An Okinawan Formular 1 race car

Sunday is usually known as day to rest and relax. Not so for us here on Okinawa. Our training with Yamashiro Sensei started at 9:00 am and ended at 5 pm. Puh, yes, indeed a very long day but it went by in a rush. From 9 to 12 we worked in our Muge Kata before switching to Sai vs Bo Kumite. Jhonny san is known to be very fast and precise but Yamashiro Sensei even speeds up in the Kumite. I had to be as quick as a Formula 1 race car! Man, he was fast and powerfull! We again worked on our Kata Sai Ichi before we had a lunchbreak. After lunch Sensei showed us a video of his group performing traditional dances (called Eisa) and Kobudo techniques. The group is called Kazenomai which means “dance like wind”. It was truely impressive to see tradition and culture being preserved that way. To our big surprise Yamashiro Sensei’s grandchildren came into the dojo and performed three Katas for us before Sensei and one of his little grandsons showed a Kumite of Bo vs Sai. Truely amazing!!!
Sensei then took us to the beach for a Eku training session. First we practiced Tsuken Akachu no Ekudi before being presented with a new Eku Kata. This Kata was given to the Japanese emperor by the king of the Ryukyu Islands as a present when the tenno first visited the Ryukyu kingdom some 300 years ago. It was truely unique to practice this Kata with Yamashiro Sensei at the beach in Itoman. Time was flying and our day ended with another top performance of a Kata called Tokumine no Kun by one of Sensei’s students. What a day!