Yoshukai International 2017 YKI In this issue: Memorial ...... 2 2017 Promotions ...... 3

Dojo News ...... 4 Tai Kai 2017 Highlights ...... 5 Featured Essay ...... 8

Year of the Rooster 2017 Upcoming Events ...... 10

Upcoming Events Hanshi Michael G. Foster November 4, 2017 10th Dan / Clinic It is with pleasure and pride that the Yoshukai & Pre-test Training Karate International Testing Board announces 1:00 to 4:00 PM Sensei Michael G. Foster’s long-deserved TYKI Dojo - Sears Town Mall promotion. He has graciously accepted the 3550 S. Washington Ave., rank of Ju dan (10th degree black belt). Titusville, FL For more information: Sensei Foster is one of the late Sensei Yamamoto’s senior students and his [email protected] first Yoshukai Instructor in the United States. The ranking members of Yoshukai Karate International are students of Sensei Foster and through him can trace our karate lineage back to O’Sensei, Dr. Tsuyoshi Chitose.

January 1, 2018 Sensei Foster was a top tournament competitor in the 1960’s and 1970’s in Blackbelt Annual Dues Japan and the United States, earning the nickname “The Fighting Sensei.” May be paid using PayPal Black Belt Magazine called him “The Southern Giant”. Sensei Foster has http://www.yoshukai.org/links.html been involved in the teaching and promotion of Yoshukai Karate in the United States since 1965. He and his students spread Yoshukai Karate to Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and the Caribbean.

Sensei Foster’s dedication to Yoshukai over the past six decades has January 13, 2018 furthered the art of Yoshukai Karate and has left an indelible mark in the st 1 Kyu/Dan Grade Testing annals of history. 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Fee $50 Bamboo Dojo 2111 – 14th Ave. Vero Beach, FL For more information: [email protected]

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In Loving Memory of Elizabeth D. Moore January 4, 1952 – May 27, 2016 Last year, we were saddened by the loss of a dear and cherished friend. Sensei Beth Moore, known to most of us as “Beppy”, was born and raised in Staten Island, NY and graduated from St. Leo College with degrees in Special Education and Elementary Education. While attending college, she met her husband of 43 years, Sensei William T. Moore III and together, they raised two beautiful daughters, Ellen Elizabeth (“Ellie”) and Ann VanCleaf (“Annie”). Beth was a sixth degree black belt in Yoshukai Karate and one of the founding members of Yoshukai Karate International. She was a cherished friend, loving wife, devoted mother, and accomplished martial artist who was taken from us way too soon. She extended joy and kindness to everyone she met and will always be remembered as the women who lived her life with a shining smile no matter what.

Mr. John Bosse –Rest Peacefully Dear Friend We are deeply saddened by the loss of another of our yudansha. Mr. John Bosse passed away on October 9, 2017 at his home in Holly Hill, Florida. Mr. Bosse was 46 years old. He previously worked for Homeland Security in Vermont. John has been around Yoshukai Karate for most of his life and began training at the Yoshukan Dojo in Ormond Beach, FL when he was 12 years old. John was a true patriot, a dear friend and he had a fighting spirit that was unmatched – we will miss you buddy!

Mamoru Yamamoto Sensei July 10, 1938 – February 12, 2017 Mamoru Yamamoto began his training in Chito-ryu at the age of fifteen and quickly became one of Tsuyoshi Chitose’s top students. Yamamoto adopted new fighting techniques and traditional weapons from Okinawa into Chito-Ryu. In the early 1970's, Yamamoto left the Chito-kai federation to found his own style of karate under the name of Yoshukan (a.k.a., Yoshukai), which later became known as Yoshukai. During this early period, Yamamoto worked with of Kyokushinkai Karate to develop new rules for full contact sparring. This led to the modernization of tournament fighting in both Japan and the U.S. Yamamoto was considered a tough fighter and top competitor in Japan and held the title of All-Japan Karate Open Tournament Champion from 1958 to 1960. In 1964, Mike Foster Sensei began training under Yamamoto Sensei and was subsequently named Director of the USA Yoshukai Karate Association. Mike Foster subsequently established the Yoshukai International Karate Association. Our condolences go out to Yamamoto Sensei's family, his students and the Yoshukai organization.

