Challenge Okinawa

25/10/2024

Happy Karate Day everyone! Get your dogi on and do a kata, or maybe 100 Kata, whatever you can.
All the best to you from Asato Dojo, Okinawa.

25/10/2024

https://www.facebook.com/stories/10156628165064449/UzpfSVNDOjExMDIxOTIwNzgxODM2MzI=/?view_single=1

23/10/2024

IMPORTANT NOTICE for 100 Karate Kata event in Okinawa
Due to very heavy rain forecast for October 25th I am rescheduling our 100 Kata event to Saturday 26th, start time 5 PM (17:00) JST.
Please arrive 30 minutes in advance for group photos, etc i.e. by 4:30 PM (16:30).
Location - Tomarin Park, Naha
https://maps.app.goo.gl/KMLrsfMpVFXursb78

I apologise to those people who cannot attend the rescheduled day and time but the weather is against us. However we will have karate practice at Asato Dojo on Friday from 7pm which you are welcome to come join with us.

★★★★☆ · Park

23/10/2024

Good morning everyone. To all of you planning to join us in Tomari Port Park, Naha, Okinawa on Friday evening for the 100 Kata Challenge event - due the heavy rain forecast for Friday I am considering rescheduling to the following morning, Saturday morning.
I will update with a decision by the end of today, based on the weather forecasts.

19/10/2024

PLEASE BE CAREFUL - there is an unauthorised 100 Kata Challenge facebook profile sending friend requests out to our network - this IS NOT me so please do not friend this profile
https://www.facebook.com/friends/requests/?profile_id=61566835422784

Repeat DO NOT ACCEPT friend requests from any profile titled 100 Kata Challenge or 100 Kata for Karate Day Challenge. I don't know who it is so we must assume they are not to be trusted.

12/10/2024

https://youtu.be/ODziB93h2_c?si=jvDsEyfhXH3LTbK8
I was the interviewer and Chris (Willson) was behind the camera, but its been a few years since I watched this. People often ask me why I chose Arakaki sensei as my primary teacher of karate in Okinawa and the answers are here in his explanation of how karate benefits us and what it means to him.
This remains one of the shortest interviews we have done but it is packed with insight into the Okinawan karate heart or "kukuru"...
感謝、先生。

Toshimitsu Arakaki, Hanshi 10th-dan, Matsubayashi-ryu Karate (Shorin-ryu). 新垣 敏光 範士十段 松林流空手 （小林流）Sensei: Masters of Okinawan Karate is a documentary series...

17/09/2024

100 Kata for Karate Day 2024 - October 25th in Okinawa and around the world - registration and resources and MERCH!
With just over 1 month to go until the 2024 Challenge event we already have 50 dojos registered to take part. Based on previous years I fully expect that number to go way above 100 by the time we get to October 25th (Karate Day).
https://challengeokinawa.com/100katachallenges/
Go to the event page for links to register, get tshirts and hoodies and certificate download. If you are coming to Okinawa we will have some t-shirts available for you at the Tomari event but pls message me in advance if you can to pre-order.
These styles and countries are already registered and more are streaming in daily!
GKR
Goju Ryu
Goju Ryu (OGKK)
Goju Ryu Karate Do TOGKF/IAKSA
Gojuryu (shin ji kan)
Hayashi-ha Sh*to Ryu
Isshin-ryu, Sho-Dan
Isshinryu
Ken Sei Shoto Ryu
Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu
Meibukan Goju-Ryu
Okinawa Karate & Koyama Ryu
Seirenkai Karate
Shorin Ryu Shorinkan
Shorin-ryu
Shoring ryu Kyokushinkai
Shorinryu Karate & Kobudo
Shotokan
Shotokan Ryu Kase Ha
Wado ryu

NSW Australian
Armidale NSW +11GMT
Australia
Australia Melbourne
Austria (GMT +1h)
Bad Hersfeld Germany - CET
BR SAO PAULO GMT 3
Bryan, Ohio USA EST
Canada
Canada - Mountain Time
Canada Mountain time
Central Time Zone USA
City of Belgrade, Serbia, Central Europe
Costa Rica
Devon, UK GMT
England
Estados Unidos
Finland (UTC+03:00)
Germany CET
Guelph, Ontario, Canada (EST)
Hungary / Tatabánya
India
India and IST
Japan
KOORKKAPARABU Kerala India
Mountsin time
New Jersey, USA (ET)
Okinawa, Japan
Ontario Canada
Québec, Canada
Romania, GMT+3
Slovakia (GMT +02:00)
South Africa (CAT)
Sweden
Sydney Australia
Toronto, Ontario, Canada EDT
U.S.A. (Eastern Standard Time)
Uk , Cornwall
United Kingdom GMT
USA Beacon Falls CT eastern time zone
USA EST or GMT-5

The 100 Kata Challenges are a celebration of our passion for martial arts and our connection with Okinawa, the birthplace of karate. Every year more and more people around the world take up the challenge and join our worldwide community of karate and kobudo fans. The rules of the event are simple. P...

