Bakkies Laubscher Sensei
Bakkies Sensei,
pictured giving a speech shortly after the announcement of his
8th dan, Okinawa Gasshuku 2004
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ARTICLE
ON 25 YEARS OF IOGKF
WRIITEN
BY BAKKIES LAUBSCHER
Taken
from IOGKF.com |
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INTRODUCTION
Higaonna Sensei asked me to jot down a few memories on
the 25 years of IOGKF, and I thought it would be appropriate
to give a brief synopsis on the pre-IOGKF era. It is important
to know where we come from to be able to understand where
we should be going.
In
the early 1960’s, good quality karate was extremely
rare in the West and the Japanese-origin styles practiced
were predominantly variations of Kyokushinkai and Shotokan
(JKA). This happened because of effective strategic marketing
and franchising karate, mainly as a sport, by sending
some of their top senior instructors (JKA) to live and
teach in the west, mainly Europe.
In
the USA there were more Okinawan styles visible because
of the return of American GI’s from the occupation
forces on Okinawa after World War II.
In
South Africa, JKA was the largest style organization in
1965 through an effective marketing effort by the organization
to send Senseis Kase, Enoeda, Shirai and Kanazawa to stay
and teach in the country for a period of six months to
build out the style.
In
1966, Sensei James Rousseau decided to research for an
alternative, non-sporting, traditional karate style and
went to Japan. On advice from various people, he went
to have a look at the happenings in a small Dojo near
Yoyogi station.
The
rest is history and Goju Ryu was introduced to South Africa
in 1966 and some time afterwards to the UK and Europe.
Higaonna
Sensei’s fame spread quickly to many countries,
mainly by word of mouth and also by the publicity given
by Terry O’Neill’s ‘Fighting Arts’
magazine. Terry, a JKA man, is still one of Higaonna Sensei’s
greatest admirers.
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FOUNDATION
OF IOGKF
As more westerners trained at Yoyogi Dojo and more countries
started showing interest in joining Higaonna Sensei, the
need for an international organization with a basic set
of guidelines to ensure uniformity and cohesion became
a necessity and the IOGKF was established during an International
Gashuku organized by James Rousseau Sensei in 1979 in
Poole, England.
There
are two outstanding recollections for me from the Poole
Gashuku:
Firstly,
Sensei Higaonna systemizing and explaining the Junbi Undo
in detail and secondly, Sensei George Andrews showing
me how he drove a ‘Getaway Car’ in a bank
robbery! This happened at about 1 am in the morning, following
a deep technical discussion at the ‘Shah of Persia’
pub! I still wake up some nights crying, screaming and
sweating just thinking about it!
Because
of the diversity of national cultures and the disillusionment
with rigid, autocratic type organizations in the past,
autonomy was seen as a core value to organize the various
countries, with a lot of freedom in organization and administration
left up to the discretion of appointed country chief instructors
or committees (later called Kambukai). It was decided,
for this reason, to form a Federation and not an Association
– a suggestion from Sensei Pervez Mistry, if I recall
correctly.
A
very important point to note was a unanimous decision
NOT to have a formal Constitution drawn up – it
was felt that a constitution would spoil the ‘Family’
or ‘Student/Teacher’ ambiance or relationship
of a traditional Martial Art, very much valued by the
foundation members present at the meeting.
It
was accepted that Higaonna Sensei’s guidelines would
be the main source of reference with an advisory council
appointed by him from time to time to deal with issues
of a non-technical nature.
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MAIN
EVENTS SINCE INSTITUTION
With the Poole Gashuku being such a huge ‘feel good’
success, it was decided to have a similar international
type of Gashuku every two years, rotating to different
countries.
In
1981 the first one was held in Okinawa in the form of
a Gashuku followed by a world tournament.
The
Gashuku was a tremendous experience, we had the privilege
to see and train with Senseis Miyagi An’ichi, Aragaki
Shuichi, Nakamoto Seijin, and Kina Seiko and the training,
interaction and bonding amongst participants was unbelievable.
