Interesting Article in Asia Times

[Bill Mattocks]

Most of you will find the first page somewhat boring; known history on Okinawan / Japanese Karate. But read on; the second page is quite interesting...

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Japan/LF15Dh01.html

...
There is a huge difference in the quality of training (and legitimate grades) between Okinawa and elsewhere (including mainland Japan). According to David Chambers, director of Dragon Associates, "It has been my experience that there is at least a two to three dan grade difference between Okinawans [Rengokai certified dan grades] and Americans/Europeans. For example, in my experience, a really good European Shotokan sixth dan would be roughly equivalent to an Okinawan Shorin Ryu second or third dan."
...
To see what these instructors can do is nothing short of staggering. Higa Sensei sent a six-foot, six-inch tall, 285 pound (129 kilogram) judo student flying just by placing his hand on his side and twitching his hips. All karate students know that the start of any karate movement starts with the hips, but rarely does one see such a powerful display of it. According to Chambers, "When we were filming [24 frames per second] Higa Sensei, who is 68 years old, he hit his third dan student with nine clear, well-controlled blows in two seconds, none of which was blocked."

During a lunch I asked Shimabukuro sensei how he saw the future for Okinawan karate. Surprisingly, he said that it was dying.

I was told by my sensei just last night that members of the Rengokai have visited our own dojo, and he spoke highly of them. It was the first I had heard of them, now this. Anyway, hope you enjoy the article, I certainly did.