Whoever wrote it didn't practice karate. me fish are jumping (they're in water) and the cotton is high, but the rest of us are laid low. In case you haven't noticed, it has been hot this summer -- so hot that you wish there were a shorter word to describe the condition. If you are one of the few still working out, you may be comforted to know there are advantages to your insanity.
Your friends may be living easy but you are being whipped into superb shape. The heat that buckles your driveway is also smoothing out your muscles for an easy stretch. The lungs that now labor in soupy air will draw in deeply in the fall while those that took a summer vacation wheeze beside you. Yes, your baked mind and dull movements will soon be translated into clarity and vigor. But there are benefits more immediate then these airy promises of future rewards.
You are one of a brotherhood (a budahood?) that has made a tacit pact of summer suffering. You may go through hell performing Oriental contortions in a blast furnace, but when you leave the dojo the air is sweeter, the day brighter, the beer colder and the barbeque sauce more tangy. While your friends are bleary from too many late afternoon drinks, you are as a prisoner set free, bursting to make up for time lost and wonders missed.
However, even among you diehards there is a cadre of crazies who take a summer vacation but spend it at karate camp. Last week the Chito-Kai camp in Hampton, organized by Bob McGuiness, drew a record 80 masochists and self-flagellators may enjoyed the ungentle ministrations of Sensei Higashi and will reluctantly admit both the food and the weather were wonderful. If you missed this pain-fix, there is the August camp in Canmore, Alberta, run by Jumpin' Jack Kerr. It features, of course, mountains, the Banff hot springs and it is rumored, the tender-loving care of Sensei Bill Dometrich, head of the Chito-Kai in the United States.
Yes, let us sing the praises of summer paining. To gis! To gis! And remember, as you perform Seisan yet again, your eyes blinded with sweat and lips caked with white goo, it's worth it. Keep telling yourself this, you may believe it one day.
There seems to be a large contingent out there eager to eat raw fish, rub against nude bodies in public bathes and engage in strange fistic rituals. More than 70 karateka across Canada have expressed a desire to journey to Kumamoto, Japan to either participate in or watch the annual, All-Japan Chito-Kai bogu tournament, which takes place November 20th. For those concerned, here is some information. The tournament will boast both individual and team sparring matches, as well as a kata contest. For those worried about keeping the fine arrangements of their features, bogu (protection equipment) will be used in all sparring matches. m ere is no need to worry about making the team for the team competition; Canada may field as many teams as she can throw together. And who may enter this set of contests? Anyone. But let me warn you, white belts, before you start swinging at your makiwaras in time with the Rocky theme music, that there is no belt division in this tournament. You may find yourself facing some burly sandan who doesn't really care that you haven't learned upper block yet. There is no sparring for women, but they may enter the kata competition.
Arrangements for this pilgrimage are being coordinated by Robert Tordiffe of British Columbia. As you read this, Bob is trying to negotiate reduced airfare for the flight between Vancouver and Tokyo. He is also trying to defray the expense of staying in Japan by arranging dormitory accommodations. I realize this doesn't give you much of an idea of the cost of this trip; we will pass more information to you through the mail as we get it. And please note it is up to the individual to pay his own way. Or, if he is lucky enough, his dojo or provincial organization will bear some of the cost. If you wish to contact Robert Tordiffe about the trip phone:
Home 604-588-4870
Work 604-637-2249 or write:
Robert Tordiffe
Box 232,
SANDSPIT, British Columbia.
1983 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
| Thursday 15th | Executive Meeting |
| Friday 16th | Grading for black belts 10 a.m. testing for sandan and higher (Higashi Dojo) 4-7p.m. Meeting of 1982-83 Board of Directors |
| Saturday 17th | Annual General Meeting 10 a.m. (election of new Board of Directors) 3-6p.m. Meeting of 1983-84 Board of Directors |
| Sunday 18th am | Technical clinic to review curriculum for kyu levels Aft. The same for dan levels |
Further details about meeting places and schedule changes will be sent by letter.
