Not a McDojo by Sensei Ray Tainui

Not a McDojo

There's a place in town that has been here for 32 years, in a building that was here when the roads were still dirt. It's not like many of the other dojos in town. It's not in a modern building. It doesn't have brightly painted walls. It doesn't have modern mats on the floor. It doesn't have new furniture. It doesn't have great air conditioning. It doesn't have many students. In fact, it has been referred to as a museum.

But looking around the walls of this urban museum, you get a sense of something that modern and new looking dojo's don't have. You see a history around the walls, but more importantly, you feel like the building has soul.

The occupant and custodian of this worn looking building, with it's well used looking weapons and equipment and it's ancient looking pictures, is a quiet and softly spoken gentleman. At first you might assume that given his appearance and manner he is the landlord, stopping by to see what is happening or to collect the rent.
Given a few minutes, that same man emerges, dressed in a uniform that is one of many he has worn throughout his years in service to others. His journey began in his first uniform, in service to his country.

This quietly spoken, respected businessman is in fact a decorated U.S. Marine Sergeant, acknowledged for his pistol and rifle shooting ability as well as having received his airborne jump wings. As a combat experienced veteran, you get a sense that he is someone of substance, more interested in actions than words and someone who has the experience and ability that others might talk about, yet fail to live up to.

But the uniform he wears today is a lot plainer. It's still a single color, if you can call white a color. It carries a crest like his first uniform, yet his rank is displayed with a very simple and very worn looking black belt. This plain white uniform is the latest one in a long line of such uniforms that have once looked new and that have weathered with the use and punishment that it and it's owner have both witnessed and endured together.
Talking to this man, who seems to be a contradiction in both culture and interests, you gradually begin to understand why those worn looking pictures and wall hangings are so important and what they really mean.

The more you stand in this dojo you come to realise that the lack of perfectly painted walls and neatly aligned computer cut graphics is a testament to what this man values. The walls are worn from being used to practise striking a target with a fighting stick. Rather than shiny new weapons and equipment, this dojo has a history that is embodied in the use that it and its contents have seen over the years.

The style of karate this man practices and teachers traces its lineage back hundreds of years. It is a direct descendant of Chito-Ryu Karate, created by Dr. Chitose (10th dan and one of the fathers of Modern Karate) as a blend of both soft and hard martial arts. Dr. Chitose and others were responsible for introducing karate to Japan and creating what we know today as Modern Karate. As a doctor, Dr. Chitose created a style that was intended to minimize the long term impact on the practitioners body, while maximizing the force and effectiveness of the techniques. A much misunderstood aspect of karate is that its goal is to achieve good health and make you the best that you can be in all aspects of your life.

Mamoru Yamamoto (9th dan) was Dr. Chitose's best student. Mr. Yamamoto further added to the work of Dr. Chitose who acknowledged Mr. Yamamoto as the head of his own style. This style is known today as Yoshukai Karate. Yoshukai Karate differed from what you see taught in many dojos and what is shown in many tournaments. Today sparring is a system of point fighting, with little to no real contact and judges
determining who would have won a fight, even though no blows have been traded. Mr. Yamamoto was instrumental in developing a competition system that allowed for medium to full contact tournament fighting. What Mr. Yamamoto helped to create left no doubt as to who won a fight. This more realistic fighting is what Yoshukai Karate is based upon.

This quiet gentleman trained with Mr. Yamamoto and Mr. Foster (9th dan). Mr. Foster is credited with bringing Yoshukai Karate to the United States and was for many years the United States Karate Champion, as Mr. Yamamoto was the National Champion of Japan. While today's training is performed with safety equipment, the earlier days of Yoshukai Karate saw bare knuckle sparring with light contact to the head (any technique was accepted as long as you didn't draw blood) and full contact to all other regions. Yoshukai Karate has its roots very firmly planted in the realm of real world techniques and teaching for real world application. While this man is softly spoken and puts you at ease with his manner, he comes from a time and a karate style where the training was hard and the practitioners were even harder, more accurately the hardest.

