Master Senega's Kobudo

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John Giacoletti
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Master Senega's Kobudo

Post by John Giacoletti »

Senega Sensei's kobudo is marked with the same precision and power that characterize his karate.

He was a direct student of Shinpo Matayoshi. He is currently 9th dan in Shorei-Uechi and 7th dan in Okinawan Kobudo.

I recently purchased the DVD GEM has from his 1984 journey to Okinawa. Karate and kobudo kata were filmed by Buzz Durkin.

It's a pleasure to see many of the Matayoshi standards performed by a Master in the height of his powers.
VidMag 19: Master Senaga's Karate

This historical video was taken in 1984 on Okinawa, following the "Search for Shushiwa" journey to China. Master Yoshisurne Senaga is not well known outside of Okinawa, but he is, in my estimation, one of Uechi-ryu's greatest kata practitioners. In this short film, Senaga sensei demonstrates his favorite Uechi kata and the Okinawan Oar, Sai, Bo and Tonfa sets.


$ 17.00

Format:DVD
The Bo kata he demonstrates in Tsuken No Kun. The Oar Kata is Tsuken Akachu No Eku.

Tsuken is a small island close by the main Okinawan island on the Pacific coast side. The Tsuken kata are characterized by beginning the kata with the bo or oar resting (like a boy with a fishing pole) on the right shoulder and with slanted, leaning stances.

Tsuken No Kun is the bo kata I've most recently learned so it was very helpful to see Senega Sensei perform it so adeptly on the DVD. I'd say he performs it exactly as is done by Mikio Nishiuchi on the Panther Producton video and with the skill and power but with a slightly slower but more varied tempo than that of Matayoshi's senior students in the Mayayoshi DVD.

Senega also performs the standard Matayoshi Tonfa and Sai Kata. He does not use three sai and simulates the throwing of the third sai at the end of the kata. The Tonfa kata is exactly as performed by Nishiuchi and seems a slightly simplified version of the kata exemplified by Matayoshi's senior students ... without the gedan bari blocks to the sides. The kata concludes with a shuffle up and right uppercut to the chin in contrast to the Matayoshi version in which the tonfa is turned and a strike to the throat is executed with the tonfa held in the long position.

Gushi Shinyo Sensei and Senaga Sensi perform the oar kata exactly the same.

I have to respectfully disagree with GEM's assessment that he isn't well known outside of Okinawa. He's not well known in New England dojo. But GEM is right on with his estimation the Master Senega is "one of Uechi-ryu's greatest kata practitioners." :wink:

He was one of the many Okinawan masters who demonstrated for tourists at the Ginza dojo in Naha which is the dojo I believe the film was made.

In fact, the end of the tape is not the end. :o After the credits, the DVD goes on to show Senega in a different dojo working with my Sensei Ric Martin, Rick Potrekus, and a former fellow student James Human who is now a staff attorney for Ruby Tuesday's in Orlando, Florida. They cover Seisan, Sei Ryu and San Sei Ryu.
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GojuMaster
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Re: Master Senega's Kobudo

Post by GojuMaster »

John,

I'm not sure of the exact line of your Matayoshi Kobudo, but I recognize the sai kata as "Ni Cho Sai", which is the first sai kata taught by my teacher Gakiya Yoshiaki. Also, the tonfa kata he performs we call "Tonfa Dai Ichi".

The sai and tonfa kata you describe sound like "San Cho Sai" and "Tonfa Dai Ni" in our group.

Best Regards,

Russ Smith
John Giacoletti wrote:Senega Sensei's kobudo is marked with the same precision and power that characterize his karate.

He was a direct student of Shinpo Matayoshi. He is currently 9th dan in Shorei-Uechi and 7th dan in Okinawan Kobudo.

I recently purchased the DVD GEM has from his 1984 journey to Okinawa. Karate and kobudo kata were filmed by Buzz Durkin.

