Kancho Royama's Seminar
May 2008 Cape Town, South Africa

This is a supplemental page to the one on Kyokushin-kan International's website regarding this seminar held in the last week of May 2008 in Cape Town where BKH Residential Student Paul Kaminski completed his shodan (black belt) examination. For additional information, please be sure to see the link of the same name (Kyokushin-kan South Africa International Seminar 2008) in the blue box at right. Like the other links in blue boxes, this link will take you to a Kyokushin-kan International web page outside of Ligo Dojo's site and you will have to use your browser's "back" button to return to the Ligo Dojo (Budo Karate House) site.

Ligo Dojo head instructor Nathan Ligo played an integral role in the operation of this annual seminar in South Africa in that he was the interpreter (Japanese language to English) for Kancho (chairman) Royama and the other Japanese Instructors who led the trainings. This role fell to Sensei Ligo not because he is fluent in Japanese but rather because his basic conversational Japanese language ability, combined with his knowledge of Kyokushin karate, makes him a fairly rare asset in a situation like this. Sensei Ligo traveled to South Africa for the 4th time in the past 6 annual seminars held there both so that his student Paul Kaminski could take his shodan grading in front of Kancho Royama and to assist with the operation of the camp as interpreter.

The photographs on this page focus on Sensei Ligo's participation in the seminar. For more general information on the seminar see the link at right for Kyokushin-kan's page on the same event.

Kancho Royama (center) and Shihan Kaneko (left) teach in South Africa as assisted by Sensei Ligo (right).

Nathan Ligo (right) paraphrasing Kancho's teaching for the camp's 200 participants. Kancho Royama is at left.

Sensei Ligo performing the kata, Geki-sai Sho, at Shihan Bosman's dojo in Cape Town the day after the seminar. As interpreter Sensei Ligo falls to an instructional role at the front of the dojo by default.

Paul Kaminski during his 20 fights for his shodan grading.

Sensei Ligo translating for Shihan Kaneko (above) and performing the bo kata, Oshiro no Kon, below.

Above, Sensei Ligo interpreting for Kancho. Below in a rare set of photos Sensei Ligo performs the kata, Naifanchin Shodan, along side Kancho Royama. Click here to see this entire kata.

Above, the 200 members of Kancho's seminar. Below, Sensei Ligo and student Paul Kaminski work between trainings to master a prearranged bo fighting exercise (shushi no kon bo-kumi) so that they will be able to teach it in Ligo Dojo upon their return to North Carolina.