Seikichi Odo (1926-2002) was one of the most prominent men in contemporary martial arts. He is renowned for this mastery of weapons and was the founder of Ryu-Kyu Hon Kenpo Kobojutsu Federation (RHKKF). Master Odo was born in 1926 in Okinawa of samurai descent. At that time, martial arts had become an openly acceptable practiced art and classes were available as school physical education. Young Odo started training in judo initially at the age of nine but then switched to Okinawa-te under the instruction of Koho Kuba. Master Odo started weapons training at the age of 20 and three years later he would study with someone who would become his greatest influence, Master Shigeru Nakamura, in 1949. Master Nakamura taught Naha-te in Nago, Okinawa. This was similar to Okinawa-te. Nakamura renamed his style to Okinawa Kenpo (Chinese Fist Way) Karate in 1953 and became president in 1955 of the Okinawa Kenpo Karate Renmei (Federation). Master Nakamura is shown in Figure 1 with Seikichi Odo.
| 
|
Figure 1. Master Shigeru Nakamura, and Seikichi Odo,
early 1960s (Okinawan Karate)
| Figure 2. Master Shinko
Matayoshi
(Okinawan Kobudo)
|
Master Odo�s Training Background
Master Odo trained in kobudo (weapons training) with the greatest Kobudo Masters in Okinawa: Shinko Matayoshi (Figure 2), Mitsuo Kakazu, Kenko Nakaima, Shimpo Matayoshi, Chotoku Kyan, and Seike Toma. See Figure 3. Master Shinko Matayoshi (1888-1947) is credited with being the biggest influence in Master Odo�s kobudo training. Master Shinko Matayoshi participated with Gichin Funakoshi in the 1915 Imperial Memorial Budo Demonstration Festival. It was here the Gichin Funakoshi demonstrated Karate. Matayoshi demonstrated Tonkua-jutsu and Kama-jutsu, two weapons fighting arts, for the first time outside of Okinawa. When Prince Showa Hirohito (1901 - 1989) visited Okinawa in 1921, Matayoshi was again honored to demonstrate Kobudo while Miyagi Chojun, founder of Goju Ryu, demonstrated Karate. See Figure 4 for a summary of Master Odo�s training background.
| 
|
Master Mitsuo Kakazu
and Seikichi Odo
| Master Shimpo
Matayoshi
|
| 
| 
|
| Master Chotoku Kyan
| Master Kenko Nakaima
| Master Seike Toma
|
Figure 3. Kobudo Masters who also instructed Seikichi Odo
Figure 4. Training Lineage of Master Seikichi Odo
Master Shinko Matayoshi developed a kobudo style with a strong Chinese influence from his travels to Manchuria during the Japanese occupation of the 1920�s and Kung Fu training at the Shaolin Temple. The movements in Matayoshi Kobudo are flowing and relaxed using both circular strikes as well as linear strikes. The style is fluid and the stances vary from Okinawa karate to allow very quick movements. One of the most apparent differences is in the bo chambering technique with bo ending on the outside of the arm rather than the inside of the arm. The Chinese bo technique uses the outside of the arm to avoid possible injuries to the user�s armpit or the side of the torso. Master Shinko Matayoshi�s Kobudo system features the bo as the primary training weapon but also includes the following:
- other staff-type weapons (hanbo, jo, tetsubo, sansetsu-kon, and konsaibo)
- truncheon weapons (sai, the juste, and the tokushu-keibo)
- nunchaku (hakkakukei, maru-gata, han-kei)
- sickles (kama, naginata, nagemaki, rokushaku-kama),
- wooden implements (tonfa, tuifa, eku, abumi, tecchu), chizikanbo, bokken, kendo swords,
- knife-like weapons (kaiken, juken, tanto, ninshokudai),
- chain weapons (surushin, gekigan, chigiriki , and negegama)
- halberd
- Tinbay (timpei , timbei, tembe) shield
Figure 5. Seikichi Odo with Sai and different Kobudo weapons
Master Odo, the Instructor
While studying with Master Nakamura, Nakamura asked Master Odo to add weapons training into the school�s Karate program. When Nakamura died in 1969, Okinawan Kenpo Karate did not have a new headmaster to take over. Master Odo was named the headmaster by the Okinawan Kenpo Karate Renmei. Master Odo soon found himself as the President of the All Okinawa Kenpo Karate-Do League. Master Odo�s lead role in martial arts allowed the official addition of weapons to the Okinawan Kenpo system leading up to the Okinawa Kenpo Karate-Kobudo system and its respective association, the Okinawa Kenpo Karate-Kobudo Association.
