Grants and Donations
This special section is devoted exclusively to trusts bearers, foundations, corporations, businesses and motivated individuals who have the capacity and foresight to see the artistic and cultural benefits of making a sizable contribution ($1,000 or more) to Japan Martial Arts Association of New York, Inc. The information you will read will become paramount in making an informed decision on the extent to which you would be willing to help our organization fulfill its mission.
Our Mission Statement
Japan Martial Arts Association of New York, Inc. (JMAANY) is a nonprofit organization with the goal to establish a professional Shito Ryu karate-do association that sets a high standard of excellence and embraces educational themes. That will provide an outlet and alternative to at-risk children, trouble teens and adults through proper education and training in the martial arts. It is our aim to build positive leadership within our community and network to provide a badly needed community center in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, New York.
The purpose of, Japan Martial Arts Association of New York, Inc. (JMAANY) a nonprofit educational organization, is to teach traditional Karate as a martial art to the public during regularly scheduled classes in affiliated dojos (schools) and universities throughout New York.
Brief History of Karate
Karate developed from Chinese methods and concepts. In shaolin gung-fu or wushu (Chinese martial art), techniques are based on ch'i, which represents internal energy. Using great mental focus, the power is transferred into a movement. Karate is essentially a discipline that coordinates great mental focus and physical strength as well. This coordination is centered in the abdomen called koshi in Japanese. Being centered in the abdomen, breathing and abdominal muscle control is essential for great success in karate. The ability to control breathing in the height of combat requires great mental control.
Karate as we know today it was developed in Okinawa an island about half way
between the fo
ur Japanese main islands. It became an important island allowing
trade with southeastern Asia. The people of Okinawa developed and added to the
techniques from Chinese masters with there own form of martial art called Te.
Wanting to keep the martial arts secret from feudal Japanese lords, they
practiced the techniques and passed the art down from generation to generation.
It was referred to as To Te (Chinese hand) in Okinawa. Tote could also
be pronounced kara. In the late 1800's, the times changed as governments
changed. The techniques were then shown to the emperor who was impressed by the
martial art. Chomo Hanshiro (Hanashiro Chomo, 1869–1945) pioneered the use of
the
ideogram pronounced
"kara" by replacing the character meaning "Tang Dynasty"(唐:から)
with the character meaning "empty"(空:から)
in 1905. Gichin Funakoshi was a karate master who adopted “kara” empty in the
early 1920’s. From this point the term karate came to mean 'empty hand'. Do
represented path or way and adds the spiritualistic point of view to the art.
Today, karate-do as it’s called represents the martial art of Okinawa.
From this point on, many styles of karate became visible to the public. Today there are four main styles of karate-do known in Japan: Goju-ryu, Shito-ryu, Shotokan, and Wado-ryu.
Shito Ryu Karate was fo
unded by Kenwa Mabuni
(November 14, 1889 - May 23, 1952). When he was 13 years old, Mabuni Sensei
began training with Anko Itosu, a noted Karate master in the Shuri area of
Okinawa. Itosu Sensei was not only highly skilled in Budo but also a great
innovator in teaching the martial arts. Around 1905, Itosu Sensei introduced
Karate into the Okinawan public school system. Among other accomplishments, Itosu Sensei created the Pinan (Heian) kata which are still practiced today as
introductory or intermediate forms in many schools. Itosu Sensei had an
important effect on Karate in the 20th Century. Evidence of this can be found in
the number of ryuha or Karate styles that trace their lineage back to him. This
includes notables such as Gichin Funakoshi, who was responsible for starting
Shotokan Karate, Chomo Hanashiro, Kentsu Yabe, Choshin Chibana and others.
About 1909, through an introduction by his friend Chojun Miyagi, Mabuni Sensei started to also train with Kanryo Higaonna (sometimes known as Higashionna). Higaonna Sensei was a expert form the Naha region of Okinawa. Through Higaonna Sensei, Mabuni Sensei learned kata (forms) such as Saifa, Sanchin, Seienchin, Seipai and others. Miyagi Sensei went on to found the Goju Ryu style of Karate.
In 1915, both Itosu Sensei and Higaonna Sensei passed away within a short time of one another. Mabuni Sensei continued his training. Ultimately, he and Miyagi Sensei joined with other students of Karate to start a research group aimed at practicing and spreading Karate. During this time Mabuni Sensei also trained in and taught various forms of Okinanwan weaponry or Ryukyu Kobudo.
