International Goju Ryu Karate Federation

Dear all

I just wanted to thank you all for your great company and comradeship over the festival. Even though we my only meet once every few years it never feels like it.

I felt honoured to be part of this event with the teaching and the participation in the social events and I truly value all of your support.

This has been another memorable event that I will cherish and I look forward to when we meet again.

Yours in Karate-Do

Linda

Linda Marchant
6th dan, IOGKF
www.southwestlondonkarate.co.uk

Dear Sensei Nakamura,

Belated thanks to you and your staff for the hard work that must have gone into organising the MCF 2008. My trouble with gasshukus is I can never remember all of what has been shown to me, and may not get another chance from the same exemplary Instructors. I can add nothing more than has already been said with reference to the training, Higaonna Shihan, and the Senior Instructors from the U.S. and Canada. I found the helpfulness, politeness and hospitality of the Canadians I met second to none. The Masters Demonstration was excellent as was the Dinner for Higaonna Shihan, not forgetting the Social and Talent Contest, an event which I'm still convinced I should have won. Again, many thanks, and my best wishes to all my new found Canadian friends.

Chris Robins

Norton Dojo

Sheffield, England

Dear Nakamura Sensei,

Please share this with your staff. This years MCF was very impressive as to how smooth you and your staff made things look. I know they were all not smooth or easy but you guys made it look like it was. Thank for making my and my students experience a wonderful one.

God bless,

Tony Ferrer
Bushi No Megumi, USA

Nakamura Sensei,

Onegaishimasu,

I wanted to personally thank you and your staff for putting together another great event at the Miyagi Chojun Festival. The training was top notch and the event was very well organized. We had a great time and training with Higaonna Sensei is such a special opportunity for us. While the passing of Anichi Miyagi Sensei was a disappointment to say the least, the event was still a success thanks to you and your staff. We all came away with valuable knowledge of learning from all of the Sensei’s that took the time to train us. This event shows how important it is to train like this. My students and myself met many new people and made new friends, this is what these events are all about, becoming a closer family. The IOGKF is a great organization and the effort you put into it is obvious. I am very proud to be a part of this organization and I will do everything I can to help make it as good as I can by upholding the tradition of Okinawan Goju Ryu.

Thank you so much from all of us at Sylvania Family Karate

Best regards,

Sensei Randy Kopke
Sylvania Family Karate

Onegaishimasu Sensei,

We have just returned from a weekend of tough, energetic and highly enjoyable training at Miyagi Chojun Festival 2009 and I wanted to immediately thank you for creating such a wonderful experience for juniors and seniors alike. It was inspirational for my brother and I to learn in such great detail from great instructors from across the world. We find it so rewarding to return from such a great gasshuku with such a renewed sense of spirit and respect for the journey that is Goju-Ryu Karate-Do.

I would like to extend my sincere, heartfelt gratitude for your hard work Sensei, as well as the hard work of all staff and various helpers as well as instructors such as Sensei Villa, Sensei Han, Sensei Albert, Sifu Koh and of course Higaonna Morio Shihan.

Thank you Sensei for allowing to be a part of such a wonderful experience, we hope to continue try our best and reach our goals in Goju-Ryu Karate-Do.

Tirrell Hill

Ishi Gogyu Martial Arts Education Inc.

Whitby,ON

P.S - As a personal thanks, I would like to thank you for letting us perform a demonstration at this Gasshuku, we tried our best and it was a great experience.

Domo arigato gozaimashita

Greetings and thank you Sensei Nakamura, please extend my thanks to all of IOGKF Canada who supported the MCF 2009 training. It was a great learning experience and it was great to see fellow karate-ka whom I have not seen in awhile. I also met new individuals whom I hope to meet again.

Thank you, take care,

John Garwood
USA

First of all thank you very much for that opportunity to be part of that event!

It was a really great pleasure to participate at such great event as it was MCF 2009. I should mention it was very well organized, I want with this occasion to thank you and your very friendly staff.

I could say I have lot of fun to train with IOGKF members from different countries. It was a Honor to train and be taught by you Sensei as well as other instructors of IOGKF and off cause it was a pleasure and Honor to see and train again with Sensei Higaonna (he actually was not change to much from last time I saw him at Chisinau in 2005). I would like to say that event was a great example of friendly and honest attitude in Martial Arts.

