Cold Soba
Besides karate and yoga, I learned to make Sushi rice ball and cold soba during my first trip to Okinawa. Actually, the one I ate on Okinawa was not soba. I can’t remember the name of the noddle but it was white in color. I learned to make the dishes from Sumako sempai.
Today, I prepared the two dishes for the kids and LA. They loved it so much!
Culture Shock
When I was at the Dewan Bukit Beruang for the afternoon class today, I immediately noticed a culture shock when I told the highest ranking student to start with Sanchin in solo. “Onegaishimasu.”, I told the student to say it when bowing.
When it was time for a boy to perform Sanchin, I told him to remove his gi top and the undershirt he was wearing. He was a bit reluctant and embarrassed. I explained to him very briefly why so. I thought he accepted that but still feel embarrassing inside him.
It is a culture shock for the first time today. I expect more tomorrow at Jasin dojo.
Protected: In another phase of change
Nik’s 1st Birthday
Today we celebrated for Nik’s 1st birthday. Here are some cute photos of him with daddy, mommy and two brothers.
Sayonara Okinawa!
Time flies. A month ago, I was stopping at Hong Kong heading to Okinawa. Today, after a month, I am at Hong Kong again heading home!
Home sweet home! Where all my loved ones are waiting for my return. I missed them so much.
During the flight, I had mixed feeling about this journey. I am longing to get home. On the other side, I wished I could stay on Okinawa longer to polish my skills. I am a little confused during the flight.
My return will be another significant milestone in both my karate life and Uechi-Ryu Zankai Malaysia. 3 years ago, I decided to come back to teaching karate. My son, Dmitry and Dietrich have motivated me. I was searching the true path to karate when I made the return. Today, I can’t believe that I have found the true karate path at Uechi-Ryu Zankai. The training on Okinawa has completely changed me. The hard work and sweat that I put in during this month together with all kinds of motivation have sped up my training.
This trip does not only fulfill my dream and the search of true karate, I have very important mission to learn this old-style Pre-WWII karate and bring it back to Malaysia, spread the art and preserve it from fading into modernization and from the corrosion of time.
I have now a heavy responsibility when I reach home. The responsibility to lead a group of adults, teenagers and children toward the true meaning of karate training.
In another 5 hours, I will step onto Malaysian soil (Home Sweet Home!) and become the first official Malaysian to have learnt Uechi-Ryu Zankai karate-do and helping the preservation of this old-style art. I believe with my students’ confidence and faith in me, Uechi-Ryu Zankai will, slowly and quietly, grow stronger each day.
Here, I would like to thank my family for their encouragement, motivation and support. I also wish to thank Seizan Sensei, Sumako Sempai and all the people I have met on Okinawa for teaching me and working me through my hard learning curve and forgetting curve. Especially Seizan Sensei for his humorous teaching method which spiced up the training with a lots of fun. He is the best karate-do teacher I have ever met.
I and on behalf of all my students would like to thank Toyama Sensei for granting me an opportunity to perform in front of his watchful eyes and granting permission to setup Okinawa Karate-do Uechi-ryu Zankai Malaysia Shibu Dojo. Can Seizan Sensei please relay our gratitude to Toyama Sensei? I could have thought about this on Friday night but this thought only surfaced during the en route.
Last but not least, I would like to thank Scott from Canada for introducing me to Seizan Sensei. Without his introduction, I could have been searching endlessly and still stuck in the mess of modern karate.
This departure has also made me understand 一期一会 (ichi go ichi e). A meeting has to come to an end to allow another to happen. I also gain better understanding, from this philosophy, the techniques of old-style Uechi-Ryu techniques in kata. Movement comes to an end and another will begin. It is endless, like the ocean wave, rolling and cycling endlessly with enormous energy and power. The energy and power will fade to effect another cycle to begin.
I am stepping in the shallow water of Uechi sea, the water is barely a foot deep. I am beginning to see the ocean waves ahead.
Ganbatte kudasai!
Farewell Dinner
Aleksander and I will be going home tomorrow. After the last training in this afternoon, Sensei and Sumako sempai took us to an Italian restaurant, Marcaroni & Grill, at Camp Foster. Together were Sumako’s friend and her daughter. The food there was really great! My tummy was really expanded. What a dinner! Thanks to Sensei and Sumako sempai.
