In this sixth episode of Series One, Shorin-ryu master Kenyu Chinen sensei talks about his teachers of karate and kobudo, and his own philosophy of martial arts. He spends half of the year in France, and half of the year in Okinawa.
This video was made possible with the kindness of Chinen sensei’s students for allowing me to film at their seminar, and for their assistance with interpreting and translating.
Sensei: Masters of Okinawan Karate is a documentary series about the amazing martial arts teachers living on Okinawa, the birthplace of karate. It is completely free to watch on YouTube, anywhere in the world! Series One has more than 1,000,000 views.
Visit the blog to learn how you can support Series Two. Coming in 2022!
GOALS OF THE SERIES
1. Document the stories of Okinawan karate masters and their philosophy on life and their martial arts practice.
2. Record in the highest quality possible. Ideally 4K or 8K, RAW, multi camera, multi audio
3. Store the original data as an archival record.
4. Transcribe and translate the recordings to spread knowledge of Okinawan martial arts, history and culture.
5. Make the videos available for free online via YouTube and Bujin.tv so that anyone, anywhere can see them.
The documentary series grew out of the Karate Masters Portrait Project which began in 2012. The portrait project allowed amazing access to the sensei, but it was only Chris Willson and James Pankiewicz who got to hear their stories. The documentary series is a way for us to share that unique knowledge with the international karate community.
The international karate community generously supported the first series.
Main Series Sponsors – SERIES ONE
Fusei Kise, Isao Kise and the OSMKKF-USA
Jerry Figgiani – Shorin Ryu Karate Do International
Beikoku Shidokan Karatedo Association
Grant Campbell – USA Karate Federation
Cezar Borkowski – Northern Karate Schools
NOVA Okinawan Karate Dojo
Waterpoints Dojo – Okinawa Arts Research Studies World Scene
Series Sponsors – SERIES ONE
Marguerite “Peggy” Hess – Jensen Beach Uechi Ryu Karate Do Dojo
Reece Cummings – Cummings Karate Dojo
Michael Quinn – Okinawa Shogen-Ryu Karate-Do Europe
Martin Pinto – Essex Goju Ryu Karate
Mark Spear – Black Bear Dojo
Okinawa Karate Podcast
Fred Mansfield Jr. – Beikoku Shidokan / RBKD
Series Supporters– SERIES ONE
Tim Herlihy, Robin Ross, Joshua Simmers, Jeff Perkins, Paul Punshon, John J. Strangeway, Gerry Campbell, Shelley Cormier, K V Manoharan, Phil Butler, Danny Smith, Justin Rathert, Adam Carter, Mike Powers, Miguel Da Luz, Robert Roberto Curtis, Josh Ryer, Belgi Serin, Igor Vakos, Lisken Dus, Andrew Pearce, Christopher Ford, Cos Vona, Steve Ouslis, Sandro Simonetta, Axel Heinrich, Jiří Matouš, Jose Planas, Andy Morris, Steve Armes, Olaf Steinbrecher, Hannele Zubeck, Maija Zubeck, Scott Alter, Rob Chartier, Laura Chartier, Xu Ya Hui, Vlamir Silva, Marian Reiter, Cassie Pham-Korman, John Schrock, Åke Mora Temnerud, Ari Nuutinen, Hubert Laenen, Mario Michiels, Chris Michiels, Lynn Miyahira, Roy Paul, Andy Sloane, Justin Sheehy, Manfred Streuber
20 Comments
Imagine all the other truest master's killed when. The USA bombed Japan twice…. Domo arrigatou gozaimasu Shihan/Soke. Karate evolved from Chinese Kung Fu masters fleeing China, or being sent to Wa as outcasts, and yes some criminals.
True Okinawa is Naha -te from the actual natives of Japan. The Ainu. I am not certain if any Ainu are alive today. Samurai killed them for sport. Okinawan Karate is a divine martial art. But now I will not study in a dojo. Domo arrigatou gozaimasu!!!. Gomen be watakushi Baka. Hehe
Sensei Adanya est aussi sur la photo .
this is a dangerous master
Quelle maîtrise c'est fantastique : voici un grand maître de karaté à qui je tiens à présenter mes respects.
