Michi (DO)

I was asked to write a few words by the executive board of Zenokikuren; they were recording the history of the Zen Okinawa Karate-do Renmei and offered me an opportunity to say something about it.

Okinawa is certainly the place of origin of Karate and many events have taken place here. Having said that, I think there is something wrong with the direction Okinawa Karate is taking and therefore I decided to mention a few things.

Our Zen Okinawa Karate-do Renmei was founded in 1957 and has taken part every year in the Embutaikai as a member of the Okinawa Ken Taiiku Kyokai.

However, after the Okinawa Ken Karate-do Renmei was founded, the Zen Okinawa Karate-do Renmei left the Okinawa Ken Taiiku Kyokai (Kentaikyo). We left the Kentaikyo in 1979 when I attended a meeting regarding the National Athletics Competition to be held in Okinawa in 1987. I went as the chairman of the Zen Okinawa Karate-do Renmei to join the Zen Nihon Karate-do Renmei. They tried to make us agree that the Zen Okinawa Karate-do Renmei could only administer tests up to 3rd Dan, but that for 4th Dan and 5th Dan, someone from the Zen Nihon Karate-do Renmei had to come to do the judging. For 6th Dan and up the candidates would have to travel to Tokyo to take their test at their own expense. They also wanted to recognize only Mr. Shoshin Nagamine, Mr. Yuchoku Higa, & Mr. Meitoku Yagi as first-rank (ikkyu) judges from Okinawa. We had asked to have all those of similar age and rank to be equally recognized but were rejected. Many other of our requests were also rejected, so we felt the Karate that our ancestors had passed down to us would die under these conditions and decided at the executive board meeting and the general meeting that "even if we loose the right to compete at the Nationals we are not going to join the Zen Nihon Karate-do Renmei".

After making our decision the Kentaikyo asked us and all the other Dojos to come together for a meeting. On the day of the meeting, in spite of it being a meeting of the Kentaikyo, Mr. Yuchoku Higa from Zen Okinawa Karate-do Renmei appointed Mr. Shoshin Nagamine to be the chairman and Mr.Nagamine, who had always insisted on not becoming a member of the Zen Nihon Karate-do Renmei, ended up chairing the meeting. The meeting went on, without even informing me, the chairman of Zen Okinawa Karate-do Renmei. The Zen Okinawa Ken Renmei was formed and Mr. Shoshin Nagamine became its chairman. Mr. Yuchoku Higa also joined the new organization and left the Zen Okinawa Karate-do Renmei. I feared that traditional Okinawa Karate was going to disappear.

At the last 1995 Taikai, the Zen Okinawa Ken Renmei’s "Kata" had changed to the Japanese "Shitei-Kata"; most Karate-ka from overseas commented that those are not the "Okinawa-Kata" but "Japanese-Kata". Many stated that they did not want to perform at a Taikai held by the Okinawa Prefecture for this reason.

Okinawa is said to be the birth place of Karate; however, this statement now rings hollow. They might have been able to manage this time, but for the next one we are planning not to participate at the Taikai unless it is truly an Okinawa Karate event.

At present, there are many people who are very pleased that the Zen Nihon Karate-do Renmei Karate keeps growing and is becoming well disseminated. In my opinion this seems a very sad and pitiful situation.

If this continues, the time will come, in in about ten years, when the traditional Okinawa Karate will exist only overseas and will have disappeared from Okinawa.

Thus we, the Zen Okinawa Karate-do Renmei, must search for traditional Karate, and by carrying on these traditions we can prevent the true Karate-do from disappearing from Okinawa.

Finally, I pray for the great future of the Zen Okinawa Karate-do Renmei and all Karate-ka all over the world.