Message from World IOGKF members

「中村館長および道場生のみなさまへ」

 念願の新道場オープンおめでとうございます。  心よりお祝い申し上げます。  中村館長は、

沖縄剛柔流武術の正統を継承された東恩納盛男先生のＩＯＧＫＦを主体に研鑽され、人格と共に良き指導者であり道場生や新入門者にとって、指導を受ける事は幸せと思います。

 新道場を機会に皆さんには気持ちをあらたに自分を成長させる場であると共に、自己鍛錬の修行の場と自覚して稽古に励んで下さい。

 道場はまた、静座瞑想として心を磨く所で、常に整理整頓に気をつけて下さい。

 空手着は、自分の精神修行の一部であり、

 ・終われば正座して、

・きちんとたたみ持ち帰り、

・昔ながらに洗濯は手で洗い、

・いつもきれいにして着用する、

様に心がけてください。

 これも修行で、教外別伝の一つです。実行すれば納得でき、意味が解ると思います。

 これからも健康に気をつけて頑張ってください。

今後の道場生の皆さんの成長を楽しみに、更に壮大なカナダの地に、根を強くはり、益々のご発展を願い沖縄の地より見守りたいと思います。

 合掌

最後に私の好きな言葉を贈ります。

「前事不忘　後事之師」

５月吉日

新垣修一

- translation -

To Nakamura Sensei and all students of Shudokan;

Congratulations on your new dojo's grand opening.  I would like to celebrate all of you from the bottom of my heart.  Nakamura Sensei has been training traditional Okinawa Goju-Ryu for many years under the true master, Morio Higaonna Sensei.  He is a fine instructor with good character.  It is a privilege for all of his students to be able to learn under him. 

At the opening of your new dojo, I would like all students to refresh their minds, and train hard to improve themselves as human beings.

The dojo is the special place where you train your mind and spirit.  Please take good care of it, and always keep it clean.

Your Gi is also a very important part of your training and mental discipline.  When you finish your training, straighten your gi before you sit in seiza.  Wash your gi with your hands, and always wear a clean gi.

This is part of the discipline.  I can not explain it all with words.  But when you keep trying, you will understand the meaning.

Please take good care of your health.  I would like to wish all the best from Okinawa, the birth place of Karate, and with you personal improvement and further prosperity, and I hope Goju-ryu will be rooted deep into the earth of such a big country, Canada.

In the end, I would like to finish my message with my favorite saying.

"Learn from the past.  The past is a teacher for the future."

Shuichi Aragaki
Student of Chojun Miyagi
IOGKF Honorary Advisor

Dear Sensei Tetsuji, dear instructors and students of Shudokan Dojo,

I would like to express my happiness and my best congratulations and greetings to all of you for the Grand Opening Ceremony of the new Shudokan Dojo.

I have been honoured and luck to be in the new Shudokan Dojo at end of January 2011 invited by IOGKF Canada to teach at Fuyu Gasshuku and I have been impressed and inspired by the beauty and atmosphere of the new dojo.

I really felt like home, spoiled and warmly embraced by the family feeling of the students of Shudokan Dojo and I found the same family feeling that we enjoy in my Dojo and in IOGKF Italy.

Also I would like to say that I feel honoured to have discovered a special connection between my life and the life of Tetsuji Sensei.

After more then 25 years of my Dojo life in Rome finally I could purchase my own place too and we were just speaking about this with Tetsuji Sensei in the same days in which He was planning to purchase his dojo, about one year ago.

As soon as I was back from Canada on February 11 we started the big job to build up the new dojo and now we are still hardly working and we hope to end at the beginning of next June.

So, also the Grand Opening of the new Tora Kan Dojo will be, hopefully, just few weeks after the Grand Opening of new Shodokan Dojo!! What a new incredible coincidence!!