It's a pleasure to see many of the Matayoshi standards performed by a Master in the height of his powers.
VidMag 19: Master Senaga's Karate

This historical video was taken in 1984 on Okinawa, following the "Search for Shushiwa" journey to China. Master Yoshisurne Senaga is not well known outside of Okinawa, but he is, in my estimation, one of Uechi-ryu's greatest kata practitioners. In this short film, Senaga sensei demonstrates his favorite Uechi kata and the Okinawan Oar, Sai, Bo and Tonfa sets.


$ 17.00

Format:DVD
The Bo kata he demonstrates in Tsuken No Kun. The Oar Kata is Tsuken Akachu No Eku.

Tsuken is a small island close by the main Okinawan island on the Pacific coast side. The Tsuken kata are characterized by beginning the kata with the bo or oar resting (like a boy with a fishing pole) on the right shoulder and with slanted, leaning stances.

Tsuken No Kun is the bo kata I've most recently learned so it was very helpful to see Senega Sensei perform it so adeptly on the DVD. I'd say he performs it exactly as is done by Mikio Nishiuchi on the Panther Producton video and with the skill and power but with a slightly slower but more varied tempo than that of Matayoshi's senior students in the Mayayoshi DVD.

Senega also performs the standard Matayoshi Tonfa and Sai Kata. He does not use three sai and simulates the throwing of the third sai at the end of the kata. The Tonfa kata is exactly as performed by Nishiuchi and seems a slightly simplified version of the kata exemplified by Matayoshi's senior students ... without the gedan bari blocks to the sides. The kata concludes with a shuffle up and right uppercut to the chin in contrast to the Matayoshi version in which the tonfa is turned and a strike to the throat is executed with the tonfa held in the long position.

Gushi Shinyo Sensei and Senaga Sensi perform the oar kata exactly the same.

I have to respectfully disagree with GEM's assessment that he isn't well known outside of Okinawa. He's not well known in New England dojo. But GEM is right on with his estimation the Master Senega is "one of Uechi-ryu's greatest kata practitioners." :wink:

He was one of the many Okinawan masters who demonstrated for tourists at the Ginza dojo in Naha which is the dojo I believe the film was made.

In fact, the end of the tape is not the end. :o After the credits, the DVD goes on to show Senega in a different dojo working with my Sensei Ric Martin, Rick Potrekus, and a former fellow student James Human who is now a staff attorney for Ruby Tuesday's in Orlando, Florida. They cover Seisan, Sei Ryu and San Sei Ryu.
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John Giacoletti
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Sai & Tonfa Kata Names

Post by John Giacoletti »

Thanks Russ. :D :D :D

I haven't been able to get the exact names of the Sai and Tonfa katas so your post was very helpful.

I
recognize the sai kata as "Ni Cho Sai", which is the first sai kata taught by my teacher Gakiya Yoshiaki. Also, the tonfa kata he performs we call "Tonfa Dai Ichi".
We work with Gushi Sensei. His 1st sai kata is Matsugawa No Sai. Then he moves into the Jiffa and Oar. His oar kata is basically mainline Matayoshi, except for the opening. Matayoshi goes three steps forward and Gushi only one. The blocking jumps are a little different, as well.

Gushi's 1st bo kata is Sejun No Bo which Senaga also does. Then the standard Maytaoshi versions of Chou No Kun and Sakagawa No Kun. I know those three bo kata plus Tsuken No Kun and Shu Shi No Kun , too.
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Post by f.Channell »

John,
Good tape I have it.
I remember really liking his Seichin which isn't always a favorite of mine.

F.
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Post by cdoucet »

This Oar form, sounds interesting. I haven't started to learn any weapon forms yet.. But this oar kata intrigues me. Maybe because its vastly different or just it seems to be uncommon!..

I dunno.

Would any of you too know the best way about learning this form?

thanks

Chris
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John Giacoletti
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Oar kata

Post by John Giacoletti »

For starters, Chris ...

