This brings back great memories. I trained at the Yoyogi dojo Feb 78 till July 80. Higaonna returned to Okinawa later that year. That open door in the back led to a little shower area--just cold water. Japanese wouldn't use it--just a few crazy gaijin who didn't mind the cold. The bathhouse down the street didn't open till 4! Bldg was owned by the Aragaki family who lived in the house in front. Aragaki sensei has a dojo in basement of the new bldg, as of mid-80s. Thanks for posting this.
Kata is there to practise certain moves as an exercise, When we really train bunkai, various movements are repeated over and over again at different angles and in different order or distances. kata is there to "remind" us that these bunkai exist and allow us to move from one posture smoothly into the next posture, that's all.
Another correction. The name is not "Kokubo Junichi", but "Kokubo Juichi". He has been teaching in Perú since the 70's. It would be cool to add his name to the tag list, so Peruvian former and present students of him can find this video easily.
To continue...correction: Hunter Armstrong. He's into "hoplology" now. Wore a chain-mail suit to the dojo one day. A bit much. Bellamy was the ranking gaijin at the time and signed me up, Higaonna was away. But he got asked to leave soon after I started. I was oblivious to most of the intrigue. I saw Kato's sandan test. Terauchi put a pounding on him, but he passed. T was the only really fearsome J besides Higaonna. Sometimes Aragaki's little boy ran through the dojo during class! Fun.
could you please put a description of the video in your info? [if you know that is] I recognize some of the kata done by sensei morio higaonna but not all of them and I would really like to know which they all are in order. Thanks in advance
@BakkiesLaubscher Hello Sensei, my apologies that I received bad information from the individual that gifted the video, and several post by other IOGKF members previously. I will correct the info. JP
Don't remember Ernie. I knew Brits Graham Ravey now in Aus, a monster! Nigel, S Bellamy briefly. Liam Keely from SA now also in Oz, a ginger Oz Mark very strong. Yanks: Glen Liman, NJ. Bruce Armstrong, AZ, Jerry Pattillo. Many others of course but those were the upper-rankers. Alanna H joined at that time too. She helped with the books! I started from scratch there and only made it to yon-kyu. I had never done anything that intense. At the time it was just the dojo. Now suddenly it's history.
Elbow into the heart region. If you practise it for many years, you'll kill a man with that. I've used elbow followed by reverse punch several times because the opponent was close and tried to go in for a grapple (if my elbow hadn't got him first) but you are right, if the guy was out of range, the punch won't reach him...kick him in the balls instead. You don't have to follow the sequence of the kata all the time.
Thank you very much.
This brings back great memories. I trained at the Yoyogi dojo Feb 78 till July 80. Higaonna returned to Okinawa later that year. That open door in the back led to a little shower area--just cold water. Japanese wouldn't use it--just a few crazy gaijin who didn't mind the cold. The bathhouse down the street didn't open till 4! Bldg was owned by the Aragaki family who lived in the house in front. Aragaki sensei has a dojo in basement of the new bldg, as of mid-80s.
Thanks for posting this.
Thank you for the corrected info. I received it from a friend in So. Africa and he told me it was filmed there. I appreciate your help...
I'm happy that you enjoyed them! Gambatte.
Kata is there to practise certain moves as an exercise, When we really train bunkai, various movements are repeated over and over again at different angles and in different order or distances. kata is there to "remind" us that these bunkai exist and allow us to move from one posture smoothly into the next posture, that's all.
Sensei Higaonna has bone crushing power. i trained with him in San Marcos Ca in 1992
Another correction. The name is not "Kokubo Junichi", but "Kokubo Juichi". He has been teaching in Perú since the 70's. It would be cool to add his name to the tag list, so Peruvian former and present students of him can find this video easily.
Also see the beginning of my Chinen & Higaonna video 1 of Chinen doing the kata in the early 70's.
To continue...correction: Hunter Armstrong. He's into "hoplology" now. Wore a chain-mail suit to the dojo one day. A bit much.
Bellamy was the ranking gaijin at the time and signed me up, Higaonna was away. But he got asked to leave soon after I started. I was oblivious to most of the intrigue.
I saw Kato's sandan test. Terauchi put a pounding on him, but he passed. T was the only really fearsome J besides Higaonna.
Sometimes Aragaki's little boy ran through the dojo during class! Fun.
Glad it brought back good memories. Did you train with Ernie B. at Yoyogi? I am in touch with him.
Yoroshiku,
could you please put a description of the video in your info? [if you know that is] I recognize some of the kata done by sensei morio higaonna but not all of them and I would really like to know which they all are in order. Thanks in advance
Sorry - Place completely wrong. Not South Aftrica but Yoyogi Dojo in Central Tokyo. Data April 1975. Partner is Kokubo Junichi. Please correct
@BakkiesLaubscher Hello Sensei, my apologies that I received bad information from the individual that gifted the video, and several post by other IOGKF members previously. I will correct the info. JP
oh yes they are. Very sorry, thanks
muito bom
errr, they are listed in the lead of the clip as well as in the tags.
Don't remember Ernie. I knew Brits Graham Ravey now in Aus, a monster! Nigel, S Bellamy briefly. Liam Keely from SA now also in Oz, a ginger Oz Mark very strong. Yanks: Glen Liman, NJ. Bruce Armstrong, AZ, Jerry Pattillo. Many others of course but those were the upper-rankers. Alanna H joined at that time too. She helped with the books!
I started from scratch there and only made it to yon-kyu. I had never done anything that intense. At the time it was just the dojo. Now suddenly it's history.
Elbow into the heart region. If you practise it for many years, you'll kill a man with that. I've used elbow followed by reverse punch several times because the opponent was close and tried to go in for a grapple (if my elbow hadn't got him first) but you are right, if the guy was out of range, the punch won't reach him...kick him in the balls instead. You don't have to follow the sequence of the kata all the time.