The Friendship Seminar: Beyond the Kai-ha

Monday, November 25, 2013 by C. Michial Jones

In the world of traditional Karate, organizations (Kai-ha) can often become silos. Practitioners frequently stay within their own lineage, hesitant to cross the invisible lines that separate one association from another. This past weekend in St. Louis, we tore those walls down.

The event was a “Friendship Seminar” in the truest sense. On Saturday, Col. Roy Jerry Hobbs Sensei, Col. Tony Willis Sensei, and I spent the day training—finding that balance of hard work in the dojo and genuine brotherhood outside of it.

A Gathering of Lineages

On Sunday, our group expanded to include representatives from across the Goju-Ryu spectrum:

• Jennifer Byrd (Goyukan/Dentokan)
• Jonathon D. Hallberg Sensei (Ryusyokai)
• Amos Danielli and Len DeMoore (IOGKF)

This was a significant assembly. Having members of the Jundokan, Goyukan, Dentokan, and the IOGKF (International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate-do Federation) on the same mat is a rare occurrence. Each of these organizations has its own “flavor” and technical nuances, yet we all trace our roots back to the same Okinawan soil.

Comparing the 12 Kata

We spent the day working through all twelve kata of the Goju-Ryu syllabus. Rather than one person “lecturing,” we engaged in a free exchange:

• Performance Comparison: We watched how each lineage executed the same movements, noting the subtle differences in timing, tension, and trajectory.
• The “Why” of Bunkai: We openly discussed the applications (Bunkai) for each kata. This allowed us to see why a certain block might be higher in one school or a stance wider in another, based on the specific combat philosophy of that lineage.
• Common Ground: Despite the various organizational labels, we discovered that what we share is far greater than what divides us. The core principles of Goju-Ryu—the breathing, the “Hard-Soft” dynamic, and the close-quarters efficiency—remained consistent across every practitioner.

The Ego-Free Mat

The success of this seminar was due to a total lack of ego. When senior practitioners can ask each other, “Why do you do it that way?” without taking offense, true learning happens.

I want to thank Kurt Ecker Sensei for providing his dojo as the neutral ground for this exchange. Meeting these dedicated karate-ka reminded me that the future of Goju-Ryu depends on this kind of transparency. We may wear different patches on our gi, but we are all students of the same ancient path. I look forward to the next time we can share the mat and continue this vital conversation.