Je veux m'abonner au club
Je voudrais m'abonner au vlub
Excellent. Thank you!
Get a sense this guy knows real karate…i.e. he can fight.
Ton maître
C'est sensei kase
素晴らしい教えありがとうございます♡競技と伝統の違いについてのお話とても心に染み入り感激しております感謝申し上げますm(__)m
Un grand bonjour à un de mes professeurs les plus estimés
Thank you for all the positive comments. We're about to start filming Series Two, and need help from the international martial arts community to do it.
Learn how you can become a supporter or sponsor of the series in the video description.
Hi master tech me how
Very interesting and honest words.
Thank you very much
Un très grand maitre et un très grand homme.
Meh, the older I get the less I’m in awe with most “masters” wether it’s Okinawa or whatever. Sensei Chinen talks about sports karate and competition karate as being bad and how karate is moving away from tradition.
He then talks about how if you said a technique could be performed, you had to prove it if others questioned it. This was done probably by someone of the same or higher rank asking as it was deemed rude to question someone older or higher rank than you. These techniques are somewhat being tested in full contact competitions. But also, don’t talk about techniques being called out to see if it would actually work then shown a technique like this 43:10 as that wouldn’t work, considering that’s not how the average person punches, but that’s how a trained “karateka” punches. You can’t have it both ways.
The problem is that many Okinawan masters have stopped having any kind of competitions and are stuck in the 1960’s era of karate, which was stripped of the more traditional well rounded approach of karate that included stand up grappling, throwing, submissions, etc.
Karate is supposed to evolve, it’s supposed to pressure test during current times.
Don’t talk about current karate losing its tradition when karate didn’t really have a tradition but a goal. It’s unfortunate ,Just another old timer that doesn’t want change.
Motobu asking the actor if he thinks that block would actually work was just being a jerk lol.
Been training for 47 years in Korean Tang soo do Karate, Just started about to formally begin Okinawan Matsubayashi Shorin ryu karate..I'm psyched!!
He is only an orange belt, maybe he'll progress to black belt.
the problem with karate is the punch is massively telegraphed visually and delivered like a robot without adjusting the direction of the punch as the defender is moving sideways. Obviously karate develops a tough strong body and the ability to take blows and hitting hard are enough to win a fight with it. But some of the demonstrated principle are flawed when considering a real fight.
As with any traditions in its infancy centuries ago it would have been a flexible evolving concept, then last century reached a crystallization where making changes was forbidden. There is a parallel with other arts like classical music. In the 17th century musicians would improvise and being accurate to the written note was not strictly important. Now, classical pianists cannot improvise music and they feel that they must follow every written note strictly, it's a reversal of objectives. This is how an art dies and transitions to the museum. But Kenyu is right tradition must remain tradition just make sure it's alive and still evolving and not becomes a morbid art frozen in time, leave a small window for it to continue to evolve and stay alive. From what i see in those video the average age of the advanced practitioner is high and that is not a good sign. Criticizing is easy but contributing is harder so here is my contribution :
Introduce in karate a degree of reality when practicing and demonstrating. Such that the practitioner demonstrating with the sensei adopts a different level of intention ordered by the sensei :
C. Robotic move . Practitioner attacks single movement like a robot to facilitate sensei demonstrating counter to other students. The attack would not hurt the sensei even if undefended.
B. Cued move. Practitioner time of attack follows the order of sensei from a static position but the attack aims at hitting the sensei for real (no range gap at the end of the attack).
A. free move. Practitioner can launch the attack at will at any time from dynamic feet positions. This is a real attack. But no combination, only one predefined attack.
What i see in those video is mostly C and barely any B.
Please do an episode With Grandmaster Tadashi Yamashita 10th Dan Kobayashi shorin ryu..That would be Amazing