By the mid 1970s, with growing responsibilities over the school, Master Odo was able to fully incorporate Kobudo training along with Okinawan Kenpo Karate. His influence in martial arts is significant. His many students continue the Kobudo traditions in places around the world such as Paul Ortino Jr. in Hawaii, Michael Kreigisch and John Snyder in Pennsylvania, Ed Hershman in Virginia, Dennis Branchaud in Rhode Island, Simon and Martha Sherbourne in Ontario, Canada, and John Jeffrey in Georgia. Table 1 summarizes the Okinawa Kenpo Karate organization�s timeline. These organizations have official patches shown in Figure 6. Figure 7 shows rare photos of Master Odo with a sampling of weapons.
Table 1. Okinawa Kenpo Karate Timeline
| Year
| Event
|
| 1953
| Master Shigeru Nakamura designates his style of Naha-te as Okinawa Kenpo Karate; opens his own dojo in Nago City, Okinawa
| 1955
| Okinawa Kenpo Karate Renmei (Federation) is formed by masters Nakamura and Zenryo Shimabuku with Shigeru Nakamura as president
| 1960
| Shinpo Matayoshi Sensei formed the Ryukyu Kobudo Association
| 1969
| Master Shigeru Nakamura died at the age of 77 leaving no designate as the Okinawa Kenpo Karate system
| 1969
| Okinawa Kenpo Karate Renmei appoint Seikichi Odo as master of Okinawa Kenpo Karate
| 1969
| Seikichi Odo installed as president of All Okinawa Kenpo Karate-Do League
| 1972
| Odo created Okinawa Kenpo Karate Kobudo Association (OKKKA); Taketo Nakamura takes charge of All Okinawa Kenpo Karate-Do League
| 1983
| Odo changes name of OKKKA to Okinawa Karate Kobudo Federation (OKKKF) to reflect the nature of a world-wide organization
| 1998
| OKKKF is renamed to Ryukyu Hon Kenpo Kojojutsu to honor Taketo Nakamura�s (son of Shigeru Nakamura) wish
| 2002
| Master Seikichi Odo passed away in his sleep, 24 Mar 2002
| | | | | | | | | |
Figure 6. Okinawa Kenpo Karate Kobudo Patch and the
Ryukyu Hon Kenpo Kobujutsu Federation (RHKKF) Patch
Figure 7. Seikichi Odo, Master of Kobudo
REFERENCES
- In Memory of Master Odo, by Paul Ortino Jr., FightingArts.com - United States
URL: http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=94
- International Karate Kobudo Federation, Lineage Page, International Karate Kobudo Federation, History page - United States
URL: http://www.ikkf.org/lineage.html
- History of Okinawa Kenpo Karate-Kobudo, International Karate Kobudo Federation, History page - United States
URL: http://www.ikkf.org/history.html
- Zen Okinawa Kobu-Do Renmei - Australia
URL: http://www.uechi-ryu.com.au/index.php?fuseaction=kobudo
- Grandmaster Seikichi Odo, Ryukyyu Kenpo.org - Jerusalum
URL: http://www.ryukyukenpo.org/Grandmaster%20Seikichi%20Odo.htm
- The Multi-Weaponed Art of Matayoshi Kobudo - United States
URL: http://www.portaskarate.org/multi.html
- Defensive Weapons of the Japanese Samurai, E-Budokai.com, Classical Japanese Martial Arts - United States
URL: http://www.e-budokai.com/articles/weapons.htm
- Tools and Techniques of Martial Arts with Weaponry, Karate and Martial Arts with Weaponry - Japan
URL: http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/023/eng/013/index.html (includes videos of weapons kata)
- Kobu-Jutsu: Classical Okinawan Weapons, Branchaud Karate Dojo - United States
URL: http://www.branchdojo.com/pages/947489/index.htm
- History of Seito Matsumura Shorin Ryu Karate by Christian Whiting, Seito Matsumura Shorin Ryu - United States
URL: http://www.bushido.net/seitohistory.html
- Dharma-Ryu Web Page, Dharma-Ryu Home Page - United States
URL: http://www.dharma-ryu.com/ (Now selling a DVD of Seikichi Odo performing weapons katas)
- Okinawa Kenpo Karate Kobudo - United States
URL: http://www.okinawakenpo.com/index.htm (Lists other schools with instructors trained by Seikichi Odo)
- Jeffery�s Ryukyu hon Kenpo Karate Kobujutsu Dojo - United States
URL: http://www.jefferykenpo.com/ (Includes many rare pictures of Seikichi Odo)
- Ryukyu Hon Kenpo Kobujutsu Federation - United States
http://daisenseiodo.tripod.com/
Copyright © 2009 cyberpunk
Send E-Mail: webmaster
|
|
Revised 1 Jan 2009
|
