Letter to Yagi Meitetsu Sensei

Dear Sensei,

It was a great pleasure for me to travel to Okinawa and be part of the
Hombu Dojo. It was made even better by your kindness and endless hospitality. The trip was one of the best experiences of my life and I look forward to when I can return to the birthplace of karate.

Sensei, thank you for everything you have done for us: training on the beach, swimming in the south Pacific, breakfast at Jef's, stories you shared, questions you answered, the training seminar and training at the Dojo, meeting teachers and members of your dojo, karaoke (more difficult than Sanchin!), dinners with you and your wife, and all the special training tips you gave all of us - everything is greatly appreciated.

I especially enjoyed the time at your home listening to stories, trying new food and meeting your family. It was also very nice to communicate with your lovely wife, Sueko. The language barrier was not so big this time.

Since our return to Canada, I have told many karate and non-karate people that "doing" from the heart is most important. Listen from the heart, act from the heart, train from the heart. Be a good person and contribute to the world. I like that philosophy and believe it is important to share with others.

The 8 Canadian visitors to Okinawa have not stopped talking about our experiences. There is a lot to share and there are many happy memories that will stay with us forever. They can never be replaced.

Looking forward to your visit next summer,
Yours sincerely,
Rosalind Corey
(Roz = "Bara")

Some comments about my trip to Okinawa, Japan. It was fantastic and one of the best adventures of my life.

Okinawa was just coming off a typhoon so the weather was more humid than usual (more humid even to my Sensei who'd been there 4 or 5 times before), at least 40 degrees Celsius. After the long (almost 30-hour) flight and a short sleep, on Tuesday our first full day we walked and walked (a little tour). We got bottled water and some snacks for our rooms. We had noodles in the afternoon, and then trained in the evening. Afterwards, I felt so nauseous I couldn't eat.

The next morning we began our training on the beach (meaning getting up at 5 a.m. or so for a light breakfast and being at Naminoue beach for 6:30 a.m.).

I faded fast. Seems like I got a bit of heat exhaustion so was ordered to bed and started eating a bit of fruit - I literally couldn't/didn't eat for 24 hours. I was also upset too thinking my whole trip was ruined but after lots of sleep, cool showers and “liquid gel” vitamins, I got better. I missed the next training session (orders from Sensei) so I videotaped it. It was so hot that even just standing there I was drenched from sweat. That's how humid it was.

Every morning before and after training we got to swim in the ocean. That was the best part. One day we had 'friends' take us to the most gorgeous beach I've ever seen. The view was amazing, like we were at the edge of the world. I cried I was so overwhelmed!

The main purchase I made was a gi made in Okinawa with my name Rosalind (or rather Rosalindo) in Kanji on both the gi top and pants. Other things were souvenir type things, spoon/fork for Mom (she collects them), a Japanese-like shirt for Lorne. I couldn't tell if it looked Japanese until he tried it on in Canada of course and he certainly did have an “oriental” look to him! Pins, magnet, lucky dolls, decorative lantern, "mat" for coffee table, and a bunch of other things that will remind me of the trip. And shi-sahs (lion-dogs) - they're everywhere in Japan/Okinawa and represent yin & yang, to keep evil spirits away from their residents. They are placed near the door of the home.

We learned TONS about karate - we had like a year's worth of classes in 2 weeks. I helped coach the black belts for the World Tournament and we all got to partake in the seminars, put on by the best teachers of karate in Okinawa (the birthplace of karate after all)..... and all the classes as well. We also witnessed demonstrations by 80-90 year old masters. The 50-year old gurus were brutal! One guy, Ike-miyagi, was wicked and could block ANYTHING coming his way. He started doing some counter moves and put one of our teen black belts to the floor with a kick to the leg and poor Mark crawled away. The guy was being a bit cocky but Mark was all right. I was going to volunteer to try to get my move in on him until I saw he had casualties. :)

In less than 14 weeks I'll be in Okinawa, Japan with 7 others from my dojo. The trip was initiated by Sensei Sean Wong and everyone is excited to go! Eager to see the land of the Rising Sun are Janet Wellsman Thomson (Manager), Brian Yee (Coach), myself Roz Corey and 4 of our black belt athletes competing in the 2003 Okinawa Karatedo and Kubudo World Tournament in Okinawa Prefectural Hall of Martial Arts: Mark Soto, Scott Davidson, Scott Waslenko and Calvin Chih. The tournament is from Saturday August 16th through to Tuesday August 19th.

Okinawa's "Message of Courtesy" to the World:
(courtesy of www.markhammeibukai.com)

Okinawa's Karatedo and Kubudo traditions are derived from our ancestors who were against weapons and held peace dear. As true arts of self-defense, these have been passed down as means to cultivate and discipline both body and spirit.

The 2003 Okinawa Karatedo and Kubudo World Tournament will convene to pass on, perpetuate, and further develop the tenets of Okinawan Karatedo and Kubudo through exchange with Karatedo and Kubudo enthusiasts from around the world.