Events

 

In association with the Okinawa Prefectural Karate-Do Alliance (Rengokai), the Okinawa Prefectural Kobudo & Karate Renmei, and the Karate Do Kenyukai Foundation, we organize training events in the Spring and Autumn each year at which the greatest living masters of karate instruct our members in traditional (dento) karate.The venues are Okinawa’s superb Prefectural Budokan, in Naha City, Okinawa, (above), the Okinawa City Budokan, and private dojo throughout Okinawa.

 

Classes are kept small to maintain a high teacher to student ratio, and teaching is traditional not militaristic. One member described it in a magazine article he wrote as, “…Demanding and courteous, but not excessively regimented.” There are no restrictions as far as the style, affiliation, grade, or experience of attendees is concerned.

 

Our faculty includes: Morio Higaonna 10th Dan Hanshi; Minoru Higa 10th Dan Hanshi; Seiyo Itokazu 9th Dan; Yoshio Kuba 9th Dan; Tsutomu Nakahodo 10th Dan Hanshi; Zenpo Shimabukuro 10th Dan Hanshi; Katsuhiko Shinzato 9th Dan; Kiyoshi Takamiyagi Sensei 10th Dan Hanshi; Ryuko Tomoyose 10th Dan Hanshi: Zenshu Toyama 10th Dan Hanshi, Tsuyoshi Uechi 9th Dan, Takenobu Uehara 10th Dan, and many more. Senior instructors teach the classes in person, assisted by their advanced students. Three of the above have been designated, “Living Intangible Cultural Treasures” by the Government of Okinawa.

 

We organize these events as complete package that include; your return flight from anywhere in the world to Okinawa (via Tokyo) on Japan Airlines or other major airline, airport transfer on arrival by private bus, hotel accommodation for 10 nights (single occupancy), ground transportation to the Okinawa City Budokan and back, all tuition and dojo fees, (ten 2 hour seminars over 5 days) plus local taxes.

 

New members are taken on an orientation tour of the city the day after they arrive which includes instruction in the use of the monorail system, a visit to the Budokan, shopping at the Jusco and Main Place retail centers, and familiarization with local restaurants, supermarkets, ATM machines, etc. On the same evening we hold a welcome dinner at the Kansha En restaurant close to our base hotel.

 

The weekend after training finishes we tour Okinawa together by private bus visiting points of interest such as memorials to famous karate masters, Shuri Castle, Fukushu-En Chinese Garden, Tama Udun, Shikina En Royal Summer Palace, Itoman Peace Park (Heiwa Kinen Kaikan), Okinawa Village, Gyokusendo Caves, and the Seifa Utaki Sacred Grove. This takes approximately 8 hours, and costs around ¥5,000 per person, ($50 US) to cover the cost of the buses, drivers, and fuel. It has become a tradition for us to hold our Sayonara party the following evening, favorite venues are the Rio Nightclub and Restaurant Sokaku.

 

Training in the birthplace of karate with teachers of this level of ability, really is the experience of a lifetime for which there is no substitute.There is a wealth of material on the CFA seminars to be found at www.karatedata.org including a schedule for our next event (http://www.karatedata.org/members.html)  Please also visit our Facebook page (Classical Fighting Arts).