To end my long letter I would like to say that the born of a new dojo, in current times and present world, is really a precious treasure for the education and the development of the body and spirit of human beings (children and adults) and can really give an incredible help to the improvement of our society and I would like to remember the words of Jigoro Kano Sensei the founder of Judo:

‘Nothing in the world is more important then Education: the teaching of one virtuous man can influence many generations...'

Best wishes with love,

Paolo Taigo Spongia and IOGKF Italy 

 Dear All,

I am very happy with the foundation of a new dojo under the guidance of my dear friend and colleague, Sensei Tetsuji Nakamura. His dedication to the tradition of goju-ryu karate, his kindness, his creativity and his broad modern mind that’s seeks for understanding, are an unusual rich combination and a fertile ground for this new dojo. Knowing his teacher, several of his supportive students and his family, I am certain that the ground is even more rich than him alone. I have no doubt about an auspicious future for you all, but will nevertheless send zillions of wishful prayers!

Warm regards,

Sydney Leijenhorst

IOGKF Chief Instructor for the Netherlands 

IOGKF India

Dear Tetsuji San,

I would like to congratulate you on the opening of your new dojo from me personally and all the students and instructors of EGKA.

I know personally the work and effort you put into the running of the IOGKF and you are finally receiving the fruits of you labour.  I wish I could be there for the opening, I am sure you will have a beer for me and I will buy you a beer to celebrate in Portugal.

Once again best wishes from every member of EGKA, GAMBATTE KUDASAI !!!!!!

Ernie M. EGKA Chief Instructor

Dear Nakamura Sensei

On behalf of IOGKF Denmark I would like to extend our congratulations to you on fulfilling your dream of building wonderful new training facilities. You have worked very hard to achieve your dream and it has paid off. I am also sure that the dojo will bear witness to many years of hard training and sweat..

I hope that you have a great and memorable opening ceremony on the 29th May and please give my best regards to Sensei.

Henrik Larsen,

IOGKF Denmark

Dear Sensei Tetsuji

We wish you all the luck in the world with the opening of your new dojo.
May you have many “sweaty” hours of happy training in your new dojo.
We wish we could celebrate this event with you !

Sensei Carl & Rosel van der Merwe
and Namibia IOGKF Students

The day May 29 is a special day. Today we celebrate the inauguration of Sensei Nakamura’s new dojo with our great master Sensei Morio Higaonna. It gives me great pleasure and pride to write some words for this event.

There always have been people who have pursued a dream. I know that my dear friend Tetsuji Nakamura has fought with determination to get his own dojo. Today is the day to celebrate it, wish him and his students every success and hope that this new home they inaugurate will be the place where spirit, mind and body find the right balance and meet the happiness that every teacher of Karate seeks, desires and

shares.

Dear friend, the inauguration of this new facility is the beginning of the road. You will find quiet moments and some storms, because that is the way of life... as the sea is. But if you go forward, you will grow and finally reach port.

I am sure that within a few years, we will look back and be proud of your new home and the effort and dedication that you and your students will put to ennoble the art of Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate-do.

My special wish for this day and this event is that we all learn from

Nakamura Sensei. With effort, honesty and intelligence he has built his

dream and enrich our heritage.

Thank you very much.

Luis Nunes
IOGKF Spain Chief Instructor

Dear Nakamura Sensei
It is great to know that you have opened a new dojo.
It shows nothing but a lot of experience and hard work through all these years of training.
It also represents your great commitment with this discipline and with all your students.
We all genuinely congratulate you!!!!
 
Blessings for this new project.

With all the best wishes and regards from México!! (students,family and me)

Sincerely,
Moises Villegas.
IOGKF-MEXICO

To Sensei Tetsuji Nakamura.

Dear friend : All of our members in Chile send to you the best wishes in the inauguration of your new Dojo.

Sensei Rodrigo Sepulveda T.

 Dear Nakamura Sensei,

Congratulations to your new Dojo.

I saw the picture story of the origin of your new Dojo.