“一期一会” (ichi go ichi e), one meeting in one life time. This is our first meeting in our entire life time. Every meeting has to come to an end. To an end so that another can begin. We will meet again.
Certificate Ceremony
Today is the last day of my training on Okinawa. Aleksander from Norway had his grading test today. He has done well in a week too. After the test, Seizan Sensei awarded certificates to us. It is me, Aaron, Jessica and Aleksander from top to bottom.
Congratulations! Ganbatte kudasai. Renshu, renshu. Till we meet again in near future. When? “Whenever!”, said Jessica. It was great to work with them. I really enjoy the sweat, laughter and seriousness of their training. The best training I ever have in my life!
A diamond in the rough?
Today, only Hikaru came for the training. We practiced a few kata together and before he left, he suddenly asked me to check and correct his Seiunchin and Seisan kata. I was a little surprised. Of course, I did point out a few mistakes in his kata. He was very happy.
Hikaru sprained his left ankle 2 weeks after I arrived. We used to practiced in the morning together with Jessica. One day he came with his left ankle bandaged. I really missed training with him. He is the boy I like to work with.
When he asked me to correct his kata, I saw no ego in his eyes. Only sincerity. I like to work with people with sincerity. That’s why I love to work with him so much.
When I arrived, I learned from him. Today, he learned from me. There is always learning between us no matter what rank we have. I guess today is another happiest day I have on Okinawa.
My best wishes to Hikaru. I hope he will become a great master one day!
Human Complexity
The complexity in the human world is simplicity that has failed. The human is the only animal that needs to be taught how to become animal again.
My training in Uechi-ryu Zankai karate has opened up a whole new dimension of knowledge about bio-mechanism in the human body which in turn to simulate animal movement. Uechi-ryu Zankai, an old style karate, teaches the forms of 7 animals: Dragon, Tiger, Crane being the 3 basic and mostly practiced as in postures together with Leopard, Snake, Cobra, and Mantis.
In the forms of these 7 animals, human can be taught to become primitive again where powerful movement and postures come from the animal instinct of the primitive homosapiens.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. - Leonardo DaVinci
Uechi-ryu is teaching the simplicity of the animals which is so complicated for a complex human. The simplicity in the Uechi-ryu Zankai karate is the hardest to understand and to perfection compares to complexity of any other sports karate.
My understanding of Uechi-ryu Zankai has just begun and it is so shallow which I can only write so little about its simplicity versus the complexity of modern humanization.
Test Day
Test day! Well, I woke up at usual time but slightly early. Everything seems fine. Last night, I watched a movie to relax and to get my mind into another dimension away from training. After the movie, I did some mental training. So I guess (don’t I tell you that I guess?) I have enough good mental preparedness. This evening will be the test of myself, an ultimate test, from Jukyu to Ikkyu before qualifying for Shodan test.
Uechi-ryu Zankai has a very strict protocol for students from other style. It is simply because a completely different style or system.One has to unlearn everything to be able to absorb the knowledge of Uechi-ryu. One also needs to sublimate ego. It is especially for people, a yudansha (dan holder), and with many years of training which their minds have been so adapted to the system(s) they have been training into, to begin from Jukyu (white belt).
I will be wearing white belt during the test tonight and able to feel wearing a white belt again after 22 years of training in other style.
Protected: Where is the power of wa-uke?
Protected: 十六 - Seirui
Severe Training
Time to be serious! Test week. I will be tested for appropriate rank this Wednesday. So, tonight, everyone was burning real hard. I was no exception. I burned in Kanshiwa bunkai, rensoku kumite, Seisan, kote kitae, koriashi kitae and yoriashi kitae. Everyone was wearing sweat. A few sempai and kids were there to help. Spirit was good.
After performing Seisan, Sensei taught me Seirui. Seirui is the nidan qualifying kata and is the dragon kata which completes Seichin. Seichin is also a dragon kata.
