Autobiography Part 22: Kobudō in Okinawa

Q: You've spoken about Okinawa in the last episode, and your stay in Moromi Hill. Can you tell us something about Kobudō in Okinawa?

A: Yes. On my first visit, I went to ask a sensei for permission to train, but he didn't accept me at that time. In the mid-80s, around 1985, I visited Matayoshi Sensei and started training Kobudō under him. I trained with him and his assistants every day during my 10-day stay in Okinawa. I even have some good video clips from that time.

During that visit, I asked about Kana Sensei, as I had heard about him and wanted to meet him. However, Matayoshi Sensei didn't provide much information, saying he lived far away. Nevertheless, I continued training Kobudō with Matayoshi Sensei.

On my second visit, I trained with Matayoshi Sensei again and continued asking about Kanai Sensei. I eventually found Kanai Sensei's address through Nakasone, the son of the Shuri-te master. Nakasone's son gave me the address and phone number of Kanai Sensei and even called him to let him know I wanted to meet him.

The reason I was so persistent in finding Kanai Sensei was because I wasn't completely satisfied with Matayoshi Sensei's training. The dances lacked structure and precision in stances. It resembled the old Chinese style where stances were not exact. I was accustomed to karate stances and found the lack of them unsettling. I wondered if Kanai Sensei's approach might be different.

I eventually met Kanai Sensei and visited his dojo. He was a very nice man, completely different from Shimabuku Zenpo Sensei in his teaching style.

Zenpo Sensei, if you asked to learn something specific, would insist you learn what he wanted to teach you first. Nowadays, it's different, and you can ask him anything. But back then, his teaching was structured, starting every day with kihon. Dan Smith, if you're watching, you know this.

I remember one day when Isaagawa Sensei was teaching, Dan Smith and I were tired of kihon and asked to do something else. Isaagawa Sensei agreed, but when Zenpo Sensei came in, he noticed we weren't doing kihon. Isaagawa Sensei blamed me and Dan Smith, and Zenpo Sensei immediately said, "Okay, let's do kihon!" That was life under Zeno Sensei. He taught the same thing for years, with no bargaining.

Kanai Sensei, on the other hand, was different. When I met him, he asked what I wanted to learn. I said I wanted to learn sai kata, and he immediately started teaching me. Then I showed him nunchaku kata, and he asked what else I wanted to learn. I asked to learn tonfa, and he taught me tonfa kata and nunchaku kata. I was so happy after two and a half hours of training. I thanked him and said I'd come back the next day.

I walked back, about five or six kilometers from Kanai Sensei's dojo in Misato to my place. The next day, Sunday morning, I came back, and he was sitting down, looking at old photos with Taira Shinken and Zenpo Shimabuku. He asked me to show him the kata he had taught me the day before. I messed up everything and forgot everything. He just shook his head. I remember it like it was yesterday.

He never refused to teach me anything. He would say, "You want this? I give you." Zenpo Sensei would say, "No, no, do this first." They had completely different teaching styles.

Today, I find that I have a bit of both characters. If some people come and want to learn something specific, I let them, even if I know they will get stuck and confused. I let them get confused until they come back. And some of my students if they ask me I say no no no do this. I'm very strict because they are my students. Visiting students from different styles they come I don't care. I teach them what they want. I know they will get confused. I let them get confused purposely.

He waited for my answer, asking, "What you want?" I told him I wanted to learn bo kihon. He was very happy and wrote down all the kihon on the blackboard in English. I still have those papers and included them in my books. I said I only wanted to learn bo that day, and he started teaching me the basics.

I said that's enough after two hours I don't want anymore only this then next week I come back then next week this is how I learned the basics and I say I don't want any ka I'll go back I'll come back next time so he used to be very happy about this and I told him uh you know every time when I I do this, I get this and get him corrected. And every time he'll see me, he correct me and then he teach me new things. I didn't ask for more. I always wanted to be corrected. So he was very happy with that way of teaching and I said this is enough. I'll come back the next time. He was very happy. Sometimes since he was so nice, he will after the training we change. We go down downstairs was his house. And he goes down, his wife used to make beans porridge, hot porridge.

He was always happy when I got corrected, and he would then teach me new things. I never asked for more. I always wanted to be corrected. Sometimes, after training, we'd go downstairs to his house, and his wife would make hot bean porridge. And we sit down and we eat. And he sent me sometime with his car back to my Moromi Hilton. Very nice of him. And sometimes he after training he brings me to a restaurant to eat. So nice people.

Kanai Sensei and Zenpo Sensei were incredibly friendly and generous. You don't find these kind of people in any parts of the world I was so lucky to have this kind senses wonderful time I had with them.

When I came back here, I started teaching only the basics. On my second trip back, I trained more and brought back more knowledge. I promised to bring Kanai Sensei to Germany one day, and I did. He was very happy to see how Kobudō was progressing in Germany.

My Kobudō experience started with Indian martial arts at the age of 12, which also involved weapons. Later, after meeting Donn F. Draeger Sensei, I got into Kobudō. From the age of 12 with Indian martial arts, dhanurvidya, karate, Kobudō – all this up to this year must be over 60 years or more than that. So that's my kobudo experience from over there.

Later, I visited many other Kobudō sensei in Okinawa, training with different styles to expand my knowledge. I also trained in Matayoshi Kobudō from different masters like Miyahira Sensei, and Shimabukuru Sensei, who also taught Kobudō here in Germany many years ago.

I also trained in Ufuchiku Kobudō and other Kobudō styles. It's a long history, and it's a very interesting thing for me. In Malaysia, I got involved with the Silat people and their weapons art with keris knife art all these kind of things got the knowledge but I stayed at last with Kanai sensei's Kobudo and today I trained with Kanai sensei's Kobudo as well as with Shimaburune my sensei all this experience that's a small part of my Kobudo history.