John Walsh of Genbu-Kai Minnesota had an art exhibit accepted recently in a nationally juried art show in St. Paul, MN, entitled "A Portrait of America".  The show ran from August 22nd through September 7th.  The AZ Gallery opened in 1997 as an area artist-co-op, a place where artists from in and around the Twin Cities area can showcase their work.  John said, “I don't make art to get it into shows that's just an added bonus, and it's incentive to keep working.”  There are two more shows coming up.

    Japanese-American martial arts pioneer Master Hidetaka Nishiyama is a former student of Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shōtōkan-ryū, Nishiyama is considered one of the great masters of the style.

    Nishiyama has been hospitalized for several weeks with lung cancer (reportedly from heavy cigarette smoking).  Nishiyama is now in a convalescent facility recovering from radiation therapy.  It is unknown if he'll last another day or for another year or more, but his condition doesn't look promising.  Our prayers are going out wishing his speedy recovery.

    On a beautiful warm summer afternoon, dozens of Genbu-Kai Costa Mesa students competed in the 22nd annual Costa Mesa Junior Marathon.  In this event participants run from station to station completing karate or exercise related tasks.  For two hours they run back and forth performing and collecting completion stickers.  Upon the conclusion of the event, competitors feasted on Suika (watermelon) while the results were tabulated.  Then the competitors chose their “dumb prizes” in the order they finished.  Everyone that participated was a winner and they’re already looking forward to the fun again next year!

    Shihan Demura held the 2008 Colorado Karate/Kumite/Kobudo Seminars on Aug 16th, 2008 in Montrose Colorado.  There were 37 participants.  The morning started off with a Karate-do seminar followed by a kumite seminar and finishing up with a Kobudo seminar.  Everyone also had the opportunity to participate in Kobudo sparring with padded equipment.  Click on the link below to watch a video on you tube of Damon Pace and James Lee Kobudo sparring with padded gear!

Joyful Genbu-Kai News

    Congratulations to University of Saskatchewan Karate-do, Shito-Ryu Genbukai Canada members Ryan & Liezel Hill on their recent nuptials.  Please accept our most sincere wishes for long life and happiness…

    Director Isaac Florentine and his star Scott Adkins (Undisputed) have teamed up again for another action masterpiece.  Shihan Fumio Demura flew to Sophia, Bulgaria along with Tom Shinoda, Thanh Nguyen, Danny Kim and Ken Nishiki to perform fight choreography.  There at the Nu Image studio, they met up with the other stars and action performers including Rose McGowan (Charmed), Tsuyoshi Ehara (Iwo Jima), Togo Igawa (Last Samurai) and Women’s Karate World Champion Elisa Au.  They performed so well with the fight choreography that they all have become featured performers in the film.  

    According to Kung Fu Cinema "Screen Fighting News and Reviews" description, the gist of the “Ninja” story is that a young ninja in Japan runs away to America with a woman expected to marry against her will. Her angry husband-to-be is a yakuza boss who follows them to New York with a gang of assassins in tow to get revenge. Using his fighting skills, the ninja fends them off initially. Yet after his girlfriend disappears, he is forced into what is described as an “epic battle on a moving train.” The ninja is badly beaten, allowing a local detective trying to piece together what’s going on to catch up with him. Once recovered, the ninja teams with the detective to take on the yakuza boss and his assassins that include a female ninja, aka a kunoichi and a blind ninja. Another intriguing element is that the ninja develops “modern versions of the ninja’s arsenal” to take on an army of assassins. 

    The rest of the morning was devoted to all the Genbu-Kai students of other ranks learning, practicing and perfecting kata and kata applications.  After a short lunch break, the popular seminar continued into the afternoon.  

    From eight o'clock in the morning until almost ten, Genbu-Kai held an advanced kata and applications seminar for Black Belts and higher.  The event was held in the main gymnasium at Costa Mesa High School in Costa Mesa, California USA.

    On a beautiful sunny summer day, thirty members of the Genbu-Kai Costa Mesa dojo performed a Karate demonstration on the world famous Heritage stage for a huge audience at the 118th Orange County fair.

On Saturday night, the Hombu dojo in Santa Ana was burglarized.  Sensei's laptop computer and many other items were taken that will have little or no value to the thieves.  No doubt some of the stolen items may have held great sentimental value to Sensei Demura and are irreplaceable

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    Shihan Fumio Demura held his annual picnic at Irvine regional park in Orange, California.  Genbu-Kai students and their families enjoyed a day of play in the sunshine and an abundance of good food.  The activities included an adult Black belts vs. adult lower belts softball game that concluded with a score of 15 to 12 in favor of the Black belts.  In the juniors vs. the adults softball game, the juniors trounced the adults 14 to 1.  After the ball games it was lunch time.  Later, there were piñatas and other games for the younger children.  Thank you Sensei Demura for another great Genbu-Kai event!      

    Shihan Demura traveled to France this May and on the 31^st presented Karate and Kobudo seminars for Genbu-Kai (Rengo-Kai) students in Fontainebleau. Thanks very much to the photographer, monsieur Francois Jaumier for creating the Flickr gallery and sharing all these wonderful photo’s.    

    May 17, 2008. Genbu-Kai students from Catalunya training in Karate and Kobudo on Vilanova beach in Spain. After training then held a picnic/potluck in the Kushikan Dojo.

    Genbu-Kai students (375 from 20 dojos) in Canada attended a day of seminars presented in Lloydminster, Alberta by Shihan Demura. This well attended event was held in the Lloydminster’s new Commonwealth Centre.  Seminars included karate basics, kata and kata bunkai, kobudo, and kumite.

2008

    This magazine is highly recommended by Shihan Demura! Add Classical Fighting Arts to your must read list.

    Shihan Demura presented another excellent Kobudo Seminar in the Helen Huntley Gymnasium at Riverside City College in Riverside, California.  World class instruction was provided for Genbu-Kai students on the Bo, Eku-Bo, Kama, Sai, Tonfa and Nunchaku.