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November / December 2014
Soke Receiving Bronze Relief in His Image from Hanshi Charles Scott at The 50th Anniversary All Star Tournament
A BIG THANK YOU FROM SOKE KUBOTA
Soke Kubota would like to personally thank all that supported
the 50th Anniversary All Star Tournament and all the weekend
events celebrating his 75th year of martial arts training and his
80th birthday. We were honored to have participation from India,
Italy, Australia, Canada, Virgin Islands, Poland, Venezuela,
Alaska, Colorado and of course dojos from all over California.
The banquet on the Friday before the tournament was very well
attended and showcased an hour long video chronicling Soke’s
karate and Hollywood career. The video contained clips from
some of Soke best movies and commercials and were really
entertaining to watch. Thank you to Hanshi Val Mijailovic who
compiled the video. We were also honored to have Soke Dai
James Caan ( AKA “Sonny Corleone” from the Godfather
movie) in attendance to honor Soke.
The seminars the day before the tournament had a record 65
people in the IKA Headquarters dojo for training. This is the
largest class we have ever packed into the dojo. It was an
unbelievable feat but Soke was able to teach such a large group
in a relatively small space. Seminars in kata, waza, and selfdefense were enjoyed by all that attended.
The tournament went extremely smooth even though we had
more competitors. This is due to the great number of volunteers,
and judges that came out to the tournament to participate in the
memorable event. One of the highlights of the day was the
presentation of the Bronze Relief in Soke’s image. It was a gift
from Soke’s students all over the world and was created by
reknown artist, Preston Jackson. We thank Hanshi Charles Scott
for making this gift possible. This gift now proudly hangs in the
IKA headquarters dojo and will immortalize Soke for all
eternity. Soke thanks everyone for the gift and to all the
volunteers for all the help. Special thanks to Sensei Victor Chico
and the Occidental Karate club for securing and setting up the
Occidental college facility. The tournament closed with the
traditional post tournament party, this year at Acapulco’s
Mexican Restaurant.
November / December 2014
Black Belt Training – 50th Anniversary All Star Tournament Weekend
DAN TESTING AND PROMOTION
Giorgio Bortolin – Italy
Hank Hamilton – USA
Paul McCaul – USA
Val Mijailovic – USA
Dan testing for top IKA instructors is an event that does not
happen very often. In some cases it had been decades since
some of the instructors last tested. Over the tournament
weekend, several top level instructors tested for high dan ranks
and were also awarded titles from Soke Kubota. Testing has
been going on at IKA headquarters for the past couple months.
Here are the results of the recent tests from these tests as well as
some recent results from last year:
7th Dan and Kyoshi Title
Antonio Antonetti – USA
Bhagwan Choudhary – India
Bob Martin – USA, Washington State
Edgardo Karam – Venezuela
Frederico Lanta – Venezuela
George Sinani – USA
Lloyd Norford – Virgin Islands
Michael Berger – USA, Utah
Rod Kuratomi – USA
Tatsuo Hirano – USA
Ted Bratakos - USA
8th Dan and Hanshi Title:
Hiroshi Yoshida - Japan
Allesandro Pajello - Italy
Boban Petkovic – USA
Charles Scott – USA, Alaska
Fred Simonitis – Canada
Please address all email regarding Affiliation, Membership, Tournaments, Seminars,
Karate and Police Training to: [email protected]
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November / December 2014
6th Dan and Kyoshi Title
IKA CALENDAR
Eric Adams – USA, Colorado/Alaska
James Penor – USA, Washington State
Kent Lindquist – USA, Colorado/Alaska
Seminar with Soke Kubota
Warsaw, Poland - November 14-16, 2014
Host: Shihans Jacek and Krzysiek Chalupka
5th Dan
IKA Holiday Party
Saturday, December 6, 2014 – 6:00 pm
Demetrio Munoz – USA – title of Shihan
Fred Anderson – USA
Jacek Chalupka – Poland – title of Shihan
Jeff Hall – USA, Washington State
Jorge Donoso – Venezuela
Judith Marx – USA, Carmel Valley - title of Shihan
Krzysiek Chalupka – Poland – title of Shihan
Marcial Soto – USA
Monia Atti – Italy
Richard Higbee – USA, Washington State
Kubotan Seminar with Soke Kubota
Mexico – March 14, 2015
Host: Tomas Miledi
Black Belt Tournament
Torino, Italy – May 2015
Host: Hanshi Giorgio Bortolin
Nikkei Games Tournament and Seminar
Long Beach, California August 9, 2015
Note: To maintain title of Shihan, one must be an instructor that
is teaching regularly.
