Technical Seminar with global Leader of Shito-ryu, Soke Kenyu Mabuni in Athens – February 2023

Eight years since his last visit, Soke (continuator) Kenyu Mabuni was once again in Greece to teach at the Shito-ryu Karate-do International Technical Seminar which was held with great success in Athens on February 18 & 19, 2023 at the premises of Athens Olympic Sports Center.

It was a great honor to once again host in our country the leader of the style Worldwide, the “Governor” of the World Shito-ryu Karate-do Federation and grandson of Kenwa Mabuni, the founder of this system. A great Master who combines traditional with sport Karate.

The invitation was made by “Yoshukan” dojo, the Greek Shito-ryu Karate-do Organization (Shitokai Greece), while the organization was once again undertaken by the official representative of Soke Mabuni and the World Shito-ryu Karate-do Federation (Shitokai) for Greece, Shihan George Pelekis.

It was two days’ seminar, Saturday and Sunday, it was dedicated to the memory of Greek-Australian Teacher Constantinos Kassis (Con Kassis) who passed away recently and was divided into different sections depending on the level of the participants. Before the start of the teaching, a minute’s silence was held for Shihan Kassis, while during the formal official dinner on Saturday night, a tribute to his memory was held with a photo projection and speeches by Soke Kenyu Mabuni and George Pelekis, who was a personal student of the Master Kassis, which caused emotion especially to those who were lucky enough to know him.

Everyone enjoyed the interesting teaching with emphasis on details from Master Mabuni. He brought them even closer to him with his simplicity, his supreme kindness, his transferability and his deep knowledge of both the technical and historical aspects of the Shitoryu style.

For some of the participants it was not the first time they had the opportunity to meet and be taught by Master Mabuni, while for others the experience was unprecedented. In addition to the athletes and coaches – instructors from different parts of Greece but also from different organizations that participated in the seminar, they also traveled from Belgium, France, Algeria, Germany and Cyprus, in order to be able to attend the specific event, while everyone congratulated the organizer as such events promote knowledge and good interpersonal relations. Karate unites and every effort to spread and promote it must be supported by setting aside all kinds of unfair competition, rivalry and slander.

Among others, the training seminar was honored with their presence by the President of the Hellenic Shito-ryu Karate-do Union Sensei Dimitrios Zefkis, the President of the Greek Shito-ryu Shukokai Karate Do Association Sensei Nikolaos Karaiskakis, the President of Shitokai Belgium Sensei Thierry Van Binst, the President of Shitokai Algeria Sensei Kame lGrairia and the representative of Shito-ryu from Cyprus Sensei Ioannis Gennetidis.