In 1929, Mabuni Kenwa Sensei moved his entire family from Okinawa to Osaka, Japan. There he established a small dojo and began teaching his unique art. Mabuni Kenwa Sensei worked tirelessly to teach Karate throughout Japan. His efforts brought him into contact with other people who were essential to the growth of Karate in Japan. The impact that Mabuni Kenwa had on the development of Japanese Karate was tremendous. Many groups trace an element of their lineage back to him. Mabuni Kenwa died on May 23rd, 1952.
A
student and seasoned black belt of the art of Shito Ryu Ismael Aguilar in 2005,
in response to a growing need to expose traditional karate to underprivileged
youth and adults, founded the Japan Martial Arts Association of New York, Inc. a
non-for-profit. JMAANY would also help gather funds to develop a community
center for the Sunset Park district of Brooklyn, New York that would provide
other needed services. Ismael Aguilar can trace his karate lineage back to its
founder Kenwa Mabuni. He has a Masters degree in Education from Brooklyn
College (CUNY) and has worked with youth for over ten years. In total Mr.
Aguilar has been involved in the martial arts for 20 years.
It has long been known that training in karate as a martial art benefits the individual practitioner in many crucial and life altering ways. In short, a person who is committed to vigorous karate practice will mature on the mental, physical and spiritual level. Our traditional training method is designed to not only advance students toward physical self reliance, but also to develop the student's character, inner worth, mental stability and emotional soundness.
Shito Ryu Karate is an exquisite art form that links the past, present and future. Our art form affects the lives of men, women and children each year. Our traditional martial art method of individual self discovery helps trainees live happy and productive lives. The lessons learned in the dojo extend into everyday life.
We recite the dojo kun (creed) and the first line is “Seek perfection of character”. This is what the ultimate goal of karate-do in seeking perfection we learn who we are deep inside.
a Community Center in Sunset Park
The association’s most important goal is to establish a badly needed Community Center in the Sunset Park area of Brooklyn, New York that along with the martial arts classes would also be a center where other forms of creative expression such as art, dance and music could be taught to enhance and bring about unity within a community plagued with many problems such as drugs, gangs violence and racial indifference. Our hope is also to have a center were tools such as computers and ESL classes and other educational opportunities could be provided for the large immigrant population in this community.
The future rests with our
children, yet we have seen so many of these precious lives wasted due to
criminal involvement, dysfunctional family lives, and varied forms of abuse.
Many federal, state and city agencies, benevolent religious groups, have tried
to help where they can. Some programs work, others do not.
We are proposing a program that has proven results in helping kids right here in
Sunset Park to get their lives turned around.
It is one of JMAANY’s goals that karate-do be available to all people regardless of sex, ethnicity or status. There should be no reason why anyone should be turned away who desires to learn the martial arts as a means to better themselves as individuals. Many martial arts schools are overly priced and out of reach to many families who live on limited budget. The JMAANY wants to give every opportunity for excellence and motivation so that all students can achieve their dreams especially those who could not other wise due so because of high cost.
Due to the lower-income background of most of our youth enrollment and their families, the greater majority of funding must, inevitably, come from outside our kids and their families. All of our expenses, to effectively operate the program for been out of pocket.
Your financial support makes a positive statement: you will give our art form the boost it needs to reach current members and new generations of young adults searching for a method of self expression. The Community Center is the beginning of something new for us, not an end goal. The core of martial arts training has always been for people to develop into fine human beings. We believe that the potential in the Sunset Park area, its youth, its people and its possibilities.
We thank you for your thoughtful consideration
and look forward to adding you to our growing list of supporters and extended
family. Please send a donation and mail it to:
JMAANY, Blythe Bourne Station, P.O. Box 190044, Brooklyn, New York
11219-0044. You may also reach us by phone at 917-498-9881 or contact us by
email at
Tamashidojo@yahoo.com.
All contributions to Japan Martial Arts Association of New York, Inc. qualify as
a tax deduction. If you would like to talk with a
representative, please contact Anthony Torres at
torresanthony24@aol.com.
© 2007 Japan Martial Arts Association of New York, Inc. All rights reserved.