[Will Read] Modern-day Samurai: Kotaka Sadao - An Appreciation and H

#3561 [2015-05-19 14:06:20]

[Will Read] Modern-day Samurai: Kotaka Sadao - An Appreciation and History of his Kenjutsu Style.

by secretarytocapt3

Many years back we mentioned Dr. Kotaka whose great-grand-uncle is Harada Sanosuke. He also inherited the sword used by Harada. Furthermore, Kotaka studied under Sakurai Gen'noshin Fumitake, who claimed to have been a very young member of the Shinsengumi. Sakurai died at around the age of 100!

Kotaka was a very interesting man and in the emails he sent to me many, many years ago he discussed many things most Japanese people of his generation would not discuss in connection to WWII.

What disappointed me was the constant online bickering between his students and other practitioners of Japanese martial arts which stems from ingrained attitudes concerning the difference between classical and modern lineages and if a lineage is not recognized it doesn't exist. Teenager stuff. Some people who lack basic arithmetic skills even ridiculed the possibility any member of the Shinsengumi living into the 20th century when in fact several did! If they were just teenagers (remember in the 19th century 12-14 year olds were treated like adults) during the Bakumatsu Era they certainly lived well into the modern era.

Dr. Kotaka is well known to the Japanese and Japanese American community and I smiled when I read a very old messageboard thread along the lines of "please stop slamming Dr. Kotaka---my sensei knows and respects him". I connected with Dr. Kotaka during some research I did on a sword---a western practitioner made the referral.

Please read this article http://beisho.org/historical_13.html.
Then consider reading this book http://www.amazon.com/Modern-day-Samurai-Sukesaburo-Minamoto-no-Appreciation/dp/1499715919. The comment in the review section of the book is also worth your time.


Dr. Kotaka also invited me to his home.

Due to life circumstances there was no way I could make the trip.
He was a walking time capsule.

Many years back we mentioned Dr. Kotaka whose great-grand-uncle is Harada Sanosuke.  He also inherited the sword used by Harada.  Furthermore, Kotaka studied under Sakurai Gen'noshin Fumitake, who claimed to have been a very young member of the Shinsengumi.  Sakurai died at around the age of 100! 

Kotaka was a very interesting man and in the emails he sent to me many, many years ago he discussed many things most Japanese people of his generation would not discuss in connection to WWII.

What disappointed me was the constant online bickering between his students and other practitioners of Japanese martial arts which stems from ingrained attitudes concerning the difference between classical and modern lineages and if a lineage is not recognized it doesn't exist.  Teenager stuff.  Some people who lack basic arithmetic skills even ridiculed the possibility any member of the Shinsengumi living into the 20th century when in fact several did!  If they were just teenagers (remember in the 19th century 12-14 year olds were treated like adults) during the Bakumatsu Era they certainly lived well into the modern era.

Dr. Kotaka is well known to the Japanese and Japanese American community and I smiled when I read a very old messageboard thread along the lines of "please stop slamming Dr. Kotaka---my sensei knows and respects him".  I connected with Dr. Kotaka during some research I did on a sword---a western practitioner made the referral.

Please read this article.
Then consider reading this book.  The comment in the review section of the book is also worth your time.

Dr. Kotaka also invited me to his home. 

Due to life circumstances there was no way I could make the trip.

He was a walking time capsule.

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#3562 [2015-05-19 16:21:58]

Re: [SHQ] [Will Read] Modern-day Samurai: Kotaka Sadao - An Appreciation and History of his Kenjutsu Style.

by bsher213


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