Interview: Bill Hayes, “Old Student”, Okinawa Shobayashi-ryu Karate-do (Part 1)
I'm very pleased to present this interview with Bill Hayes, Kyoshi of Shobayashi Karate-do. Hayes Sensei became a senior student of famed Okinawan instructor Eizo Shimabukuro and has worked diligently to pass along karate as it was originally taught to him over the course of multiple decades.
Hayes Sensei is a retired Major of the United States Marine Corps, having served two active tours of duty in Vietnam as well as three tours on Okinawa. He is often considered the "complete package" of Okinawan Karate, embodying Okinawan culture, diligent wellness, strong character, and technical transcendence.
Hayes Sensei is the author of the book "My Journey With the Grandmaster", a work not originally intended for public consumption but now a staple in many traditional artist's libraries. Hayes Sensei also publishes a quarterly newsletter containing rare bits of history and wisdom accrued over many years of research and study.
These days Hayes Sensei heads the Okinawa Shorin Ryu Karatedo Kenkyu Kai Shobayashi-Kan, a semi-private research group that he uses to guide students in a very personal way that mirrors the core essence of his original training on Okinawa.
I recently had the chance to sit down with Hayes Sensei and ask him a wide variety of questions, ranging from his personal experiences to matters of technique, as well as philosophical issues in present day training. I hope you enjoy the following videos, broken into topical sections.
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Beginnings, and Training with Eizo Shimabukuro OSensei
In the first video I ask Hayes Sensei to explain how he originally became interested in martial arts training. We go on to explore his original tours of duty in Vietnam and how they introduced him to the island of Okinawa. Also discussed is how Hayes Sensei originally met Eizo Shimabukuro, and what about OSensei made him so special.
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Karate Influences and Learning Theory, Meeting Korean "Tae Kwon Do"
Hayes Sensei explores some of his karate influences, as well as explaining how learning changes and adapts over the course of many years. Also discussed is some of Hayes Sensei's travels to Okinawa and Japan, as well as training and teaching with South Korean Marines in Vietnam.
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Okinawa Evolves, The Tournament Scene, and the Development of MCMAP
In this video Hayes Sensei explains how he has seen Okinawa evolve over the years, and how certain "pipelines" of karate are fading away. Hayes Sensei also discusses his involvement with tournaments in the early days, and how he gained a reputation as a top tier Sai practitioner. The video is concluded with a discussion on Hayes Sensei's involvement with the development of MCMAP, the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.
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Read more in part 2 as Hayes Sensei discusses bunkai, hacho (allowable differences), long term wellness, philosophy, and much more!
5 Questions in 5 Days
Let's do something new and interesting! I'm looking to take 5 questions and answer one per day all next week. This will give you a chance to get a fresh perspective on an issue you've been pondering over, and me a chance to address some matters I may not have thought to cover.
The specific subject matter is up to you. It can be related to kobudo, philosophy, training, karate, mindset, the blog...pretty much anything you've been wondering about.
Leave your question in the comment section below or toss it up on facebook. I'd like to gather as many as I can so I have a healthy variety to choose from.
Drum Beats in the Cherry Blossoms
When you think of Philadelphia, your mind is not instantly transported to scenes of natural beauty. In fact, the city is pretty rough. But just on the outskirts of town lies Fairmount Park, an unusual escape that features some of the finest Cherry Blossoms on the East Coast.
Every year a Cherry Blossom Festival is held in Fairmount, with the highlight of the weekend being "Sakura Sunday". Sakura is the Japanese term for Cherry Blossom, and the day features events that span all manner of Japanese culture.
As you might suspect, there is no shortage of vendor booths and anime stands. These are fun to peruse, but what makes Sakura Sunday worth the visit (at least for me), is the more traditional cultural aspects.
Among the Cherry Blossoms lies Shofuso, the authentic Japanese home and garden.
I was able to take a tour of the house, which they have recreated with original implements and decorations, minimal though they were.
One particularly interesting piece was in the kitchen. Hanging above the cooking area was a basket attached to a long bamboo rod. While you might think this was for fruit storage, it was in fact used as a mode of transportation for the important man of the household.
Such carriages would increase in size and decor over time, eventually becoming elaborately enclosed compartments.
There were a few other worthwhile events, including Ikebana and Go. Unfortunately, it can be difficult paying proper attention to everything while still seeing the bulk of what the festival has to offer.
This year's main attraction was phenomenal, and would have made the trip worthwhile all on it's own. The Tamagawa Drum and Dance Troupe is one of the top Taiko drumming groups in all of Japan. They are highly dedicated students who not only preserve their art form, but work to incorporate creativity and personality into every performance.
The troupe is split between equally skilled men and women. The men create thundering drum beats that are both powerful and graceful. The women conduct complex dance patterns that mix traditional folk dance with modern interpretations and skillful theatrics.
Perhaps most noticeable about the troupe is the genuine emotion and joyful intensity that they exude. For example, when the leading drummer steps to the front of the stage, and in broken English declares that he is very happy to be performing for everyone, you simply believe him. And when the troupe kiais in unison you can feel their comradery.
I was able to capture small samples of both the drummers and the dancers for your enjoyment. First, the drummers:
The Cherry Blossoms made for an outstanding backdrop. As the drummers jumped and swung their sticks, they would occassional dash against a wayward branch, causing leaves to fall as they played.
Here are the dancers who accompanied and interluded the drum play:
The drumming and dancing were both highly structured and well executed, but there was still opportunity for creative expression by each practitioner. You could detect hints of their personalities shining through in small movements and expressions.
Much of the festival was dedicated to the struggles still going on in Japan. Tamagawa University desired to show that the Japanese people were resilient, and their spirits unbroken. Hence the continued performances and strong desire to take joy from such positive events.