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Mr. Ricky Copeland, 7th Dan Sensei Copeland has been a member of Yoshukai Karate since 1980. Congratulations!

Mr. Gary White Mr. Neil Frazer Mr. Dave Leathwick Mr. Alfonse Pinders Renshi and YKI Ambassador 6th Dan 5th Dan, Shihan Shihan

3rd Dan Mr. Chris Rivers Mr. Ben Head rd Mr. Ray Tainui 3 Kyu Taylor Hill 2nd Dan th Mr. Nick Frederick 6 Kyu Mr. Seth Schlike Trenton Garcia Mr. Brad Smith Sage Jones Mr. Jeff Constable Mr. Joe Justado, Mr. Colin Yager James Joyner Jr. 4th Dan 4th Dan Allena Garcia st 1 Dan Mr. Niko Tainui Mr. Tom Yoho Ms. Isis Le Tolbert Mr. Grant Wakefield

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Golden Isles Yoshukai brought home the gold at the 2017 American Tang Soo Do Tournament! David 1st Place - Yellow belt Weapons 1st Place - 6 year old Sparring Aspen 2nd Place - Yellow belt Weapons 1st Place - Yellow belt Kata Dylan 1st Teen Red/Brown belt weapons 1st 17-18 year old Red/Brown Kata Sensei Lonnie 1st Place - Adult Black Belt Kata 1st Place - Adult Black Belt Weapons

Adult Black Belt Grand Champion!!! Congratulations to everyone that competed!! Great Job!!

Congratulations to Mr. John Matthews for his 3rd Kyu Cole Tainui th Niko Tainui recent promotion to 4 Grant Wakefield Dan, All Japan Toyama 1st Kyu Max Germanos Federation, All Japan Batto Robert Schattie Do Federation and US Telly Tu’u Batto Do Federation. Jeff Vasta

1st Dan Jeff Brasseur Jeremy Crawford Ryan Jairam

2nd Dan Rayna Herringdine Turtle Knight received his Yon Kyu in Ryu Kyu Kobudo during the 2017 Tai Kai! 5th Dan Mark Dimond Ben Cleveland

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During this year’s awards ceremony, Yoshukai Karate International paid special recognition to Mrs. Christina McClernan, 6th Dan and Ms. Lee Farrell, 6th Dan for all their hard work and dedication to the YKI organization. Mrs. McClernan and Ms. Farrell put forth an extraordinary amount of effort each year performing administrative activities, providing support to staff and members, and coordinating our annual Tai Kai events. On behalf of the association, we extend our humblest appreciation to you both!

A note of thanks and appreciation to our international visitors who made the long journey!

Australaisa Germany

A special note of thanks to Mr. Chad Pepper for all the wonderful photographs of this year’s event. Mr. Pepper studied Yoshukai International Karate under Sensei Mike Foster, Sensei Jack Swift, and Sensei Scott Self from 1982 through 1995. He earned his Nidan in 1988. Mr. Pepper is currently filming a documentary about Yoshukai Karate to highlight all of the positive aspects of this traditional martial art. He would like to tell the history of the founders and leadership collectively and of the individual branches of Yoshukai. “Everyone can agree that we are proud of the Yoshukai lineage and traditions still being taught today.”

We have included a sample of the photographs here in the newsletter. You can view all of his photos on the documentary Facebook page at the following link:

https://www.facebook.com/YoshukaiKarateDocumentary/

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Yoshukai Karate International 2017 Annie Wormus, Shodan from the Bonsai Dojo, won the 2017 Elizabeth Moore Memorial Scholarship! The scholarship program, sponsored by Mr. Jack Cook, provides payment for a student to attend the annual Yoshukai Tai Kai plus $30 spending at the camp store.

Ms. Wormus wrote a fantastic essay, which is presented below. Please take time to read it, as she has future leadership skill written all over her.

