Sochin or Unsu?

There are three Unsu versions: i) from Shotokan/Shito-ryu (Apparently Nakayama brought this kata from Taiwan, but Mabuni said that it was from Aragaki); ii) from Motobu Choyu, that was incorporated and revised by Yuchoku :Higa (we have the short Motobu's version in our channel); iii) and a version that was taught into the Higa Seiko's dojo or by his top student Tamaki Juei. Kina Seiko had a similar version in his curriculum. This kata is known as "Sochin", but it is truly a vesion of old Unsu.

Tamaki Juei was also the link with a Hakutsuru-ken kata (Tsuru-no-te or Kakufa) taught into Izumigawa lineage.

Memories of Moritoshi Nakaema, Hanshi (7)

Sensei Nakaema was a calligrapher. Every end of the year, he used to present me with handwriting with positive messages. I have a collection of them. Here's one of the last ones. Koufuku!

Memories of Moritoshi Nakaema, Hanshi (6)

Sensei Nakaema carefully recorded the lineage of all the karatekas he met. His records are considered a valuable document, as they are researched and witnessed. The original list is long, and here's a simplified list he used to share.

NOTE. Item 07 shows the karateka officially belonging to Shikan Akamine's lineage in 2010:

“07. NAHA-TE – MIYAGI CHOJUN (GOJU-RYU):

*HIGA, SEIKO – *IZUMIGAWA, KANKI – **AKAMINE, SEIICHI (YOSHITAKA/SHIKANRYU) – ***B.N.A. dos SANTOS (HIENKAN) - *** “SÉRGIO” YANAGISAWA (GORINRYU) – “PAULO” MORITOSHI NAKAEMA (SANKAKUICHIRYU) – ***F.P. CAMARA (me) – **“PEDRO” YAO YOKOTE - **A. PELISSARI - ***A.F. da SILVA (GOJURYU) - ***ANDRE B. MUCCI.”

(***Actives in 2010 – Survivors in 2020: FPCamara, A.Pelissari, AF da Silva, André Mucci)

Memories of Moritoshi Nakaema, Hanshi (5)

Progress in martial arts takes place in five stages. It is a personal progress, as it depends on the nature and disposition of each one. Not everyone will follow these steps, but only those who are born of art. Sensei Nakaema understood this secret well, and was convinced that Musashi had expressed it clearly in the five rings (gorin no sho). Here they go:

Level 1 – The Dog – Loyalty.

The beginner, when starting his apprenticeship, demonstrates loyalty to his instructor (shidoin) and advisor (sensei).

Level 2 - Bear - Initiation

In the initiation phase, the student exhibits uncontrolled attitudes in the use of primary techniques.

Level 3 - Tiger - Purification

At this stage, the student exhibits an aptitude to initiate into advanced techniques.

Level 4 - Eagle - Freedom

The student is able to transmit their acquired knowledge. He has reached a good evolutionary stage and is now free to follow the last level.

Level 5 - Dragon - Spirit

The student finds himself at the beginning of the path to perfect techniques.

Sensei Nakaema considered that in karate there is a secret that he called “The Hidden Fifth Technique” (Itsutsu No Kakure Te). It is only possible to discover it “from the inside”. This is also our challenge.

Memories of Moritoshi Nakaema, Hanshi (4)

To achieve the spirit of strategy and tactics it is necessary to internalize the nine principles that lead to the right attitude. Sensei Nakaema was guided by the nine paths of Miyamoto Musashi's philosophy. We too follow the same path, which is tried by fire.

1. Don't think dishonesty. Be honest with yourself.

2. The Way is in training. Progress comes from practice.

3. Get in touch with all the arts.

4. Know the path of all trades.

5. Learn to distinguish gains and losses in material matters.

6. Develop intuitive judgment and understanding of things.

7. Realize what cannot be seen.

8. Pay attention even to the seemingly unimportant.

9. Don't do anything that is of no use.

Every student should put these standards of good deed into practice.

Memories of Moritoshi Nakaema, Hanshi (3)

In 2017 I decided to film the classic techniques of the old ABK, catalog all documentation (writings and drawings) I have, and film the fundamentals developed by sensei Moritoshi Nakaema to clarify certain obscure passages in some katas (Seipai, Naifanchi Sandan), the kihons needed for practices, the wazas and the 10 kumite techniques that were developed by Akira Taniguchi sensei and that Nakaema sensei had adopted and perfected. My top student André Mucci follow me in this mission. He even received the 5th Dan signed by sensei Nakaema. We concluded the mission in the monastery of the Soto Zenshu Buddhist community.

The last ABK board

Relaxing after the last workout

Mucci receives the 5th dan from sensei Nakaema

Visit to Soto Zenshu monastery

Memories of Moritoshi Nakaema, Hanshi (2)

This was the last footage by Sensei Nakaema, who was very old, in 2017. We shot it at Banespa's dojo, which he ran. It demonstrates the Seipai form we have adopted. We will publish other footage in due course.

Memories of Moritoshi Nakaema, Hanshi (1)

Here I begin my memoirs about my good friend and sensei Moritoshi Nakaema (1938-2019).

I've been training karate since 1964, but I only received my 1st dan in 1973 when I joined Kyokushin, in SP (I'll talk about my memories about that period in due course) and represented it in the late 70's. At that time there was not yet a Karate Federation and we were part of the Associação Brasileira de Pugilismo, Karate Section, in Rio de Janeiro where I was living. There I also received 1st dan shotokan. In the late 70s I left kyokushi and joined definitely to ABK as a 2º dan in goju-ryu (at the time, ABK hosted the UKGB). There I trained with Nakaema until his death. Yao Yokote was also my master and transmitted the forms of the Bugeikan to me. ABK didn't have a specific style, it was from Akamine's lineage, a system close to Shito-ryu, but when the technical director teamed up with Gogen Yanaguchi's gojukai, there was a rift within the UKGB, and part of us broke away from the UKGB.

Nakaema created Sankakuichi-ryu ("Three Traditions In One", meaning the unification of Shuri, Tomari and Naha styles) to replace Shito-ryu, a name he thought inadequate. He started using Motobu's Naifanchi, made a small modification at the beginning of Seipai and another at the end of Naifanchi Sandan.