NEWFOUNDLAND CHITO-RYU LEAVES N.K.A. FOLD
Although Ontario karateka proudly believe they are involved in the dirtiest political game going, recently our members in Newfoundland proved they also have been playing for high stakes. Last May 22 the Torbay ChitoRyu dojo received official notification that it was expelled from the Newfoundland Karate Association, and thereby the N.K.A., for not paying its dues. The dues had been purposely withheld. Dennis Mandville, ni-dan and our highest ranking black belt in the province, explains the Torbay club was protesting over four years of friction between Chito-Ryu and the provincial association. Chief among the problems were the Newfoundland Karate Association's foot-dragging in inducting our Gander dojo into their organization, and their trying to impose N.K.A. grading requirements on Chito-Ryu tests. Though they have been turned from the fold, Dennis says they will not wander aimlessly. The island's three Chito-ryu clubs and 60 members are strong enough to stand on their own. me Chito-Kai has enough tournaments and clinics to keep members occupied. At the moment our Newfoundland clubs have no plan to seek reinstatement in the provincial association, but do not rule out the possibility of a future reconciliation. For now, says Dennis, "We cannot support the Newfoundland Karate Association and build Chito-Ryu at the same time."
Do you ever get #14 and #15 of Henshu-Ho confused, or simply can't remember the Nisei-Shi applications long enough to incorporate them into beautifully flowing movements? Now your life can be made easier with a step-by-step poster which depicts a figure performing the movements of both these exercises. This original piece of art was designed and drawn by Jean-Noel Blanchette, of Sherbrooke, Quebec whose work has appeared in KIME. The poster is approximately 17-1/2 X 22 inches and has a yellow background with black writing and figures. Send for yours today, clear up your confusion and display some art, all for $5.00. Bulk Orders would be appreciated from clubs and don't forget about all the other Chito-Kai merchandise; t-shirts, sweat- shirts, headbands etc.
For Orders, make cheque payable to:
CHITO-KAI c/o Joy Guenther,
1 Harfleur Rd.,
AGINCOURT, Ontario MlT 2x4
WALKING IN THE SHADOW by Kevin Mellor, Kitimat, B.C.
Mastering karate, like climbing a great mountain, requires hardiness and painstaking preparation.
A mountaineer doesn't aim to conquer Everest on his first climb; before this, he must verse himself in the fundamentals of his art. He conditions himself with short climbs on unimposing slopes. As he becomes seasoned, the mountaineer moves from the sunshine of his valley home to take on greater challenges in the shade of the foothills. Finally he stands in the deep shadow of the mountain, ready for the last ascent.
Similarly, a karateka progresses one step at a time. He must learn the basic stances before the agile shifting of Ro Hai kata, the four basic blocks before the circular deflections of Ryu San, and the simple breathing of shimei no kata before the rigorous breath control of Sanchin. He also advances from light to dark. As a beginner the karateka wears a white belt. His belts become darker as he falls increasingly under the shadow of his sensei's teachings until finally, he attains black belt. He is now prepared for the long, hard climb to mastery.
Indeed, it is the most demanding task of a lifetime. The mountain is enshrouded in shadow and thick mists. A stumble or wrong turn can send the mountaineer tumbling. He has to scale sheer rock faces and climb to insufficient ledges. He must employ every ounce of skill and determination he possesses. When he crawls onto the summit, he is bathed in sunlight, and in that moment of exhilaration he understands why he sought to scale the heights.
The ascendance of the karateka is honored by the award of a belt colored red or gold like a blazing sun. Alone on the peak, he casts his own shadow, which others, aspiring to the heights, gather in.
the diver
breaks the
mirrored surface
of a still pool
in concentric rings
of dancing waves
chasing stems
through shifting
cellular currents
he descends
the cool green depths
in shadows
of weight and gravity
that twist and turn
in chance configurations
of forms that change
and find their center
disturbing the bottom
in a bubble-bursting cloud
Edward Gates, Saskatchewan
edited by Peter Giffen
assisted by Doreen Docherty