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from the December, 2011 issue of Kiai!

Returning to the Source:
TW Members' Impressions of Honbu

By Jun Shihan Nancy Lanoue
Co-Executive Director

Our Thousand Waves dojo is the Chicago branch of a large international network of schools that are all affiliated with the World Seido Karate Organization.  Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura and Nidaime Akira Nakamura, the Chairman and Vice Chairman of WSKO teach at Honbu, Seido’s headquarters, in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City.  I lived in New York and studied at Honbu from 1979 to through 1983, before moving to Chicago to open my own dojo. Since then, I have made the journey to New York two to three times each year to train with my teacher and connect with my extended Seido family.

Thousand Waves members, including adults and children of all ages, are welcome and encouraged to visit Honbu -- for special events such as our annual anniversary benefit tournament, black belt clinic and summer camp, as well as to take regular classes. Over the years, hundreds of Thousand Waves members have made the trip. Many consider it a pilgrimage of sorts, to meet Seido’s top leaders, connect with brother and sister students from New York and around the world, and to train and sweat on the same floor that has produced so many legendary martial artists.

I recently asked a variety of students who have visited Honbu to share their impressions with Kiai readers in hopes their words will inspire more TW members to seek out this very special experience for themselves.

Sensei Sally Wigginton

How many times have you visited Honbu? 
I can't even count how many times I've been to Honbu. Did Jun Shihan take us there in 1986 when we were blue belts? I feel like I went at least once a year for my first 9 years of training. Many of the classes I've taken were taught by Kaicho. I've taken colored belt classes, black belt classes and meditation. I've also had classes taught by Nidaime and other senior teachers. I have been fortunate enough to attend many special events, tournaments and Summer Camps.

What was most special to you about the experience?  
I love going to Honbu! I love Kaicho's energy and welcoming spirit. He always makes a big deal out of visitors - he seems genuinely glad to meet all of us and have us train with him. I am amazed that he ever remembers me, since he teaches so many students and has so many students around the world. It's incredible to see our art done by the founder and master of karate. Kaicho has a beautiful smile and always makes you feel welcome. I also love when it is a special occasion and there are students from Seido schools from around the world. It's really something to not speak the same language yet all be able to do a kata together, or partner for a Yakusoku Kumite.

Alexis and Elyse Fernando

Alexis (advanced green belt youth) and Elyse (yellow belt junior) visited Honbu just last month. They both took a regular kids class and Alexis also took a sparring class.

What was most special about the experience?
Meeting Kaicho and having him sign our gis!  

What felt familiar and what felt different?  
Most of the warm-ups, katas, self-defenses (except for #9), how they taught the class, how friendly and welcoming the karatekas, teachers, and staff were all felt familiar.  Differences:  The teachers lead the warm-ups. When doing gassho they say the meaning of each move (universe, people, earth, and strength) instead of ibuki breaths. The belts were the opposite pattern – most of the students in the classes had only one color stripe on their belts between two white stripes (we have one white stripe between two color stripes). They have 1 hour classes just for kumite right after the regular children’s class. They have classes for the blind. They require students who arrive late for class to do 20 push-ups before joining class.

Senpai Susan Barney, Sandan

How many times have you visited Honbu? 
Although it seems like more, I believe I've been to Honbu 6 times (white belt, Nidan test, Sandan test, Nidan/Sandan test for friends, Sally Wiggington's Sensei test, Gasshuku) 

What rank were you when you first went?
White belt

What kind of class did you take and who taught it?  
I took a white belt class with then Shihan (now Shuseki Shihan) William Best and he kicked our butts - I particularly remember the abs and push-up workout and how encouraging he was. 

What was most special to you about the experience?  
I had an instant bond with Shihan Best because he was so kind, encouraging, has a killer smile and challenged the best in me that day.  To this day, I enjoy seeing him at Honbu every time I go and we're also Facebook friends.

What felt familiar and what felt different?  
Familiar: everyone was very welcoming including Kaicho (I thought he would be distant and less accessible than he was), same language, wonderful instruction and focus on spirit, high regard/respect for senior students and teachers/ Different: testosterone level/energy is higher, sense that this was HONBU (the world headquarters) and at the same time it felt comfortable, sense of history - that a lot happened here way before my own introduction to Seido. 

Senpai Ben Chesler, Jr. Nidan

I have visited Honbu once, a few years ago. I believe I was green or advanced green belt at the time, and about 8 years old. I took a regular youth sparring class with people above and below my rank. I found it very interesting that the classes, even the children’s classes, included pretty much every rank, or so I remember. The ranks went all the way from I think yellow belt to a junior nidan. I met Kaicho and Nidaime, who were both very nice, and during our class, Kaicho worked out on the weights.

The class was lead fairly similarly, but during Gassho we recited a phrase of some sort with each part of it. As I mentioned before, all ranks were together for the bulk of the class, which at Thousand Waves is done quite rarely. Finally, after the class, they had a black belt class, which I wanted to watch, but was not allowed to because I was not a black belt. This felt a little strange in comparison to our dojo, where anyone can watch any class of their choosing. In fact, it is encouraged to watch our Senpai train, so that surprised me a little bit.