Thank you Mr. Cook for your generosity and continued support of Yoshukai Karate International! way of living, it’s a way of being, and very few How Karate impacts have what it takes to survive. They say that for every 1,000 people who join my body, mind and martial arts, only 1 becomes a black belt, and I totally believe it. I was 7 when I first stepped spirit foot into my local karate dojo and joined a class of about 20 other kids my age, all of whom By: Annie Wormus, Shodan, Bonsai Dojo came and went, and for a time I understood why. As a kid karate can be very repetitive, and I’ve been doing karate for 8 years, 832 classes, me being the rambunctious free spirit I am, I and 1248 hours. I’ve done countless had a particularly hard time standing in a line tournaments, tested 10 times, and finally got my and doing what I was told. But with countless black belt, but I’m still nowhere near done. Even pushups and many different people telling me to though I’ve been doing karate for most of my settle down, I began to take on a different life, I still have a lot to learn. But I don’t like to mindset. Discipline is a big part of karate, and dwell on the terrifying, ominous future, so let's as cheesy as it may sound, I believe that take it back to what I’ve learned about karate in learning to show respect to people with a higher my thousands of hours of training. Karate isn’t rank than you helped shape me into the just putting on a pair of pajamas and jumping wonderfully charming young lady I am today. around in a room for a couple hours, no, karate is much more than that. If you think you can Born with the gift of height, I’ve always naturally walk into a dojo and expect to be able to get been good at sports, and even though I’ve run your black belt in 6 months, think again. Only endless miles in track, played countless soccer those with the strongest mentality, persistence, games, and swam oceans on the swim team, I and patience will make it through the mind don’t think any of that compares to what it feels numbing sensation of doing 27 movements like to end a good kata. Although karate isn’t so hundreds of thousands of times before you get physically exhausting it’s caused me to pass out your yellow belt, and doing it a hundred in the middle of the soccer field, or up in thousand times more even after you’ve gotten the last 50 meters of my mile, when I finish a your black belt. Karate is a way of thinking, it’s a solid kata it’s a different kind of feeling. Kata is

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Yoshukai Karate 2017 technical yet looks effortless, powerful and It’s become who I am, and it’s had an impact on flowing, you have to put emotion into it, you my mind by teaching me respect (and how to have to be the kata. My old sensei, Mr. Alford, memorize a bajillion ), on my body by used to always explain it as flipping a switch. As teaching me how to move with power and soon as you yoi and start your kata, the switch grace, and on my spirit by showing me that goes on. You put all you got into the kata, and even when things don’t work out the way you the second your hands meet for the yame, you wanted them to, they always work out for the flick the switch off and you put all your anger best. Karate has built my self confidence and and power into a box for you next kata. I also taught me that persistence is key, not only in learned to flip my switch for sparring as well. karate, but in life as well. Its taught me to retake The second I started fighting I would put failed math tests, to speak up in class, and to everything I had into the longest 3 minutes of treat my parents, my teachers, my bosses, and my life. And even though sparring is the bane of everyone with respect. Karate has single my existence, it’s a workout and just makes me handedly turned me from a shy, restless kid, stronger in the long run. into a fearless, respectable, badass 16 year old. For me, karate is, and always will be, a big Probably the biggest impact that karate has on chunk of my life, and as my old pa Mr. Miyagi me is my spirit. I can hands down tell you that I said “Lesson not just karate only. Lesson for am not the same little kid that came stumbling whole life. Whole life have a balance. into the karate dojo 8 years ago. Since then I’ve Everything be better.” overcome a lot of challenges and learned to get out of my comfort zone a bit. My first tournament I was petrified to get out there and do my kata, I would rather spar Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee blindfolded than risk looking like an idiot, but I did it, and I didn’t win anything, and even though it sucked at the time, I got over it. Now I am much more confident and I take any chance I get to show the world how much of a badass I am. Another major impact karate had on my spirit was when I didn’t pass my shodan test the first time. It totally sucked, and I felt defeated. But with the tons of encouragement I got from others, I tested again 6 months later in the winter and passed. Now I’m helping teach a kids karate class and even though I love them, those little demons are a completely different test on my morals.

