Author Archives: shobukaratedo

Beikoku Shidokan Shorin-ryu Uza Dojo

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For anyone in Chicago’s North/Northwest Suburbs interested in Okinawan Shorin-ryu, check out Yujiro Uza-sensei’s dojo, which practices Shidokan Shorin-ryu. Shidokan comes through the late Katsuya Miyahira, who was a student of Choshin Chibana, Anbun Tokuda, and Choki Motobu.

Uza-sensei is a student of Seikichi Iha (b. 1932), who came to the US in 1975 and founded the Beikoku Shidokan Karatedo Association in Lansing, MI. The attached short clip is from a demo at the Chicago Okinawa Kenjinkai’s 50th Anniversary Banquet, with a special appearance by 84-year old Iha-sensei.

Beikoku Shidokan Shorin-ryu Uza Dojo currently practices on Saturday afternoons out of the Midwest Shotokan Karate dojo in Prospect Heights, on Rand between Oakton and Palatine Roads. Uza-sensei is a gentleman and highly skilled karateka.

 

New Dojo T-Shirts

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Our new dojo tees have arrived just in time for summer and they look great! Thanks to Ryan Suda at Blacklava Direct to Garment and Screen Printing, who had also made our dojo’s “nobori” banner and embroidered our original dojo patches!

Based in Los Angeles but shipping nationwide, we highly recommend them for quality short run direct-to-garment, large run screen printing, and embroidery services. Check them out on Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/blacklava-torrance

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Chicago Japanese American Memorial Day Commemoration

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Montrose Cemetery, on the city’s North Side, was among the first (if not the first) of Chicago area cemeteries to accept the remains of people of Japanese ancestry for interment. To ensure community members would have a final place of rest, in 1935 the Japanese Mutual Aid Society began purchasing a number of plots in the cemetery’s northwest corner.

In 1937, the Society built the Japanese Mausoleum and in 1938 held its first community Memorial Day commemoration, which continues to this day.

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Members of Chicago Nisei Post #1183 of the American Legion at the 78th annual Chicago Nikkei Memorial Day commemoration in the Japanese section of Montrose Cemetery, Chicago, IL.

Vintage Chicago Tribune Article

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Interesting bit of Chicago karate history, from May 15, 1969, courtesy of the Chicago Tribune online archives. A bit of background: Shojiro Sugiyama was dispatched to Chicago in 1963 by the Japan Karate Association, at the invitation of Walter Nakamoto and the Chicago Karate Club. After a couple of moves, in the early 1970s the renamed Japan Karate Association of Chicago settled into the second floor of the Toguri Mercantile building at 853 W. Belmont, where it remained until Sugiyama sensei’s retirement in 2000.

The dojo later moved a couple blocks over, to the Japanese Culture Center at 1016 W. Belmont, where Sugiyama sensei advised on a part-time basis until his passing in 2015 at the age of 85. The dojo continues to this day under the direction of his students as JKA Chicago, although no longer affiliated with JKA Headquarters in Tokyo. Sugiyama sensei’s influence toward the spread of karate in the Great Lakes region is immeasurable.

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Japanese Americans on Chicago’s South Side

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Discover Nikkei has posted Erik Matsunaga’s research into the long-extinct Japanese American post-WWII resettlement community of Oakland/Kenwood on Chicago’s South Side.

Journey into this largely forgotten segment of Chicago’s history through interactive maps and first-account stories of former residents.

Part 1:
http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2015/12/1/oakland-kenwood-1/

Part 2:
http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2015/12/2/oakland-kenwood-2/

Part 3:
http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2015/12/3/oakland-kenwood-3/

 

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A Visit from Scott Schnell

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Fun night of training with Scott Schnell sensei, WMKA 4-dan instructor of Pinewoods Okinawan Karate in Iowa City! He and his friend Jen stopped by Ravenswood Dojo for some training and camaraderie while traveling for the holiday.

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We all had a great time and appreciate the effort to make the connection. Scott is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Iowa. If you’re ever in the vicinity, definitely check him out. His info can be found on the World Matsubayashi-ryu (Shorin-ryu) Karatedo Association’s website.

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An Impromptu Shotokan Exchange

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J-san, a Shotokan brown belt, sent in an inquiry a couple weeks back and came through the dojo yesterday to play with us and see how Okinawan Shorin-ryu differs from his practice of Shotokan karatedo. It was a pleasant exchange as we traded our interpretations of kihon, kata, and applications based upon principles fundamental to our respective styles.

As we often say . . . regardless of system or style, good karate is good karate, and we do not feel there is any one method better than another. We are grateful to have the opportunity to experience other perspectives, and J-san represented himself, his sensei, and his dojo well.

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Well-noted is that although an experienced Shotokan brown belt, he walked into our dojo wearing the white belt of a beginner, emptying his cup and opening his mind. From the beginning J-san was up front about continuing with Shotokan; he really just wanted the opportunity to see what we do and how it might relate to what he does.

In the same manner, our position was never to “convert” him to our style, but to share some core principles and compare notes. All in all it was a fun evening of goodwill exchange. Thanks, J-san!