Robert Miller, yellow belt and father of Senpai Alan Miller

The first time we visited Honbu Alan was about 12 and Chad was a junior in high school. The boys took a class on Saturday, and on Sunday morning, we joined the Honbu group at beach training.  Diane and I were not yet training.  On Saturday, everyone at the dojo was friendly and helpful.   The highlight of the trip was Sunday.  Kaicho was perched in a high-backed chair flanked by two large “bodyguards” as though he were royalty. He looked formidable.  It took only a second, however, to realize he was merely having fun.  He paid special attention to the boys and mugged for the camera with them.  They were thrilled and the weekend was a total success (almost). When we returned to the hotel, I realized there was no film in my camera. 

Lilit Matar, Jr. Black belt

How many times have you visited Honbu?
Three times in one week

What rank were you when you first went?
Advanced Brown

What kind of class did you take?
Endurance, also Youth class, all taught by Senpai PJ

What was most special to you about the experience?
I got to meet Kaicho and Nidaime, and I got to see Kaicho do a flying side kick into a bag and it flew!

What felt familiar and what felt different?
The karate and also the stretches and other stuff we do here were familiar. And the teachers were really nice like the ones in Chicago. What was different was they did some of the warm ups differently. Their training room was way bigger and they also had a bunch of punching bags.

Senpai Jo Willis, Sandan

I first visited Honbu as a blue belt student in summer of 1993.  I estimate that I have visited Honbu 15 times since then.  I have mainly taken Kaicho's multi-level, kata and meditation classes.  I have also taken a white belt class taught be Nidaime.

What has been most special is to be taught by the Grandmaster -- Kaicho -- a living legend, who I have the great fortune to be able to learn from, form a relationship with, and observe.  I feel an immense sense of gratitude that we are alive at the same time.

What felt familiar were the rituals, learned material, and commonality of purpose from other Seido students.  What felt most different was the environment: the physical space, the intense masculine presence (esp. coming from an all-womyn dojo), and the class size.  I remember being amazed how effortlessly Kaicho organized the class and made use of the space which did not look big enough on first sight!

Senpai Raphael Laden-Guindon, Jr. Black belt

I visited Honbu once; I was a junior shodan. I took a meditation class with Kaicho and a junior shodan class with Nidaime. The most special part was that I got a private class with Nidaime. It was Seido so the basic things were the same and people were very hospitable, but what felt really different were that there were so many black belts so high in rank, it made you feel surrounded by people of higher power.

Sensei Martha Thompson

How many times have you visited Honbu?
I'm not sure--but at least 15 times

What rank were you when you first went?
I have visited Honbu at least once at every rank I've held beginning with blue belt. I've gone on special occasions and visited on my own.

What kind of class did you take and who taught it?
I've taken a range of classes--all level classes, green to black, black belt, meditation, sparring. I've taken most of my classes with Kaicho and some with Nidaime.

What was most special to you about the experience? 
Kaicho's lectures at the end of meditation have always been a standout for me.  I have always been deeply moved by his beautiful calligraphy, his choice of a pithy concept with its multi-layers, and his passion for passing on karate as a way of life.

The opportunities to have lunch with Kaicho have also been memorable. They are times of discomfort with what to do, contemplation of stepping outside my routines, and a fulfilling connection with the process of eating the incredible food prepared by his wife.

What felt familiar and what felt different? 
What are most familiar are the basics and katas. What feel really different at times are the things that are somewhat familiar--for example, the warm-ups are similar but just different enough to be discombobulating at times.

Mina Nakano, mother of Jr. Black belt Senpai TJ

How many times have you visited Honbu?
Once, Aug. 2007.

What rank was TJ when you first went?
Green belt, 8 yrs. old

What kind of class did he take and who taught it?
Youth class with Sensei Mark.  He came to visit TW with his fiancée in early 2008. He was a phenomenal instructor.

What was most special to you about the experience?
Kaicho, Nidaime, and Issei came in to observe the class. They were so happy to see us, full of compliments about TW.

What felt familiar and what felt different?
Similar: The class material, "Osu" and high energy. Different - Honbu is huge, busy, full of power and life, but more chaotic, just like NYC.  There was more hierarchy than you feel at TW. The moment Kaicho walked in everything stopped, and everyone was focused on saying "Osu" to get Kaicho's attention, then Nidaime, and so on.  We are used to the peaceful fluidity and sense of harmony and equality that is always present at TW. Honbu is definitely a great place to visit, but truly loved coming home to TW.

Senpai Margarita Saona, Shodan

I have visited Honbu three times. I was a new green belt the first time I went. I took kata and meditation class with Kaicho the first time. The second time I took a green to black belt (I was 1st kyu). The third time was for the 2011 tournament.

I liked meeting Kaicho and taking class with him. I felt he was really welcoming and warm. I also liked the different rituals they performed around the meditation. The last time I took a class there I felt that it focused less on curricular material than our regular classes, but perhaps it was just that time. 

The experience of participating in the tournament was interesting, but it felt somewhat alienating.  What I liked the most about the tournament was to feel the presence of the Thousand Waves community there. I think that I would probably enjoy Gasshuku much more than I enjoyed the tournament. I am planning to attend a conference in NY next April and I will, of course, try to take a couple of classes at Honbu again.