Dedicated To The Memory of Master Seikichi Toguchi - Founder of Shorei Kan Karate 1917 - 1998
A Tiger dies and leaves its skin
A Man dies and leaves his name
A Teacher dies and teaches death
A Bushi in spirit continues on
Hello, My name is Tony Wilson
Welcome
I have created this page as a way to show my appreciation and admiration for
one of the great Karate Masters of the 20th Century.
I am the senior instructor of Canada Shorei Kan and have
trained in Goju Ryu since 1972. I have been a student of Koyabu Tomoaki Shihan since 1975 and have also trained with Master Toguchi
on many occasions throughout my karate career in Canada and at the Hombu Dojo when it was in Koza City on Okinawa. Master Toguchi presented me with the Shorei Kan flag that hung in the Hombu Dojo for many years. I always hang it at the front of any place in which I teach or train to honor his spirit and teachings.
Master Toguchi
presenting flag to the author at Okinawa Hombu Dojo
Master Toguchi teaching at Okinawa Hombu Dojo.
Master Toguchi
and Koyabu Shihan at Canada Hombu Dojo 1983. The author is testing for Yondan
Koyabu Shihan
Toguchi Kaicho and Black Belts at Canada Hombu Dojo
1987.
The author is on the right side of Master Toguchi.
The significance of this position is obvious to those who have spent many years studying the Okinawa way of Karate Do.
Master Toguchi was an incredibly supple and flexible individual who
practised on a daily basis the exercises that he created called Daruma Taiso.
On many occasions he would sit with us and tell us stories and anecdotes known
only to him about Master Chojun Miyagi, his teacher, and many of the other
famous Martial Arts masters whom he knew well.
Koyabu Shihan and Toguchi Kaicho at Canada Hombu Dojo
For those of you who do not know, the original story of the "Karate Kid" was
based upon the Shorei Kan style which Master Toguchi founded and it is my understanding, from what he has told me, that he advised
on the technical aspects of that story.
A person of small stature the young Seikichi Toguchi was started in his Karate
training by his father. A close personal friend of the Toguchi family, Chojun
Miyagi Sensei recommended that the young Seikichi train at his dojo in Itoman
City with his senior student Higa Seiko Sensei.
The young Seikichi soon became a favourite student because of his hard work
and dedication to his training and Higa Sensei started to take him on his
regular visits to Miyagi Chojun's Dojo. Seikichi then became a well known and
respected student of Miyagi Sensei also. This is how Master Toguchi related
to me his early beginning in Karate.
During the second world war Seikichi Toguchi served his country as most were
expected to do and this curtailed his training for that period.
Afterwards he returned to Okinawa only to find it devastated and the people
demoralised. He also discovered that Master Miyagi had become ill with high
blood pressure and not able to actively teach as he once had.
Seikichi was determined to do his best to help rebuild his community and to
assist Miyagi Sensei so he opened the first post war Dojo on Okinawa and stayed
with Miyagi Sensei. During this time and until Miyagi Sensei's death Seikichi
Toguchi remained faithful and stalwart in assisting him with the further development
and growth of Goju Ryu.
It was during this time that Miyagi Sensei developed Gekisai Di San (3) and discussed
a series of kata and bunkai with Seikichi Toguchi that he wanted to create
to build on the Gekisai series. These became known as the Gekiha series of
kata's and were developed by Master Toguchi after Miyagi's death and are exclusive
to the Shorei Kan Style of Goju Ryu.
Master Toguchi went further in the development of Goju Ryu Shorei Kan by creating
the "dream" kata that Miyagi Sensei had also discussed and which are the Kakuha series of
kata and bunkai
Master Seikichi
Toguchi opened up the first post war Karate Dojo on Okinawa and was the only
student of Master Miyagi to make a lifelong professional career of teaching
Karate Do
Let us look at
the poem that Master Toguchi wrote after the death of Miyagi Chojun Sensei.
The first line
- "A Tiger dies and leaves its skin" - Although a living creature, an animal
is not conscious of meaning in it's daily striving for sustenance and achieves
nothing more than mere propagation of the species. When it dies it has nothing
to leave but it's physical body which soon withers away to dust and bone.
Line 2 - "A man
dies and leaves his name" - As humans we are intelligent, sentient beings
who plan, build and contribute to a civilization. The ordinary person contributes
to the growth of a family, passes on traditions and experiences that enhance
that growth. When death comes to that person he or she is remembered fondly
in memories.
Line 3 - "A teacher
dies and teaches death" is indeed a most profound statement. With every move
and moment of life a REAL teacher shows an example of how to live correctly
and even in dying teaches that life and indeed death is precious.
We should all
strive to be such a teacher and by doing so leave more than just a physical
body, or a fond memory, but a legacy of striving for perfection within ourselves.
Please Visit "Thoughts"
Link Below - Articles written by Master Seikichi Toguchi
Toguchi Kaicho performs Hakutsuru Kata
Toguchi Hanshi
and Haluko Kaicho
(c)T.Wilson 1999 All Rights Reserved
Gambatte Kudasai
- Please Practise Hard
Go
to "Thoughts"
Go
to "Links"
Sign Guestbook
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E-mail
me at arw1950@shaw.ca in the meantime.
Please come back soon and visit again. |
Links to more Shorei Kan on the Web
Shorei
Kan Canada Home Page
Shorei Kan Victoria Dojo
Moving With Zen Ebook, including Videos of Master Toguchi & Shorei Kan.
Moving With Zen is a unique CD that contains the thoughts and philosphies of Master Seikichi Toguchi. Also rare videos of Master Toguchi and the Shorei Kan Style.
A must for the library of any serious Martial Artist
© 1999 arw1950@shaw.ca