Newsletter Winter 2006

CHITO-RYU KARATE-DO NEWSLETTER WINTER 2006 Chito-ryu K arate-Do Published in the Interest of Chito-ryu Karate by the U.S. Hombu Celebrating O-Sensei Tsuyoshi Chitose States in 1973 and 1982. On June 6th, 1984 an historical era in the history of karate came to an end. It is impossible for us to understand everything about O- Sensei, but we can refer to this song O-Sensei wrote many years ago: STUDY HARD YOUNG MEN Study hard, young men The sky is a huge dome Young men as strong as US Chito-kai clinic Northern steal, Kentucky University 1973 With shining hopes October is the month we celebrate the birthday of our Our great Chito-Ryu founder Tsuyoshi Chitose. The United States Chito-kai Based on Physiology commemorates the event each year by holding a Seminar and National Banquet. O-Sensei was born To defend the weak October 18th 1898 and passed away June 5th 1984. All that To Create world peace knew him have many fond memories; O-Sensei was not With 7 parts strength as a only a karate teacher he was a husband and father. He base, started his karate training at the age of seven under the Training our bodies we Okinawan master Aragaki Seisho. As he grew older he polish up our ski%s traveled the Okinawan islands in search of more A% together, let us extend knowledge and trained under several noted tode A% &powerful karate O-Sensei June 11, 1922 masters. Dr. Chitose received his medical degree from throughout the world Miyako, Okinawa Tokyo University and continued to teach Karate on Our true Chito-ryu mainland Japan. He had a vision that karate was not only useful for self defense but also as moral and physical Through the teachings of Sensei who pray for peace education. Karate could be used not only to defeat We sha% attain the spirit of endurance others but also to help others. In 1950 O-Sensei retired This is true Karate. from medicine to teach Karate full time. One of his Arrogance and weakness are obstacles to training, most famous students was Masami Tsuruoka, Father of We sha% continue our tough training Canadian karate. Tsuruoka Sensei was awarded his black The Chito-ryu. belt by O-Sensei in 1949 and was recently promoted to 10th dan by the National Karate Association of Canada. Hanshi and I are blessed with a tape of O-Sensei singing this song; we will never forget those memories. Through In the early 1950’s our founder William J. Dometrich constant practice you can seek self- perfection, humility was fortunate to meet O-Sensei when he was stationed and self-understanding. In the United States Chito-kai in Bepu, Japan with the US Army. After much we do not have Masters, however now that O-Sensei persistence he was accepted as a student. In 1967 O- Tsuyoshi Chitose is gone, he is a true Master. Sensei traveled to North American and visited the United States Headquarters. He would visit the United By: Barbara E. Dometrich, Kyoshi UNITED STATES CHITO-RYU KARATE-DO FEDERATION PAGE 1 CHITO-RYU KARATE-DO NEWSLETTER WINTER 2006 EDITORIAL THE KARATE-DO STAFF “THE DISCIPLINED SAMURAI” Barbara Dometrich A few centuries ago a samurai traveled to a small fishing village on the [email protected] southern tip of the southernmost main island of Japan, the island of Kyushu. This village was made up of fisherman and a few farmers who farmed the flat land around the village. Editor-in-Chief Hombu Dojo It was early morning and the sun had just risen on the village when the Covington, KY samurai Hiroshi Yamada strolled into the village. He was an imposing sight, armor, three swords and the walk of a man bearing a mission. Cyna Khalily, MD He walked up to a fisherman, who immediately bowed to him. “May I help [email protected] you?” the little fisherman asked, trembling. “Kazumi Tabata wa doko desu ka?” (Where is Kazumi Tabata?) The samurai asked politely. The fisherman Assistant Editor pointed slowly to a man not twenty feet away who was repairing a fishing net. Yoseikan Taka no ko Louisville, KY The samurai asked the fisherman his name. “Who wants to know?” the fisherman replied loudly. “I was sent here by the Shogun to execute you for not paying your taxes” the samurai replied. Mina Ludwig, Esq [email protected] “I have no intention of paying taxes” the fisherman said loudly. The fisherman then spat into the face of the samurai and said “I am not afraid of you.” Staff writer The samurai looked shocked, stepped back, bowed, turned and left the village. Yoseikan II After he was gone, the other fisherman congratulated Tabata-san and he was Cincinnati, OH the