2018/09/07

 

  Next to handling dōjō matching and training requests, the services of the Okinawa Karate Information Center includes supporting the realization of films, documentaries and reportage’s in relation with karate. Yearly, we are cooperating with various companies and entities. Today here is a recent project we supported.

  Based in Singapore, “One Championship” is one of Asia No.1 fighting sports championships. Related events are said to be watched by 1.7 billion people worldwide. The related documentary program “One warriors series” (reference video URL: https://youtu.be/vRwldTlofTE) is attracting many viewers.

  The host is UFC middleweight former world champion and also vice president of One Championship Mr. Rich Franklin (44), a legend of mixed martial arts. Respecting all fighters, Mr. Franklin travels Asia with this human documentary program in which he meets promising fighters, discovers the culture of each region and trains with locals.

  Last month, our center received an inquiry from a Tōkyō based film company affiliated with this program. “Our client would like to visit and report about a Matsubayashi-ryu dōjō”.

  Actually, Rich Franklin began is martial art carrier by joining a dōjō of Matsubayashi-ryū, the style founded by Nagamine Shōshin sensei. From there, we contacted Taira Yoshitaka sensei, the current president of WMKA.

  On September 2nd, Mr. Franklin and 2 athletes visited the Kōdōkan Taira Dōjō in Jichaku Urasoe City to film and train. In this coming show, Rich Franklin will tell the viewers about the insight of Okinawa karate. The show should last around 20 minutes and will be aired in January 2019 on Youtube and other mediums.