SECRETS OF OKINAWA KARATE
Okinawan school teacher and Karate Master, Kanken Toyama was born in 1888. His dedication to the art of Karate Do was a life long journey. He started his Karate training under Anko Itosu and later with Kanryo Higaonna and Ankichi Aragaki. Over the years he would study other martial arts including Kobudo,Chinese Ch’uan Fa and Tai Chi Ch’uan Fa. His knowledge and desire to learn and study the martial arts was recognized throughout his martial arts career. In 1907 he was one of only two people to be given the title of Shihan- dai to Master Itosu. The other person being Gichin Funakoshi.
In 1924 he moved to Taiwan where he studied other martial arts systems such as Chinese Ch’uan Fa. Years later in 1930, he moved to Tokyo and opened his first Dojo. Sensei Toyama called his dojo Shu Do Kan,’ the hall for study of the Karate Way’. He did not create a new style of Karate, but followed what he had learned from Itosu Sensei which was mostly Shorin Ryu. He also taught some Ch’uan Fa to his students. One of the techniques he became known for was his gripping hand methods and hand strengthening. Not only was he an excellent Karate teacher, he was also an accomplished author of several books on Karate Do.
One of the goals he had as a Martial Arts Teacher was to unify Japanese and Okinawan Karate under one organization. In 1946 he founded the JKF, The Japanese Karate Do Federation which helped to do just that. Sensei Toyama was an original Okinawan Martial Artist who earned respect from both his juniors and seniors. His dedication to the art of Karate Do helped to unify the art of Karate Do as an individual ‘Martial Art’ rather than being defined by different styles. He believed in the art itself and not so much the definition of a particular style.
Tracy Warrener has been fortunate to have been raised within the Martial Arts since the age of 4 years old and is a 4th Degree Black Belt in Goju Ryu Karate. She has had the opportunity to study with some amazing Martial Artists. Sensei Richard Kim, Sensei Peter Urban, Professor Don Jacob, Sensei Jim Wilson, Professor Wally Jay, just to name several. Of course her main Sensei is her father, Sensei Don Warrener. Throughout the 40 plus years of her involvement in the Martial Arts, she has worked her way from being a student of the martial arts to a Martial Arts Sensei ,teaching hundreds of students. She has ran and managed martial arts schools teaching students of all ages, worked within the community teaching at fitness centres, schools, businesses and Women’s Shelters, the benefits of Karate. One the causes close to her heart is teaching and empowering young girls and women the importance of self defence and awareness. Her program called Look Strong! Act Strong! Be Strong! focuses on easy self defence techniques and mind self defence techniques. In 2013 she was awarded The Silver Lifetime Achievement Award in the Masters of the Martial Arts Hall of Fame in California for her contribution to Women in the Martial Arts. She is also a Certified Reflexologist and Reiki Master. She has starred in three of her own DVDs produced by Rising Sun Productions on Reiki, Reflexology and her Look Strong ,Act Strong ,Be Strong Self Defence Program. tracy.warrenerentertainment@gmail.com
