2023 July update + clarified grading requirements
By Johnpaul Williams – August 04, 2023
August 2023: 
As summer ends, we again leave for Japan for our annual Seiwakai training in Akita and the JKF Gōjūkai taikai (convention), in Osaka. I’ll make photos available and share them through the website (Gojuryu.net) as well as our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/bayareakarate).
Our special guests this year at our Japan Seiwakai Gasshuku will be Japan National and World Karate Federation Champions: Ms. Hikaru Nishimura (Ohno) 西山 (大野) ひかる and her husband Mr. Kakeru Nishimura 西山走.
Next year’s annual JKF Gōjūkai taikai 2024 (the 50th convention and competition) will be held in Okinawa and everyone is invited to attend.
There is no training the evening of August 7th as indicated on the city of Menlo Parks website. We return stateside from Japan on Monday, August 21st and will continue with training that evening. Club participants who have registered for the Monday class, please make arrangements with Sensei for a make-up class upon our return.
- Beginners training – Mondays at 5:45 pm.
- Beginners training – Wednesdays at 5:45 pm.
- Experienced training – Mondays at 7:00 pm.
- Experienced training – Wednesdays at 7:00 pm.
Grading and Certificates: 
Please congratulate Alexandra Alan and Kevin Foley as they have met the requirements for their dojo Nidan (2nd degree blackbelt). Furthermore, Alexandra is also traveling to Japan where she will compete in the JKF Gōjūkai shiai (competition) and to grade for both her Seiwakai and JKF Gōjūkai Nidan. Kevin Foley will follow in November (10th, 11th and 12) to do the same at our annual USA seminar in Los Angeles.
In addition, we still have certificates for Valaria Soto (6th kyu – green belt), Youngjun Choi (9th kyu – yellow belt) and Takuto Shibuya (9th Kyu – yellow belt).
Certificates waiting for distribution
In the future:
All gradings will occur on prescheduled dates, two times a year. This fall 2023 we would like to ask all who meet the qualifications which date works best for the benefit of all, with the choices being Friday evening December 1st or Saturday morning December 2nd. Please respond to this email with your preference to help us decide. Because it is a non-scheduled class, there will be a $20 drop-in fee at the front desk at Arrillaga Family recreation center.
Menlo Park recreation has updated their database however class instructors can no longer view and print a roster therefor, can everyone please do me a huge favor and use the following link to record their basic data that we use for such things as your grading application and your certificates, this email list, etc. It would really help save time and effort.
SKSV Google form (link intentionally deleted in the public web post)
To assist new club members with staying on schedule for their future gradings, please view the document link for SKSV grading requirements (link intentionally deleted in the public web post). As of today August 3rd, the document is not yet complete however I’ll do my best to finish the finer details of the supplementary before I return from Japan. As a special note, grading is by invitation and is not necessarily for everyone. The link embedded will not be included on the website edition of the communication.
Uniforms – your first Dō-g (keiko-gi):
Most club members have already sourced a do-gi however for those who have not, there are two primary resources we recommend for your dō-gi (training uniform / keiko-gi). When choosing a uniform please check to make sure it has at least 6 lines of stitching at the end of the sleeve and the end of the pants. Otherwise, about the best bang-for-buck beginners’ uniform (dō-gi) can be sourced from:
- “KI international” is the exclusive US distributor of our standard orange label “Mugen” dō-gi found at:
- https://www.kiintl.com/1/product.php?productid=16212&cat=254.
- If you choose to have chest embroidery, the correct kanji characters for Seiwakai are: 誠和会
2. The orange label “Mugen” Dō-gi (Keiko-gi) are also available locally next to our annex training location in San Jose Japantown at: Nichi Bei Bussan, 140 Jackson St. San Jose CA 95112.
Books:
Gojuryu Karatedo Desk Reference Historic Chronology
Beginners at home training: When training at home please go beyond using a mirror and turn on that supercomputer we keep in our pockets. The mirror image you see moves with you therefore it is near impossible to adequate gauge your technique and precision. Turn on video and cast back to your big screen to really help identify where you can make improvements.
The links below cover your first 3 kata.
1. Fukyu Kata dai Ichi – https://www.youtube.com/
2. Gekisai dai Ichi – https://www.youtube.com/
– (and https://www.youtube.com/
3. Gekisai dai Ni – https://www.youtube.com/