"Ecu" is one of the many spellings for "oar."

http://www.dragon-tsunami.org/Tsunami/P ... ction2.htm

Kobudo vol. I
The Weapon Arts of Okinawa
by Shinpo Matayoshi


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The formerly secret techniques of the Bo, Tonfa, Nunchaku, and Eku of this internationally famous teacher's style! Presented as a series of lectures in which Matayoshi Sensei, 10th Dan, Hanshi describes the correct use of the weapons and demonstrates techniques, kata, and applications. This program includes stunning performances of both versions of the kata Hakutsuru no Kenpo that the author learned from the famed White Crane teacher, Go Ken Ki.

Available in the following formats:
DVD
VHS - NTSC
Running time approx. 55 minutes. $39.95

Read the review of this program.

QTY:
Video Format: DVD VHS - NTSC


(we ship within 24hrs.)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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John Giacoletti
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Post by John Giacoletti »

This one has the oar kata, Chris

Pangai Noon Karate - vol. IV
Weapon Arts
by Shinyu Gushi

Tsunami Productions recently announced the publication of a four part video series by Shinyu Gushi, 8th Dan, on Pangai Noon Uechi karate. We were fortunate enough to be given a pre-publication screening in the company of Gushi sensei at Tsunami’s editing facility. These are the first thirty minute video programs to be produced by Tsunami and they sell for $30 each.
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Glenn
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Post by Glenn »

Looks like Tsunami finally caught up to the 21st century and started offering DVDs.
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Post by diegoz_ar »

I practice the same Sai kata: Chihara-no-sai; and the same tuifa kata: Tuifa-ichi-banme. The Bo kata, he performed, in our school is for brown belts: and it has the same name.

Senaga Sensei, is very powerfull (poderoso). I like to see him performing kata from karate or from kobudo.
:wink:
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Re: Oar kata

Post by GojuMaster »

I don't know how Gushi Sensei is regarding video, but Matayoshi's demonstrations on the Tsunami videos were largely made up on the spot. Some of the kata are nearly unrecognizable.
John Giacoletti wrote:For starters, Chris ...

"Ecu" is one of the many spellings for "oar."

http://www.dragon-tsunami.org/Tsunami/P ... ction2.htm

Kobudo vol. I
The Weapon Arts of Okinawa
by Shinpo Matayoshi


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The formerly secret techniques of the Bo, Tonfa, Nunchaku, and Eku of this internationally famous teacher's style! Presented as a series of lectures in which Matayoshi Sensei, 10th Dan, Hanshi describes the correct use of the weapons and demonstrates techniques, kata, and applications. This program includes stunning performances of both versions of the kata Hakutsuru no Kenpo that the author learned from the famed White Crane teacher, Go Ken Ki.

Available in the following formats:
DVD
VHS - NTSC
Running time approx. 55 minutes. $39.95

Read the review of this program.

QTY:
Video Format: DVD VHS - NTSC


(we ship within 24hrs.)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Glenn
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Re: Oar kata

Post by Glenn »

GojuMaster wrote: I don't know how Gushi Sensei is regarding video, but Matayoshi's demonstrations on the Tsunami videos were largely made up on the spot. Some of the kata are nearly unrecognizable.
Thank you GojuMaster, that supports a suspicion of mine. I would offer though that maybe they were an extended creative endeavor, and possibly even an attempt to create signature Matayoshi Ryu kata, rather than simply made up on the spot. They were basically just different combinations of techniques from the traditional kata, often combining techniques from multiple kata.

The bo and oar kata that he demonstrates on the Tsunami tapes are traditional kata. I'd have to watch it again, but I believe he also demonstrates the traditional Shinbaru no Sai on them. But I've never seen the nunchaku and tonfa kata he does on those tapes anywhere else and have felt for some time that they were ones he created.

Also at the beginning of a video/DVD from Okinawa that John and I have discussed previously, he does a bo kata that seems to be one he created by combining various techniques from the five traditional Matayoshi Ryu bo kata.

However I should point out that I like these kata he created, whether they were ad-libed or developed with some thought. To me his doing these demonstrates a mastery over the techniques and a high degree of ability with comfortably combining the techniques in a variety of ways. He makes them work and in doing so he does not appear to be boxed into a set pattern. I am particularly impressed if he was indeed making them up on the spot. I wonder if they were different everytime he performed them? If so, it would tie into a part of the "Descendants of Shushiwa" thread.