The
tournament was less of a success: South Africa, who had
the largest contingent there and who was in the grip of
international boycotts by Commonwealth countries because
of the apartheid system back home, was forbidden from
participation, following an objection by one of the Gashuku
participants. Secondly, the Japanese team from Tokyo flew
in the day before the tournament and entered the tournament
fresh as opposed to the other members who had participated
in a week long Gashuku!
Why
am I mentioning these two incidents? Because there is
an important lesson in this that affects the ‘Family’
spirit of a organization such as the IOGKF: A feeling
of ‘Them’ and ‘Us’, following
these two incidents, marred the tremendous positivism,
previously stemming from the training, sweating and socializing
together during the Gashuku. We have to guard strongly
against this in our organization. How? Stick to our ‘core
business’ – train traditional karate.
The
Okinawan Gashuku was followed in 1983 with the Spokane,
USA Gashuku, and it was also an unforgettable event, mainly
because of the emphasis on physical activities, which
consisted of a compulsory run around a beautiful lake
every afternoon after training. Higaonna Sensei decided
that this was to be the mother of all Ude Tanren Gashukus
and that was what we did!
In
1985, the next Gashuku was held in South Africa but was
attended very poorly by overseas countries because of
the international boycotts against the country. We still
had over 350 participants at the Gashuku, which lasted
two weeks.
New
Zealand was next in 1987, but worldwide the economy was
starting to play a major role and after that, these international
Gashukus started taking on a more regional and national
character.
I
would like to make a very important point regarding attitude
towards Gashukus at this stage:
If
I do a bit of soul searching, I discover that probably
60% of my personal motivation why I am still training
karate and a part of this great family, stems from the
unforgettable experiences and the camaraderie of good
friends made during Gashukus!
The
relationships one establish while sweating, suffering,
having aching bodies together and sharing a (couple of
dozen) beer and some laughs/ideas together, create friends
for life!
If
you want to be ‘HOT’ in Goju Ryu, you need
to stay close to the ‘FIRE’!
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IOGKF
NATIONAL CHIEF INSTRUCTOR EVENTS
During the 1985 Gashuku, it was decided to have country
chief instructor Gashukus every two years at Honbu Dojo.
The thinking behind this was two-fold:
Firstly,
many country chief instructors did not know each other,
because of distance, countries that had recently joined,
etc.
Secondly,
during regional/country Gashukus, the local chief instructors
and seniors were usually very much occupied in organizing
and assisting with the teaching, and was missing out on
personal technical input.
This
was an opportunity where the ‘Chiefs’ become
‘Indians’ again, receive personal training
from Higaonna Sensei and also interact, bond, share vision
and establish cohesion as the IOGKF leadership cadre.
The
first one was held in 1986 in Japan at the beautiful Motosuko
resort close to mountain Fuji. I think this Gashuku will
probably be remembered best for the loudest sayonara party
ever!
The
following ones were held in the USA, following Higaonna
Sensei’s move to San Diego, which was fantastic
from a technical point of view, but I guess the feeling
was not quite the same as training in Okinawa, especially
for new members.
Now
we are back in Okinawa and the opportunities are there
for our members to understand and experience the traditional
nature of our style from the source and in the correct
Dojo environment – away from gymnasium halls, sports
clubs, family pressures and bank managers!
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To
conclude, today we have an IOGKF that has passed the ‘pioneer’
stage. It will continue to refine from here onwards as the
largest Okinawan Goju Ryu World body.
But
it is very important to realize and appreciate the energy
that has gone into this organization over the past 25 years
as well as the challenges, sacrifices and disappointments
faced and overcome by our teacher and founder, Higaonna
Morio Sensei, motivated by his passion and obsession to
purify Okinawan Goju Ryu to the Pure True Essence he knows
it to be as a legacy to future serious students of the art.
In
this his teacher, Miyagi An’ichi Sensei, encouraged
him. The research he has done to distinguish between myth
and fact in the Goju Ryu wilderness is certainly worth a
karate ‘Nobel Prize’!
Thank
you very much Senseis Miyagi and Higaonna and, off course,
those before you - Domo Arrigato Gozaimashita!
Bakkies
Laubscher Sensei (IOGKF 8th Dan)
IOGKF South Africa |
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Here is a promotional graphic used to promote the
2005 EGKA Bakkies Sensei courses.
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