After a 14 hour flight I arrived in Okinawa where the temperature was a comfortable 18c and sunny, then after a day of relaxation I made my way to the Okinawa Budo Kan, where training started at 9am and would finish at 2pm by that time I started to feel the jet lag.
I had been looking forward to training with Master Higaonna since Moscow in September last year, as this is the time where most of the Chief Instructors within the IOGKF attend corrective training.
Over the course of the week Higaonna Sensei would cover in-depth training from Kata predominantly Suparimpei or Pitchurrin of the Tiger, we also covered the complete Kata Curriculum to standardise any points which included Sanchin, Sanchin Kotai and Tensho.
But it was not all about training as I managed to visit Shuri Castle along with my student Tomasz Siewkowski who is a senior instructor from Poland as this was his first time to Okinawa, then we went to visit Sensei Tetsuhiro Hokama Okinawa Prefecture Karate and Kobudo Museum, which he set up in his Dojo in 1987 for people to understand the history, culture, and philosophy of Okinawan Karate and Kobudo, and he welcomes all to visit the museum.
And the trip would not be completed without a visit to Shureido Martial Arts Shop, but the task I most wanted to do was to visit Miyagi Anichi Sensei’s home and pay my respects to his wife and his memorial, it was as if he was present just like he was in the passed, his wife offered us tea and to sit with her, there were no conversation as she did not speak English and I can’t speak Japanese, but there were no need for words just emotions and meditation.
Miyagi Sensei’s wife showed us some photo albums, which Miaygi Sensei must have compelled over the years, it was a great pleasure to able to share these moments with her, and I notice I was in one of the photo’s which is an honour for me.
I did not want to leave but I did not want to over stay my welcome, and so we departed, walking away from the house was quite sad and I’m glad I had been acquainted with such a quite and humble gentleman.