Seigi Nakamura

Juku Founder
Chokei Kishaba

Juku Cho
Katsuhiko Shinzato
Hikari Dojo -- Okinawa Karate-Do Shorin-Ryu Kishaba Juku

 Advisors
Rodney Shimabukuro
Charles C. Goodin

Dojo Cho
Charles T. Goodin

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The Hikari Dojo conducts classes in the traditional Okinawan arts of Karate Jutsu (Kishaba Juku Shorin-Ryu) and Yamani-Ryu Bojutsu. The chief instructor of the dojo is Charles T. Goodin, 4th dan, under the guidance of Charles C. Goodin, 6th dan. We are fortunate to have several yudansha (black belts) who help to teach the classes. All of the yudansha at the dojo are volunteers. They all teach because they love the art and want to help perpetuate it. Many dedicated adult students also assist with the class, the maintenance of the dojo, and fund raising. Our active yudansha include:

4th dan 3rd dan 2nd dan 1st dan
  • Charles T. Goodin
  • Dexter Chun
  • Nayna T. Goodin
  • Cael T. Goodin
  • Ken Leung
  • Analinda Erickson
  • William Erickson
  • Eric Shigeta
  • Christine Choy
  • Natasja T. Goodin
  • RT Caston
  • Peerawut "Peter" Kamlang-ek

    • We practice on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at:

    Halawa District Park Gym (photo)
    (in the martial arts rooms upstairs)
    99-795 Iwaiwa Street (map)
    Aiea, Hawaii 96701
    (mauka of the Panasonic Building)

    Cost: $5 per month. There is also an
    annual insurance fee of $20.

    Classes are open to youths (age 11+)
    and adults.

    For information call Charles C. Goodin
    at (808) 488-5773
    e-mail: goodin@hawaii.rr.com


    Hikari Dojo students at the opening of "Hawai`i Karate Roots:
    105 Years of Karate in Hawaii    ," June 25, 2005. Photo by Fely Joco.

    Information for Prospective Students:

    • Tournaments. We are traditionally oriented and do not participate in tournaments or competitions.

    • Non-commercial. You can't really pay for Karate. The $5 monthly fee is just a token to help pay for necessary supplies. Students actually "pay" by their dedication, hard work and helping other students.

    • Not A Religion. Karate teaches self-discipline and character. It is not a religion. We begin and end the class by forming a circle and bowing to each other as a sign of mutual respect.

    • Training Emphasis. Our training is kata oriented. New students learn the fundamentals of movement by learning the Naihanchi Shodan and Nidan kata. There are a total of 18 empty hand kata in our system, as well as 3 bo kata in the Yamani-Ryu system, and one sai kata (see right). The emphasis is not on the quantity of kata learned but rather on the depth of understanding of each kata. It is important to learn both the body dynamics and the applications (bunkai) of each of the movements in the kata.

    • Okinawan History and Culture. The Hikari Dojo is part of the Hawaii Karate Seinenkai, an organization dedicated to preserving the memory of Hawaii's Karate pioneers and encouraging the practice of Karate by young people. The Seinenkai was originally established in 1933. The Hikari Dojo is also related to the Hawaii Karate Museum. Karate is taught as an important aspect of Okinawan culture.

    • Hawaii Karate Kenkyukai. Charles C. Goodin is a member of the Hawaii Karate Kenkyukai, a study group comprised of several traditional karate instructors in Hawaii.

    • You can learn a lot about our dojo by reading Charles C. Goodin's Karate Thoughts Blog.
    Empty Hand Kata:

    • Naihanchi 1, 2 & 3
    • Fukyugata 1 & 2
    • Pinan 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5
    • Ananku
    • Wankan
    • Rohai
    • Wanshu
    • Passai
    • Gojushiho
    • Chinto
    • Kusanku

    Yamani-Ryu Bo Kata:

    • Shuji Nu Kun
    • Sakugawa Nu Kun
    • Shirataru Nu Kun

    Kishaba Juku Kobudo

    • Kishaba Nu Sai

    spacerOkinawa Karate-Do Shorin Ryu Kishaba Juku

    Sensei Katsuhiko Shinzato and Charles C. Goodin
    Sensei Katsuhiko Shinzato and Charles C. Goodin
    Yonabaru, Okinawa, February 2002

    The Hikari Dojo is the Hawaii branch of the Okinawa Karate-Do Shorin Ryu Kishaba Juku of Yonabaru, Okinawa. "Juku" means "private academy". Kishaba Juku was founded by Sensei Chokei Kishaba. Kishaba Sensei's instructors included Sensei Hohan Soken (Matsumura Seito Shorin-Ryu, student of Nabe Matsumura), Sensei Shoshin Nagamine (founder of Matsubayashi-Ryu, student of Ankichi Arakaki, Chotoku Kyan and Choki Motobu), and Sensei Seigi Nakamura. Upon Kishaba Sensei's passing in 2000, Sensei Katsuhiko Shinzato became the Juku Cho (head).

