, Mr. Takamine, thank you for allowing time Sai from 3” to 6’. I thought, wow, that’s interesting. I for me and this interview and sharing some of your life realized all the time I learned basic’s, timing, and action experiences and the Art you love with us. just how important the weapons were. They all fit together, grappling, kata’s, weapons, drills, everything in one package I remember Taika always saying, I give you “Gold Dust” and it change to “Gold Nugget”. I thought how it change to gold nugget, I’m still learning, I’m still collecting gold dust. Ryukyu Coalition 2013 Titan Games/ Summer Camp

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