Arakawa Sensei

General discussions on Wado Ryu karate and associated martial arts.
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Gusei21
Posts: 403
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2011 1:43 am

Arakawa Sensei

Post by Gusei21 »

I'm not good at these things and I am sure many others will write much more polished and eloquent statements but Arakawa Sensei passed away yesterday.

He had cancer.
I had a feeling the last time I saw him in Japan in February that was going to be it. He was barely able to walk but for whatever reason the second he stepped onto the floor in his gi he transformed into Superman.

Norma Foster probably trained with him longer than anyone outside of Japan so see what she has to say if she is willing to share any of her feelings and memories. I won't say much but I can say is that he was probably the best teacher I ever met in Wado. He was the only man people unanimously considered a shihan in the Wadokai. He had his detractors but in the end he was the only one who managed to get a 9th dan from the JKF alongside Hayashi Teruo Sensei of Hayashi Ha Shitoryu and a few others. He never graded past 7th dan in the Wadokai because he felt there was no one good enough to grade him. That pretty much sums him up and I always found that part of his personality endearing.

Koichi Shimura was asked to take over Arakawa Dojo a few months ago. I assume he will now be in charge permanently.

If you never got to see Arakawa Sensei then he will technically live on thru Koji Okumachi. Okumachi is a mirror of Arakawa Sensei and trained under him for many years.

A lot has happened in the past few years in the Wadokai politics wise and he was an important cog in preventing the ship from tilting sideways. Hopefully the ship will continue to stay afloat and there won't be a radical power shift.

Bob Nash
Bob Nash
mspain
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Re: Arakawa Sensei

Post by mspain »

Rest in peace, Arakawa Sensei.
Mike Spain
shep
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Re: Arakawa Sensei

Post by shep »

Always a sad day when one of the giants of Wado leaves us. My condolences to his family, friends and students.

Shep
wadoka
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Re: Arakawa Sensei

Post by wadoka »

Another Wado stalwart passes. Rest in peace.
oneya
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Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 2:31 pm
Location: Mornington Victoria Australia

Re: Arakawa Sensei

Post by oneya »

Vale:

Arakawa Toru Sensei. 7th Dan Wadokai.

Once again we are saddened standing here on the shoreline of wado history, watching the strength in the tides and currents of Wado fortune gradually ebb away with each passing of its iconic sensei.

Arakawa Toru was such an icon and sensei. He was a fount of profound wado ryu wisdom and a vital part of the 1960s Wado ryu western ‘enlightenment’ that would change so many lives forever.

San no Ya Wado ryu has benefited from his personal wisdom and benevolence since the early seventies and will miss him greatly.

It is to be remembered that Arakawa sensei, together with Suzuki Tatsuo and Takashima Hajime laid the foundations of a global Wado ryu movement that is still evolving to this day.

Oneya
Reg Kear.
Wado Kokusai San no Ya.

http://www.sannoya.com
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