talk of the village. Three weeks later the samurai entered the village in the morning and walked Michael Colling up to Tabata-san’s boat. Tabata-san upon seeing him bowed. The samurai’s [email protected] sword flashed, Tabata’s head flew from his body and landed on the beach. The samurai quietly turned to leave. The old fisherman bowed and asked Staff writer “Wasn’t it you who was here three weeks ago?” “Yes”, the samurai replied Marion Bridge Yoseikan “That day he made me angry. I was taught by my teacher to never draw my Nova Scotia Canada sword in anger. Today I am not angry.” The samurai, a very slight smile on his face, turned and left the village. Sensei Patrick McCarthy told me this story a CONTRIBUTORS few years ago. It is the essence of budo Hanshi William J. Dometrich training. Take no action out of anger or fear. Tony DiTerlizzi Train, develop your skill, insight and your Gordon Levin ability to keep your head when other men Don Schmidt loose theirs. Such is a mark of a ranking Yudansha. Willie Elliot, DMin Richard Rilke William J. Dometrich, Hanshi Founder and Chief Instructor US Chito-kai UNITED STATES CHITO-RYU KARATE-DO FEDERATION PAGE 2 CHITO-RYU KARATE-DO NEWSLETTER WINTER 2006 MEMORIES OF The hardest training was turning SPEECH BY O-SENSEI CHILDHOOD around in the air from a top of a tree, CHITOSE AT 1973 U.S. CHITO- Written by :Tsuyoshi Chitose and barefoot walk on a coral reef. KAI BANQUET Translated by: Mark Morita They were not so bad after many practices. I could feel as if I was I have determined to devote my life I was born in 1898 in Kumochi Naha walking on air. to leading young boys and girls by Okinawa soon after the Japanese training their bodies and minds Meiji government and Naha dynasty Tode and Karate: through karate-do, Chito-ryu. By the established a local government. Mr. Arakaki told me that tode help of all of you Chito-ryu has originated in To-era of china about developed into what it is today. When I was a little boy my 1000 years ago. When grandfather, who was a high official in Chojun Miyagi asked me about May I explain roughly about Chito- Naha, used to take me to Shuri Castle naming his style as Goju-ryu, I ryu? to visit Toe experts which gave me a thought I should use TOH to name good influence to be a Tode-ka in my my style from Arakaki Sensei’s story Old Aragaki, my former teacher who later days. about China. was a great master of karate in Okinawa told me that it had been one Until then, there were no particular thousand years since “tote” has first styles in Tode. After the Showa era been introduced from the Chinese began in 1925, Shuri-no-te in Shuri foreign dynasty. That is why our City which was mainly for noble men karate-do was named Chito-ryu. became Kobayashi-ryu, and Naha-no- ( “Chi” means one thousand, “to” the te in the business town Naha became foreign dynasty, “ryu” style.) Shorei-ryu. Before the Showa era people used to call Karate just tode, Karate in Okinawa used to have two or te without mentioning any style. sources, Shorin-ryu or “te” (hand) of Shusi and Shorei-ryu or “ te” (hand) of When Gichin Funakoshi, who was my Naha. teacher when I was in elementary school, asked me if it would be proper I considered that both had merits and to call karate instead of Tode, I did demerits. Therefore, I resolved to not have any objection. I was a study Chito-ryu from the standpoint medical doctor and not in the of physiology and anatomy and I have position to oppose what Funakoshi been trying to spread it all over the Naha, Okinawa May 1917 Sensei said. Funakoshi Sensei thought world. O-Sensei (standing) and friend we should use Japanese words instead Though my memory is not clear, I of Chinese because of undesirable The future of all nations depends used to play like a monkey on relationship between Japan and China upon sound bodies and minds of grandfather’s shoulder and head. My at the time. young boys and girls. Our Chito-ryu animal-like movement often surprised emphasizes the spirit of courtesy, grandfather’s friends. One time I These are good memories in my life peace and patience, and our arts are embarrassed grandfather by peeing in constructed from the standpoint of a castle room. physiology. When I was 7 years old, grandfather I aim to elevate virtue and to enrich took me to see Mr. Arakaki who was aesthetic sentiments through training, the highest Tode instructor at the and to mold healthy and effective time and I was admitted to Arakaki’s character.

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