MASTERS FORUM
The Masters Forum is dedicated to increasing the knowledge
base of the IKA Family. Each month we will try to cover a new
topic on a multitude of facets of the art, dealing with all levels
of expertise. This month, Kyoshi Rod Kuratomi writes on how
kata training can be used to develop “Mushin”
UPCOMING MASTERS TO TEST
The following instructors will be Dan testing in the near future:
Anatoliy Lozovoy – Ukraine
Andrei Vedernikov – Belarus
Bozidar Puric – Serbia
Daniel Kahan – USA
Pierre Piponian - USA
Sami Asmar – USA
Stuart Richman – USA
Victor Chico - USA
Kata As A Tool To Develop Mushin
Mushin or “No Mind” is the highest level of skill in martial
training. It is where all movement is freed from conscious
thought and the body moves reflexively. The mind frees itself
from ego, fear and anger. This can be done not only during
combat but during kata training and in everyday life as well.
Think of when you drive a car. Most of us have spent so much
time behind the wheel, we can drive without thinking about it.
Someone pulls out in front of you and you hit the brake
instinctively.
IKA HOLIDAY “SAKE TO ME” PARTY
Mark your calendar for the IKA Holiday party to be held at the
dojo in Glendale on Saturday, December 6th at 6pm. As usual,
the party is a pot luck so bring your favorite dish and drink to
share. Don’t miss this party as the food is always ethnic and
always fantastic! Everyone is invited so bring your friends and
family. The more the merrier!
Here is a translation from a quote from Zen master Takuan
Soho:
The mind must always be in the state of 'flowing,' for when it
stops anywhere that means the flow is interrupted and it is this
interruption that is injurious to the well-being of the mind. In the
Please address all email regarding Affiliation, Membership, Tournaments, Seminars,
Karate and Police Training to: [email protected]
Page 3
November / December 2014
you are able to do this well doing kata then try entering this state
of mind when you do kumite. You can consciously empty your
mind. Don’t think……feel…….you will move reflexively and
your karate will improve exponentially. The first time I was able
to do this in a tournament it was also the first time I won the
gold medal in black belt kumite. I distinctively remembering
being able to feel what my opponent was going to do, even
before my opponent moved. There is no physical movement that
can move faster than a thought. Ahh, perhaps this is a level
even higher than mushin…..
case of the swordsman, it means death. When the swordsman
stands against his opponent, he is not to think of the opponent,
nor of himself, nor of his enemy's sword movements. He just
stands there with his sword which, forgetful of all technique, is
ready only to follow the dictates of the subconscious. The man
has effaced himself as the wielder of the sword. When he
strikes, it is not the man but the sword in the hand of the man's
subconscious that strikes.
Remember the first time you learned a kata? You had to
consciously think of every move you were doing as well as
thinking about the next move you had to do. After a year of
training the kata you could then start thinking about the next set
of moves. After years of training the same kata, conscious
thought can be removed from the process. Western science often
refers to this as “muscle memory” with the mind as being “in
the zone”. You hear professional athletes talking about this
frequently. This is a demonstration of mushin. If we can train
kata enough so that we can perform the kata in a state of
mushin, this means that the offensive and defensive movements
and sets of the kata can be done without conscious thought. This
means that your karate can be done without conscious thought.
