The Bubishi Karate Do Organization
Editor: Katherine Loukopoulos Email: kloukopoulos2001@yahoo.com
Issue # 20, October 2013 Š 2013 Katherine Loukopoulos
The Cover Museum: Arqueologico Nacional, Madrid, Spain Painter: Signed by Aison Date: 420 - 410 BC Period: Classic
Theseus in Crete and the Minotaur Theseus’ father, Aegeus, returned to Athens after visiting the Oracle at Delphi, and he organized the Panathenaic Games which were held every four years and involved, amongst other things, athletic competitions. Androgeos, the son of Minos, took part in these games and won many victories. The jealous Aegeus was angry that Athenian citizens had been defeated by this son of a Cretan King and sent him to Marathon where he was commanded to slay a bull. Androgeos was killed by the bull and his father, Minos the King of Crete, blamed the Athenians and also the citizens of Megara for the brutal death of his son. In revenge Minos gathered together his men and sailed forth towards Athens. His fleet entered the Saronic Gulf and Megara was overthrown and conquered. The war, however, was not over. Minos called upon Zeus for assistance and the god sent a plague to the city of Athens. In despair at the destruction the plague had wreaked on the Athenian population Aegeus capitulated, and Minos laid out his terms of retribution for his son’s death. Minos demanded from the Athenians to send as a sacrifice to the Minotaur seven young men and seven young women every nine years. This sacrifice of the Athenian youth would only end when one of the victims managed to kill the Minotaur by fighting with him in the Labyrinth of Knossos. Twice, seven young males and seven young females were shipped off to the Labyrinth in a ship with black sails, and each time they were killed and devoured by the Minotaur. When the third time came to send the hapless victims off to Knossos, Theseus offered to go and attempt to slay the bull himself. Reluctantly, Aegeus agreed but instructed the captain to change his sails from black to white if Theseus had been successful and the young people were spared. The wily Theseus exchanged two of the girls with boys, dressing them in women’s clothes. The goddess Venus was invited to become a guide on their journey and on the 6th of April they set sail. Upon arrival, Theseus met Ariadne who fell in love with him. She told him that if he took her back to Athens as his wife, she would help him in his task to slay the Minotaur. With the assistance of the goddess Venus she gave him a ball of thread which the hero had to anchor at the entrance to the labyrinth. This would enable him to find his way back out of the maze of tunnels
that was the Minotaur’s lair. She also told him that the creature would be asleep for one hour at midnight and this would be the time to catch him off guard and to slay him. Theseus proceeded to the entrance of the labyrinth, secured the thread, and found and killed the sleeping Minotaur. He was then able to return back by following Ariadne’s thread. Meanwhile the young boys who were dressed as girls killed the guards and Theseus opened holes in the Minoan ships so they could not follow them. Together with Ariadne they sailed to Athens. Unfortunately, an ill wind blew their ship off course and they found themselves on the shores of Naxos. Whilst there, Ariadne and Theseus were drugged and, whilst in a deep sleep the god Dionysos came to Theseus in his dream and claimed Ariadne as his own bride. When Theseus woke up he realized that he must leave Ariadne behind and that his destiny lay in Athens. So, Theseus returned to his ship and, together with the Athenian youth, sailed towards Attica stopping first at the small island of Delos which is close to Mykonos. Here the hero dedicated the statue of Venus to the local sanctuary and, with the rescued youths, performed a special, shuffling dance, known as the crane, with twisting movements that depicted the complex corridors of the labyrinth. The exhausted and preoccupied Theseus forgot to change the sails of the ship from black to white. Aegeus was waiting at Cape Sounion keeping vigil for the return of the ship. On sighting the approaching ship with its black sails, he was seized with grief and threw himself from the Cape into the sea and was drowned. Thus derives the name of the Aegean Sea. Theseus was not told of his father’s death until after he had made sacrifices to the gods for his safe return. With great sorrow he assumed his father’s throne and ruled wisely and well in Athens for many years .The Athenians kept the boat until the end of the 4th century BC. Source: http://www.in2greece.com/english/historymyth/mythology/names/theseus.htm
Source: www.art-book.gr
Editorial
Facebook has become a gathering lounge of martial artists and enthousiasts alike… I enjoy reading the threads which often lead me to sources I would otherwise never have found. It is great! It is a tool for sharing ideas and staying in touch with our martial arts friends. The volume of information is huge! Needless to say, I can perceive martial artists comparing information acquired from FB sources to the words of their own teachers… It is one thing to go to the dojo for training, and it is another thing to go to a social gathering for entertainment and gossip regarding the latest training techniques, tools, and methods. Dojo of days by gone were not fancy; any old place or a back yard served as a dojo! They did not have state of the art equipemnt, and their bunkai techniques perhaps did not range into the hundreds! But the practitioners trusted their oral tradition! With the passage of time, techniques learned were honed and chiseled again and again, and personalities emerged such as Kyan, Mabuni, Miyagi, Toguchi, Nagamine, Kano, Ueshiba, Funakoshi, and Uechi… just to name a few… they did not sit for hours in front screens; instead, they followeded the directions given by their teachers, and practiced relentlesly without scepticism.