    Shinzato Sensei is a professor at Okinawa International University. His Karate teachers included Sensei Tsunetaka Shimabukuro (while he was an undergraduate student at the University of the Ryukyus), Sensei Shoshin Nagamine, Sensei Seigi Nakamura, and Sensei Chokei Kishaba. He also studied Yamani-Ryu Bojutsu under Sensei Chogi Kishaba (student of Masami Chinen). He was the English translator of The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do by Sensei Shoshin Nagamine.

    You can see an excellent video of Shinzato Sensei at the OkinawaBBtv.com website. This was done for the Uchina Kibun television program. See the Okinawa Karate page. Several of the video clips are here.

    There are relatively few international Kishaba Juku dojo. They include Borut Mauhler's Kishaba Juku Slovenia dojo, Bill Lucas' Kishaba Juku of Tallahassee, and Chris Walton's Timberhill Karate Club.

    Koshi & Body Dynamics. Shinzato Sensei teaches a unique form of body dynamics which, in all honesty, is impossible to adequately describe in words. The cornerstone of training is the development and coordination of the koshi, the central part of the body encompassing the hips and surrounding areas. The lower and upper body are linked through the koshi. Thus, power generated by the lower body can the efficiently transferred to the hands or arms for blocking or striking techniques. Movements are deceptively relaxed, but powerful and delivered in a whiplike manner. This is also described as a "body wave."

    This method is often compared to certain Chinese forms of martial arts and is sometimes descrined as a "soft style". It is true the the outside of the body appears soft at times, but the core of the body is kept firm (somewhat like ringing a wet towel). Kata are practiced in various ways, including one that is sometimes described as "Taichi-ken". This is a slow and exaggerated method used to teach body dynamics. An old adage states: "to learn to move quickly, practice slowly."


    spacerCharles C. Goodin


    The Goodin family with Shinzato Sensei
    (third from left), February 2003.
    Charles C. Goodin, an attorney and writer by profession, established the Hikari Dojo in February, 1997. His wife, Nayna, also trains, as do their four children: Christopher, Charles, Cael. and Natasja. Charles began his Shorin-Ryu training in 1976 under Sensei Rodney Shimabukuro, at the Our Lady of the Mount Dojo in Kalihi Valley. Shimabukuro Sensei was a student of Sensei Tommy Morita (a student of Masaichi Oshiro, Tsuyoshi Chitose, and Shoshin Nagamine, among others). Charles later also became the student of Sensei Katsuhiko Shinzato, of Yonabaru, Okinawa, in the arts of Kishaba Juku Shorin-Ryu and Yamani-Ryu Bojutsu.

    He also studied, at various times and for various lengths of time:

    • Kenpo Karate (in high school, first under Florentino S. Pancipanci and later under Edward Wallace of the CHA-3 Kenpo organization),
    • Matsubayashi-Ryu (for a few years under William H. Rabacal, at the Aiea Soto Zen Mission),
    • Aikido (under Sadao Yoshioka in Hawaii (Waialae and Nuuanu YMCA dojo), and Shigeru Suzuki in Chicago briefly),
    • Judo (at Misawa Air Force Base, Japan, under Sato Sensei, and in Hawaii briefly under Richard Kimura and Kenneth Oda),
    • Kendo and Iaido (originally under Sensei Chuichi Furuyama at the University of Hawaii and Kaimuki, and briefly under Dr. Noboru Akagi and Arnold Fukutomi at the Aiea Taiheji Kendo Club), and
    • Tai Chi Chuan/Ying Tung Gung Fu (also under Florentino S. Pancipanci).

    These are mentioned only to give his background and show respect to his former teachers. Charles only teaches Kishaba Juku Shorin-Ryu and Yamani-Ryu Bojutsu.

    He was responsible for the restablishment the Hawaii Karate Seinenkai and the formation of the Hawaii Karate Museum. He is a member of the Hawaii Karate Kodanshakai.

    Charles is very active as a Karate historian. He is a Contributing Editor of Classical Martial Arts Magazine (formerly known as Dragon Times) and was formerly an editor of Furyu: The Budo Journal (a local journal published by Wayne Muromoto). He was also a special writer and martial arts book reviewer for The Hawaii Herald. The following are some of articles that Charles has written (or were written about his research). Click on blue links for online articles and journals.

    Please see his Karate Thoughts Blog.

    		 Shorin-Ryu. Charles C. Goodin.

    Charles C. Goodin and son, Charles T. Goodin, from the second issue of Sabani magazine. Photo: Nayna Goodin.

    Click above for this article
    Additonal Articles by Charles C. Goodin:


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    We hope that your visit has been enjoyable and productive. If you haven't already done so, please bookmark or tag this page for future visits! We can be contacted as follows:
    Charles C. Goodin
    Hikari Dojo
    98-211 Pali Momi Street, Suite 640
    Aiea, Hawaii 96701 USA    		 tel: (808) 488-5773
    fax: (808) 488-5773
    e-mail: goodin@hawaii.rr.com
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