Karate movement without conscious thought takes a lot of
practice. With enough practice kumite can done in a state of
mushin. Often times a student observes an advanced level
instructor and comments how fast the instructor is. In reality, the
instructor is probably slower than the younger faster student but
the instructor is not constrained by conscious thought, therefore
reactions seem to happen instantaneously and give the
perception of fast movement when in reality it is fast reaction.
There are no conscious thoughts processing the movements to
slow the instructor down. If you have to think, “here comes a
punch, I am going to block it with an up block and counter with
a punch”, it is too late. The fighter that has reached the level of
mushin just reacts without thought. A karateka that can
command mushin at will is a formidable opponent.
QUOTES OF THE MONTH:
“Once a kata has been learned, it must be practiced
repeatedly until it can be applied in an emergency, for
knowledge of just the sequence of a form in Karate is
useless.” – Gichin Funakoshi (Father of Shotokan)
DOJO MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL
There are many dojos that still have not paid their annual
membership renewal fee. Please note that if your fees are not
paid you should not be using the IKA name, the IKA trademark,
nor Soke Kubota’s name. If you have financial problems, please
contact Soke Kubota directly to work out special financial
arrangements. It is not about money, it is about respect. Please
observe proper Reigi (protocol) as the overhead of running the
IKA is very expensive. Send Soke an e-mail if you have
questions as to the different methods of payment, especially for
dojos outside of the United States.
RANK REGISTRATION
It has recently come to our attention that there are many IKA
black belts that have black belt certificates issued by their
instructors in their respective dojos but they wish to have their
rank registered with IKA Headquarters and have a certificate
issued by Soke Kubota with his signature on it. There are even
some counterfeit certificates out there with a forged signature of
Soke on it. If your instructor is recognized by Soke Kubota as
an instructor that meets his standards, then Soke will register
your rank and will issue a certificate by mail for the cost of
$125. Sent a copy of your existing certificate for consideration.
Kata is an excellent tool to practice developing mushin. Next
time you do kata, pick a kata that you know very well. Try and
do it as fast and as hard as you can without thinking about the
movements you are doing. It is not easy at first but becomes
easier with practice. This is one of the keys to doing well in kata
competition in tournament. The competitor has done the kata so
many times in this manner that the karateka and the kata become
one. This is the unity of body and mind. You don’t observe
thought and action, only reflexive, instinctive movement. Once
Please address all email regarding Affiliation, Membership, Tournaments, Seminars,
Karate and Police Training to: [email protected]
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November / December 2014
USE OF IKA NAME AND TRADEMARKS
It has come to Soke Kubota’s attention that some organizations
around the world may be using IKA’s name and trademarks without
permission. The name ”International Karate Association, Inc.” (IKA)
and its registered trademarks may be used by affiliated organizations
only after first receiving Soke’s written permission. In addition,
Soke’s hand written signature or the red Japanese signature stamp
must not be used without his expressed permission. The red stamp is
like a legal signature in Japan and is a symbol of authenticity. It
should not be used by anybody except for Soke or for purposes that
he authorizes. The “International Karate Association” name must not
be used by itself to represent your organization. There is only one
International Karate Association, Inc. and it is at Headquarters in
Glendale, California, USA. After receiving approval from Soke, you
may use the IKA name, but it must be attached with another
description to differentiate it from the IKA Headquarters. For
example, if you are from the state of Nebraska, you could use the
name, “International Karate Association of Nebraska” or something
similar. The use of the trademark is contingent on maintaining
membership in good standing which includes payment of annual
membership fees.
DOJO RULES
Each seek perfection of character.
Develop morals, ethics and distinguishable attributes.
Each be faithful.
Be loyal and devoted to a person, cause, or idea.
Each endeavor
Have conscientious or concerted effort toward an end with
an earnest attempt.
Each respect others
To feel or show deferential value, honor, appreciation and
regard for another.
Each refrain from violent behavior.
To hold oneself back from responding with inappropriate
anger and physical force.
