IKKF BULLETIN - INTERNET EDITION


This is our first attempt at including information from the organizations official newsletter - the IKKF Bulletin, plus additional news items. With the future update of our pagemaker software we plan to be able to reproduce the entire newsletter (text & pictures) in this section. Hope you enjoy it.


EXPANDED WINTER CAMP FORMAT A SUCCESS!!!

We are happy to announce that the expanded format for the 1997 IKKF WINTER CAMP was a big success. In the past the Winter Camp had been limited to Brown and Black Belts only. This year, due to the success of our Annual Training, it was opened the training up to students of all levels.

The 1997 IKKF WINTER CAMP was held December 6-7th, at The Cloister's in Reading, Pa. Sessions were be held for Beginner, Intermediate, Black Belts and Instructors. Instructors for the Winter Camp included: Hanshi C. Bruce Heilman, Kyoshi Ann-Marie Heilman, (both focusing on Okinawa Kenpo Karate & Kobudo), Hanshi Nick Adler (Isshin-ryu), and Kyoshi Bobbi Snyder (Women's Self-Defense Instructor Certification Program). Special Guest Instructors included: Kyoshi Patrick McCarthy from Australia, and Mr. Forest Morgan.

Kyoshi McCarthy is recognized as one of the leading martial arts historians publishing in English and has lived for over a decade in Japan. He gave a lecture on history and taught sessions on kata applications and drills. It was an opportunity not to miss. Additionally, Mr. Forest Morgan returned for another lecture session on "the martial way". Those of you who attended Annual Training had the opportunity to attend one of his lectures, and this return visit was just as good - nothing short of excellent!

The training sessions were well attended with participants coming in from all over the States. Participants came from as far away as Arizona and Michigan to attend the event. Of special interest was a sparring session held on Sunday in which participants from various dojos had the opportunity to spar with each other and many of the Seminar Instructors including Mr. Heilman - it was great fun!! On Saturday evening a Formal Yudansha Testing was held at The Cloisters. A total of eleven (11) individuals were review for promotions ranging from Junior Black Belt to Godan (5th Dan).

Of most interest to those attending was the joint lecture sessions on Saturday evening. These lectures presented by Messrs. Morgan and McCarthy were just fantastic! It was an opportunity to have history come alive before your very eyes! We thank both of these individuals for sharring their research, knowledge and philosophy with us.


McCARTHY & HEILMAN'S EXCHANGE BOARD POSITIONS:

IKKF President, Hanshi Heilman is pleased to announce the appointment of Kyoshi Patrick McCarthy as a member of the IKKF Executive Board. Patrick McCarthy, Kyoshi, 7th Dan, Koryu Karate, is Director of the International Ryukyu Karate Research Society. He is a noted Author and Martial Arts Historian, and is the first non-Japanese to receive a Masters License in Karate from the Dai Nippon Butokukai College of Martial Arts. For the past 12 years he has lived in Japan (now residing in Australia) and has traveled to China for extensive study.

In addition, both Mr. & Mrs. Heilman have accepted appointments as Technical Advisors to the International Ryukyu Karate Research Society. Mr. Heilman noted that ..."the exchange of Board appointments will help strengthen the resource capabilities of both the IKKF and the IRKRS."

For the historical minded individuals, you might find it interesting to note that both the Heilman's and Mr. McCarthy share a common lineage connection - that is to Hanashiro Chomo (1869-1945). As our IKKF members are aware, our Okinawa Kenpo lineage includes Hanashiro Chomo whith whom Nakamura Shigeru (the system founder) studied while at the Icchu Middle School. As it turns out, Mr. McCarthy's instructor Hiroshi Kinjo (b 1919) also studied with Hanashiro Chomo, among others - small world we traditional practitioners share!!


IKKF MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN AMERICA CUP CHAMPIONSHIPS:

Members of the IKKF were asked to participate in the recent 1997 America Cup Karate Championships which were held at the CoreStates Center in Philadelphia, Pa. This invitation only prestigious event was Co-Directed by Master Frederick Scott with the support of the Philadelphia 76ers President Pat Croce. The event was telecast on ComCast's Sport Net Channel. IKKF Members participating in the tournament included: Doug Hoover, Steve Baer, Daniel Rupert, Brian DeGori & Michele Apsokardu. Mr. Heilman with the assistance of Messrs. Baer and Rupert also performed a demonstration of Kobudo as part of the Masters Demonstrations. Congratulations to all those who participated and supported us at this event.


