Training Stage
Fred van de Vijver & Marien Jumelet
with Sensei Arcenio J. Advincula in California (USA)
Sensei Arcenio J. Advincula
Introduction
Sensei Fred van de Vijver and Sensei Marien Jumelet were on a training stage with Sensei Arcenio J. Advincula at his Oceanside Dojo in California, USA, from April, 14 till April, 30 ,2000. These two weeks they deepened their knowledge and understanding of Isshinryu karate with this highly respected sensei. Arcenio J. Advincula is a first generation student of Tatsuo Shimabuku. He trained with the master from '58-'60, '61-'64, '69-'70 and the first years of the seventies.
Marien Jumelet went last year on the fifth Tomo No Kai trip to Okinawa with this #1 tour guide Advincula. He enjoyed and learned a lot. Now he traveled together with his teacher and close friend Fred van de Vijver to visit Advincula in his dojo in the USA.
Van de Vijver was one of the first to introduce Isshinryu karate in Europe in 1986. He received his Isshinryu lessons from first generation student, and one of the founders of the AOKA, Steve Armstrong. Armstrong and Van de Vijver together formed the NIKA (Netherlands Isshinryu Karate-do Association) in 1986 and the EIKA (European Isshinryu Karate-do Association) in 1988. Steve Armstrong is retired now, due to his health problems.
This visit tightened the already great connection with one of the Tomo No Kai (Okinawa friendship organization) - founders Advincula and Europe. If anyone is interested in more information, or maybe is interested in making a connection too with Isshinryu in Europe, please send us an e-mail!
After some exchange of e-mail and telephone-calls a training with Sensei Advincula, in a sunny California, was settled.
This as a result from Mariens previous trip to Okinawa (1999). This time Sensei Fred van de Vijver
and Marien Jumelet decided to travel together, not in the least part because of
expected changes within kata and bunkai. Out of experience one can learn that,
if one trains alone, often small details are forgotten. Training together under
the guidance of a grand master was a wise decision. It was Sensei van de
Vijver's second trip to the land of Uncle Sam. In 1986 he trained under the
supervision of Sensei Steve Armstrong.
Marien, AJ and Fred outside AJ's house, standing before Michie's car --->
After flying for 14 hours (transit Washington), Sensei and his wife Michie were waiting for us at the San Diego airport. After a 1 hour-drive to Oceanside, we had a warm welcome so we felt immediately at home. Some typical Dutch "souvenirs" were presented and we found our way to the bedrooms.
The next day, after having breakfast, we started our training.
Starting with the 15 lower- and 15 upper-basics like Sensei Shimabuku Tatsuo taught.
This was something which interested us (what also happened in the other training-forms) because we would like to preserve the way Tatsuo taught. This means you can teach your students the original forms like Tatsuo taught them to his students. This is something what every school should do, also out of respect to the founder of the system.
Sensei Advincula adds to this statement that you can add some techniques to the system (with informing your students), but you can never take away.
<-- Marien, AJ and Fred training
Wansu kata
(they are training on concrete plates in Advincula's beautiful garden,
sensei will in near future make a roof above it, creating a dojo)
We revised in the two weeks all hand/foot kata, about one a day. Sensei taught us also "Hama Higa no tuifa" and "Kyan Chotoku no sai". The tuifa-kata took a lot of time because we are not very familiar with this weapon. The kata were qua shape rather similar, but qua detail quite different which became more clearly in the bunkai. Sensei Advincula says about this;" Most Americans trained only for 1 or 2 years. In other words, too short to know all the detail. It are just those details which mould the system". We continued with learning self-defense techniques, which were also the way Shimabuku taught Advincula. These were escaping-techniques to arm-bars, strangulations, bear-hugs etc. He taught us also defense, with variations, against knife-attacks.
Almost every evening we looked at a number of video-tapes. Sensei's stock is quite inexhaustible.
We never saw such a huge amount of video-tapes, books and pictures concerning
Isshinryu-karate. So, it became two very instructive weeks and for this we would like to thank Sensei Advincula very much.
Through his very long experience in martial arts he became a very good teacher who
would correct us with just one gesture, word or glance. Or sometimes give us a whole new insight.
In these two weeks he gave us enough "material" to be busy for the next years, but
we know now that, if the
opportunity is there, we will visit Sensei again in the near future.
Marien looking in one of
AJ's photo books --->
(in his hands holding TS bo-cover, at the table you can see a tekko)
Out of respect for his knowledge and credibility of his story concerning the origin of the Isshinryu-megami we decided to change to the "Advincula-patch" which is one of his many contributions to Isshinryu-karate.
In the end we would like to thank Sensei and Michie again for their hospitability, taking care and all the trouble they took to give us a unforgettable two weeks in California.
Marien Jumelet (Sunsu kata)
Fred van de Vijver (Kusanku kata)
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Chinatown Los Angeles, which the four visited together
the last day of these two weeks
