Ko Sutemi Seiei Kan

[twendkata71]

I guess that Mr. Williams has no more to say about Seiei kan.
I have been thinking a lot about what he stated about Japanese/or Okinawan styles being more legitimate. About criticizing other in the US for starting their own style, so I did some digging.
The whole idea of karate styles came when karate was introduced to Japan and they wanted a way to classify the different methods of the original Te. The Masters of that time Mabuni,Funakoshi, Motobu, were told they had to come up with a name for their style.
Mabuni studied two different styles Naha te( From Hiagoanna) and Shuri te ( From Itosu), created Shito ryu. He was also well know as a kata collector. Something Seiei kan people have been criticized for.
Funakoshi studied two different styles Naha te(Shorei) from Azato and Shuri te(Shorin) from Itosu, created the Shotokan, which he didn't name and really didn't like the idea of calling what he taught anything other than Japanese Karate. Ohtsuka was a Jujitsu master, started training with Funakoshi for less that 10 years I believe and broke away and started Wado ryu karate do.
Now Miyagi did mainly study one style under Hiagoanna,except when he went to China with Hiagoanna. Then with the permission of his teacher started his own style ,Goju ryu. This has happened all over Japan and on Okinawa over the last 60 years of karate.
I realize there are a lot of phony karate people out there supposedly starting their own "style" or "system" of karate or Martial art, But, that is also part of the Martial arts tradition. Shu Ha ri( Shu- beginning accepting what you are taught), Ha( advancing and becoming creative in your efforts, Ri ( separation - creating your own path.) This has been a part of Japanese martial arts for hundreds of years. Now, I am not saying that everyone should run out and start their own style. It does take several decades to develop that level of skill and research. Just that there is a level that you can reach where you develop beyond what your sensei has taught you. And it should be the hope of a good sensei that a student will go beyond what they have done and carry their martial art to a higher level.
And in reality since everyone's body is different, you have to do your karate your way. You can immitate others, but usually you will not do it exactly as the other person.
And if you want to spend the rest of your life studying the same style, then that is fine. You can spend years just studying one kata and you will learn new things everytime you practice it. I was practicing Pinan Shodan the other day and discover something new within a technique and I have been practicing that kata for 25 years.
I personally try to show respect to all martial artist. Weither they are traditional or ecclectic. Japanese,Okinawan,Chinese,American,etc. I thought that was one of the things that karate do is really about. Blindly following tradition can cause problems as well. And if you really look into it. Most of the great masters didn't just blindly follow and stay with the same methods of training their whole life either!

 

[Nunya]

More information for all interested.
Ko sutemi seiei kan uses the Pinan 1-5 kata, names instead of the Heian names because the style the Seiei kan comes from Koei kan used the Pinan names. We have members from many different styles of karate, including Shorin ryu, Shoto kan, Goju ryu, Uechi ryu, Isshin ryu, Taekwondo as well as many eclectic systems. Soke Madden has incouraged us to learn from all styles of martial arts. That way we can be more well rounded as martial artists as welll as being leaders in the martial arts community. The involvement of so many styles in the organization also gives us a hugh catalog of kata and training methods to choose from.
Soke Maddens daughter Shihan Heather Madden teaches Jujitsu and Aikido at his dojo, as welll as karate classes when Soke is not there.
Some other great master instructors in our organization are:
George Annarino 9th dan, Lynn Summers 9th dan, Brent Bias 8th dan, Paul Snider 6th dan, Traylon Smith 7th dan. Jim Grubb(not sure about his rank), Jim Cottrell 7th dan, Larry Zahand 7th dan, Chris Nicholas 7th dan. There are several more,but many names I cannot remember.

Paul Snider that now calls himself a Grand Master and struts around in his 3 inch wide belt and a Gi that looks like it came out of the trash with the patches falling off is nothing but a drunk and liar. His wife That calls herself a 7th degree Master is no better with her funky colored hair and a beer in one hand with a cigarette in the other. Neither of them have the knowledge that they should have at the ranks they claim to have because if they did then they would know that there aren't cartwheels in shotokan forms. Just because they both claim to have black belts does not make them a black belt. GM Paul Snider was asked to show a weapons kate and he couldn't do it so that told me that he has no know.ledge, they are in the Martial Arts for money only, they use people and he claims to have 50 black belts under him but rest assured that he certainly wasn't the one that trained them and shared the Martial Arts Knowledge with them he tries to take black belts from other Masters and once he does tried to lock them in for all he can get and Makes them pay him for a signed certificate and Membership into his organization WVFAA. How in good faith can he sign his name to a rank certificate when he has never worked with the student or better yet doesn't even know them? He is a FRAUD plain and simple and anyone that believes a word that comes out of his mouth is a fool. If you have any dealings with him I suggest that you carry a jar of vaseline with you because you are going to need it.

 

[pgsmith]

Two things for you to consider here Nunya ...
1) You're ranting a reply to a 10 year old post. That is digging up a dead horse in order to beat it some more.
2) Why should anyone believe a word that you've typed? You didn't bother to introduce yourself, you gave no background on why anyone should believe your words are anything other than a disaffected student trying to get back for a perceived snub.

I'm not saying that your words may not be perfectly valid, since I don't know anyone involved in the original thread (don't care to either). However, you've given me no reason to believe your rant either. Making statements is as simple as typing them up. Reasoning and evidence takes a bit more effort, and would give your words a lot more meaning.

 

[TimoS]

Funakoshi studied two different styles Naha te(Shorei) from Azato and Shuri te(Shorin) from Itosu,

Azato was actually a senior student of Bushi Matsumura, so if you wish to use the misleading names of Shuri-, Tomari- and Nahate, Azato was also representing Shurite

Edit: oops, just realized this was an ancient thread

 

[Grenadier]

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