Seirui teaches antekan or stability. The flow of the techniques is fluid and swift and as powerful as the dragon. Comparing to Seisan (which is a dragon, crane and tiger kata), it is easier to learn. Of course, some techniques need a while to be familiar with.
I have learnt Sanchin, Kanshiwa, Kanshuu, Seichin, Seiunchin, Seiryuchin, Seisan, and Seirui.
Earthquake on Okinawa
There was an earthquake this morning. Buildings were shaking according to Sensei. But I did not feel anything because I was still sleeping. I missed the chance to experience earthquake again. I am fine and everyone on Okinawa is fine too.
Typhoon is heading towards Taiwan so no worry.
Keep your elbow straight!
Sensei always stresses “Keep Your Elbow Straight” when he sees us (especially Jessica and I) bending elbow while executing 環受け (wa-uke). Today he once again, humorously, reminded Jessica to “Keep Your Elbow Straight”.
Modern style Uechi-ryu is not so strict about straight elbow. Contrary to that, the old style is rather extremely particular about keeping the elbow straight while executing wa-uke.
By keeping the elbow straight, the whole arm acts like a lever to fend off a strong punch or kick, a grab and etc. using the entire body weight. Upon completing the wa-uke, across the face to the shoulder level, the hand turns into 虎の歯 (tiger teeth) or 虎の手 (tiger hand), grabbing and snagging.
Protected: Why dantai no kata?
Cruelty in Our Society
It was horrifying to hear about a rape and murder case happened recently at Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. The victim was a UTAR student. She was brutally raped and sodomized before she was murdered. The crime rate of arm-robbery, murder and rape is escalating at an alarming rate. Last month, there were many robbery and rape cases in the state of Johor. What has happened to our society?
Last year, while I was seeding a software development project at UTAR and I got a chance to work with some students. We planned to do a live data collection from a GPS device which required us to drive around in the car with the GPS device connected to a notebook computer to log live GPS data. We chose to do it at night when road traffic was low. We were having some problems to get the data in from the GPS device and we were resolving the problem right outside the main gate of the PD campus (FICT campus in Section 13 PJ). It was dark and I noticed some people drove by. I look into their faces and I could sense these people were not good people based on their facial appearance. I was on all alert while the students resolving the problems. I also saw a few students who stayed back in school to complete their assignments/project came out from the campus. Male and female. I noticed they did not have the alertness while leaving the campus. They talked and laughed all the way from the campus to their cars parked outside the campus gate. I had also noticed the two security guards were staring at the female students.
A few months ago, a female student at one of UTAR campus in PJ (Section 13) was almost raped by a security guard. Why didn’t this incident ring the alarm and knock some alertness and commonsense into students, the DSA (Department of Student Affairs), local police and the public?
I was talking (Skyping) to a female friend last night. She was working as a kindergarten teacher in Cheras and had moved back to her Penang home with her parents some time ago. She was kind of lonely in the new environment. A couple of months ago, one day, she Skyped me and told me that she was not in a good mood. She sounded scary as though something had happened to her. I got her to talk about her feeling and she told me that she had been drug-raped by a guy appeared to be her new found boy friend. Now she is working in KL and we chatted for a while. During the conversation, I found that she was kind of materialistic. I asked her what was her goal in life and she told me she wanted to make a lot of money. I asked her why so. She told me without money she could not survive in this capitalism world so couldn’t anyone.
I told her that she could not be rich just because she was a kindergarten teacher. She agreed but she argued that she could make more money with other job and she sounded like she wanted to get another job. I told her that she should not have an objective just to make more money. She refused to agree with me. The conversation did not last very long simply because I did not want to talk to her further in this topic. She is extremely stubborn and has very shallow vision and her thinking is so simple and naive.
I personally think that it was her objective which led her into her ordeal. She was having an “objective” so that she would not be lonely. She was having an “objective” to venture into opening a cafe in Penang hoping to make more money and friends. I feel sorry for her and I don’t think I can change her taking into account that she is stubborn and with very low education level. She left school after her SPM (form 5 or 9th grade and how could she involve herself as an educator while she does not have enough education?) I will write about the education issue later when I have inspiration and time for it.
