On August 1, ten members of Tesshinkan Europe travelled to Okinawa to seek an encounter with the spirit and essence of our martial art. Tamayose Hidemi Sensei (10th Dan Kobudō and 10th Dan Shōrin-Ryū) had kindly given us the opportunity to train there. This was made possible thanks to the excellent organisation of Frank Pelny Shihan (8th Dan Karate, 7th Dan Kobudō), the Shibu-Chō of Ryūkyū Kobudō Tesshinkan for Europe. Full of anticipation for the new experiences ahead, we embarked on the long journey.
Barely having arrived, training began the very next morning at 6:30 a.m. local time (!) on the beach of Naha (Naminoue Beach). Since the daytime temperatures were already almost unbearable for us, we took advantage of the “coolness” of the early morning hours (27°C). All participants enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to receive instruction in Kobudō directly from its source.
On the final day of training, Heike Pelny (Nordhausen) and Kathrin Zoche (Leipzig) successfully passed their examinations for 2nd Dan in Ryūkyū Kobudō, while Frank Pelny himself achieved 7th Dan and the title of Kyōshi.
In addition to the wonderful atmosphere, the friendly interaction and the open nature of Tamayose Hidemi Sensei and Tamayose Tetsushi Kaichō, everyone was also deeply impressed by the sightseeing programme organised by Frank Shihan.
We visited the official training facilities of Okinawa Prefecture for martial arts (the Budōkan and the Karate Kaikan, which houses a beautiful museum dedicated to Karate and Kobudō), where it is even possible to train after prior registration. The large hall of the Budōkan also hosts world championships. Furthermore, we explored beautiful gardens (Fukushu-En), Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, as well as the impressive Shurijo Castle of Shuri, the former royal palace.
Particularly profound impressions were left by the memorial stone dedicated to Funakoshi Gichin, as well as the memorial site of the Japanese naval forces from the Second World War. It serves as a reminder of the terrible war, the destruction of large parts of Okinawa, and the many lives senselessly lost during that conflict.
After an unexpected delay caused by the 13th typhoon to hit Okinawa this year (which kept us there for two additional days), we continued our journey to the main island of Honshū. Unfortunately, the originally planned three-day stay in Kyoto had to be cancelled, and we travelled on via Osaka and Himeji to Hiroshima.
During our day stop in Himeji, we visited the temple complex of Engyoji, including the temple where parts of the movie The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise were filmed. We also admired and explored the famous White Heron Castle, one of Japan’s best-preserved medieval castles.
In Hiroshima, we visited the Peace Memorial Park located in the city centre. It was built precisely at the location where the atomic bomb dropped by the United States on August 6, 1945, completely devastated the city. The experience was deeply moving and thought-provoking, especially when considering how many people lost their lives there as a result of this tragedy.
A trip to the island of Miyajima gave us the unforgettable impression of the famous large red torii gate standing in the sea in front of the island, surrounded by water for much of the day. Naturally, we also made the ascent to the temple complexes located on the mountain above the island. We were rewarded for our efforts with a breathtaking view across the surrounding landscape.
Thus, alongside the ancient sites connected to our martial art and its philosophical ideas — influenced by Taoism, Shintoism and Zen Buddhism — we experienced a remarkable journey both into the past and into the present of our martial art.
On the return flight, during our nine-hour stopover in Taipei (Taiwan, formerly Formosa), Frank Shihan had also organised a city tour for us. It took us to fascinating places such as the Taoist-Buddhist temple complex of Longshan, Taipei 101 with its height of 508 metres and its spectacular view over Taipei from the 89th floor, as well as the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall.
There are not enough words to express our gratitude to Frank Pelny Shihan for his thoughtful planning and for selecting the many remarkable sights and stories that have awakened a desire for further exploration.
Filled with countless impressions, we then began our 13-hour return flight to Germany. Having arrived home safely and happily, almost all of us were still overwhelmed by the many experiences we had gathered — memories that will surely stay with us for a very long time.