Dojo
Man’s Best Friend… The Origin of the Shiba Inu (Inu = Dog)
Being one of the closest domesticated dog breeds to the grey wolf, the Shiba Inu has been around since the third century BC, as proven by recent DNA tests. It is believed that it was around 7000 BC when the ancestors of today’s Shiba Inu accompanied the earliest immigrants to Japan. Archeologists found shell mounds left by the Jomonjin from around this time showing that they did have small dogs around the same size as the Shiba Inu. It was in the third century BC when a third group of immigrants brought their dogs to Japan. These dogs interbred with the descendants of the Jomonjin dogs and produced a dog with pointed ears and curly or sickle tails. These dogs were hunters, using their keen senses to flush birds and small game. They were even occasionally used to tackle wild boar. Several centuries of the tumulus period (approx. AD 300 - AD 600) was a period of great cultural development in Japan. Among the earthen dolls called "Haniwa" found in the ancient tombs (image shown above) are the dolls of dogs similar to the modern day shibas. In the seventh century AD, the Yamato Court established an office to help maintain Japan’s native breeds as a fundamental part of Japanese culture. In 1928 the Japanese government named the Shiba Inu as a National Monument, giving it protection. The system worked almost perfectly despite a European breed, the Chinese Chin, being imported which mixed with the native dogs living in the more populated areas. The dogs in the country side remained relatively pure. Originally there were three main types of Shiba which were named after their region of origin. These varieties eventually became six distinct breeds we know today. The large breed is now the Akita inu, the medium sized breeds are now the Kishu inu, Hokkaido inu, Shikoku inu, and Kai inu, and the smallest of them being the Shiba inu.
It was in World War II when the Shiba Inu barely escaped extinction. Bombing raids killed off mass populations of dogs, and more died post-war to canine distemper. Mino and Sanin Shibas nearly became extinct, and Shinshu Shibas faired just slightly better. Breeding programs were established after the war to re-establish the bloodlines. The Mino, Sanin, and Shinshu bloodlines were tracked down from rural areas where the war disaster hadn’t hit as hard. Only a few Shiba bloodlines were found remaining with hunters up in the mountains. The Shibas found were gathered and bred in hopes to re-establish the breed. Desperate to gain back the same Shiba Inu appearance as the ancient original, they eventually succeeded with the most famous result, Naka-Go, who was born in 1948. Practically all Shibas today can be tracked back to him. It is a miracle that today we have this ancient breed that is so adored and protected. It is due to the determination of only a few dog lovers that made it possible for this breed to still exist today. Source: Posted by Mehz Prottas www.shibainulovers.com
Our World…
Strict doctor’s instructions kept Alexandros Sarris out of training due to his broken finger. In September he participated in our first class which made his mother and his doctor to ground him until he is completely healed…
Petros Liarmakopoulos is developing legs of steal, and we are staying away from his kicks…
Panos Georgoulias is punching out combinations that have all of us docking!
Anna Halkias is the most flexible Nana Kyu of the Western World…
Dimitris Perkizas is the strongest of the group with the highest number of pushups…
Nikos Theodorou continues to receive physical therapy for his broken arm…
Fofie Emiri and our Yoga Instructor Ioanna Papaioannou returned to training with full energy and vigor!
John Samouelian mastered the entire Hama Higa no Tunfa! Kudos!
Anfisa Zaichenkina who has delicate fingers was introduced to Sai basic movement… when Anfisa becomes frustrated, she is a real terror! So I let her take home one sai… for daily practice…
Dimitris Lemonis is out of town overseeing ship repairs… somewhere in the globe…
Letta Giannopoulou, the most studious of all, is buried in books and will be joining us in December... so she says…
Left to Right: Petros, Dimitris and Anna, Acropolis Dojo On October 25th we all wore pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Actually, we were in all shades of pink… developing sensitivity to human woes does not need to be expensive… Greece may be in crisis, but we do find ways to participate…
Didn’t have time to change my clothes… is this acceptable?
Front Cover
Back Cover
A personal achievement… now sold in Papasotiriou bookstores throughout Greece….
Cheng Lai Sheung the doctor…
Cheng Lai Sheung the teacher…
Cheng Lai Sheung the graduate‌ Congratulations on your Master Level in Acupuncture! You are an inspiration!
This is Goya!
Goya Chanpuru (4 Servings) Goya recipes are often cooked during the summer in Japan because the goya, (bitter melon or gourd) is said to beat the heat, among other purported medicinal and health benefits.
Chanpuru is a stir-fried dish. In addition to the goya itself, this recipe includes tofu and pork as its main ingredients.
Ingredients:
1 goya (bitter gourd) 1 block cotton tofu, drained 1/4 lb. thinly sliced pork, cut into bite-size pieces 2 eggs, beaten 2 tsp. soy sauce 2 tsp. sake salt and pepper vegetable oil for frying
Preparation: Cut goya in half lengthwise. Remove seeds with a spoon. Slice the goya thinly and place goya slices in a bowl. Sprinkle some salt over them. Let them sit for about 10 minutes. Wash goya slices and drain well. Squeeze them to remove excess water. Heat about 1 Tbsp. of vegetable oil in a large skillet. Stir-fry pork and season with salt and pepper. Add goya slices and cook until softened. Crumble tofu into large pieces and add in the skillet. Lightly stir-fry with pork and goya, and season everything with sake. Pour beaten eggs over and stir quickly. Season with soy sauce, stop the heat, and adjust the flavor with salt.
Source: www.about.com
One picture sums it all!
Source: Okinawa Karate Bureau
Some words of encouragement offered to me during my early months on Okinawa, 1987