Shihan and Kyoshi Ferreira at his dojo in Rio de Janeiro
Rio is known around the world for its gorgeous beaches, enchanting music, colorful Carnival celebrations, and the iconic statue of Cristo Redentor that towers majestically over the city. Of course, with a full schedule of martial arts training, there wasn't much time for sightseeing in this complex and up-and-coming urban center.
View of Rio from Christ the Redeemer
On the ground, the people are warm, loving, generous, and passionate about their families and friends. And the martial artists, as you might expect, are passionate about training and their dojos. One of the best things about teaching in Brazil was the dedication and respect shown by everyone from elementary-school yellow belts to seasoned eighth-dan masters.
Shihan smiling and laughing with some of Brazil's next-generation karateka
Before Shihan could do any martial arts, however, his hosts took him to meet Mauro Vasconcelos, the favorite to win a local mayoral election. The candidate called a TV interview to commemorate Shihan's trip to his district and to publicly show his support for the popularization of martial arts in the community. It was an unexpected treat to be broadcast all over Brazil, and we hope that the exposure gives a boost to Kyoshi Ferreira's dojo while inspiring more people to better their lives through traditional martial arts training.
TV interview with the future mayor
Go Mauro!
Following Shihan's South American television debut, the teaching schedule began with an impromptu Thursday night class consisting of kids and adults mostly trained in Shito-ryu and Shotokan. Shihan spent a good portion of the session teaching the kata Ananko to stress the universal concepts of hip rotation, pivoting, and handling multiple attackers. The kids worked on the hiji-ate goho elbow series with bunkai application.
Learning Ananko
Following the seminar, Shihan took some time to discuss budo philosophy with the senior black belts, covering topics like etiquette, titles, hierarchy, respect for tradition and teachings, and more.
Discussing budo philosophy after training
On Friday, Shihan was invited as the guest of honor at a local tournament, where he demonstrated Paiho and the Kenshin-ryu bo kata Kubo, spoke with local martial arts movers and shakers, and presented the grand prize trophy to the school that came away with the most awards. Sempai Dawn also demonstrated Nijushiho and Sensei Demura's Kihon Kama kata.
The winning dojo celebrates as Shihan presents the grand prize trophy
Shihan demonstrating Paiho
Nijushiho
In the Friday afternoon, Saturday, and Sunday seminars, Shihan taught the entire tenshin-happo series with bunkai and some oyo applications, reviewed Ananko and taught Shinpa, and spent many hours teaching basic Toyama-ryu sword kata to a mixed group consisting of Shito-ryu practitioners of all ages and rank, long-time Shotokan practitioners and sensei, and a seasoned group of Aikido instructors. There were even participants from Tae Kwon Do and boxing who stopped by to absorb hints and ideas for their own practice. The mood was warm, focused, and respectful, as martial artists of all stripes gathered to learn from the visiting American sensei with a direct lineage to their Japanese and Okinawan martial arts roots.
Discussing pressure points during tenshin-happo oyo instruction
The karate group after studying tenshin-happo and application
Toyama-ryu basic kata #2
Shinkendo bokken sparring exercises
Scenes from Toyama-ryu sword class
We would like to send out warm wishes and a big thank you to the people of Brazil, who welcomed Shihan with open arms, trained hard, and went out of their way to show him respect and the full measure of their overwhelming Brazilian hospitality during his stay. We are hopeful for the future of martial arts in Brazil, and believe that this is the start of an exciting road towards bigger events as the city gears up for the Summer Olympic Games in 2016. Ganbatte, Brasil! See you again soon!
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