Hello Ladies and Gentlemen
I am currently searching for a school in okinawa in which to study Karate. My hope is to study Goju ryu due to both it's philosophy as well as its versatility using both hard and soft techniques. So far I have heard about the Karate Koboudo International Studying Center. If anyone has any experiences or suggestions I would appreciate to hear them.
Thank you

Are you currently stationed / living on Okinawa?

If so, in which area?

No I am one Island up in Kyushu at NB Sasebo, but I am quite flexible so I was thinking of spending a month or more just studying Okinawa Karate. I found this place: Karatedo Kobudo International Study Center, which sounds fantastic but they have no website and I can't find any details besides the village name of Yomitan Village or Murasaki village. If you have any knowledge of this kind of live in style of training in Okinawa or this school specifically it would be appreciated.

contact the guy who writes the karatebyjesse blog (www.karatebyjesse.com)

he's spent quite some time living and training there while he studied at an okinawan uni, and has a lot of contacts, so he should be able to steer you towards the good instructors that don't run tourist traps, don't hate westerners and actually teach classical karate and kobudo.

Fish

Interesting link, thanks for that. By chance, I'm subscribed to his youtube. I don't know what I'm watching yet I can find much to admire. It recommended itself and I was quite liked it - even if I don't always understand what I'm watching :-)

Thanks again. I may have to start reading as well.

I might not have any advice on studying there but i do have this;

http://www-edu.pref.okinawa.jp/hotai/karate/dojolist-2009/index.html

Might help you find a place?
Best of luck.

Fish

Interesting link, thanks for that. By chance, I'm subscribed to his youtube. I don't know what I'm watching yet I can find much to admire. It recommended itself and I was quite liked it - even if I don't always understand what I'm watching :-)

Thanks again. I may have to start reading as well.

you're welcome. jesse's very approachable, btw, and he regularly answers e-mails by the readers, so i'd recommend that you send him an e-mail and just ask him about how to successfully train in okinawa with minimal hassle ;)

My first instructor and my brother both trained in Okinawa with Eizo Shimabuku, my instructor during the 1960's and my bro in the 1980s. I was told it was excellent and the price was not at all excessive. Apparently, Shimabuku taught thousands of US Servicemen over the years. He must be quite old by now, and I think he is still living and, presumably, training. I would be surprised if his senior students did not continue running his school. I think there is a Shorin Ryu school in Dallas TX with a website that looks like they would know how to put you in touch with Shimabuku in Okinawa, just in case you cannot find him. I remember reading a blog within the past 5 yrs about someone who had just trained in Okinawa with Shimabuku and they remarked how fast he was despite being in his 80s. Good luck.

Are you still looking?