Actually Miyazaki has opened his business back up in Flushing for those of you who care. He's now teaching out of a dance studio on 164th street + Northern Blvd a few times a week. My mother tells me he's looking much better these days.

Please post your real name please ! Its just that annoying rule we have in E-Budo. :cool:

It's good to hear he is doing better.

All the best,
Rick Hendricks

Picture of students
 

I was a student of Sensei Slocum's. I enjoyed reading your recent comments on his students. Here is a picture taken at one of the rare tournaments he took us to. I think you will recognize several faces.

Enjoy...

Nick Dominguez

Hello all -
 

Great to see this thread continuing after all these years. I'm part of the 'next generation' of Kenkojuku folks. My sensei, Mike Hatgis, trained on Long Island under the late Rudy Goldmann (who, like Bernard Pierce, was big into archery) and Toyotaro Miyazaki. This was at Black Belt Academy, which used to be Jo-Al's Judo Academy run by Joe Turchiano. Over the many years, (I began in Shotokan in the '70s, prior to that held Ni Dan in Tae Kwon Do) I worked out with Miyazaki, Masakazu Takahashi, Horie, Louis Carrio, Bill Martinez, Tom Pius, Ron Foster, and met Bailey when he stopped up from Louisiana (? I think). Mike told me stories of the 'old days' and often mentioned names like Pierce, Bailey, and Slocum.

I was at Fred Hamilton's tournament in Queens when Miyazaki cut his head performing kama kata. I also had the honor of judging him at some Empire State Nationals. The very first time I saw Miyazaki in tournament, I wasn't impressed. Halfway through his kata it dawned on me - the man showed no 'flash', he was simply flawless. By the end of his performance my jaw hung open in amazement.

Many folks on the thread asked about old photos and of tracking Kenkojuku practitioners on the web. I have some old photos on my website: do-gakuin.blogspot.com, including Toshihiro Oshiro's first NY kobudo seminar in 1985.

Miyazaki's site is closed, but can still be viewed by typing into the URL: miyazakidojo.com. It contains many old pictures of Miyazaki and Tomosaburo Okano. Also has magazine articles and covers.

Takahashi's site: takahashidojo.com, has photos of him, Horie, and Okano's visit to the Amityville NY dojo.

Miyazaki's successor, Kai Leung has a website: shotojuku.com - tells history and has many old (and new) photos. There's even a picture of Miyazaki at tournament less than two weeks ago.

Thanks for all the stories. Hope to continue the trip down memory lane with all of you.

Osu! Steve Gottwirt