12/07/2024

10/07/2024

https://www.facebook.com/stories/10223294333300415/UzpfSVNDOjEwNDA3MTQ1Nzc2NzcwMDc=/?view_single=1

Hokama sensei teaching the newest generation in Ryukyu....

04/07/2024

Fun karate and kobudo class on the beach this Am with Gunnar and Reiden, TKD friends from Norway. First time in Okinawa for them and a chance to try out Ryukyu MA. A perfect start to a great day!
The new Seishin 1st Dogi is wearing well too! Very comfortable!

15/06/2024

07/06/2024

100 Kata Challenge event idea!
Why not use your local event to raise donations to help fund sending young adult karate students to Okinawa for the experience of a lifetime?
Next 100 Kata Challenge is on "Karate Day" October 25th, 2024!

20/03/2024

As if you guys need any extra excuse to go swing some weapons around but here's a reminder, its almost 100 Kobudo Kata Day again. This time we are going to do it twice as we visit out sister dojo in Wakayama this weekend and then back to Okinawa for the official day on March 31st.
Look out for our livestreams from Wakayama and Okinawa :)
https://challengeokinawa.com/100katachallenges/

29/02/2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1DWKJ8?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=kenkoleaf20-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=e4202db89e79223fa6f88f33c50f7449&camp=1789&creative=9325

Hey, check out this new Okinawa healthy eating for longevity Recipe Book from our friend Christal. We have worked together here in Okinawa on healthy living documentaries for The BBC and other major media orgs and I can tell you she really knows her stuff!
Its a Kindle book and an absolute steal at only $2.99 !!

And there's good stuff at https://www.theleap.co/creator/haitai

28/02/2024

Enjoyed a second morning of bojitsu practice on Naminoue beach with Chris Denwood sensei and his group from ESKK UK. They have been learning Shiromatsu nu Kun and the 7 sets of Kumibo exercises that derive from it (at Arakaki Dojo and Asato Dojo). Lots of fun in the sand building up a good appetite before hitting George's for breakfast.
Bojitsu, and all Ryukyu kobudo practice, is such as excellent complement to our karate practice, pushing up skills levels via the extra challenges of handling a weapon. And this single kata and associated partner drills ("Kumibo") are a very workable introductory system of bojitsu which I feel would benefit any karate group.

BTW - March 31st is '100 Kobudo Kata Challenge" Day - join us in this 100 Kata event here in Okinawa at Tomari Port Park, or wherever you are. Registration links here -
https://challengeokinawa.com/100katachallenges/

23/01/2024

Traditional music, dance and karate show.
Naha Cultural Arts Theatre.
Performance starts at 18:00 on Sunday, February 4th

10/01/2024

https://www.whistlekickmartialartsradio.com/blog/882-james-pankiewicz
With big thanks to Jeremy Lesniak and Andrew Adams for inviting me onto the Whistlekick show - it was a pleasure indeed and I'd like to strongly recommend everyone check out the Whistlekick series which has an amazing library of interviews from the martial arts world. Enjoy!

In today's episode Jeremy chats with Sensei James Pankiewicz, the creator of the legendary Dojo Bar in Okinawa.

20/12/2023

https://challengeokinawa.com/asatodojo-winter-seminar/
Its only a week away but we still have space for last minute attendees so if you would like to join us for our Winter Seminar program pls msg me ASAP.
December 26 - 30th @ Asato Dojo, Okinawa.
2 days on Tomari-te karate, one day history tour, 2 days on Kishimoto-di (Ulf Karlsson sensei)
You may join for part of the program only if required. Please enquire with me to arrange.

5 day karate seminar and tour program in Okinawa with local and internationally renowned instructors Okinawa Dec 26th - 30th 2023 Tomari-te Karate and Kishimoto-Di - learn the essence of traditional Okinawan martial arts Join us on the 2023 Asato Dojo International Winter Seminar. Our year end semin...