News & messages

An interview with Hanshi Andy Barber in the Wild Tomato magazine This was published in theWild Tomato March issue 2010 You can download the interview pdf (4.2MB).

Dear Fellow Seido Karate Ka A letter from Hanshi Andy. 10 December 2009 I just wanted to thank you all for you wonderful training in 2009 and to wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas and New Year break. Just one of the many benefits of our time at the Dojo is being able to enjoy our increasing health and fitness during our leisure time. As a group and individually we have much to celebrate due to our practise at the Dojo in 2009. We had a strong start at the beginning of the year with the students coming back to the Dojo with the interior having been repainted and the floor freshly oiled. Kagami Baraki (traditional Dojo New year opening) and shared breakfast was well attended with everybody enjoying a short, powerful class followed by a cuppa and a catch-up. Our camp at Teapot Valley was one of the best attended yet and again we were blessed with great training, students and building of Kizuna( relationships) .Not to mention the great weather and Sensei David’s food! We have had consistent training and attendance throughout the whole year even though we have had the worse winter I can remember. This has been reflected in the standard and achievement in promotions from our most junior’s right through the grades and ages to our most senior students who recently achieved Sensei and Kyoshi level. Much of the last 3 months of 2009 was preparation for our National Benefit Tournament. Again I would like to congratulate all students who contributed, just by their participation, and the tournament 'team' who produced a well run, well organized event. It was also fantastic to have Hanshi Charles and Hanshi Renzie present. The standard of Karate was exceptional but Kaicho has always said that training in Seido Karate is not just about taking care of oneself, but being holistically strong enough to take care of others. In raising nearly $20,000 for the Fifeshire Foundation Charitable Trust we can all feel proud that, in this instance, we really achieved that. Training can be hard, and the goals not always clear. However, perseverance and hard work allow the student to push their boundaries and nurture respect for themselves and others. Seido Karate is a form of character development and this is what makes it a 'do' or 'way' of life for the students. The goal of Karate do is not to practise for satisfying ones ego, but to overcome ones shortcomings and to live in harmony with others. Thank you Jun Shihan Jane for your ongoing love and support. Happy New Year We are all special, lucky people. Take care, OSU, Hanshi Andy

Lessons from the world's best

Nelson Mail. 20 June 2008

One of New Zealand's premier karate masters has been a student for 34 years.

Nelson Seido karete instructor Andy Barber recently returned from the United States, where he was awarded his eighth dan black belt in Seido karate. The promotion makes him one of only four people in the world to have achieved the status of Hanshi.

Barber was summoned to New York to take part in an intensive training programme with the founder of Seido, Kaicho Nakamura. He travelled to an upstate monastery with Charles Martin and Christchurch-based Renzie Hanham, now both eighth dans.

"We went through the entire syllabus from white belt all the way through to the end, so we all wore white belts and went back to being students. It was a pretty humbling experience" Barber said. The three also discussed what they saw as the future of karate. barber said it was agreed that what passes as martial arts these days is to be passionately avoided.

"People bouncing around in leotards and moving like robots to music is not karate. The future of karate is in its tradition."

The World Seido Karate Organisation was established by Nakamura in 1974 to return to karate's traditional values. Seido means "sincere way" in Japanese and was created to develop complete individuals committed to improving themselves and their communities.

"All of a sudden, tournaments had become really important in proving how tough you were. Karate is not about that. It is about being available to all regardless of gender, race or age." Barber said.

The promotion to Hanshi now means two of the four most senior Seido masters are based in New Zealand, a fact that does not change Barber’s outlook.

"As Kaicho Nakamura says, there is no graduation ceremony. You just have to keep on going and keep teaching. A hell of a lot of people have benefited and there is a hell of a lot more that can still benefit," he said.

The benefits of gaining and maintaining fitness are many. Not only is the performance of internal organs, heart, lungs, circulation and breathing strengthened and enhanced, but the increased strength and endurance gained from regular exercise also increases energy levels and improves the general sense of well being.

Seido Karate is proven to be an excellent all round exercise. It also offers the student the opportunity to develop essential physical skills while engaged in the physical training programme.