It was heart-warming, seeing you, your students and your lovely daughters helping together building this place.

You are a lucky man for being in company of such nice people and your students are surely happy as well, for having you as their teacher.

And what an honour having Higaonna Sensei for the opening ceremony.

We, all members of Todokan-Dojo Munich, wish you successful future and many, many inspiring hours of training in your new Dojo (please look at the attached picture).

Warm regards

Nicolai
IOGKF Germany

Dear Sensei Nakamura

On behalf of the New Zealand Kambukai and members of IOGKF New Zealand

I wish to congratulate you on the opening of your dojo and wish you, your current members and future members all the best for the future.

On a personal notice I wish you all the best and must congratulate you on achieving your dream of having your own dojo. It is the dream of many a karateka and one that few manage to achieve. This is a credit to your passion and drive in wanting to teach and train in Goju Karate.

Kindest regards,

Your friend and fellow karateka

John Marrable
IOGKF New Zealand

 Dear Nakamura Sensei,

 We congratulate you on making your wonderful dream come true

and wish you and your students, many fruitful years of success

and hard and happy training in your new Dojo.

With our very best wishes,

 The Kambukai, students and Norma Pantanowitz,

ISRAEL.

In the name of all the Belgian IOGKF members I would like to congratulate you with the opening of your dojo.

Since karate is a part of your life for many years now, I assume training in your own dojo will motivate you and your students even more.

We hope you will enjoy training and educating your students in this dojo for many more years.

The presence of Higaonna Sensei on the grand opening will make this day very special for you, it will me a memorable event in the history of IOGKF Canada.

Once again a memory to cherish like there are many in the IOGKF family.

We hope we will be able to visit the Canadian Honbu dojo ourselves in the future.

We wish you a great grand opening and lots of pleasure training in the dojo.

Patrick and Mieke Curinckx

And the Belgian IOGKF family!

Dear Sensei
Tetsuji Nakamura

OSU............

First of all , thank you so much for your kind information regarding opening a new dojo from you.
It is great pleasure for us to hear from you about this great message.
I hope your efforts will be a milestone for development and enhancing the IOGKF through out the world.
I highly appriciate for doing a great things and work.
I wish you a grand sucess of your mission.

Yours Sincerely
Sowyamvu Raj Dangol
Kathmandu-Nepal

Dear Sensei Tetsuji,

Congratulations on the opening of your new dojo! I know how special this is and I wish you only the very best! May you and your students enjoy every minute and drop of sweat spent training and protecting the treasure of Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate-Do. I look forward to visiting you one day soon. Keep up the great work you are doing and again, Congratulations!

Warm Regards,

Bob Smith

The Academy of Martial Arts – IOGKF Bermuda

On behalf of the IOGKF Australia, I would like to congratulate you on the opening of your new Dojo.

This must be a very exciting time for you, your family and students as you have worked extremely hard in constructing the new Dojo, a very special place to pass on the spirit of budo and traditional karate to all who enter.

All of your karate family here in Australia wish you all the very best for your grand opening, and wish you all the best in the future at the Shudokan Family Karate Centre.

Yours sincerely

Paul Parlett Secretary IOGKF Australia.

Congratulations with your new Dojo.

 I wish you the best of luck for the future and a fantastic grand opening 

at the 29th .

 Best regards

 Michael Frid

Herfoelge Karate Klub

Denmark

Dear Sensei Tetsuji Nakamura,

We are very happy because your dream comes true. It is a big realization for all IOGKF's family.
I hope to have the big opportunity and also, the honor to training in your dojo.

With admiration and respect,
CRISTIAN LAMBREA - representative IOGKF for Romania

 Dear Nakamura sensei
 
It is glad to hear about your own dojo' grand opening.
 
Wishes you and your dojo have a bright future.
 
Best regards
Ricky Tsui from Hong Kong, China

I´m so please to hear that you now have your own dojo, know how much you have wanted to have your own place.