Young people (particularly those local university students) nowadays lack of social skills. I encountered many who simply refused or ignored the importance of getting socialized. Socialize in this context means having a communication with people outside of university and their circle of friends. I have, many times, told the students who worked with me to pick up the phone and call the vendors to check prices and availability of certain components. They did not want to call. They emailed instead. And most often times, they did not receive any reply. They liked to resort to quick and easy solution by asking friends or lecturers to help acquiring the necessary components. And these friends and lecturers would most willing want to help. This leads to the lack of social skills which can develop a person’s instinct to identify good and evil intention of a person.
Like the aforementioned friend of mine, she lacks social skills while she is so engrossed in her money-making objective and at the same time, her loneliness and desperation (to make more money) led her to suffer an ordeal.
The number of cases of break-in burglary has increased tremendously at Bukit Beruang (Malacca) where I live. Many of these victims are university students, and of course, include some local residents. The students’ attitude, ignorant, carelessness and senseless mind have created a great opportunity for criminals to lurk and grow in the area. Many of these young students’ left their home for the first time to study in university which they feel so prestigious to be a “University Students” and therefore having the naive thinking and lacking commonsense of security. Many of them think highly of themselves and ignore the facts that danger is always stalking them without their consciousnes. These naive senseless young people put their own security into other hands. If you drive around the neighborhood, it is not difficult to find these “houses” infested by careless young people have the doors and gates wide opened inviting the watchful eyes of criminals.
Having good exam results and being a university student or scholar does not mean they can take care of themselves. Many of these adolescents have not learned to take care of themselves and to be independent.
It is a very common scenario to see these university students going to cafe in downtown Taman Melaka Raya and many other parts of the town to take a moment out of their busy studying and “exam” schedule, gossiping and usually with aimless objectives. They should be studying or discussing in school library. But they choose to have an easy and relaxing moment with their “friends”. It is a huge difference you will see in these local university students and university students in the western world. They feel lonely away from home and they are desperate to find partners and friends to fill in the vacuum in their heart. Some of them who are fortunate that their homes are not too far away, will go back to their mommies and daddies for a good indulgence during a two-day weekend break.
IMHO, these teenagers have been excessively pampered by their caring and loving parents to the extent that ignorance, naiveness, carelessness and senseless mind have developed in these precious “children” of the wonderful parents.
Last night chat and the brutal crime have inspired me to write this post/essay which I think it will be a good reading material and food for thoughts for some good and wise samaritans to realize what the hell is going wrong in our society. I also hope those ignorant, naive, senseless and obnoxious folks will open their eyes and hearts after reading this article and realize the danger and begin to make a change in their attitudes so make our society/world a better place to live.
清龍戦 - Seiryuchin
清龍戦 (Seiryuchin) is one of the three supplementary kata which Toyama Sensei has created. Like 清運戦 (Seiunchin) and 當戦 (Tochin), they are not actually kata rather they are sequences of movement to supplement training.
清龍戦 is a sequence of movement for 連続組み手 (renzoku kumite) or you can also say 清龍戦 is 連続組み手型 (renzoku kumite kata).
清 (Sei) as in 當山清幸 (Seiko Toyama), and 龍 (dragon) as Toyama Sensei is born in the year of dragon. 清龍戦 (Seiryuchin) means the Dragon Challenge of Toyama Sensei as 戦 (chin) means challenge.
It is difficult for him to find a partner with equivalent skill level to practice renzoku kumite with him so he went on creating a kata so that he can practice alone.
What a Surprise!
This morning training were just Sensei, Jessica and I. As usual, the class began with Sanchin and then Sensei checked my performance of all the kata from Kanshuu to Seisan. He pointed out a few minor glitches here and there in all my kata and I noted them all in my head.
Today’s training was not a heavy one. Rather, it was funny with some jokes and stories and stuff.
After the training, I was thinking about a lot of things. I was also run down by muscle ache on my thighs and on my right knee. They were caused by too much walking up and down slopes while I was at the Zakimi Castle yesterday.
Sensei called me to get in line with him and he started to teach me some movement. Wait a minute, it was the movement in 連続組み手 rensoku kumite which I did last night. He told me that was actually Seiryuchin kata! I was so surprised. I had begun learning a new kata without knowing it. Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!