PRESIDENT'S REPORT:

With the close of 1997, it is again time for me to take a little of your time and review the results of this last year. 1997 has been a year of some significant change for the IKKF and its membership. The most significant change was the ending of the IKKF's affiliation with the OKKKF. As discussed previously, this decision was made as a result of the significant organizational problems the OKKKF had been undergoing. While the decision was a hard one to make, it was really in the best interests of all parties and has worked out for the best. The IKKF has been able to maintain a connection with Mr. Heilman's teacher, Master Odo, who continues to serve as a member of the IKKF Executive Board.

A key highlight of 1997 was the establishment of an IKKF presence on the Internet. This project has taken a lot of work from a number of IKKF members - but it has been a great success in continuing to expand the international presence for the organization.

Another very significant happening during the last year was the immensely successful 1997 Annual Training. I think I can safely say that it was "the best" event we have ever sponsored - the training was long and excellent and the spirit of the fantastic group of Guest Instructors was unbelievable!! It truly will be a hard act to follow in the future - but we will try! We also had a nice group of individuals test for and receive various Yudansha promotions at the training with the highlight being the promotion of Mr. Heilman to Hanshi, 9th Dan!!

Our Women's Self-Defense Instructors Certification Program continued to move forward with additional training sessions offered during the year. Also we were excited to be able to bring such noted authors and historians as Messrs. Forest Morgan and Partick McCarthy to Reading to present lectures on martial arts history and philosophy. 1997 also saw the expansion of our Honbu Seminars with the Spring Camp focusing to Karate and the Fall Camp focused on Kobudo. Our 1997 Winter Camp was also expanded for the first time to include additional Guest Instructors and it too was a big success.

So as we close out 1997, I can state to our membership that ..."the IKKF is stronger than ever, our membership has grown, and we continue to strive to do everything we can to make the organization the most professional, ethical and responsive organization possible while still maintaining our strong training focus. Together we have accomplished a lot and the future is bright. Mrs. H. and I thank all of our members for their continued support and belief in our program.


RECENT PROMOTIONS & AWARDS:

We are pleased to announce that the following individuals recently received Yudansha Promotions at the 1997 IKKF Winter Camp.

Congratulations to the above individuals on successful completion of the formal testing before an IKKF Testing Review Board.


SPECIAL PROMOTIONS:

Special Congratulations are in order for IKKF members Frank and Nancy Caliguri on their recent promotions. The Caliguri's have been active on the Pennsylvania Karate scene for more years then they care to admit and we are honored to have them as members of our IKKF family. The Promotions were announced by IKKF President, Hanshi Heilman at the recent 25th Pennsylvania State Championships held in New Kensington in November. The promotions were made jointly by both the IKKF and the United States Karate Alliance. Mrs. Caliguri was promoted to 5th Dan in Karate and Mr. Caliguri promoted to 8th Dan in Karate. Congratulations to the Caliguri's.

STATE CHAMPION AWARDS:

At the recent 25th Annual Pennsylvania Karate Championships held in New Kensington, Pa. in November, 1997, a number of IKKF Yudansha received recognition as Overall Pennsylvania State Champions for 1997. Congratulations go out to the following IKKF members:


SPRING CAMP PREVIEW:

Mark your calendar for the 1998 IKKF SPRING CAMP which is scheduled for March 21-22, 1998. The training will be held at The Cloister's at St. Josephs in Reading, Pa. The focus for the training will be on Karate, Aikijujitsu, and another "IKKF Fightfest" session . The training will be open to members of all levels. For more details see "Spring Camp" section of this quarters Web Page.


1998 RENEWALS ARE NOW DUE:

Just a reminder to all Dojos, Affiliated Organizations and Individuals, that your renewals for 1998 are due as of the first of the year. New forms for 1998 have been sent out to IKKF Dojos and Organizations for their use. A copy of the new membership forms for individuals and dojos/organizations are now found in the "Membership Applications" section of the Web Page. Please note an increase in the annual membership fee for 1998.


REMINDER - GI & EQUIPMENT DRIVE:

Just a reminder to IKKF Dojos and others that the IKKF still has its ongoing GI & MARTIAL ARTS EQUIPMENT DRIVE. The purpose of this effort is to collect old, worn uniforms and other equipment which will be repaired and sent to our IKKF Affiliated schools in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. This is a great way for dojos to do "public service" and help out others who are less fortunate than you. So look through your closet and pull out those old gis that "shrunk and now do not fit!" - just take off any patches and send the gis in to the IKKF Honbu. Sparring gear and other martial arts related equipment is also accepted.