I hope you will invite me also further to your events.

With the best regards, yours faithfully

Oleg Raileanu

Shodan Okinawa Shorinryu Karatedo

Russian Canadian Cultural and Recreational Centre Karate club

Onegaishimasu Sensei,

Dear Sensei, I would like to thank you for giving us the opportunity to once again again train under Higaonna Shihan. It was very nice to have met new brothers and sisters and to re-Aquitaine with member of our family that we have not seen in so many years.

To all Seniors instructors thank you for sharing some of your experiences with us. To all staff thank you for making the event so smoothly.

Regards,

Genaro Liriano
Naha Dojo

My head is filled with new skills and drills and kata refinements to work for myself and with my students. It is filled with the wonder of meeting Higaonna Sensei and training under him. It is filled with memories of meeting many, many new people and getting to know some better.

It was a wonderful festival for me and I thank you very much and your assistant senseis and senpeis very much for making it so memorable.

Thank you very much, Sensei,

Mac Newton

Toushikan Martial Arts

Qualicum, Canada

My husband and I have just returned from our very first IOGKF Gasshuku. What an amazing experience! We had a fantastic four days, and came home enlightened, informed and even more passionate about our study of Goju Ryu. We developed a deep respect for all the instructors and karate ka that we met there, and it was our absolute honour to train under the guidance of Master Higaonna Sensei.

Not only did we experience the toughest physical training of our lives, we learned so much about the principles behind Goju Ryu and came away with renewed energy and focus.

We were humbled by the sheer knowledge and experience that surrounded us, yet, in contrast to feeling insignificant, we were made to feel welcomed; accepted as part of a strong, vibrant family. We came away knowing that if we needed help or guidance, that we could rely on any one of our new found ‘family’ to help us.

From the intense training schedule, to the organization of the talent show and celebratory dinner, every activity was meticulously planned; every detail taken care of. In summary, we would like to thank the IOGKF and Gasshuku organizers for welcoming us in to their organization, and allowing us to be part of such a phenomenal event. We can’t wait to attend our next gasshuku!

Jill Harvey

Ishi Gogyou Dojo
Whitby, Ontario

Onegaishimassu Sensei Nakamura,

I like to say it was a great event, I'm proud of participate and be there for feel those great training.

Thank you for your time sensei

Best regards

Sylvain Rock
Koishi Dojo, Quebec, Canada

Sensei,

First I want to thank you again for a wonderful 10 days of training for me. Your students and instructors were so wonderful and they took such good care of me. It is wonderful to be part of such a great organization. It is times like those last few weeks that really show the best part about the IOGKF and its affiliates.

The Festival I think was a great success. Both my wife Beth and my student Andrew really enjoyed the training. Andrew had wonderful things to say about it. I am really happy that he went. The only Gasshuku he had attended before were the little ones that I had hosted, so this was a good experience for him.

Thank you for your time,

Andy Franz

Onegaishimasu Sensei,

Well the four days at the Gasshuku were very memorable ones for myself and the boys. We were given such 'gems' of information at each and every session. From very large pieces of puzzles to the smallest ones which in most cases ended up being the biggest ones!! I found all of the Sensei amazing with their instruction and their willingness to share their knowledge was a pleasure! I was very honoured that we had the opportunity to train with Sensei Higaonna. I was so struck by his vigour for what he was doing that truly he made you understand that this is his life's dedication. I was also very moved by his humility a very rare quality to find. Of course I would be remised if I did not say how much we appreciated all the hard work of Sensei Nakumura to arrange such a wonderful event. I watched Sensei Nakumura on Saturday night at the dinner, while everyone else was at their tables he took the time to go to each table and talk to everyone to make them feel special. A true mark of an incredible leader to put the needs of others before himself. Such qualities are obviously learned and it is obvious that it has started with such great Masters in the past and continues with those in the present day.

I think one of the most important lessons that I learned is that The Black Belt represents not the end, but the beginning, the start of a never-ending journey of discipline, work and the pursuit of an ever higher standard. Seeing Sensei Higaonna and Celebrating his 70th Birthday you realize that we should not be looking for a permanent resting place - for a full and happy life is never stagnant.

With Deepest Thanks,

From Mary Lyttle and Family - Ishi Gogyou Martial Arts - Whitby, Ontario CANADA