Another great training
I did not do much kata tonight but it was really fruitful and tiring training. I began to learn 連続組み手 (Renzoku Kumite) this evening.
Finally, I had completed the Seisan bunkai with Fumiya this evening. We did a few more Seisan bunkai to make sure I could remember the sequences. I still did plenty of practice before performing for Toyama Sensei on August 17. After practicing Seisan bunkai, we moved on to 連続組み手. We stopped at 1/3 of 連続組み手 sequences.
This evening was another remarkable milestone for my training on Okinawa.
Historical Artifacts at Zakimi Castle
Here are some historical artifacts found at and around Zakimi Castle.
Zakimi Castle is protected as one of the world’s heritage by United Nation. The monument below indicates the announcement.
A museum at the main entrance of Zakimi Castle.
The artifact below is actually the ancient machinery for squeezing juices from sugar cane.
These are ancient urns for keeping human remains.
Scenic Zakimi Castle
Here are some scenic photos at the foot and top of Zakimi Castle.
Floral at Zakimi Castle
I took a day off training and decided to have a walk at the ruins of Zakimi Castle. After all, there was no training in the afternoon and I needed some rest and to take my mind off training so that I could recover from my learning curve.
I noticed some beautiful flowers and plants along the way so I took some pictures of them to share here.
Too bad I have no idea the name of the plants. If anyone knows, please share here using the comments. Thanks.
The bud of this Cycad is really huge. Cycad is one of my favorite plant. I used to have a few at home but they did not flourishe. Whenever new bud (small) is growing, it got chewed up by caterpillars. I gave away some and left one in a pot when we remodeled our garden last month.
Good training
This evening training was a good one. I began to feel that I was back onto my steep learning curve again and hopefully I would soon get out of the forgetting curve.
I really enjoyed doing kote kitae (arm conditioning) with Jeff. He has got right size for me and we both wore sweat after the exercise.
Home Sick
I have been on Okinawa for exactly two weeks now. Despite training schedule and some sight seeing activities, I begin to have home sick now. Although I have been able to communicate with home via Skype video, it is not so much the same as looking at the actual person. I missed all the playing, shouting and crying of the three dinos (kids) which sometimes and most often times drove me up the wall.
I am able to channel this feeling to traning but when I am not training and writing on my MacBook, I think of them so much.
I know what is my next birthday wish will be but this time, no one could ever make my wish comes through. I will have to work very hard to make this second wish come true and that can take me years to realize the wish. I hope LA and the three dinos can be patient.
Sumako in her uniform
Sumako came by the dojo in her uniform. She looks great. She is the Chief of Civilian Security/Police Forces on Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa Japan. The other picture of her with the M9 was sent by Sensei and was taken in her office.
She is the first woman to be promoted to this position. Sumako is Godan (5th dan) in Uechi-Ryu Zankai and also a Yoga instructor.
F-15 Eagle
While I was at Okinawa City with Sensei after checking out some stores, a few F-15 Eagle flew across the Okinawa City sky with a loud sonic boom. Being a super fan of modern jet fighter aircraft, I quickly picked up my camera and took a few shots. Too bad I had only a kit lens and this was the best picture I could post.
Richie owns a shop on Okinawa?
Sensei and I went to the Okinawa City to do a frame for a souvenir. I came across a shop with a very unique name which I am familiar with. The name of the shop is “Richie Rich”. I created a song for Richie when he was a baby/toddler based on a ringtone of LA’s phone. The song goes like this: “Richie rich rich, Richie Richie Rich.” Wow! I do wish Richie owns a shop on Okinawa!
Goodbye Grace
Today is the last day for Grace to train in Nagahama dojo. She will be leaving Okinawa with her parents. Grace is a friend of Jessica. Grace had been training with some style of karate which she can’t remember and she has been here training for more than a week. She has not become a member of Zankai so Sensei awarded a certificate of training to her. We may or may not see her again. I hope she will come back and become a true Uechi-Ryu Zankai one day. All the best to Grace and it has been a pleasure to know her and to work together with her.
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