Autobiography Part 18: 1st Trip to Okinawa and Separation from Karate in Malaysia

Q: Sensei, would you mind continuing with the story of Shorin-ryu Seibukan Karate in Malaysia?

A: Yes. As I mentioned in the last episode, what happened in Malaysia ultimately has nothing to do with Okinawa. The organization there, their kata, basics, and everything else were separate. Zenpo Shimabukuro Sensei never gave any higher ranking to my senior instructor in Malaysia, and these are true facts. Whatever rank he holds today, he promoted himself. It has nothing to do with Zeno Sensei, and the techniques were also incorrect. Zenpo Sensei essentially disavowed him from his organization, stating he didn't want him representing Seibukan Karate.

Many of my Malaysian colleagues traveled to Okinawa to train with Zenpo Sensei, some in the late 70s and others in the early 80s. One of my students, a gentleman named Mr. Hugh who now resides in Switzerland, was among them. Zeno Sensei accepted him, trained him, and Mr. Hugh eventually left the Malaysian association to teach in Switzerland.

Another of my students, Kupusami, also went to train with Zenpo Sensei. Kupusami was the same person who later went to India to promote karate. I will share his story in a future episode. However, Kupusami never kept in contact with Zenpo Sensei, and Sensei ultimately expelled him as well.

Questioning the Differences

In the mid-80s, around 1985, before my first trip to Okinawa, I questioned my senior instructor in Malaysia about the different kata names used in Okinawa. At this point, I was already familiar with karate history. I even have a letter I wrote to him, and his response, which I can produce as proof.

I asked him why we performed different kata. We practiced what we called dai ichi, dai ni, dai san, ten no kata, and so on. In Okinawa, they were called pinan, naihanchi, passai, kusanku, etc. My senior instructor insisted that the kata were the same, only the names were different. I knew this wasn't true, and his letter confirmed his deception.

The First Trip to Okinawa

When I traveled to Okinawa in the mid-80s, around 1985, I filmed my experiences. When I met Zenpo Sensei, he greeted me warmly and welcomed me. I had written many letters to him prior to the trip, but he had never replied. I tried calling, sending telegrams – nothing. However, once I was in Okinawa and called him, he immediately answered.

He said, "You're in Naha? I'll come pick you up." He came and took my wife and me for a very nice lunch. Then, he offered to take me to his office, but first, he asked if I wanted to see the honbu dojo. Of course, I said yes.

Seeing the dojo gave me goosebumps. I was deeply in love with the idea of studying Shorin-ryu Seibukan Karate. As soon as I stepped off the plane in Okinawa, all the history of the great masters like Matsumura, Ankoh Itosu, and Sakugawa raced through my head. My wife jokingly asked if I was going to kiss the ground.

When I finally saw the dojo, I was almost in tears. Sensei drove us from Naha to Chatan, where he lived and had his office. During the drive, he began scolding and shouting about the Malaysian people.

He said, "These people are lazy and deceitful. They cheat and don't train karate properly. They used my name to build their own reputations. Kusami did it, your senior did it, and now you're here. I know you, but I'm sorry, I can't accept you as a student of Seibukan."

I pleaded with him, "Sensei, please give me a chance. If you get to know me, you'll understand I'm not like those people." But he refused, saying, "No, I don't want to. If you want, I can recommend you to Yamin, who has a dojo nearby."

I declined, explaining that I only wanted to train Seibukan Karate with him. "That's why I came all this way," I said. He became angry, threw down a file, and showed me the letters he had written to my senior instructor, urging him to change his ways and come to Okinawa for training. He felt misused and betrayed.

Despite his anger about the Malaysian situation, he was friendly on a personal level. Every day during my ten-day stay in Okinawa, I visited him. We went for lunch, coffee, and talked until late at night. However, he consistently refused to train me.

During this trip, I also pursued kobudo training and visited many kobudo sensei, including Matayoshi Sensei. I also learned about Kana Sensei.

Separation from Malaysian Karate

The Malaysian Shorin-ryu Seibukan Karate had nothing to do with the true karate practiced in Okinawa. After my trip, I never trained in that style again. I showed Zenpo Sensei my kata, like Seisan. He immediately pointed out that it was wrong and that the techniques were incorrect. He said that even Naihanchi Shodan, Naihanchi Nidan, and Naihanchi Sandan were wrong, with missing or incorrect combinations. However, he didn't offer to correct me or teach me the proper way. He simply said goodbye.

I returned home very saddened. Perhaps we can talk more about this in the next episode. It was a very difficult time for me. I felt as though I had wasted many years calling my karate "Seibukan" when it was not. I came back with a heavy heart. This was my first trip to Okinawa and the end of my involvement with Malaysian Shorin-ryu Seibukan Karate.

After this experience, I wanted nothing to do with Malaysian Karate. I resigned as assistant chief instructor of the Malaysian Karate Federation. These are the true facts. If anyone has questions or doubts, I can provide contact information for Zenpo Shimabukuro Sensei and show you all the relevant documentation.

Thank you very much.