COMMUNICATIONS PROTOCOL
Please note that proper protocol (Reigi) requires that information
matters directly relating to IKA Headquarters, IKA tournaments,
karate training and seminars must be communicated to Soke Kubota
first before contacting other members within the organization. It is
improper for Soke to be the last person to be informed of matters that
directly involve him and IKA Headquarters such as, for example,
your intention to attend his tournament or invitations to tournaments
that are addressed directly to a Headquarters student without Soke’s
knowledge. It is proper respect in both of these cases to inform Soke
first or at the same time that the student is contacted. Thank you for
your consideration in these matters.
INSURANCE ISSUES
Due to increased liability risks, it is necessary that all IKA schools
carry some form of liability insurance to protect the school from legal
issues that may arise from accidents. The amount of liability
insurance will depend on your location. USA schools are suggested
to carry one-million dollars of liability insurance.
Please contact Soke at Headquarters if you have any questions.
Please address all email regarding Affiliation, Membership, Tournaments, Seminars,
Karate and Police Training to: [email protected]
Page 5
November / December 2014
List of IKA Headquarters Staff and Instructors
CURRENT IKA HEADQUARTERS INSTRUCTORS
President and Founder
Soke Dai
Vice-President
Chief Advisor
Office Manager
Senior Technical Advisors
Technical Director
National Coach and Advisor
Secretary
Liason, Special Projects
Medical Advisor
Webmaster
Official Photographer
The average training time for the Hanshi/Kyoshi/Shihan
(Master) level instructor is 30-40+ years of training and teaching
and have a minimum required rank. Each instructor not only
teaches but trains as well in order to maintain his/her status.
Title is not automatically bestowed with rank. Soke also has
several other master level instructors in Kubojitsu , Kobudo and
IPT (International Police Training). Shihan Dai is a Deputy
Master level instructor with an average of 20-30 years of
training and teaching. Titles are reserved only for instructors
that are ACTIVELY teaching at IKA Headquarters. Dan ranks
are retained but titles can be changed as Soke sees fit.
Soke Takayuki Kubota
James Caan
Thea Kubota
Leonard Kramer
Carmen Kim
Val Mijailovic, Boban Petkovic
Rod Kuratomi
Ted Bratakos
Judy Rao
Sara Kubota
Dr. Ashok Rao, M.D.
Brian McEvoy
Lee Fisher
Soke Takayuki Kubota – 10th dan
Boban Petkovic
Hank Hamilton
Paul McCaul
Val Mijailovic
Antonio Antonetti
George Sinani
Rod Kuratomi
Tatsuo Hirano
Ted Bratakos
Mark Grigorian
Demetrio Munoz
Marcial Soto
Norvell Carrere
Danny Kahan
Sami Asmar
Stuart Richman
Victor Chico
Alfanso Espinosa
Anthony Boosalis
Fumiko Hamada
Judy Rao
Patrick Reddy
Roy Simmons
Martyn Romero
Randy Blue
8th dan
8th dan
8th dan
8th dan
7th dan
7th dan
7th dan
7th dan
7th dan
6th dan
5th dan
5th dan
5th dan
4th dan
4th dan
4th dan
4th dan
3rd dan
2nd dan
2nd dan
2nd dan
2nd dan
2nd dan
1st dan
1st dan
Hanshi
Hanshi
Hanshi
Hanshi
Kyoshi
Kyoshi
Kyoshi
Kyoshi
Kyoshi
Shihan
Shihan
Shihan
Shihan
Shihan Dai
Shihan Dai
Shihan Dai
Shihan Dai
Sensei
Sensei
Sensei
Sensei
Sensei
Sensei
Sensei
Sensei
We welcome any contributions you may have that you wish to
have published subject to approval by Soke. Submit the articles
to Soke in writing or e-mail them to him at:
[email protected]
Please address all email regarding Affiliation, Membership, Tournaments, Seminars,
Karate and Police Training to: [email protected]
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