Erik Matsunaga (left) in 1999, with the late Takayoshi Nagamine Sensei (center) – second generation headmaster of Matsubayashi-ryu – and Art Ishii Sensei (right) – head instructor of Matsubayashi-ryu of Little Tokyo. Mr. Nagamine was in Los Angeles for a few days during a US visit from his home base in Okinawa, Japan, and we were honored to have him both observe and lead a couple training sessions at Little Tokyo Dojo – after which the real learning began over shared appetizers and beer at Japanese Village Plaza, a couple blocks down.