For the most part I like these kata he created better than the traditional kata found in Matayoshi Ryu (not that I dislike them). The ones he created are longer and incorporate a broader range of techniques and transitions into a single kata. Essentially he seems to condense the five bo kata down to one, the tonfa kata into one, etc.
Glenn
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John Giacoletti
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Oar Kata

Post by John Giacoletti »

Chris,

The least expensive and easiest source of the oar kata is Master Senega's video that is available through GEM's Store for $17.00. VidMag 19.

Read the first posting in this thread for the details.

GEM takes an editorial privledge :lol: and modifies Senega's name to Yoshisurne Senega when it is actually "Yoshitshuni."

Master Senega and Master Gushi were high school classmates. Gushi was born in 1939; they are about the same age. Gushi relocated with his family to the US in California in 1988.

The Gushi and Senega versions of the oar kata are identical and actually in a direct line of descent from the origins of the kata which is over 600 years old. Per Alan Dollar the creator of the oar kata was a bushi named Asato. Asato defeated a famous samurai warrior and was given a new name by the Ryukyu King, Akachu Bushi of Tsuken Island. The family name was later changed to Akamine.

Both Senega and Gushi do the bo kata Sejun No Bo which was created by Akamine Sensei (a descendent of the Akachu Bushi) in the late 1800's. Senaga Sensei's great grandfather was taught the bo kata by Akamine Sensei.

The Matayoshi oar kata and the Mikio Nishiuchi Panther Production video version are similar to the Senega/Gushi versions. The Senega/Gushi versions as I've stated above are identical. I prefer the Senega and Gushi renditions to the Matayoshi and Nishiuchi performances.

The first nunchuku kata we do is the kata done by Mikio Nishiuchi on his nunchuku Panther video and it varies considerably from the Matayoshi nunchuku kata on the Tsunami video. I believe it's called Nunchuku-Bo by Nishiuchi.

Master Gushi explains that there were no nunchuku kata until a few generic versions were created in the 1950's by Kobudo masters for teaching purposes. Only separate nunchuku techniques were taught.

Master Gushi consolidated some of his nunchuku techniques and taught them in Alan Dollar's former school, which was taken over by Doug Achteberg.

During the same period, Master Gushi began teaching us a nunchuku kata which was either previously held close and taught in secret or his own creation. What was taught to Doug's students was a compilation of techniques which are in the beginning of the kata Gushi Sensei has taught us so that it might be preserved and passed on. We are not allowed to teach it to others and one must be a Kobudo Shodan or above in Gushi's Kobudo system to qualify to learn it. The name of the kata is Kagwa Nunchuku. Gushi Sensei says "Kagwa" means "house."

In addition to the oar, sai and bo, Gushi Sensei teaches the jiffa. I do not know if he or Senega have a tonfa kata.
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Post by Dana Sheets »

FWIW - Okinawans often romanize their names in more than one way. Mike Giseck will have to correct me but Kan (as in Kansei Uechi) would be said "Hiro" in the north. So Kansei becomes Hirosei. But it is the same person.

So it may be a regional reading of the name...it is hard to tell without the actual Kanji and the actual person reading it. I've seen. Kiyohide Shinjo's first name also written very differently on a website I don't recall at the moment. It was something like Kisohanide or something like that.

Hard to tell what is "standard" sometimes.
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Re: Oar kata

Post by GojuMaster »

Glenn,

I think my words were poorly-chosen. I should not have said "unrecognizable".

I just went back to watch Matayoshi Sensei perform Choun, Shushi, and Sakugawa No Kun to refresh my memory. According to the method I've been taught, he's doing things 90% the standard way, and modifying about 10% of the kata. Shushi is changed more than the others, but Choun is missing a couple of techniques, and Sakugawa has added a few that normally aren't there.

According to my teachers, Matayoshi Sensei almost always modified kata if he thought he was being taped. In addition, he had a good memory, so he sometimes called people out who learned from video, and even knew from what demonstration (video) they "learned" the kata from. This is especially evident in the rampant "crane" forms that many people claim to have gottent from the Matayoshi line.