Knowing your dedication to true traditional budo & karate and your giri to Sensei Higaonna, I´m certain that your dojo will be a success.

The few times I have been fortune to train in your old dojo it always struck me what nice atmosphere it have been.

As I travel a lot I have visited many different dojo´s, I´m use to being “tested” when I come to a new place, but every time I have trained in your dojo it´s been a very friendly experience. Not to say it been soft training, remember last time when we kicked on the big pads…

For me, a good sensei is someone that can inspire and help his students to find their own way. Teach them that the training and it´s real meaning are not limited to the dojo and not only “punching & blocking”, more something we should strive to use also outside our dojo training.

When I meet your students I can really feel that you every day put your 100% effort into teaching them the same way as sensei Higaonna has done with you.

Sensei Nakamura, to me you are a perfect example of Sensei Higaonnas training. Something for the rest of us to aim for.

I hope Sensei are pleased what you have accomplished so far and I expect we have only seen the beginning.

Really looking forward to come and train in your new dojo next time I´m in Burlington.

Hope you have some extra spares of pads then …

Best regards

Roger Duwel

SWEDEN

 Sensei Nakamura,

It is with great pride I congratulate you on your accomplishment of acquiring your own dojo. I know it is a rare opportunity to accomplish this and is achieved only thru hard work and diligence. As a member of the IOGKF family I hope there will be many years of hard training and many Black Belts come from this dojo. I will miss very much being at the grand opening event.

Your Friend in Arkansas,

George W. Seahorn, USA

Dear Sensei, Rainer and I will miss you on the opening of the new dojo but wanted to let you know that everyone at Qualicum MartIal Arts shares in your happiness and we look forward to training with everyone in the future. It is time to enjoy the results of all the hard work!  

Qualicum Martial Arts, BC, Canada

Sensei Congratulations on the opening of your new Dojo. Fulfilling a dream is very satisfying. I hope for the best for you and your students. I look forward to training with you again soon.

Sensei Johnny Bolton

Hailey Traditional Karate In Sun Valley Idaho, USA

Dear Nakamura-Sensei,

Congratulations on your official opening day! This is truly a great event. I have been there, and trained there, and I must say, that it is by far the biggest and most beautiful dojo I have ever trained in! Best wishes in the future, and I look forward to many more visits.

L. Tapia

New York City Goju Ryu Karate, USA

To Nakamura Sensei and his students: I am deeply privileged to congratulate Nakamura Sensei on the grand opening of his dojo. He is a highly skilled practitioner and teacher of Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate. His students will develop both ability and character. He can be entrusted with the care and nurturing of young and old, alike.

Edward Tabash

Attorney at Law

Beverly Hills, California, USA

Sensei,

On behalf of all the students and families of Ohana Dojo here in Michigan, USA I would like to congratulate you on your new dojo.

You and your wonderful students certainly deserve a special place to call “home” for your karate family. We wish only good luck and success as you move forward. We look forward to continuing our visits to your new dojo and continuing our dojo’s relationship.

Personally I am thrilled to see you reach one of your dreams – “your” dream dojo. Everyone should dream and dream big. Like the saying “Shoot for the Moon because even if you miss you will be in the stars!”

Again, congratulations!

Sam Larioza

Ohana Karate

Fowlerville, Michigan, USA

Hi Sensei Nakamura

I wish you, your family and all your students the all the sucess in the world for you new dojo!

Steve Krowitz Miami Beach, USA

I remember my first encounter with the now “Great Nakamura Sensei,” and it seems like it was only yesterday.  It was 1993 at Honbu Dojo and Hiagonna Sensei had just instructor Nakamura Sensei to teach the Texas group Sai Dai ichi during MCF in San Marcos, California.  This was 16 years ago between first meeting Nakamura Sensei and again in person at the 2009 MCF in An Arbor, Michigan.  As we say in my culture, it will always be an honor to “Break bread “(sit at same dinner table) with Nakamura Sensei.