Over the years this museum has been host to many noteworthy martial artists including Hataya Sensei (9th degree black belt). Mike Foster (9th degree black belt in Yoshukai Karate). Moses Powell (10th degree black belt Sanuces Ryu Jujutsu). Devorah Yoshiko Dometrich (the first women's national karate champion in the history of the United States, in both Kumite and in Kata, seventh degree black belt, the first woman
to be conferred this title in karatedo or kobudo in Okinawan history). Don Wilson (won 11 World Titles, in 3 different weight classes under 6 different sanctioning organizations. World champion for 11 straight years, defeating 12 other world champions, 12 number-one contenders and 15 National champions on four continents. Career record consists of 71 wins, 47 by knockout, and 6 by kick-knockout). Philip Chinique (Doctorate Rank In Sanuces Ryu Jujitsu. Shihan Degree, 10th degree black belt in Aikijudokan School of
Aikido, 6th degree black belt in Budo Akademie Europia, 6th degree black belt in American Iacicho-Jitsu, 5th degree black belt in Shotokan Karate, 5th degree black belt in Ken-Jitsu under Master Robert Sakamoto, 1st degree black belt in Nisei Gojo Ryu). Jack Hoban (10th degree black belt). Bud Malmstrom (10th degree black belt).
The longevity of the history of Yoshukai Karate that is around the walls of this so called museum is paralleled only by the longevity of the history of the training that this man has received. He has trained in both Japan and America and is a 6th

Degree Black Belt in Yoshukai Karate and a member of the Board of Directors of Yoshukai Karate International. He is also a Shihan (Expert Master Instructor). What many
will hopefully come to understand, is that there are 6th degree black belts and then there are 6th degree black belts. What type of 6th degree black belt is this man? He is the kind that many aspire to and yet do not do the work to become - there aren't many around as tough, as well trained or as humble as he is. Beyond karate, he is also a 3rd degree black belt in jujitsu (you guessed it, from a respected JuJitsu style) and holds dan grade Black Belts in several weapons and sword styles. In total he has 18 dan grades across karate, JuJitsu, Kudodo (weapons) and Sword.

When the Grand Masters of Martial Arts first taught, it was to a few students at a time. While this old (and some would say run down dojo) teaches a few students at a time, it is not so much due to tradition but more due to circumstance. People today seem to want the flashy, shiny, new dojo teaching the flashy, shiny new points focused karate.
The few students that do come through the doors of the Bamboo Dojo get to experience the history and tradition of a martial art that is based around the traditional “whole of being” approach. What they learn will turn them into the best that they can be in all aspects of their lives. They will be fit, they will be disciplined, they will be healthy, they will be confident, they will be leaders rather than followers and they will be mentally tough. They will be contributing members of society who care about others before
themselves.

Of the few that do come to train with the Master, several have gone on to accomplish great things. One recent student who has gone to college is now the National Champion in the Womens 125 pound division of the United States Intercollegiate Boxing Association. Another current student has won the last five multi disciplined tournaments he has entered.

Should the time come for one of his students to use what they have learned in a real life situation, they will have the skills and experience of a style of karate that was born from the Masters and that was developed to win a fight, not score a point.

“Who is this man I keep referring to” you ask – it is in fact John Michael Matthews of the Bamboo Dojo in Downtown Vero. Businessman, Former Marine, active in the community, all round nice guy and arguably Vero Beach's most experienced and well trained martial artist. If you want to learn a style of karate for real world application if needed, and yet have the character and skills to not need it, if you want to be the best you can be, drop in to the Bamboo Dojo. The physical appearance of the Bamboo Dojo and Yoshukai Karate are very similar – they might not be flashy, shiny and new, but they get the job done like no other.

For any new students that want a truly traditional and realistic martial arts experience that incorporates karate and weapons training, Mr. Matthews offers classes on Tuesday and Thursday nights. The venue might not be as cool or as new as others, but for the real karate experience you should expect something a little uncomfortable and something that is very humble.

Mr. Matthews offers Master Classes for four to eight students at a time. The most recent is an introductory beginners sword class. This course teaches students (with or without any previous martial arts experience), how to draw, strike, defend and re-sheath a Japanese Samurai Sword. Initial training is with blunt and facsimile swords until the student becomes proficient enough to handle a sharp Samurai Sword. Once confident enough (and safe enough), students in this 8 week course will actually practise
cutting (the cutting of rolled Tatami which simulates battlefield conditions). Should the student desire, they will be able to continue studying towards competing in America's largest sword competition and their black belt in Toyama Ryu which was taught in the Toyama Military academy from techniques handed down from the ancient Samurai.

The Bamboo Dojo has been servicing the Vero Beach Community and teaching Yoshukai Karate for almost 25 years.  In that time over over 150 Dan Grades of Black Belts have been produced.Throughout the years there have been many Martial Artists who have made significant contributions to the Martial Arts come through the doors of the Bamboo Dojo to teach, to train or to learn (visit our "Hall Of Fame" to find out more).

Shihan Matthews has been studying the Martial Arts for almost 50 years and continues to seek out new teachings to incorporate into his offering. The Bamboo Dojo offers authentic and effective karate training at a level appropriate to the practitioner.  While Yoshukai Karate was known as the original "Fighting Karate", our classes are focused on personal development and progress. The intensity and level at which you train and fight is entirely up to you.