ISKKF 1998 INTERNATIONAL MARTIAL ARTS SEMINARS & JAPANFEST:

IKKF Executive Board member, Hanshi George Alexander will be hoisting his Annual ISKKF Seminar on February 20-22, 1998. The training will be held in West Palm Beach, Florida. The event is also coordinated with the Morikami Japanese Festival which is held at the same time and at which the Masters will demonstrate. It will be a great weekend of training, a Sushi/Sake Party, Kabuki Dancers, Taiko Drummers and more!!

Guest Instructors for the event include:

For more information and to make reservations contact Mr. Alexander at Ph: (561) 968-3231, Fax: (561) 968-1032, Web Page: "http://www.emi.net/~iskkf/iskkf.html". See you there!!


IKKF INTERNET NEWS UPDATE:

It has been one year since the IKKF WEB PAGE came on line. Needless to say it has been a "learning experience" for those involved in its creation and upkeep - but it has been worth it! Special "thanks" goes out to IKKF Yudansha, Fran Morrissey who did the initial layout work for the IKKF Web Page and had the patience to train Mr. Heilman in its update.

During the last year, the IKKF Web Page has received over 14,000 hits!! - far more that even our most optimistic expectations. Email regarding our IKKF Web Page has come from all parts of the globe, and the overall response has been excellent. But with the new year upon us, it is now time to look at how we can make the IKKF Web Page even better and more responsive to our members needs. During this second year of existence on the net, we plan to make a number of improvements.

First, we are pleased to announce that the IKKF now has its own DOMAIN NAME. From now on the IKKF Web Page's URL is "www.ikkf.org". This should make it a lot easier for people to remember our URL and to access our site. Also in conjunction with this change our central Email Address is now "ikkf@ikkf.org".

Secondly, we plan to revise the layout for the Web Page to include the full edition of the IKKF Bulletin in the quarterly updates. This will improve access to our Newsletter. Additionally we are also looking at setting up a "Members Only" section. This section is still in the planning stages, but we are considering establishing a "IKKF Bulletin Board" to facilitate communication and permit various topics (technical, philosophical, etc.) to be discussed among members.

With respect to "IKKF Products" on the web, we are looking into making more of our IKKF items available through the Web Page for our members to order and to establish secure "on-line ordering procedures". We are also looking at a number of "fine tuning improvements" such as adding a operational "Guest Book" and to publish more of our historical photos in a smaller format (which can be expended by a double click) to improve speed on downloading.

Finally, we are open to any suggestions from our members on any other changes that we should consider to make the IKKF Web Page even more usable to our members.


UNITED STATES KARATE ALLIANCE NATIONALS SCHEDULED:

The USKA will be holding its 1998 NATIONALS TOURNAMENT AND ANNUAL SEMINAR from February 27th to March 1st. The multi-day event will be held in Riverside, California. The announcement was recently made by USKA Director, Hanshi Jim Hawkes (IKKF Executive Board Member).

As in the past years, Mr. & Mrs. Heilman will again be attending as Guest Instructors for the Seminar Section of the event. The Heilmans will be conducting a number of various Kobudo Seminars. In addition, Shihan Fumio Demura will also be back again as a fellow Guest Instructor. Demura Shihan teaches one of the best Karate Seminars on Basics being offered these days, and is known for his fantastic and entertaining demonstrations. Additionally, IKKF Members attending the event will also be putting on a Demonstration for the finals. All in all it should be another great time!


MRS. HEILMAN APPOINTED TO WOMEN'S COMMISSION:

IKKF Vice-President, Ann-Marie Heilman was recently notified of her appointment as a member of the Berks County Commission for Women. The appointment was announced by Berks County Commissioner Randy L. Pyle. Over the years, Mrs. Heilman has served on Board of Directors for a number of organizations including: Crime Victims Center, YWCA, People Against Rape, etc. Congratulations Mrs. H.!!


THE PASSING OF TWO OKINAWAN LEGENDS:

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of two of Okinawa's greatest masters: Shinpo Matayoshi and Shoshin Nagamine.