Karate has always had a defining role in my life.

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November 4, 2017 Kata/Kumite Clinic & Pre-test Training May 2018 1:00 to 4:00 PM Black Belt Training TYKI Dojo - Sears Town Mall Time/Place TBD 3550 S. Washington Ave., Titusville, FL For more information: June 2018 YKI Pre-test Kata and Kumite Training January 1, 2018 Location TBA Black Belt Annual Dues $35.00 Please check website for more details May be paid on the website using PayPal For more information: http://www.yoshukai.org/links.html Mike McClernan [email protected]

January 13, 2018 July 26 – 29, 2018 First Kyu/Dan Testing Tai Kai Summer Camp 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Fee $50 Webber International University Bamboo Dojo 1201 N. Scenic Hwy, Babson Park, FL 2111 – 14th Ave. Vero Beach, FL For more information: For more information: Christina McClernan (352) 262-8376 Mike McClernan [email protected] [email protected] August 25, 2018 February 17, 2018 25th Annual Bamboo Dojo Tournament YKI Open Tournament $40 for competitors (3 events), $5 for spectators Hosted by Mike Myer Registration begins at 9:30 AM Location TBA Competition begins 11:00 AM Please check website for more details Vero Beach Heritage Center For more information: 2140 – 14th Ave, Vero Beach, FL Mike Myer (386) 255-6304 For more information: [email protected] John Matthews (772) 234-1512

th th [email protected] March 17 or 24 , 2018 Alabama Spring Testing and Training August 30, 2018 Sylacauga Karate School Registration Deadline for 1st Kyu/Dan Winter Testing North Broadway Ave, Sylacauga, AL For more information: For more information: Mike McClernan [email protected] [email protected]

Yoshukai Karate Australasian Camp Hanmer Springs, New Zealand For more information: Raymond Tainui ([email protected])

April 21, 2018 Bonsai Dojo Annual Training 1:00 to 4:00 PM Heathcote Botanical Gardens 210 Savannah Road, Fort Pierce, FL For more information: John Alford [email protected]

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Yoshukai Karate 2017 YOSHUKAI KARATE INTERNATIONAL “Workout because you love yourself, not because you www.YoshukaiKarateInternational.com hate your body!” Unknown DOJO DIRECTORY

UNITED STATES The human body has 206 bones including 27 bones in each hand and 26 bones in each foot. That means more than half your bones are The Bamboo Dojo www.the bamboodojo.com located in your hands and feet! It’s important to stabilize these bones when you hit a target. That requires strong muscles and proper Port Orange YMCA [email protected] alignment. Next time you are in the gym, try these strength exercises for your wrist and hand. Suncoast Yoshukai [email protected] Start by holding the end of a weighted bar (from 5 to 15 lbs). Make Sylacauga Karate School, AL sure your shoulders are pulled down and back. The wrist does all the [email protected] work here so your elbows must be pinned against the body (just Shinjitsu Dojo, Gainesville, FL engage the lats and keep the chest muscles out of the equation). Pay [email protected] attention to wrist alignment. The bar movement is perpendicular to the floor at all times. Make sure your wrist moves on the same plane. Titusville Yoshukai Karate International www.tyki.org Don’t allow the back of the wrist to flex in or away from your body. Try both movements below. West Palm Beach Dojo [email protected] Golden Isles YMCA, GA [email protected] Start Yoshukai of Tampa Bay www.YoshukaiTampaBay.com

GERMANY Yoshukai Essen http://i-defense.de/

AUSTRALIA www.yoshukai.org.nz Sydney City Dojo [email protected] Melbourne Dojo [email protected]

NEW ZEALAND Mid- www.yoshukai.org.nz range University of Canterbury Dojo [email protected] Tokomaru Dojo, Palmerston North [email protected] Wellington Dojo [email protected] Westburn Dojo, Christchurch [email protected]

MALAYSIA Koru Sports Academy www.korusportsacademy.com

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