Perugia, 17 June 2024 For an entire week the Palabarton of Perugia was the stage of the “19th European Gasshuku OGKK”, an international event in the world of traditional Karate of the GoJu Ryu style. The Cus Perugia and Hagakure of the masters Andrea Arena and Rossano Rubicondi, an OGKK Italia association, succeeded in their aim of bringing six masters from Okinawa to Umbria, of which two tenths dan, the highest rank in the martial arts hierarchy.
Recording the presence in Europe, not just in Italy, of the entire Ogkk karate elite, Okinawa Goju-ryu Karatedo Kyokai, is truly something unique and it is even more so to succeed in the aim of going well beyond expectations. The event was a success beyond measure not only for the enormous prestige of the Japanese guests but also for the organization and the quality of the work carried out in the daily training sessions.
Master Rossanno Rubicondi, Hagakure speaks: “We can say we have done something truly special. The idea was to give our kids the opportunity to savor the unique atmosphere of traditional karate that is revealed by working alongside Japanese Sensei but it turned into something unique because the masters themselves were positively affected by the curiosity , from the eyes of our puppies.
We went in search of the origins of karate to contextualize them in an area where the competitive sporting aspect predominates and this was appreciated not only by athletes but also by parents. Many congratulations and certificates of admiration received from martial arts enthusiasts and the public who have packed the arena in recent days. A true success from every point of view also due to the response of the delegations from all over the world, from Latvia to Panama, who showered us with compliments asking us for an encore, it will be difficult for us to do better”.
Maestro Andrea Arena, Cus Perugia, echoes this: “I am sure that we have achieved the goal of realizing our children’s dream of being able to work together with the Okinawa masters, but we have also gone further by making parents and enthusiasts discover something different , that special something behind Karate and martial arts. The great thing is that the Japanese Sensei were enchanted by the response of the participants and by the punctuality of the organization, with attention to every detail, offering us, on the last day of the Gasshuku, an unscheduled performance of theirs. The Palabarton watched in astonishment, in a glacial silence, certainly unusual for the temple of volleyball, the execution of the kata, creating an atmosphere that was nothing short of out of the ordinary.
What is significant is the fact that, after a week of working side by side, even the Japanese masters ‘melted down’ and became closer to our culture, giving us smiles and hugs, even proposing to us to formulate a candidacy again for the organization of an upcoming event.
What more can I say? For this reason, a dutiful thank you must be addressed to our team, athletes and parents, who made it possible to achieve all this, a full-time committed team who managed to make this event a special celebration for everyone, managing, always with a smile, to find solutions even when the delegations found themselves facing the train strike towards Fiumicino. ‘Chapeau’ was the expression our guests addressed to us and it certainly encompasses everything. Now ready for the next adventure, whatever it may be, always with a smile”
Sensi Ryoichi Onaga, European Ogkk manager, tenth dan, speaks: “Congratulations to Andrea and Rossano for how they conducted the event, a big thank you also on behalf of all the masters from Okinawa for the excellent quality offered for the Gasshuku Ogkk, an example for everyone. Our movement is growing thanks also to the organization of an event of this magnitude and to the contribution of the Italian school. Next appointment in Okinawa at the end of the year and in 2025 in Belgium”.
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