Rest in Peace

I had wanted to start off the new year with a cheerful entry, but in the end I had to post this piece of bad news..

The Founder and Grandmaster of my karate school (Seidokai 成道会), Mr Norikawa (成川哲夫) has passed away peacefully on 01 January at 8:03am at the age of 65.

I had the privilege to be taught by him during my 2.5yr stay in Japan. The late grandmaster was a jovial and approachable man, defying the stereotypical stern and cold images one would have of a "grandmaster". He loved his art and was eager to share his love of Genseiryu style karate with anyone who is interested. He would explained and demonstrate to us the rationale of some of the karate moves to help us remember and understand them better. His presence made the karate practice sessions more fun and enjoyable.

One entry in my bucket list was to get a black belt for karate. I had learned to appreciate karate as an art rather than just a self-defense technique. And I must admit that Grandmaster Norikawa was one of the main catalyst for it.

His sudden demise has greatly sadden all who knew him and he will be most missed by his students.

Rest in peace, Grandmaster Norikawa.