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.
The Bo kata he demonstrates in Tsuken No Kun. The Oar Kata is Tsuken Akachu No Eku.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
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."
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. 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.