Message for your New Dojo:

Gran Maestro (Sensei ) Nakamura , su linda family y su estimados estudiantes,  deseo que Diosito le mande muchisimas buendiciones a su Nuevo Dojo!                  

                                                       Que disfrute una vida larga!

  Translation:

Sending many blessing to your new dojo, students, and especially to you Sensei Nakamura, and to your loving family. 

                                                    May you have a long life!

I am preparing to mail a special gift originated from Venezuela for your new Dojo. This poster / flyer come with a profound statement that reads “Siempre Ganado”, “Nunca Dado”   (meaning: Always earned and never just given).   My interpretation of this poster exemplifies  those many karate-ka that have sacrificed time, sweat,  endured pain, hours and hours of karate training, travel to all corners of the world and trained relentlessly to achieve , and, or reach as high a level of Traditional Karate/Kobudo knowledge for the mere Passion of it. These simple words in my opinion can have many meanings and philosophy as you will also make your own translation.  For any individual that reads and understands the words on this poster will know if they can relate to it or not? These simple words on this poster also to me state the true meaning of IOGKF high standards Hiagonna strives to maintain world –wide and the relentlessness  to protect, preserve Goju-Ryu Traditional Karate as Hiagonna Sensei himself has entrusted all senior instructors to do the same.  Sensei in my opinion you have earned from individuals of all walks of life, both young and old, national and International recognition, and respect.  And this is to say you are a very deserving, humble, and special individual with so much to offer.

Brief History of Poster / Flyer:

 This flyer was part of one of two themes used during  TMAI International Kobudo (Kyoshi  Anthony Marquez)Seminar and Convention held in Caracas , Venezuela in 2007.  As  special guest at this convention were Masayuki Shimabukuro Hanshi and Tomohiro Arashiro Kyoshi with Sekai Dento Budo Renmei.  After the convention, I recall being stuck and spending the night at the Margarita Island Airport due to severe weather where the convention was held. That same evening I had the privilege of having a very intimate discussion with both Shimabukuro Hanshi and Arashiro Kyoshi. They ask me why I didn’t follow Hiagonna Sensei. They mentioned they had approached Hiagonna at one time for help with a kata and Hiagonna Sensei saying come on I will help you. This very sound advice helps me make a final decision of what I needed to do.       And the rest history!   

Respectfully,

Sensei  Enrique (Henry)Leal, TMAC, Texas

To Tetsuji Nakamura Sensei.

Dear Sensei.

We have got the message, from Sensei Henrik Larsen Denmark, that you have got a new dojo of you own. So we want to congratulate you with you new dojo and a good grand opening ceremony.

We are very pleast fore you.We have that the plesure of you training at some gasshuku. Specialy last year in Copenhagen at the European gasshuku, many of our students enjoy your training.

Thank you very much and congratulation.

Best regarts

Instructor.

Ib Korczak

Sakskøbing karatecenter Denmark

 I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to Nakamura Sensei and all the family at the Shudokan Karate and fitness centre on the Grand opening of your new Dojo!

I say family because through our hard training that is how we become one another. Every family needs a home and Nakamura Sensei and his helpers have certainly made a fine one at that! I was so impressed by the images I have seen, that I am hoping to visit the new Shudokan Dojo in the near future.

This really is a dream come true for you all. I first remember Nakamura Sensei hinting at the idea of building a new and bigger dojo in England in 2007. The idea had grown bigger in Okinawa in 2008 and by the time I spoke to Sensei about it again in New Zealand in 2009, I knew deep down he was going to make this happen. Now as you are all blessed with the presence of Higaonna Sensei, I ask you to look around at the countless in attendance here today, along with beautiful Dojo that now surrounds you and never forget that through hard work, determination and togetherness, a family like our's can truly accomplish anything.

My best wishes for the successful and happy future of Shudokan!

David Lambert

Editor - IOGKF International

IOGKF Australia