The Japanese-language Matayoshi video is a good, accurate demonstration of the kata that were standardized in later years in the Kodokan, but you might notice that on that tape, the only forms that Matayoshi himself performs (bo, crane, mantis, monkey, and drunken) are "ad-lib".

Best Regards,

Russ

Glenn wrote:
GojuMaster wrote: I don't know how Gushi Sensei is regarding video, but Matayoshi's demonstrations on the Tsunami videos were largely made up on the spot. Some of the kata are nearly unrecognizable.
Thank you GojuMaster, that supports a suspicion of mine. I would offer though that maybe they were an extended creative endeavor, and possibly even an attempt to create signature Matayoshi Ryu kata, rather than simply made up on the spot. They were basically just different combinations of techniques from the traditional kata, often combining techniques from multiple kata.

The bo and oar kata that he demonstrates on the Tsunami tapes are traditional kata. I'd have to watch it again, but I believe he also demonstrates the traditional Shinbaru no Sai on them. But I've never seen the nunchaku and tonfa kata he does on those tapes anywhere else and have felt for some time that they were ones he created.

Also at the beginning of a video/DVD from Okinawa that John and I have discussed previously, he does a bo kata that seems to be one he created by combining various techniques from the five traditional Matayoshi Ryu bo kata.

However I should point out that I like these kata he created, whether they were ad-libed or developed with some thought. To me his doing these demonstrates a mastery over the techniques and a high degree of ability with comfortably combining the techniques in a variety of ways. He makes them work and in doing so he does not appear to be boxed into a set pattern. I am particularly impressed if he was indeed making them up on the spot. I wonder if they were different everytime he performed them? If so, it would tie into a part of the "Descendants of Shushiwa" thread.

For the most part I like these kata he created better than the traditional kata found in Matayoshi Ryu (not that I dislike them). The ones he created are longer and incorporate a broader range of techniques and transitions into a single kata. Essentially he seems to condense the five bo kata down to one, the tonfa kata into one, etc.
GojuMaster
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Re: Oar kata

Post by GojuMaster »

Glenn,

I do recall that the tonfa and nunchaku kata were absolutely different than what I have learned and can be seen on the Japanese-language video.

Best Regards,

Russ
Glenn wrote:
GojuMaster wrote: I don't know how Gushi Sensei is regarding video, but Matayoshi's demonstrations on the Tsunami videos were largely made up on the spot. Some of the kata are nearly unrecognizable.
Thank you GojuMaster, that supports a suspicion of mine. I would offer though that maybe they were an extended creative endeavor, and possibly even an attempt to create signature Matayoshi Ryu kata, rather than simply made up on the spot. They were basically just different combinations of techniques from the traditional kata, often combining techniques from multiple kata.

The bo and oar kata that he demonstrates on the Tsunami tapes are traditional kata. I'd have to watch it again, but I believe he also demonstrates the traditional Shinbaru no Sai on them. But I've never seen the nunchaku and tonfa kata he does on those tapes anywhere else and have felt for some time that they were ones he created.

Also at the beginning of a video/DVD from Okinawa that John and I have discussed previously, he does a bo kata that seems to be one he created by combining various techniques from the five traditional Matayoshi Ryu bo kata.

However I should point out that I like these kata he created, whether they were ad-libed or developed with some thought. To me his doing these demonstrates a mastery over the techniques and a high degree of ability with comfortably combining the techniques in a variety of ways. He makes them work and in doing so he does not appear to be boxed into a set pattern. I am particularly impressed if he was indeed making them up on the spot. I wonder if they were different everytime he performed them? If so, it would tie into a part of the "Descendants of Shushiwa" thread.

For the most part I like these kata he created better than the traditional kata found in Matayoshi Ryu (not that I dislike them). The ones he created are longer and incorporate a broader range of techniques and transitions into a single kata. Essentially he seems to condense the five bo kata down to one, the tonfa kata into one, etc.
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