OKKKF RESTRUCTURED:

It has recently been announced that Master Seikichi Odo's OKINAWA KENPO KARATE KOBUDO FEDERATION (OKKKF) has been renamed and restructured. The new organization is now named the RYUKYU HON KENPO KOBUJTSU FEDERATION (RKKF). The announcement was made by Marcus DeValentino, Sensei, Hawaii, who has been appointed at the Technical Advisor. The new RKKF Coordinator is Mrs. Naomi Kellar, Hawaii.

Although no longer officially affiliated with the OKKKF (as of the end of 1996), IKKF President Heilman wishes Master Odo and his new organization the best for a successful transition. Master Odo, one of Mr. Heilman's Instructors, continues to serve as a member of the IKKF Executive Board.

While it would appear that Master Odo will be using the name "Ryukyu Hon Kenpo Kobujutsu" for the name of the arts that he now teaches under his direct aspices under this latest reorganization, NO NAME CHANGE will be made by the Hanshi Heilman and the IKKF Program for their arts of "Okinawa Kenpo Karate Kobudo", or the "Okinawa Kenpo" and "Oki Ken Kobudo" kanji patches for the Yudansha uniforms.


FIGHTFEST HELD AT IKKF HONBU:

On January 17th, members from a number of IKKF Dojos (Heilman, Baer and Nenow Dojos) came together in Reading at IKKF Honbu for the first of what will hopefully be a number of "IKKF Fightfests". This was a gathering of karate-kas coming together to "fight". No seminars, no classes, just an afternoon of friendly sparring with individuals of varing ranks and from various dojos. All too often each of us just spar those members of our own dojos until we know eachothers moves down to a "t". This gathering gave everyone the opportunity to spar with new people in a friendly but serious atmosphere. It was a big success and we look forward to setting up more of these gatherings in the future.


IKKF FIGHTING TEAM TO COMPETE IN PITTSBURGH:

Members of IKKF Dojos in the Western Pennsylvania area who might be interested in participating on an IKKF Fighting Team at the 26th Annual Pittsbuurgh Karate Championships in New Kensington on February 22nd, should contact Renshi Dan Rupert. We are looking to put together a 6 person fighting team to compete with the "Pittsburgh Team" being put together by Kyoshi Frank Caliguri. A good time should be had by all participants. For information, contact Dan Rupert at "danr@talon.net".


PLAN NOW FOR 1998 IKKF SEMINARS:

Now is the time to schedule your IKKF KARATE KOBUDO SEMINAR by Hanshi Heilman at your dojo or facility for 1998. The IKKF is dedicated to "training, training and more training" and one of the best ways to expand the training experience for your students is to sponsor an IKKF Karate Kobudo Seminar. Hanshi Heilman's schedule is begining to fill up with travels around the world, so plan to to reserve your dates.

Non-IKKF Dojos or Organizations who desire to sponsor a Seminar by Hanshi Heilman should contact IKKF Honbu for more information on costs and requirements.

Lets all work to make 1998 the best year yet for training!!


PENNSYLVANIA TO ATTEMPT TO REGULATE MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOLS:

A major step has been taken by the State of Pennsylvania in a new attempt to regulate martial arts schools. Recently, schools in the State have been receiving "subpoenas" from the State Attorney General's office asking for various records of operation. Apparently the State is moving toward trying to regulate martial arts schools under the existing Health Club Act, which was recently ammended last fall. The IKKF Honbu (the Heilman Karate Academy, Inc.) has received its subpoena and has complied with the records request. More information on this issue as it developes.


ANOTHER IKKF WOMEN'S SELF-DEFENSE INSTRUCTOR TRAINING PROGRAM SCHEDULED:

Sensei Ronald McCloskey, Claysville, Pennsylvania is planning on hoisting Kyoshi Bobbi Snyder to conduct another training workshop (session #3). The training is tentatively scheduled for the weekend after Spring Camp - March 28th. Fore more information contact the McCloskey Martial Arts Center, P.O. Box 187, 103 Wayne Street, Claysville, Pa. 15323. Phone (412) 633-5016, or Email "W_Ronald_McCloskey@dlc.dqe.com". Remember, for individuals to receive certification under this program, they must be members of the IKKF, as either an Individual or Associate Member status.



Hope everyone enjoys this new addition to our IKKF Web Page. Its just another attempt to make this page as useful and informative as possible for our members. Take care and have a great 1st quarter of the new year!!


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