I hope you’re all enjoying a day off from class – and since I have a few free moments, I thought I’d share something about HISKarate’s approach to teaching the art.  As you know, we usually train together as a blended group including all ages and ranks.  While it’s an exercise regimen for everyone to get a controlled workout, the actual message that everyone receives is not quite the same.  What I mean is that while focusing on some basic move or technique that everyone does together, the lesson is normally imparted on several different levels simultaneously.  A white belt might be concentrating on the particular oi-zuki drill while I might be describing the underlying ways to increase power/speed for the color belts and describing breathing/snap/thrust coordination tips that are aimed at the advanced students.  And yes, we know that a lot of what we say and teach in any given class actually “goes above your heads”, depending upon your rank and experience in Karate-Do.  Our intent is for everyone to get some exercise and learn something new and appropriate for his/her level from each combined class. In the office, we used to say the old phrase, “Throw something at [...]

First of all, I pray that all of you had a fine and safe Christmas and are enjoying the time spent with friends and family during this holiday season.  At this time of year, I always tend to look back and reflect on all of the many good things I am thankful for.  Not least of which, is the time I’ve gotten to spend with all of you in the practice of Karate-Do.  I am very cognizant that we are so fortunate to be blessed with such a fine group of karateka of all ages, along with the many helpful senpais and senseis who help guide the classes each week.  I can’t believe that 2020 will mark nineteen years since we began what is now, the HIS Karate-Do Foundation. I often say that we should strive to learn something new from every class that we attend.  If we have achieved that modest goal, then one would be surprised to find out how many new things were learned in the space of a year, and the growth and progress resulting from decades of training. It’s often said that the practice of Karate-Do can be broadly divided into three components: Kihon, Kumite, and [...]

Six decades ago, beginning shortly after Hawaii became a state, three exceptional karateka were dispatched in succession to our islands to establish and nurture the growth of Shotokan Karate-Do in Hawaii.  Each was a stellar member of the Japan Karate Association which, for many years, was considered the premier karate organization in Japan and throughout the world.  Each was a graduate of Takushoku University, famous for producing some of the finest karrateka.  The first chief instructor of the KAH, Hirokazu Kanazawa, had won the inaugural All-JKA championship in kumite.  The man who became the second chief instructor of the KAH had been captain of the Takushoku University karate team.  The third KAH chief instructor, Tetsuhiko Asai, was a former All-JKA champion in both kata and kumite.  Each young karateka would go on to devote the rest of his life to practicing and sharing the art of Karate-Do with others.  Each would reach the very highest of dan rankings, lead large karate organizations of their own, and achieve great notoriety throughout the karate world.  This, despite the fact that none could even speak much English upon landing on our beautiful – though very foreign shores. Sadly, on Dec 8, Master Hirokazu [...]