The Secret Origin of Karate - Jesse Enkamp

"Toudi," or just "Te," is what the old Okinawans called their art of self-defense...

Ashi Sabaki - Jesse Enkamp

 

Sensei: Masters of Okinawan Karate

This is a playlist of all the "sensei" videos produced by the YouTube channel Okinawan Spirit.  I have only viewed the first dozen or so, but the productions are all good and the insight is valuable.

San Chin, again...

 This video was removed from YouTube.  I reposted it under my account and I'm sharing it here:

Origin of Kihon Kata and more...

 Every once in a while some new (meaning OLD) Chito Ryu video pops up on YouTube.  This is a Chito Ryu seminar from 1983.  From the comments on this video:

"This video introduces the newly designed Kihon Kata and Chitose Jr explains the body mechanics associated with these kihon. Then Inomoto Sensei introduces the basic 10 postures for bo. The video then moves to an explanation of Hen Shu Ho's finer points and concludes with the awarding of dans. This is a gem of a video for anyone interested in Chito Ryu history as it captures the launch of the Kihon Kata and explains their purpose. Chitose Sr spends a good deal of time discussing the body mechanics of Chito Ryu and works with Kugizaki-sensei explaining Tori-te."

Hanshi's birthday, March 15

 Today is the birthday of Hanshi William Dometrich.  In the pre-lockdown world, his birthday would be celebrated with a 4-hour clinic of Chito Ryu Karate Do, followed by a potluck dinner at the USCK Honbu Dojo.  While the National Test Board, seminar, and annual banquet surrounding O'Sensei's birthday (October 18) are more formal occasions, Hanshi's birthday is more like a family reunion, with more opportunity to meet and talk with friends old and new.  It is my sincere hope that we will one day return to our gatherings in celebration of the people who handed down our wonderful art of Chito Ryu Karate Do to us, so we may continue their traditions and vision of a better world through striving for self perfection.

Please enjoy the following videos of Hanshi Dometrich, recently posted to YouTube.  While some may not agree with their being made so public, it is foolishness to deny their existance.  It gives those of us who were not fortunate enough to have met Hanshi to experience part of his being which is not expressible through writing or the practice of Karate-Do.

Unsu and Jion

These are old katas, and look very Chinese to my eyes.

O'Sensei home movies

I have never seen this before. The title claims this is from Hanshi and Okusan, and was just posted in August 2020.

Gung Fu no Kata

This video is on Facebook.

 

https://m.facebook.com/tkiinternational/videos/dr-chitose-84-years-old-gung-fu-no-kata/412500605983679/

Kime exercise

"Snap," or Kime

Another good video from Jesse Enkamp:

The Oldest Kata in Karate-Do is...

...Seisan. I thought it would have been Potasi. H/T Tim

If you have not seen Jesse Enkamp's Karate Nerd in China, I would recommend that you check it out below:

Hiki Te Blasphemy

Be warned, this view of  Hiki Te (Withdrawing Hand) is not what is commonly accepted!  Still good stuff, however.  From Iain Abernethy:






Part 2:

Kata Demonstrations in Naha City

Some of these are pretty good, especially the boat oar kata.  For your enjoyment and edification:

Video Message from Iain Abernethy re: Coronavirus

From Iain Abernethy:




Considering current world events, martial arts are not that important in the great scheme of things. However, they do matter to martial artists! They are part of your identity and a major part of your lifestyle. For some, martial arts are also your profession and how you provide for the needs of your family.


In these abnormal times, anything we can do to maintain any sense of “normality” will be good for us physically and mentally. We martial artists seek to develop an indomitable will and to rise to challenges. We are also a strong community who seek to support our brothers and sisters in arms. In these challenging times, I’d like to share a few thoughts that I hope our community will find useful.


 This video is about:


1) What students can do to keep training and progressing
2) What instructors can do to help students keep learning and progressing
3) What students can do to help instructors
4) What professional instructors can do to help deal with current financial difficulties and prepare for future growth.


You’re not alone. We are all in this together.


All the best,
Iain


IMPORTANT: This video contains no information about the virus itself. I am a martial arts instructor and I know to keep in my lane. For that side of things, my strong advice is to follow the official guidance in your locality. Ignore the musings of the unqualified, the ill-informed, the triumphantly complacent and the hysterically unhelpful.

Breathing Exercise

Sorry if Jesse Enkamp bothers anyone, but his stuff is always good.  In this video, he describes a breathing exercise that is rather simple, but gets your body and your brain working together to achieve what he calls "peak performance," also known as optimum output.  If you have ever had a cramp in your side from running or doing any type of cardiovascular exercise, that is your diaphragm telling you it does not like how you are trying to use it! 


This exercise does not require any space or special equipment, so it is easy to do just about anywhere, perfect for out mandated stay-at-home world.

10 Karate Home Training Exercises

...from Jesse Enkamp.  He demonstrates these in a small hotel room, certainly less space than most of us have in our homes! No excuses for not training! :-)

Masters of Okinawan Karate - International Episode - Doug Perry

Masters of Okinawan Karate - International Episode - Neil Stolsmark

Masters of Okinawan Karate - International Episode - Cezar Borkowski

UPDATE: I forgot to add in the original post that if you look closely at some of the old photographs shown in the first few minutes of this video, you will notice Dr. Chitose in them. He is not mentioned by name, however.