I just read that Dam Smith has announced on the CyberDojo that The Okinawan Dento Karate/Kobudo Shinkokai has announced the 2009 Okinawa World Championships will be held August 13, 14 15 & 16. There will be kata competition
in karate Ryu Ha of Shorin Ryu, Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu. No kata outside of these Ryu Ha will be scored. There will be kata competition in Kobudo as well in long and short weapons of an authentic Okinawan Ryu Ha.

The announcement appears to suggest Okinawan karate once again has chosen not to include kumite in their World Tournament.

The tournament is to be supplemented with many training sessions too.

Did they only choose those 3 styles because they are the most widely practiced in Okinawa? Why would they choose so few events as well? That is greatly decrease the number of spectators. I don't know maybe making money isn't there primary concern at that type of tournament.

BoKen,

The details behind this years event haven't been published. 10 year ago they held it in Atlanta and they did include kumite. Since then they've held it in Okinawa and kumite has not been part of it.

It was discussed in the past they didn't feel there was much value in a world wide kumite event as they didn't feel Kumite was representative of Okinawan karate, just a modern tool. They're much more interested in bringing people together in friendship and training as well as allowing everyone to strut their stuff.

I belive they feel kumite is more a local group issue.

They're not doing this for spectators, and actually there is no commercial value to tournament kumite anyway. That is just for the competitors.

The intersting thing is the Okinawan Seniors defining their World Tournament in terms of what they think is important.

It is their art after all.

As to why 3 groups for kata, hard to say. For example there isn't one Shorin Ryu group that represnts Okinawa. It's been described to me that each Okinawan Shorin Dojo is unique it its own right. So it may be that this is just a general grouping of Okinawn karate (though Goju and Uehchi are very specific).

I'm sure there will be more details in the future.

I knew you would have a simple answer for me. I agree with you that tournament kumite is more of a local issue.

Another reason for doing away with kumite (they did have it several years back) was that there had been too many injuries to the competitors. At least that was the reasoning that I was given by the comitee members the first year that they did away with it.

If anyone likes, I'll post any info that comes my way.
Yoroshiku

I suppose that an Isshinryu practitioner could compete as a version of Shorin Ryu.

They would have picked those three styles because everyone elses kata come from those lineages at some point or another. (with modifications of course)
As far as kumite goes, the majority of okinawan senseis (from what I am told) see it as non traditional and part of the current sport karate direction which has caused the watering down of karate.

Also, kumite is a Japanese invention. Because karate has become so international, there are too many sets of rules.

See the editorial in the latest "Classical Fighting Arts" magazine (vol. 2, no. 15). The four leading Okinawan karate organizations have concluded that "sport" karate is not representative of the "real combat" techniques of karate. They even say that modern "competitive" kata performances are "overly dramatic and often theatrical." They will only present traditional empty-hand and weapons kata at the 2009 event in Okinawa, Japan. It is an argument that has been going on since the development of competitive sparring back in the 1920s.

For those interested in coming to and participating in the Seikai Taiki (World Tournament), here is the link to the homepage. It has all the info and application forms that you need. Good luck! I'll see you there!
http://www-edu.pref.okinawa.jp/karate2009/index.html