Boy, Did You Get That Wrong!!!



Morio Higaonna sensei - Higaonna dojo, Makishi, Okinawa, 2008.

On a day when many karate-ka give themselves a day-off from training, I think Higaonna sensei will find at least some time to go downstairs to his dojo. In case you don't know, today, the 25th of December, is Higaonna sensei's birthday.  By the Western way of reckoning he's now 73 years old; but you can add another year to that if you're counting age the Okinawan way.

As I spent an hour in the dojo myself this morning, I thought of my former teacher and wished him a long and happy life. For regardless of all the politics that swirl around him and the folks who treat him like a god, he is at heart a simple, quiet, man who just loves to practice his karate. If more of his followers outside Okinawa got down off their self-made pedestals, and adopted the same attitude toward their training as Higaonna sensei does toward his, perhaps they would be better thought of by me then they are.


Masaji Taira sensei - Jundokan dojo, Azato, Okinawa, 2008

Today I also want to let you know more about another former Jundokan student, Masaji Taira sensei. His followers have now set up a web site for their teachers new organization, you can find it here. The site still has a lot of work to be done to get it up and running properly, but at least it's a start; and hopefully, this site will serve to avoid any more confusion in some folk's minds regarding Taira sensei's karate and the karate practised at the Jundokan dojo.

And finally, to the reason for the title of this post. It has to do with the idiot who wrote to me recently, asking why I make so much of the Jundokan and Eiichi Miyazato sensei, who he has never heard of, while I hardly ever write about Higaonna sensei, who everybody knows is the true successor to Chojun Miyagi. Well...I hope my birthday good wishes to the writer's hero has been duly noted; and just to ward off any similarly impending emails from followers of Taira sensei, please take note of my publicity for his new web site. To all those who are big on hero worship.......

Merry Christmas...and a good riddance to all.....Ho..ho...ho!