Saifa

Saifa, written in Japanese as 砕破, which can be interpreted as  "smash and tear" or "crush and break," is the first advanced Gojuryu kata students learn after Gekisai Dai ichi and Gekisai Dai Ni. It contains quick whipping motions, hammerfists, back fist strikes, double punches and sweeps. It emphasizes moving off-line from an opponent's main force, while simultaneously closing distance and exploding through them. 

39th Kanto Area Karatedo Tournament

The 39th Kanto Area Karatedo Tournament will be held at Koshigaya General Gymnasium on 13 November 2016.  
The address is 2-33 Mashibayasi, Koshigaya-shi, Saitama Prefecture. The event opens at 09:00 and the competition proper starts at 09:45. 
The tournament features 14 categories of kumite and 9 categories of kata, ranging from children's events to an over 40s senior division for men and women.
There is also a team kumite competition, with each team featuring three members and up to two teams per entering organization (dojo, sports club, etc).

Higaonna Sensei Performs Gekisai Dai Ni Kata

Higaonna Sensei performs Gekisai Dai Ni Kata.

Renshukai Update

Members of Gojuryu Karatedo Yoyogi Ryushinkan continue to train together as "Renshukai" at Shinjuku Sports Center. Aragaki Kancho has been supervising early evening sessions on Mondays and Fridays as his schedule permits.  Kancho is also supervising sessions in the day time at Shibuya Sports Center. 

Aragaki Kancho supervising a "Renshukai" session 

It is a great privilege to get personalized instruction from Aragaki Kancho. The focus is on kihon and Sanchin kata. As the kihon basic techniques reappear in many guises throughout all the kata, it is essential they they be thoroughly mastered in their pure form through careful and steady training.

Ryushinkan Gekisai Dai Ni Kata 1

A tatami dojo is not the easiest place to do kata but this is an effort at Gekisai Daini.

Autumn Shibuya Ward Tournament

The 2016 Shibuya Ward Autumn Karate Tournament will be held on Sunday, October 23. The tournament has kata and kumite competitions, with a total of 20 categories for kumite and 15 for kata, according to age, sex and rank. Participation fees and forms should be processed by September 16.

The opening ceremony is at 9:15 and competition begins at 9:30. The Venue is: Shibuya Sports Center at 1-40-18 Nishi Hara, Shibuya-ku in Tokyo. The nearest stations are Hatagaya and Yoyogi Uehara.

Gekisai Dai Ni Kata

The two regular kata that students first learn in studying Gojuryu are Gekisai Dai Ichi, and the derivative version of it, Gekisai Dai Ni. 

The main difference between the former and the latter is that Dai Ni introduces open handed techniques and new stances. It is in Gekisai Dai Ni that students are introduced to the neko ashi dachi stance, where it is combined with the wheel block (mawashe uke), which is initially learned and refined in Sanchin kata.