martial arts in okinawa

[hwarang_do_adam]

i just got stationed at camp foster in okinawa i was wondering if anyone knew of any japanease karate around here

 

[rmclain]

i just got stationed at camp foster in okinawa i was wondering if anyone knew of any japanease karate around here

There is a dojo almost right across the street from your location. I'm going by old memory, but Camp Foster (Gate 1) should be right across the street (Hwy 58) from American Village. If you walk outside the gate take an immediate left (headed south), then make another left at the first stop light (I forget the street name). Walk another 200-300 meters and you should see a sign with information about a karate school across the street. The karate school is in that OKinawan housing on the same side of the street as the sign.

I'll put a photo of the sign as my avatar for you to see. If you e-mail me, I'll send more photos of the sign and of the dojo (inside and out).
[email protected]

Both the head instructor (Zenpo Shimabukuro) and his son speak English.

R. McLain

 

[KenG]

how lucky is he to have found you... someone that knows exactly where he is and the location to the closest school.... nice... did you train there or just know of the place... just curious...

 

[arnisador]

Good luck at your new station! You must be surrounded by traditional Okinawan karate. Great stuff!

 

[ktaylor75]

I went to Okinawa in 1993 as an exchange student. We attended Futenma Senior High school while there, and we got to see their karate team--they were amazing! Some of the things they did were unbelievable and I had only seen in movies up until that point. After watching that demonstration, I had a whole new respect for the amount of discipline it takes to do such things.

 

[rmclain]

I lived in Okinawa for the entire month of November 2006. I was living in population most of the time and was there to tour the island and see what was being taught at the karate schools around Okinawa. I write for Black Belt Magazine and Taekwondo Times and I thought some stories about Okinawa might interest the Black Belt Magazine readers. Also my Captain friend and former student was over at Camp Hansen in 3rd Batt. 12th Marines during that time.

Ironically, the November 2006 issue of the Okinawa Marine Times Magazine featured several Okinawan instructors around the island. The article had Zenpo Shimabukuro on the cover, but the article only listed him as being in Chatan-cho and not the actual address. I had to hike over there from Kin-cho (where I was living) and later rented a car from Nippon Rent-A-Car at the Okinawa Beach Tower Hotel to travel the island.

I walked all the way from Manza-mo to Chatan-cho one day to find Zenpo Shimabukuro's dojo. (This will make more sense to "hwarang_do_adam" once he is there for awhile.)

R. McLain

how lucky is he to have found you... someone that knows exactly where he is and the location to the closest school.... nice... did you train there or just know of the place... just curious...